Wicca is a modern pagan religion that follows the cycles of nature and the seasons. One important aspect of Wiccan practice is the celebration of the sabbats, which are eight annual holidays that mark significant points in the year. These holidays are celebrated with rituals, ceremonies, and gatherings, and they provide an opportunity for the Wiccan community to connect with nature and honor the changing seasons. In 2023, the Wiccan sabbat cycle will follow its traditional pattern, with each holiday occurring at the same time each year. **The first sabbat of the year is Imbolc, which takes place on February 2nd.** Imbolc is a festival of the hearth and home, and it celebrates the returning light and the first signs of spring.
24th Celtic Tree Month of Birch begins
Many of the traditions of this holiday are considered the source of modern-day traditions of Christmas, including wreaths, candles, feasting and exchanging of gifts. Other names for this moon are the Honey Moon, the Rose Moon, Birth Moon, Blooming Moon, Egg Laying Moon, the Hatching Moon, Green Corn Moon, Mead Mon, Hot Moon and the Berries Ripen Moon.
** Imbolc is a festival of the hearth and home, and it celebrates the returning light and the first signs of spring. During this time, Wiccans may perform rituals to bless their homes, light candles, and make preparations for the coming season. **The next sabbat is Ostara, on March 21st**, which marks the spring equinox.
2023 Pagan Calendar – Sabbats, Moon Cycles, Zodiac, and More
The 2023 pagan calendar includes traditional pagan celebration dates and times across many different belief systems. It also includes both full moon and new moon dates, and peak times. Additionally, other noteworthy astrological events, zodiac periods, Asatru, Celtic Tree months, and more. This 2023 pagan calendar is shown in Mountain Standard Time (USA). To Convert to another time zone, find yours and add or subtract the shown amounts. USA Time Zones, Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands +3, Eastern +2, Central +1, Pacific -1, Alaska -2, Hawaii -3, American Samoa -4 (in hours).
January
3rd/4th Quadrantids Meteor Shower
If you’ve ever considered becoming a star gazer, this would be an excellent time to start. Of all the annual meteor showers, this is the best, with about 40 meteors per hour. Watch the night sky from Tuesday at 5:00 PM until Wednesday at 8:00 AM.
6th Full Wolf Moon (4:08 PM, MST) – January’s full moon is called the Wolf Moon. The very cold air carried the howling of hungry wolves across many miles. Other names include the Spirit Moon, Greeting Moon, Cold Moon, Hard Moon, Frost Moon, and the Center Moon.
6th Full Moon in Cancer (16 Can 22′)
12th Mars becomes progressive (1:56 PM, MST) – 8 Cap 08
14th Maker Sankranti – A Hindu harvest festival celebrated in most of India.
18th Mercury becomes progressive (6:12 AM, MST) – 8 Cap 08
19th Zodiac Period of Capricorn ends
20th Celtic Tree Month of Birch ends
20th Zodiac Period of Aquarius begins
21st Celtic Tree Month of Rowan begins
21st New Moon (1:53 PM, MST) – New Snow Moon
21st New Moon in Aquarius (1 Aqu 33′)
22nd Chinese New Year (Year of the Rabbit)
29th Uranus becomes progressive (3:58 PM, MST) – 14 Tau 57
31st Disablot – A Norse/Germanic holiday that honors female deities, female ancestors, and other influential women in one’s life. This holiday is also called “Charming of the Plow” where offerings were made to female ancestors, and farmers would pray for a positive planting season. Some people celebrate this on February 2nd.
February
1st/2nd Imbolc – A pagan Sabbat, with origins in ancient Celtic celebrations of spring and welcoming the return of the Sun God. The celebration is focused on the Goddess Brigid (Goddess of Spring, Fertility, and the Dawn.) Imbolc is celebrated from sunrise on February 1 through sundown on February 2.
5th Full Snow Moon (11:29 AM, MST) – February’s full moon is called the snow moon since most of northern North America was covered in snow during this time. It is also called the Hunger Moon, Storm Moon, Wild Moon, Eagle Moon, Trappers Moon, Bear Moon, Racoon Moon, and the Goose Moon.
