Timely Magic Wheel of the Year

The moon was my first introduction to cyclical magic, which then led me to the Wheel of the Year. Samhain was the first that I learned, and I learned it from an online friend and fellow writer who was following the same path. Once she turned me on to that tidbit of information, I took that ball and ran with it. Here is the information I gathered to help me understand the cycle and the sabbats. In time, each of these will open up into a full, long-form, detailed article that includes crafts and recipes for each season, but for now, here’s an introduction. 

The Wheel of the Year

Wheel of the Year Book Set
on Amazon 

The Wheel of the Year is a sacred calendar observed in many earth-based spiritual paths. It marks eight seasonal festivals, known as sabbats, that follow the sun’s path across the sky and reflect the natural cycles of light, growth, harvest, and rest.

These sabbats are rooted in ancient agricultural traditions and pagan celebrations from across Europe, particularly Celtic and Germanic cultures. They are often used as anchor points for ritual, reflection, and living in harmony with the changing seasons.

The eight sabbats are traditionally grouped into two categories. The solar holidays, which include the solstices and equinoxes, are called the quarter days. The four festivals that fall roughly halfway between them are called the cross-quarter days and are often celebrated as fire festivals in Celtic tradition.

Together, they form a complete circle of seasonal energy, guiding the spiritual year from darkness to light, from seed to bloom, from harvest to rest, and back again.

Yule
Winter Solstice | Around December 20–23 (Northern Hemisphere)

Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas
on Amazon

Yule marks the longest night of the year and the rebirth of the sun. It is the Winter Solstice, a turning point when the days slowly begin to lengthen and light begins to return. Though winter still holds the land in silence, Yule carries the promise of renewal.

This sabbat is a time of deep stillness, reflection, and quiet celebration. Ancient traditions honored this moment with firelight, evergreen boughs, and rituals that welcomed the return of the sun. The burning of the Yule log, the hanging of holly and ivy, and the lighting of candles are all ways to honor life enduring through the cold and dark.

Many of Yule’s symbols and customs were later woven into modern Christmas celebrations, including tree decorating, gift giving, wreaths, and the imagery of light shining in the darkness. Though the names and meanings have shifted over time, the heart of the season—hope, warmth, and renewal—remains.

Spiritually, Yule invites rest, gratitude, and the planting of inner seeds. It is a time to turn inward, to listen, and to reconnect with one’s sense of hope and possibility. While the world lies dormant, something new is already beginning to stir beneath the surface.

Yule is the first spoke in the Wheel because it represents the moment where darkness begins to shift and light slowly begins to grow. It reminds us that even in our quietest seasons, transformation is already underway.

Imbolc
Midwinter Festival | February 1–2

Year of the Witch
on Amazon

Imbolc arrives in the quiet heart of winter, when the land is still resting but the first subtle signs of spring begin to stir. It is a sabbat of awakening and gentle renewal, often associated with the hearth, inspiration, and the spark of life returning to the world.

Traditionally, Imbolc honored the Celtic goddess Brigid—patron of healing, poetry, fertility, and sacred fire. Her presence is still felt in this season through the lighting of candles, home blessings, and acts of creative devotion. This is a time to tend both flame and spirit, to clear away the stagnant and make space for what is yet to bloom.

Though the ground remains cold, there is movement beneath the surface. Seeds begin to shift. Snowdrops push through frozen soil. The energy of Imbolc is subtle but strong—a quiet quickening, a whisper that change is coming.

Many of its customs live on in modern traditions like Candlemas, a Christian holiday that retained the theme of purification through light. But at its core, Imbolc is a celebration of the in-between. It marks the transition from winter to spring, calling forth both patience and preparation as the Wheel turns once more.

Ostara
Spring Equinox | Around March 19–22 (Northern Hemisphere)

Ostara on Amazon

Ostara marks the Spring Equinox, a moment of perfect balance when day and night are equal. From this point forward, the light continues to grow, tipping the world toward warmth, life, and renewal. This sabbat celebrates fertility, fresh beginnings, and the awakening of the Earth.

Named after the Germanic goddess Ēostre, Ostara is linked to themes of dawn, rebirth, and the blossoming of potential. Symbols such as eggs, hares, flowers, and seeds reflect nature’s emergence from dormancy and the stirring of creative energy.

Ostara is a time to plant—both literally in the soil and energetically through intention. Gardens, goals, and new ideas are all nourished by the rising light. Cleansing rituals, home refreshes, and acts of joyful creation are especially aligned with this season.

Many of Ostara’s symbols were later woven into modern Easter celebrations, including egg decorating, spring flowers, and the image of the hare. Though the spiritual meanings have shifted, the essence of renewal remains.

The energy of this sabbat is hopeful and expansive. It encourages action rooted in balance, and reminds us that growth is not rushed—it is tended, warmed, and brought forth in its own time.

Beltane
Fire Festival of Fertility | May 1

Beltane is a celebration of life at its peak—vibrant, fertile, and wild. It marks the height of spring and the approach of summer, when the Earth feels fully awake and bursting with potential. This sabbat honors union, passion, and the sacred spark that brings forth growth.

Traditionally, Beltane was one of the great fire festivals in Celtic lands, associated with protection, fertility, and the blessing of the land and livestock. Bonfires were lit and danced around. Maypoles were raised. Couples jumped flames together to seal bonds or call in love.

Beltane celebrates not just physical fertility, but creative and energetic abundance. It is a time for joy, for sensuality, and for honoring the balance between the seen and unseen, the physical and the spiritual. Boundaries between worlds feel thin, and fae folklore is often associated with this sabbat.

Many Beltane themes echo in modern celebrations of May Day, such as dancing around the maypole and crowning the May Queen—remnants of older rites woven into seasonal tradition.

