The Pagan calendar wheel is a cyclical system of marking time in nature-based religions and spiritual practices. It reflects the changing seasons and the cycles of life, death, and rebirth. The main idea behind the Pagan calendar wheel is the belief that the natural world is sacred and interconnected, and that by aligning ourselves with its rhythms, we can deepen our connection to the divine. Perhaps the most well-known version of the Pagan calendar wheel is found in modern Wiccan and Druidic traditions, where it is commonly referred to as the Wheel of the Year. This wheel is divided into eight solar festivals, known as Sabbats, which mark the solstices, equinoxes, and points in between. The **main idea** of the Pagan calendar wheel is the recognition of the sacredness of nature and its cycles.
Celtic Tree Months
Patti Wigington is a pagan author, educator, and licensed clergy. She is the author of Daily Spellbook for the Good Witch, Wicca Practical Magic and The Daily Spell Journal.
Updated on June 25, 2019The Celtic Tree Calendar is a calendar with thirteen lunar divisions. Most contemporary Pagans use fixed dates for each "month," rather than following the waxing and waning lunar cycle. If this was done, eventually the calendar would fall out of sync with the Gregorian year, because some calendar years have 12 full moons and others have 13. The modern tree calendar is based on a concept that letters in the ancient Celtic Ogham alphabet corresponded to a tree.
Although you don't have to follow a Celtic path to celebrate the Celtic tree calendar months, you'll find that each of the themes in the Celtic tree months ties strongly to Celtic culture and mythology.
It's also important to note that there is no proof that the Celtic tree calendar actually originated with early Celtic peoples. Joelle of Joelle's Sacred Grove says,
"The lunar tree calendar of the Celts has long been a source of controversy among Celtic scholars. Some even claim it was never a part of the old Celtic world, but was an invention of author/researcher Robert Graves. The Druids are generally given credit by other researchers for creating this system. There seems to be no scholarly evidence to prove otherwise, yet many Celtic Pagans feel that the system pre-dates the time of Druidic influence over Celtic religious matters. It is probably reasonable to believe that the truth lies somewhere in between these three extremes. It is most likely that the tree system was in place, with minor regional variations before the time of the Druids who experimented with it, discovered the magical properties of each tree, and codified all the information into the system we have today."
The Best Guide To Understanding The Wheel of the Year
The wheel of the year is an ancient Celtic calendar based on festivals that celebrated our connection with nature. The calendar revolves around eight festivals, from Imbolc to Yule – each one signaling a shift in the season, weather, and the natural world around us.
On these dates, the beginning and end of the seasons are celebrated, such as the equinoxes and the solstices. This calendar is currently used by neo-pagans; although it’s very common to associate the wheel of the year with Wicca, since it relates this myth to the cycle of growth, maturation, and death of the God, it’s actually a calendar widely used by pagans in general, whether they believe in other pantheons, or even without following a specific religion.
The sole purpose of this calendar is to connect with nature and its cycles, so no pantheon or religion is needed to celebrate the wheel of the year. Celebrating these seasonal shifts with festivities is intended to help us to connect with the spirit of our ancestors, a connection that leads directly to Mother Earth more than to any deity.
This calendar is relatively new, as there isn’t enough information about some of these celebrations, or even their names since oral tradition prevailed in those times. This calendar tries to approximate the traditions practiced by the Gaelic and Germanic peoples.
The Celts had four great festivals: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh, these are called the “major sabbats”, which are celebrated at the midpoint between each solstice and equinox. Although for the Gaelic peoples these four celebrations existed, they corresponded more than anything to the farmers, since the ranchers saw the year divided into two: half-light and half-dark.
The **main idea** of the Pagan calendar wheel is the recognition of the sacredness of nature and its cycles. Each festival on the wheel represents a unique aspect of the turning of the seasons and offers an opportunity for ritual and celebration. In addition to the eight Sabbats, the Pagan calendar wheel also encompasses the lunar cycles, with each full moon and new moon being seen as a time for reflection, manifestation, and spiritual practice.
About these celebrations:
There’s evidence in a discovery made in France, where a calendar attributed to the Celts was found in Coligny, called Coligny Calendar. Since then, we have known these four festivals, whose purpose is to indicate the holidays and the change of season.
Later the Celts included the solstices in their festivities, a tradition that the Saxons brought with them, but actually the tradition of celebrating the solstices and equinoxes is inherited from the Germanic peoples. These celebrations are called the “lesser sabbats”, and each of the eight festivals is celebrated roughly every month and a half, or every six and a half weeks and makes up what we now refer to as the Wheel of the Year.
This connection to the moon further emphasizes the idea of cyclical time and the ever-changing nature of existence. The Pagan calendar wheel serves as a guide for those who follow nature-based spiritual practices, helping them to attune their lives to the natural world and honor the cycles of birth, growth, decline, and renewal. By observing the wheel, practitioners can deepen their connection to the Earth and the divine, finding inspiration and wisdom in the unfolding cycles of nature. In conclusion, the Pagan calendar wheel is a representation of the cyclical nature of time and the interconnectedness of all life. It serves as a guide for those who follow Pagan and nature-based spiritual practices, providing a framework for honoring the changing seasons and cycles of the natural world. By attuning ourselves to the wheel, we can deepen our connection to the divine and find meaning and purpose in the ever-changing rhythms of life..
Reviews for "The Pagan Calendar Wheel: A Tool for Spiritual Growth and Transformation"
1. John - 2 stars
I found the Pagan calendar wheel to be confusing and difficult to understand. The design was cluttered and the information was overwhelming. I was hoping for a more simplified and user-friendly resource for tracking the Pagan holidays and moon phases. Unfortunately, this calendar didn't meet my expectations.
2. Emily - 1 star
I was disappointed with the Pagan calendar wheel. The colors used in the design were too vibrant and clashed with each other, making it visually unappealing. Additionally, the information provided was limited and didn't offer much depth or context. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this calendar to others looking for a comprehensive and visually pleasing resource.
3. Sarah - 2 stars
The Pagan calendar wheel didn't meet my expectations. The information provided was too basic and didn't provide any insights into the significance or history of the Pagan holidays. The design was also lacking, with small font sizes and cramped layouts that made it difficult to read and navigate. I was disappointed with the overall quality of this calendar.
4. Michael - 2 stars
I found the Pagan calendar wheel to be lacking in terms of content. The descriptions of the holidays and moon phases were too brief and didn't provide enough information. The design was also uninspiring and didn't capture the essence of Pagan traditions. Overall, I was hoping for a more informative and visually appealing calendar, but this one fell short.