5th Full Moon in Leo (16 Leo 41′)
13th/15th Lupercalia – An ancient Roman festival that lasted for three days (13th through the 15th.) The festival was centered on honoring the Wolf who suckled Romulus and Remus, the twin founders of the Roman Empire. The celebration was filled with nudity, sexuality, ritual sacrifices, feasting, and games. Lupercalia is the origin of Valentine’s Day.
17th Celtic Tree Month of Rowan ends
18th Celtic Tree Month of Ash begins
18th Zodiac Period of Aquarius ends
19th Zodiac Period of Pisces begins
20th New Moon (12:06 AM, MST) – New Worm Moon
20th New Moon in Pisces (1 Pis 22′)
March
7th/8th Holi – Hindu festival of colors or festival of sharing and love is celebrated in the Spring. For the year 2023 it begins at sundown the 6th and ends at sundown on the 7th.
7th Full Moon in Virgo (16 Ver 40′)
7th Full Worm Moon (5:40 AM, MST) – March’s full moon relates to when the earthworms start to emerge. It is also called Crow Moon, the Crust Full Moon, the Sap Moon, Sugar Moon, Chaste Moon, and the Death Moon.
17th Celtic Tree Month of Ash ends
18th Celtic Tree Month of Alder begin
20th Ostara – A pagan Sabbat believed to originate in various form by the Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Germanic cultures. It was fertility festival to celebrate the arrival of Spring.
20th Spring or Vernal equinox; when night and day are equal (3:24 PM, MST)
20th Zodiac Period of Pisces ends
21st Zodiac Period of Aries begins
21st New Moon (11:23 AM, MST) – New Pink Moon
21st New Moon in Aires (0 Ari 49′)
30th Ram Navi – a Hindu celebration to honor the birth of Lord Rama.
April
1st Veneralia – An ancient Roman holiday celebrating Venus and Fortuna
5th Full Moon in Libra (16 Lib 07′)
5th Full Pink Moon (10:34 PM, MST) – Named after one of the first spring flowers which bloom in early April, the pink phlox. April’s full moon has also been called the Sprouting Grass Full Moon, Full Fish Moon, Hare Moon, and the Egg Moon.
14th Celtic Tree Month of Alder ends
15th Celtic Tree Month of Willow begins
19th New Moon (10:12 PM, MST) – New Flower Moon
19th New Moon in Aries (29 Aries 50)
19th Zodiac Period of Aries ends
20th Zodiac Period of Taurus begins
20th Solar Eclipse (not visible in the US or Europe)
21st Mercury becomes retrograde (2:35 AM, MST) – 15 Tau 38
22nd Yggdrasil Day – A newer neopagan holiday celebrated as an alternative to Arbor Day. Yggdrasil is the Tree of Life in Norse Mythology.
22nd/23rd Lyrids Meteor Shower – One of the oldest known meteor showers, starting April 15th and ending April 29th. The peak days are the 22nd and 23rd, when very bright and fast moving meteors can be seen about twenty per hour.
May
1st Beltane – A pagan Sabbat originating with the ancient Celtic people of Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Mann. It is a fire festival to mark the beginning of summer and fertility.
1st Pluto becomes retrograde (11:08 AM, MST) – 0 Aqu 22
5th Penumbral Lunar Eclipse – Full Moon in Scorpio (14 Sco 58′) – Only visible in Australia, parts of Africa, and parts of Asia
5th Full Flower Moon (11:34 AM, MST) – May’s full moon is called the Flower Moon because of the abundance of wildflowers everywhere. It is also called the Full Hare Moon, the Corn Planting Moon, the Bright Moon, the Blessing Moon and the Milk Moon.
5th/6th Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower – An annual meteor shower which is usually active between April 19 and May 28, peaking on the night between the 5th and 6th of May in 2023. Visibility this year will be fair. Best viewing will be between 4:00 AM and 7:00 AM May 6th.
9th Lemuria – An ancient holiday during which the Romans performed rites to exorcise the malevolent and fearful ghosts of the dead from their homes.
