Cycles

At the heart of my religion is the celebration and acknowledgement of cycles, both in nature and in myself. There are two main symbols for such cycles -- the wheel of the year and the lunar cycle.

The wheel of the year reflects the seasons in Europe (northern hemisphere), how they affected agriculture, and is driven by the sun, a symbol for The God.

The diagram above shows the eight festival/celebrations (or "sabbats") that take place each year, and their dates for the Southern Hemisphere (I live in Australia, which is below the equator). The dates differ by six months to reflect the position of the sun. When it's Winter or Spring in the northern hemisphere, its Summer or Autumn in the the southern hemisphere, and so on. The cycle is shown in an anti-clockwise direction to match the path of the sun from the southern hemisphere.

Each sabbat has a meaning, and the following explanations are taken from material in "Wheel of the Year" by Teresa Mooney (Names in brackets refer to similar Christian festivals that occur roughly the same time in the Northern Hemisphere):

Sahmain (Halloween)

Pronounced sa-ween, this marks the end of the Celtic Year and the beginning of another. As such it, is a reflection on: endings, death and hidden beginnings; of mourning loss, the beloved dead, and surrender; of transformation, dissolving and transcending boundaries such as death and time; of ancestors, remembering, and story telling; of insight, mystery and wisdom.

Yule / Winter Solstice (Christmas)

If the previous festival was about death, this one is about birth and rebirth. It takes place in the middle of winter and in the Northern Hemisphere this is the point of the year that is coldest, before the earth begins to warm again. It is also close to Christmas which celebrates the birth of Jesus, who in this aspect represents the Divine Child, or Child of Promise. It is a reflection of: conception, death/birth, and incarnation/reincarnation; light in the midst of darkness; of fertility, festivity and joy, and of parent and child.

Imbolc (Candlemas)

The previous two festivals have dealt with death and birth. This one deals with growth, as Winter turns to spring, and there is a quickening in living things. It relates to: infancy, initiation, new beginnings; to initiative, innovation, and creativity; to poetry, craft, enterprise and learning; with innocence, cleansing, growth and new hope.

Spring Equinox (Easter)

At the spring equinox the length of night and day are equal, though the days are increasing in length. This festival then reflects a balance and a crossing point, where the rush of energy that was Imbolc, is now a constant stream. This festival reflects: awakening, resurgence, resurrection and renewal; of balance, crossing points and changes; of strong and constant growth.

Beltaine

This reflects the Celtic beginning of Summer. Both the God and the Goddess are in young adulthood and mate. The growth that was experienced in Spring is now beginning to be returned in Summer. This festival refers to: desire, fulfilled anticipation, of life and liveliness; to creativity, fertility and creation; of excitement passion, sexuality and sensuality. Handfastings can often take place at this celebration, and reflects not only a marriage of two people, but the union of the God and Goddess.

Midsummer / Summer Solstice

The which was begun in Beltaine comes to fruition now. But Midsummer is the opposite of Yule, in that though the sun is at its peak and brightest, it also starts to wane, and the days begin to grow shorter. This festival reflects: culmination, peak and climax; warmth and light, lushness and fullness; of fulfillment and joy, but also of beginning of descent on the winds of change; of the mystery of "now" and the connections and pathways that lead to it.

Lughnasadh / Lammas

Whereas the previous celebration represented the peak of effort and return, this festival represents the aftermath. All things reach their peak and then decline, all that changes is the length of time involved in each step. This is a time to appreciate what has been gained, the price paid for it, and acceptance of what is to come. This festival refers to: achievement, appreciation of gain and sacrifice; of harvest, abundance and celebration; of paying the price, of sadness and the beginning of the end.

Autumn Equinox (Thanksgiving)

At Autumn equinox as at the Spring Equinox, the length of the days and nights is equal, but the nights are getting longer. This was a time of gathering in the harvest in preparation of the Winter to come. Even though we know that the cycle will begin anew, still there is some doubt and mystery involved. We will all wither and die, and will we be renewed? The veil of death is an elusive one that denies confirmation. This festival reflects: mystery, disturbance, dreaming and turning inwards; of harvest and preserving, journeys and review; of weighing up, giving thanks and giving farewell to what is past.

Not only the God, but the Goddess can also reflect the changes of the year. The illustration at right is taken from "The Goddess Changes" by Felicity Wombwell. Each goddess listed is linked with a sabbat and reflects a quality associated with that festival.

More commonly associated with the Goddess is the lunar cycle, which is about 13 cycles a year. This is based on the appearance of the moon as per how much of it is in darkness and can be seen. The diagram below shows how the orbiting of the moon around the sun affects its phase:

These are simplified to three phases: waxing, full, and waning. The Aspects of the Goddess page explains how these represent the Goddess. The night of a full moon can be an occasion for an "Esbat" where more than one person gathers together to make requests of the Goddess and to perform other rituals and ceremonies.