Wheel of the year 

Samhain (All hallows eve) Around April 30^th

Yule (winter solstice) Around June 21^st

Imbolc (Candlemas) Around August 1^st

Ostara (Spring Equinox) Around September 21^st

Beltane - Around November 1^st

Litha (Midsummer / Summer Solstice) Around December 21^st

Lammas (Luahnasadh) Around February 1^st

Mabon (Autumn Equinox) Around March 21^st

In Witchcraft, the seasonal course of the year is known as the "Wheel of the year". There are 4 major/greater, and 4 minor/lesser Sabbats, that make up the eight Sabbats per year. (They are also know respectively as Quarter days and cross-quarter days).

Sabbats are celebrations based on seasonal changes and traditional harvest dates, and are SUN events. They are times of great celebration.

Esbats are gatherings of Witches for ritual work and observance of the full moon, they are MOON events. It is a time for magical work rather than the more celebratory Sabbat.

In the graphic above, you will see the wheel is evenly divided into 8 parts. The quarter points in green, and cross quarter points in purple.

Major Sabbats/Quarter days are:  Yule, Ostara, Litha and  Mabon. These points are marked by the precise movement of the Sun in the annual journey across the sky, and are the mid points in their season. (ie. Yule is the middle of Winter).

Lesser Sabbats/Cross Quarter days are Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh. The cross quarter holidays fall approximately half way between the Quarter days. Traditionally, additional factors were used to determine these holidays as well, (ie. noticing earth changes like air temperature, rainfall etc, animal migrations, harvest and specific astrological alignments).
 

Solstice marks a time when the sun appears to stand still its northward or southward motion and is farthest from the equator. Summer solstice is the longest daylight hours of the year, and winter solstice is the shortest. (In Latin, where the word solstice comes from, "sol" is the sun; "sistere" is to cause to stand)

Equinox is when the sun crosses the celestial equator and when the length of day and night is equal (approximately). From the Ostara, Sunlight will increase during the day and after Mabon, the Sunlight hours will decrease during the day. (In Latin ,aequinoctium: aequi- equi-means equal and nox, noct means night).

Click on a Link below to learn more about each Sabbat (Includes Stories, Poems & Activates)

For more advanced information, click here.

Click on the red shoes to take you home!