12th Celtic Tree Month of Willow ends
13th Celtic Tree Month of Hawthorn begins
14th Mercury becomes progressive (9:17 PM, MST) – 5 Tau 51
19th New Moon (9:53 AM, MST) – New Strawberry Moon
19th New Moon in Taurus (28 Tau 26′)
20th Zodiac Period of Taurus ends
21st Zodiac Period of Gemini begins
June
3rd Full Moon in Sagittarius (13 Sag 18′)
3rd Full Strawberry Moon (9:42 PM, MST) – The June full moon name comes the short window for harvesting wild strawberries and other berries. Other names for this moon are the Honey Moon, the Rose Moon, Birth Moon, Blooming Moon, Egg Laying Moon, the Hatching Moon, Green Corn Moon, Mead Mon, Hot Moon and the Berries Ripen Moon.
7th Vestalia – A Roman holiday which dates back to the 7th Century BC. From June 7th until June 15th, Vesta, the virgin Goddess of the hearth, home, and family was celebrated .
9th Celtic Tree Month of Hawthorn ends
10th Celtic Tree Month of Oak begins
17th New Moon (10:37 PM, MST) – New Buck Moon
17th New Moon in Gemini (26 Gem 44′)
17th Saturn becomes retrograde (11:27 AM, MST) – 7 Pis 13
20th Zodiac Period of Gemini ends
21st Litha – A pagan Sabbat also called Midsummer and Midsummarblot. It is a celebration of the Sun, the longest day of the year, and the Oak King and Holly King’s great dual for power over the earth. At Litha, the Holly King wins the battle and days begin to grow darker until Yule, when the Oak King regains power and days grow brighter.
21st Sun enters Cancer (Sun 00 Cancer 00)
21st Summer Solstice (Wednesday, Jun 21, 8:57 AM, MST)
21st Zodiac Period of Cancer begins
24th Midsummer celebrated in Finland & Sweden – Midsummer started as a pagan ritual for fertility and a successful harvest during the Stone Age. Bonfires were used to keep away any evil spirits. It was said that spirits were free to roam the earth when the sun was turning towards the southern hemisphere.
30th Neptune becomes retrograde (3:06 PM, MST) – 27 Pis 42
July
3rd Full Moon in Capricorn (11 Cap 18′) Supermoon
3rd Full Buck Moon (5:39 AM, MST) – July’s full moon is named because this is the time of the year when the male deer sprout their antlers. July’s full moon is also called the Thunder Moon due to the high number of thunderstorms in July. Some of the other lesser-known names are the Hay Moon, the Blessing Moon, Meadow Moon, and the Wort Moon.
6th Kupala Night – This day is also known by the name Ivan Kupala. It is a pagan fertility rite celebrated in Russia and Slavic countries where young couples participate in several rituals related to the day.
7th Celtic Tree Month of Oak ends
8th Celtic Tree Month of Holly begins
17th New Moon in Cancer (24 Cancer 56′)
17th New Moon (12:32 PM, MST) – New Sturgeon Moon
22nd Zodiac Period of Cancer end
22nd Venus becomes retrograde (7:33 PM, MST) – 28 Leo 36
23rd Zodiac Period of Leo begins
30th Delta Aquariids Meteor – This meteor shower occurs between July 18 to August 21. It is expected to peak on July 30th.
August
1st Lughnasadh – A pagan Sabbat. One of the four primary Celtic celebrations, honoring the God Lugh. The first of the three annual harvest festivals; this is the harvest of the grain, which are used to bake bread and brew the first beers and ales of the season.
1st Lammas – Many modern-day pagans interchange Lammas with Lughnasadh except that it only focuses on the harvest aspects.
1st Freysblot – A Norse celebration of thanksgiving for the fruits of the first harvest of the year. A loaf of bread is baked as an offering to the god Frey.
1st Full Moon in Aquarius (9 Aqu 16′) Supermoon
1st Full Sturgeon Moon (12:32 PM, MST) – The August full moon gets its name from the Algonquin tribes that surrounded the North American Great Lakes. The August full Moon has also been called the Green Corn Moon, Fruit Moon, the Barley Moon, full Grain Moon, and the Red Moon.
