The Pagan Wheel of the Year calendar is a cyclical calendar used by many Pagan and Wiccan traditions. It represents the changing seasons and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Each season is celebrated with its own holiday or sabbat, which marks an important moment in the natural world. The wheel is divided into eight major holidays, known as sabbats, which are evenly spaced throughout the year. These sabbats include the solstices, equinoxes, and cross-quarter days. The solstices mark the longest and shortest days of the year, while the equinoxes mark the points of equal day and night.
“Is Mother almost ready for her trip?” I ask, keeping a friendly tone to my voice so he won’t suspect me of anything.
Until one night two years ago, vampires broke through the magical barrier protecting their town, and in the ensuing attack, Kaye s mother was killed, and Ava was turned into a vampire. Every witch s powers grow strongest once she turns fifteen; those are the hardest years of training for witches in Arborren, when our regular schooling ends, and we re trained to master our magical skills before the potency lessens to a steadier level one that can still be incredibly strong, if we re trained enough in our youth.
The solstices mark the longest and shortest days of the year, while the equinoxes mark the points of equal day and night. The cross-quarter days fall midway between the solstices and equinoxes. The sabbats are not only a time to celebrate the changing seasons, but also to honor and connect with the natural world.
The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores
The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores is a young adult, queer Rapunzel retelling set in a fantasy world where witches and vampires coexist. The novel follows Ava and Kaye, who used to be best friends until the fateful night when Kaye’s mother was murdered and Ava was turned into a vampire against her will. Struggling to overcome their own personal traumas, their relationship is tested when they must put aside their differences to confront a looming threat against their community. With its blend of romance, adventure, and suspense, this novel delves into a supernatural realm of magic made thorny by the prickly complexities of family loyalties.
I can’t accept it as coincidence that Ava disappeared that same day, and I saw her with blood on her chin a few days later.
Francesca Flores, The Witch and the Vampire
While the premise is compelling, the pacing and worldbuilding is where this novel falls short. The story feels rushed and formulaic at times, with pivotal events unfolding too quickly, and plot twists being entirely too predictable. The combining of vampire and witch lore was initially intriguing, but I was constantly confused as to why only Ava was a vampire who retained her witch powers. Her mother keeps it a secret to use for her own benefit, but it’s never quite clear if Ava’s an anomaly, or if it’s common knowledge that she would have retained her powers due to how she was turned into a vampire.
I often found myself craving more details, especially when it came to why vampires and witches hate each other. I was looking for nuanced conversations or metaphors about the racial and species prejudices in this world, but all I got was a “fantasy” where those prejudices just get to exist without question. For instance, Kaye, who was told her mother was murdered by a vampire but has no other evidence to prove it, sees her best friend Ava in a tower with blood on her face a few days later and somehow decides Ava did it. She…allegedly murdered her best friend’s mother and just didn’t wash her face for days. And that’s all it takes to rewire Kaye’s entire personality. Uh…what? Make it make sense!
And speaking of Ava’s mother — the woman murders her own daughter and turns her into a vampire against her will, keeps her imprisoned, siphons off her power, and emotionally manipulates her. All that sounds incredibly traumatizing, especially since Ava makes the brave decision to run away and rescue herself from this life; however, Flores’ treatment of this storyline is flippant. It’s simply a passing detail, and is yet another aspect of the novel that I really would have liked to see fleshed out. What was her mother’s motive? Were there no warning signs for the first sixteen years of Ava’s life?
Had she stared at the same moon those long nights and wished to be with me too?
Francesca Flores, The Witch and the Vampire
On a positive note, I enjoyed Flores’ accessible writing, and particularly the beautiful prose as Ava and Kaye pine for one another. Whether it be for their lost friendship or their budding romance, it’s easy for readers to relate to the yearning and inner turmoil each girl experiences. Flores excels at illustrating this sapphic romance, and I especially enjoyed the parts in the first half of the book when the girls travel through the forest and skirt around each other after two years apart. However, I constantly had trouble telling Ava and Kaye apart! Maybe it’s just me, but I felt their personalities and voices often blended together, and the girls lacked the depth needed to truly resonate as fully developed characters.
The Witch and the Vampire is a one-dimensional, predictable sapphic romance, and the worldbuilding and pacing leaves much to be desired. I really wanted to love this book, but it was a letdown in almost every way. So much potential was left on the table, and the Rapunzel foundation of this retelling is almost an afterthought! (Honestly, it seems more like a Tangled retelling, though just barely.) A standalone novel simply doesn’t have the room Flores required to successfully weave the rich tapestry of the world she created. The potential for something truly immersive and captivating is there, but the execution simply is not.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sharing an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
They provide an opportunity to reflect on the balance of light and dark, and to attune oneself to the rhythms of nature. Each sabbat has its own unique themes and traditions, such as bonfires, feasts, and ritual practices. The Wheel of the Year also incorporates the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. It recognizes that just as the seasons change and the natural world goes through cycles of growth and decay, so too do our own lives. The sabbats offer a chance to acknowledge and embrace these cycles. The Pagan Wheel of the Year calendar is not a fixed or universal system, but rather a flexible framework that can be adapted by different traditions and individuals. Some traditions may have additional or different holidays, while others may place different emphasis on certain sabbats. Ultimately, the purpose of the calendar is to celebrate and connect with the cycles of nature and the seasons, and to promote a sense of harmony and balance in our own lives..
Reviews for "The Pagan Wheel of the Year: A Journey of Self-Discovery"
1. John - 2/5
I was really excited to try out the Pagan Wheel of the Year Calendar, as I have always been interested in learning more about different pagan traditions. However, I was quite disappointed with this calendar. The artwork was extremely basic and didn't capture the essence or beauty of the different seasonal celebrations. Additionally, the information provided for each holiday was very limited and lacked depth. I was expecting to learn more about the history and significance of each holiday, but unfortunately, this calendar didn't deliver on that front.
2. Sarah - 3/5
As someone who follows a pagan path, I was looking forward to getting the Pagan Wheel of the Year Calendar to help me keep track of the important dates and celebrations throughout the year. While it did serve its purpose in terms of providing the dates for each of the holidays, I was disappointed with the lack of inclusivity. The calendar predominantly focused on one specific pagan tradition, leaving out the rich diversity of other pagan practices. I believe a more comprehensive approach would have made this calendar more valuable and inclusive for a wider audience.
3. Emily - 2/5
I found the Pagan Wheel of the Year Calendar to be quite underwhelming. The overall design and layout were not aesthetically pleasing, and the font choice made the text difficult to read. Additionally, the descriptions for each holiday were too brief and didn't provide enough information to truly understand the significance of these celebrations. I was hoping for a more engaging and educational calendar, but unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me.