Wheel of the Year

Q: What is the Wheel of the Year?

The Wheel of the Year is a symbol marking the eight religious holidays of Neo-Pagan and Wiccan belief systems based on ancient Celtic celebrations. The eight festivals, beginning 31 October, are: Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lughnasadh, and Mabon.

Q: Is the Wheel of the Year an ancient symbol?

No. The Wheel of the Year is a modern construct based on the ancient Celtic festivals which fell out of favor after the rise of Christianity.

Q: Where does the name Wheel of the Year come from?

The ancient Celts believed the year was cyclical and their religious festivals recognized this, repeating themselves annually in a never-ending circle. The modern symbol of the Wheel of the Year honors this belief in time operating cyclically, turning like a wheel.

Q: When was the modern Wheel of the Year created?

The modern Wheel of the Year was first suggested by Jacob Grimm in his 1835 work Teutonic Mythology and was further developed and fixed in the 1950's and 1960's by the Wicca movement.

Joshua J. Mark

Wheel of the Year

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Definition

The Wheel of the Year is a symbol of the eight Sabbats (religious festivals) of Neo-Paganism and the Wicca movement which includes four solar festivals - Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Fall Equinox - and four seasonal festivals - celebrating or marking a significant seasonal change.

More about: Wheel of the Year

Timeline

1835
Jacob Grimm's Teutonic Mythology is published.

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