4th Celtic Tree Month of Holly ends
5th Celtic Tree Month of Hazel begins
12th/13th Perseids Meteor shower – One of the brighter meteor showers of the year. They occur every year between July 17 and August 24 and tend to peak August 12th-13th.
16th New Moon in Leo (23 Leo 17′)
16th New Moon (3:38 AM, MST) – New Blue Moon
22nd Zodiac Period of Leo ends
23rd Zodiac Period of Virgo begins
23rd Mercury becomes retrograde (1:59 PM, MST) – 21 Vir 51
28th Uranus becomes retrograde (8:39 PM, MST) – 23 Tau 05
30th Raksha Bandhan – A Hindu festival that focuses on the love and duty between brothers and sisters.
30th Full Moon in Pisces (7 Pis 25′) Supermoon
30th Full Blue Moon (7:35 PM, MST) – When two full moons fall in the same month, the second one is always called a blue moon.
September
1st Celtic Tree Month of Hazel ends
2nd Celtic Tree Month of Vine begins
3rd Venus becomes progressive (7:20 PM, MST) – 12 Leo 13
4th Jupiter becomes retrograde (8:11 AM, MST) – 15 Tau 35
6th Krishna Janmashtami – A Hindu festival to celebrate the birthday of Lord Krishna
14th New Moon in Virgo (21 Virgo 59′)
14th New Moon (7:40 PM, MST) – New Harvest Moon
15th Mercury becomes progressive (2:21 PM, MST) – 8 Vir 00
22nd Zodiac Period of Virgo ends
23rd Mabon – A pagan Sabbat to celebrate the second of the three harvests. Key survival foods were harvested and put into storage for the winter during this time of the year. This included apples, onions, potatoes, pears, corn, carrots, turnips, hard squash, cabbage, and many more. This is the origin of modern day Thanksgiving.
23rd Fall or Autumnal Equinox: when night and day are equal (12:49 AM, MST)
23rd Haustblot – A Norse pagan holiday to honor the second harvest of the season and it’s the time to gather food for the upcoming winter months. It’s also a time to give thanks for what we have.
23rd Zodiac Period of Libra begins
29th Full Harvest Moon (3:57 AM, MST) – If September’s Full Moon is closest to Mabon, then it is called the Harvest Moon. If October’s full moon is closer, it becomes the Harvest Mon and September’s is the Corn Moon. Other names are the Wine Moon, Elk Call Moon, and Barley Moon.
29th Full Moon in Aries (6 Ari 01′) Supermoon
29th Celtic Tree Month of Vine ends
30th Celtic Tree Month of Ivy begins
October
8th/9th Draconid Meteor Shower – Also known as the Giacobinids, this is one of the two annual meteor showers in the month of October.
10th Pluto becomes progressive (7:09 PM, MST) – 27 Cap 53
14th New Moon in Libra (21 Lin 07′)
14th New Moon (11:55 AM, MST) – New Hunter’s Moon
14th Annular Solar Eclipse – An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is too far away from the Earth to completely cover the Sun. This results in a ring of light around the darkened Moon. The eclipse path will begin off the coast of southern Canada and move across the southwestern United States and Central America, Columbia, and Brazil. A partial eclipse will be visible throughout much of North and South America.
14th Vetrablot – An Icelandic celebration of harvest, fertility, and honors Freya.
22nd Orionid Meteor Shower – In 2023, the Orionid meteor shower should rain down its greatest number of meteors on the morning of October 22, in a moonless sky.
22nd Zodiac Period of Libra ends
23rd Zodiac Period of Scorpio begins
27th Celtic Tree Month of Ivy ends
28th Celtic Tree Month of Reed begins
28th Partial Lunar Eclipse – A Blood Moon will be visible across parts of E. Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia
28th Full Moon in Taurus (5 Tau 09′)
28th Full Hunter’s Moon (2:24 PM, MST) – After the harvests were finished, the people would head to the forests to hunt for meat to store for the winter. The October full moon is also called the Dying Grass Moon, the Sanguine Moon, the Travel Moon, and the Blood Moon, even when there is no eclipse.