This sabbat carries an energy of momentum and desire, reminding us to kindle what sets us alight. It is a moment to say yes to life, to lean into beauty, and to celebrate the sacred dance of becoming.

Litha
Summer Solstice | Around June 20–23 (Northern Hemisphere)

Wheel of the Year
on Amazon

Litha marks the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year and the sun’s moment of fullest power. Light reigns, and the Earth stands in radiant bloom. This sabbat honors vitality, strength, abundance, and the sacred pause before the turning begins again.

In many ancient cultures, the Summer Solstice was a time of great celebration. Bonfires blazed on hilltops, herbs were gathered at their peak potency, and offerings were made to solar deities. This was a time to give thanks for all that was growing and to bless what had yet to ripen.

Litha carries both joy and subtle melancholy. While it celebrates light, it also marks the point at which the days will begin to shorten. The year is at its zenith, and from here, the Wheel begins to tilt once more toward darkness.

Themes of balance, intention, and transformation are strong at this time. Many traditions focus on harnessing the sun’s energy to empower goals, charge magical tools, or set bold intentions. Others use this moment to pause, reflect, and take stock of the year’s journey so far.

Modern Midsummer festivals still carry echoes of Litha, especially in regions where bonfires, dancing, and flower crowns fill the season with magic.

This sabbat reminds us to live fully in the light while it is here—to celebrate growth, embrace gratitude, and honor the fullness of life before the descent begins.

Lammas
First Harvest Festival | August 1

Crafting the Wheel of the Year
on Amazon

Lammas, also known as Lughnasadh (pronounced LOO-nuh-sah), is the festival of the first harvest. It marks the beginning of the agricultural season of gathering, a time to honor the fruits of labor and the abundance offered by the land. Grain is traditionally the central symbol of this sabbat—cut, baked, and blessed in gratitude.

This sabbat is named in honor of the Celtic god Lugh, a deity of light, skill, and craftsmanship. Ancient celebrations often included feasts, games, and the offering of the first sheaf of wheat or loaf of bread as a sacred gift.

Lammas carries the energy of gratitude and preparation. The light is beginning to wane, and though summer still lingers, the first golden signs of autumn appear. Spiritually, it is a time to reflect on what has come to fruition in one’s life and to begin considering what is worth carrying forward.

Many modern traditions include baking bread, sharing seasonal meals, and performing rituals of gratitude and release. It is a time to honor the cycle of sowing and reaping, to recognize effort, and to begin letting go of what is no longer needed.

Lammas teaches that every harvest begins with a seed, and that every effort—no matter how small—can lead to nourishment, wisdom, and growth.

Mabon
Autumn Equinox | Around September 21–24 (Northern Hemisphere)

Spirited Kitchen
on amazon

Mabon is the second harvest and the moment of balance between light and dark. It falls on the Autumn Equinox, when day and night once again share equal length before the darkness slowly begins to take the lead. This sabbat is a time of thanksgiving, reflection, and release.

Often seen as the witch’s Thanksgiving, Mabon is a time to pause and appreciate the abundance of the year so far—what has grown, what has changed, and what has come to completion. Fruits, nuts, grains, and vegetables are all gathered now, and the Earth is heavy with its final bounty.

This sabbat is rich with themes of gratitude and preparation. As the days grow shorter and the air begins to cool, attention turns inward. Spiritually, Mabon invites introspection and gentle letting go. It is a time to gather in, fortify, and make peace with the transitions unfolding.

Many of its seasonal symbols—apples, wine, acorns, and turning leaves—are reflected in modern autumn celebrations, particularly harvest festivals and the general spirit of cozy abundance that defines the season.

Mabon reminds us that balance is fleeting, but meaningful. It teaches the grace of receiving and the wisdom of release, preparing heart and hearth for the quieter, deeper months ahead.

Samhain
Final Harvest & Ancestor Festival | October 31 – November 1

Flat Aluminum Wall Art
on Amazon

Samhain marks the end of the harvest and the beginning of the dark half of the year. It is often called the Witches’ New Year, a sacred time when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest and the cycle of death and rebirth stands fully revealed.

This sabbat was deeply significant in ancient Celtic traditions. Cattle were brought in from pasture, fields were cleared, and winter preparations began. Offerings were made to spirits and ancestors, bonfires were lit for protection, and divination was practiced to glimpse what lay ahead.

Spiritually, Samhain is a time of endings, remembrance, and release. It invites quiet reflection, ancestor honoring, and a turning inward toward mystery and the unseen. Candles are lit in windows, photos or mementos are placed on altars, and moments of silence are held to connect with those who have passed beyond the veil.

Many of Samhain’s themes and symbols found their way into modern Halloween—costumes, carved pumpkins, and images of spirits and the dead—but the heart of this sabbat remains solemn and sacred. It is a time of deep magic, powerful intuition, and spiritual threshold crossing.

Samhain reminds us that every ending is also a beginning. As the Wheel completes its turn, it invites descent into stillness, trusting that from darkness, light will rise again.

Walking the Wheel

The Wheel of the Year is more than a calendar. It is a sacred rhythm that echoes through the land, the body, and the spirit. Each sabbat offers a point of connection—not just to seasonal change, but to a deeper way of living that honors ebb and flow, action and rest, celebration and release.

By observing the Wheel, spiritual seekers align themselves with the turning Earth. The sabbats offer opportunities to pause and listen, to mark time with intention, and to root one’s practice in the ever-changing energy of the natural world. There is no need for perfection or elaborate ritual—only presence, reflection, and a willingness to move with the seasons instead of against them.

As the year turns, each spoke in the Wheel becomes both a moment and a mirror. In celebrating the cycles of sun and soil, one begins to understand the cycles within. Growth, fullness, fading, stillness—every phase holds wisdom.

The Wheel turns, and so do we.