Wheel of the Year

Samhain is coming

Samhain can be thought of as the birth of Winter. Falling at the end of October/beginning of November in the Northern Hemisphere it marks the final harvest period and is the origin of the modern day festival of Halloween. If you are new to the Wheel of the Year (an ancient way of marking the passing seasons) you can read more about it here.

At this time of year the natural world prepares for a period of deep rest. Like a big exhale, tree sap descends back down the tree trunks to rest in the roots. The seeds of Summer blooms now lay dormant deep within the earth and animals prepare for their hibernation.

This time of year can bring with it a whole host of feelings for us too. For some it may feel like a cosy and nourishing time, an invitation to slow down and turn inwards. For others it may kindle feelings of sadness, grief, low energy or a mixture of both….

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Wheel of the Year

Beltane

The next festival in our Wheel of the Year journey is Beltane or May day, celebrated From the evening of April 30th to May 1st in the Northern hemisphere. Beltane is the peak of Spring, a celebration of fertility and the height of the earth’s growing energy. At this time of year we begin to see the very first signs of Summer emerging.

This is a time of abundance, union and life force. Flowers are blooming, new life is being born and the Sun’s strength is increasing. This is a fertile time in the natural world, and can help us to ignite projects, cultivate new actions and reflect on what we need in order to bloom. This increase in active energy, can leave us feeling a little worn out at times, so it is good time to ensure rest, self care and nourishment is established to balance this busy time.

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Wheel of the Year

The Wheel of the Year

The wheel of the year is an ancient way of marking the changing energy of the seasons throughout the yearly cycle. The wheel consists of 8 festivals that fall every 6 – 8 weeks. These can be divided into 4 Solar Festivals or quarter points ( 2 Solstices and 2 Equinoxes) and 4 Seasonal Festivals or cross quarter points (Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas and Samhain).

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