31st Samhain (/ˈsɑːwɪn, ˈsaʊɪn/; Irish: [ˈsˠəuɪnʲ]; [sah-win]) – A pagan Sabbat that originated with the Irish Celts. It’s the third of the three annual harvest festivals, when the last of the row crops, wild herbs and forage, and animals would be slaughtered as meat for winter. It also marks the New Year for the Celts, and is a very auspicious day. On Samhain, the veil which separates the world of the living with the spirit world is thin enough to cross over. It is a time of congress with the ancestors. Origin for modern day Halloween.
31st Vetrnaetr – A Norse pagan holiday to honor ancestors and the harvest. It signifies the time to use the meat of the farm animals and start hunting. The Goddess Hela is honored on this night. The Norse also believe the veil between the worlds is thinner during this night.
November
4th Saturn becomes progressive (1:02 AM, MST) – 0 Pis 31
11th Feast of the Einherjar – Asatru celebration honoring the fallen heroes in Valhalla, and in the halls of the other Gods and Goddesses.
12th Diwali – One the most important holidays of Hindu, Jainism, and Sikhism, commonly known as the festival of lights. The festival generally symbolizes the victory of light over darkness.
13th New Moon in Scorpio (20 Sco 44′)
13th New Moon (2:27 AM. MST) – New Beaver Moon
17th/18th Leonids Meteor Shower – The Leonid meteor shower will be active from 6 November to 30 November, producing its peak rate of meteors the night between the 17th and 18th. The shower is called Leonids because its radiant, or the point in the sky where the meteors seem to emerge from, lies in the constellation Leo.
21st Zodiac Period of Scorpio ends
22nd Zodiac Period of Sagittarius begins
23rd Celtic Tree Month of Reed ends
24th Celtic Tree Month of Elder begins
27th Full Beaver Moon (2:16 AM, MST) – During November, beaver pelts would be harvested since this is the time when their coats were the thickest and most useful. It is also called the Trading Moon, the Full Sassafras Moon, Frost Moon, Fog Moon and the Mourning Moon (the last full moon before the Winter Solstice).
27th Full Moon in Gemini (4 Gem 51′)
December
5th Krampusnacht – Eastern European and other Germanic people celebrate ‘Krampus night.’ every year. Krampus is a horned, beastly creature that terrorizes children who have been naughty. Over the last decade, this holiday has grown in popularity and is now celebrated to one degree or another in all of Europe and America.
6th Neptune becomes progressive (6:22 AM, MST) – 24 Pis 53
13th/14th Geminids Meteor Shower – This meteor shower will be active from the 4th to the 17th of December, producing its peak rate of meteors the night between the 13th and 14th of December.
12th New Moon (4:32 PM, MST) – New Cold Moon
12th New Moon in Sagittarius (20 Sag 40′)
13th Mercury becomes retrograde (12:09 AM, MST) – 8 Cap 29
17th Saturnalia – The most popular of all ancient Roman holiday’s. The Agriculture God Saturn is honored from the 17th through the 23rd. Many of the traditions of this holiday are considered the source of modern-day traditions of Christmas, including wreaths, candles, feasting and exchanging of gifts.
21st Yule/Yuletide – the most important of all Norse holidays during the darkest of nights. It has a duration of 12 nights, starting at sundown on the night of the winter solstice. The Celts and other tribes in western Europe adopted the traditions of Yule, but no one is really sure why; holidays were usually culture specific in ancient times. Yule is widely considered the basis for modern-day Christmas.
21st Winter Solstice (Thursday, Dec 21 8:27 PM MST)
21st Sun enters Capricorn (Sun 00 Cap 00′)
21st Zodiac Period of Sagittarius ends
22nd Zodiac Period of Capricorn begins
23rd Celtic Tree Month of Elder ends
24th Celtic Tree Month of Birch begins
26th Full Cold Moon (5:33 PM, MST) – December is very cold across much of the northern United States, thus the naming of this full moon. It is also called the Bitter Moon, the Big Winter Moon, the Oak Moon, and the Long Night Moon.
