The Wheel of The Year

The Wheel of the Year is the cycle of Pagan Sabbats. The Year Wheel is symbolic not only of the changing of the power of the Sun and Seasons, but also of the shorter cycles within the year.

There is not one cycle in life, but a huge number of them. Every day, the sun rises, brightens, weakens and sets. The Moon goes through its phases. The Sun's strength changes with the seasons. The human body follows the "Circadian rhythm". The sun itself has cycles of sunspots. The stars, galaxies, the Universe itself - all follow cycles. It only makes sense that Pagans acknowledge, respect and revere these cycles, regardless of which, if any, god/desses they worship.

But the Wheel of the Year is not only a simple cycle. It is also a dynamic balance of forces. The Year Wheel is a balance of Light and Darkness. The most popular tales are the legend of the Oak and Holly Kings and variations on the story of the Wiccan God and Goddess.

Oak King and Holly King

The Oak King and Holly King are the names given to the forces of light and darkness that are found in many mythologies. The Oak King rules the Light of the Year, or the waxing of the sun. This period begins at Winter solstice and ends at summer solstice. The Holly King rules the Dark of the year, beginning at summer solstice and ending at winter solstice. In this legend, the Oak King and Holly King battle for supremacy . At the height of their strength, each is overthrown by the other. The Wheel of the Year is driven by the balance between these two forces.

The Wiccan God & Goddess

This is the story of planting and harvesting in agrarian society, woven together with the seasonal cycle of sun. Although I call these the Wiccan God and Goddess, many pagans other than Wiccans use this story as well.

At Yule, the God (the Sun) is born of the Goddess (the Earth). The young God grows in strength through the winter, while the Goddess rests and recovers from the birthing. At Imbolc, the Goddess begins to demonstrate that she has recovered from the birth with the first signs of Spring. The God continues to grow in strength.

The energies of God and Goddess are fully released on Ostara. Ostara mark the beginning of spring and the vitality that comes with it. At Beltaine, the God mates with the Goddess, and the Goddess becomes pregnant with the God. (Many people become confused that the God impregnates the Goddess with himself - remember that this is partly symbolic, and that all Gods and Goddesses are aspects of a single greater power.)

At Litha, halfway around the Wheel of the Year, both God and Goddess are at the peak of their power, and the world shows their fertility. This fertility gradually wanes over the next several months leading to the harvest and winter seasons. At Lammas, the first harvest is brought in and the sun is showing less vitality. The days are growing shorter as the God ages and weakens.

Harvest continues through Mabon. The God grows still weaker, and the Goddess begins to draw back her bounty in preparation for the rebirth of the God. On Samhain, the god dies, and there are no more large harvests. The cold and dark of winter begins to settle in on the world. The Wheel of the Year begins again at Yule.

Note: Everything on this page describes events as they are seen from the surface of the earth. While these may not be strictly scientifically accurate, they are true within this context, and it is within this context that most Religions are based. I am aware of the scientific explanations of these events, and I am also aware that there are some anomalies that are not addressed in this cosmology. My response to complaints if this nature is this: how much effect does the moon's gravity have on the flight of a jumbo jet? (so there)!

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