HOLIDAYS/SEASONS

The Goddess and God have many aspects, many different personalities. Each one teaches us certain things. They change as the seasons change. The Wheel of the Year is the story of the birth, growth, death and rebirth of the year, and the different ways we see the Goddess and the God at each season. The story teaches us not to be afraid of change. We need the dark and the cold as much as we need the warmth and the light. The story reminds us that winter will always be followed by spring, just as summer will give way to fall and winter.

The year begins at Samhain. (Pronounced Sow--[as in female pig]--in.) (October 31) Although we are moving into the darkest and coldest time of year, we celebrate this as our New Year. The old crops are gathered in, the land is resting, waiting for new growth to begin. The Goddess is the Crone, the old wise one, she who receives the dead and comforts them. The God is the Horned God, the animal who gives away his life, becoming food so that others can live. The veil is thin between the worlds of the living and the dead. We can visit our beloved dead and receive help from the ancestors. Theirs are the loving arms that gather us in when life is done, cradle us and bring us back to rebirth. We honor our ancestors and our Beloved Dead.

At Yule, the Winter Solstice, (December 20, 21 or 22) the year is reborn. The Sun, who has grown old and tired, goes to sleep in the arms of Mother Night, and is reborn at dawn. The Goddess is the Dark Mother, the giver of gifts and the teacher of lessons. Her love is the first gift given to all her children. The God is the reborn year, all that is new, growing and possible.

The year grows, and the sun gets stronger. The days begin to lengthen. At Brigit, (Feb 2) the year is beginning to grow up. The teacher of lessons gives us challenges and receives our pledges to grow and change. She is Brigit, Goddess of Fire and Water, the ancient Goddess of poetry, the forge, and healing. The God becomes the poet, magician, teacher--the keeper of the mysteries. We honor all teachers, step-parents, foster parents, aunties and uncles who teach and care for us.

At Eostar, the Spring Equinox, (March 20, 21, or 22) day and night are equal and balanced. The Mother steps back, and the Daughter comes forth. She is life itself that has been sleeping in the dark of winter. Now the sun wakes her up, as seeds awaken and growth begins in the warmth and rains of spring. If the Winter Solstice is the birthday of the sun, the Spring Equinox is the birthday of the earth. The Goddess is the Maiden who returns, bringing Spring, and she is the magic hare who lays the egg of life. The God is the waxing sun, and the Green Man, power of growth and renewal.

At Beltane, (May Eve, May 1) the earth is fully awake and everything is blossoming. Just as Samhain was a time to connect with the dead, Beltane is the holiday that celebrates life. The Goddess and God become the lovers of all living things, and bless all forms of love. The gates between the worlds are open, and we can connect with the life-spirits of plants, animals, Fairies, and the Mysterious Ones, all those beings who awaken us to the deep mysteries. We honor all mothers who bring life into the world.

At Summer Solstice, (June 20, 21 or 22) the sun reaches its peak and begins to decline. The Goddess becomes the lover of all things that fade and die. She is the mother of abundance and fruitfulness who loves and feeds her children. The God, at the height of his power, begins to transform, to go into the Otherworld, carrying our messages and hopes. He represents all beings who sacrifice, who give of themselves so that life may go on.

At Lughnasad, (August 1) (Pronounced Loo--na--sa) the days are already growing shorter although we are at the warmest time of year. The Goddess becomes the Harvest Mother, as we gather in the first of the crops. The God gives us the gifts of the Otherworld: life in the form of the food we eat and the skills and arts of human life. He is Lugh (Loo) of the Long Hand, the Sun, the Shining Faced one, and he is Lugh the Many-skilled, God of the arts and knowledge that allow human beings to live together. At this time of hope and fear as the sun declines and the days grow shorter, we celebrate his wake. We honor all fathers who feed and nurture and teach us.

At Mabon, (September 20, 21 or 22), the Fall Equinox, day and night are equal again. We give thanks for all the gifts we have received, for everything we have harvested. The earth begins to prepare for her winter's sleep; the Goddess and God grow old and wise. They come to us in our dreams, and guide us into the Otherworld.

(Note on dates: Pagan holidays begin at sundown of the day before the given date. I have given the most traditional dates associated with each holiday, but in reality, Samhain is October 31 and November 1, Brigid is February 1 and 2, Beltaine is April 3 and May 1, Lammas is July 31 and August 1.) The date of the solstices and equinoxes, true astronomical events, varies slightly from year to year. A good astrological calendar will give you the correct dates and times for the current year.)