26th Full Moon in Cancer (4 Can 58)
30th Jupiter becomes progressive (7:40 PM, MST) – 5 Tau 35
31st Hogmanay – A Scottish festival to celebrate the New Year, with some similarity to Christmas.
Additional Resources & Information
If we’ve made a mistake or an omission, please email [email protected] – thank you.
Full and New Moon times & dates courtesy of the Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, California.
Vestalia – Vestal Virgins and Thirty Years of Chastity
This holiday celebrates the fertility of the earth and the balance between light and dark. Wiccans may gather in nature, decorate eggs, and perform rituals to honor the renewal and rebirth that spring brings. **Beltane, on April 30th, is the sabbat that welcomes the arrival of summer.** This holiday is associated with fertility, love, and the union of the divine masculine and feminine. Many Wiccans celebrate with bonfires, Maypole dances, and rituals to invoke the power of the sun and promote growth and abundance. **Litha, on June 21st, is the summer solstice**, which is the longest day of the year. This sabbat celebrates the peak of the sun's power and the abundance of nature. Wiccans may hold fire ceremonies, perform rituals to honor the sun, and spend time in nature. **The next sabbat is Lughnasadh, on August 1st,** which marks the beginning of the harvest season. This holiday is associated with abundance, gratitude, and sacrifice. Wiccans may gather to share a feast, perform rituals to honor the harvest, and give thanks for the bountiful gifts of the earth. **Mabon, on September 21st, is the autumn equinox** and it marks the second harvest. This sabbat is a time to give thanks for the abundance of the season and prepare for the coming winter. Wiccans may perform rituals of balance and reflection, and gather in community to celebrate the changing colors and the harvest. **Samhain, on October 31st, is the most well-known sabbat and it marks the beginning of winter.** This holiday is associated with death, ancestors, and the thinning of the veil between the worlds. Wiccans may hold ceremonies to honor their ancestors, leave offerings for the spirits, and perform divination to gain insight for the year ahead. Finally, the sabbat cycle ends with **Yule, on December 21st, which celebrates the winter solstice**. This holiday is associated with rebirth, the return of the light, and the potential for new beginnings. Wiccans may light candles, decorate evergreen trees, and perform rituals to welcome the sun's return and embrace the coming year. Throughout the Wiccan sabbat cycle of 2023, Wiccans will have the opportunity to connect with nature, honor the changing seasons, and celebrate the cycles of life and death. These holidays provide a framework for spiritual practice and a time for community, reflection, and celebration. **By observing the sabbats, Wiccans can deepen their connection to the natural world and honor the ancient traditions that have shaped their beliefs and practices.**.
Reviews for "Celebrating the Solar Eclipse in the Wiccan Tradition: 2023 Insights"
1. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I was really excited to get my hands on "Wiccan sabbat cycle 2023" as I am a practicing Wiccan myself. However, I was sorely disappointed with this book. The content was extremely repetitive and lacked originality. It felt like I was reading the same information over and over again, just with slightly different wording. Additionally, the formatting and organization of the book were very poor, making it difficult to find the specific information I was looking for. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a comprehensive and well-written guide to the Wiccan sabbats.
2. Michael - 1/5 stars - "Wiccan sabbat cycle 2023" was a complete waste of my time and money. The information provided was superficial at best and lacked any depth or meaningful insights. It felt more like a collection of random facts and dates rather than a guide to understanding and celebrating the Wiccan sabbats. Furthermore, the illustrations were poorly executed and added no value to the book. I would strongly advise anyone interested in learning about the Wiccan sabbats to look elsewhere, as this book does not provide the necessary knowledge or guidance.
3. Emily - 2/5 stars - "Wiccan sabbat cycle 2023" did not meet my expectations. The writing style was dry and uninspiring, making it difficult to stay engaged with the content. The author seemed more focused on regurgitating information rather than providing a personal and insightful perspective on the sabbats. Additionally, I found several inaccuracies and inconsistencies throughout the book, which made me question the credibility of the author. If you're looking for an engaging and well-researched book on the Wiccan sabbats, I would recommend exploring other options before considering this one.