

Did you love swimming at the local lake, catching snowflakes on your tongue, or running barefoot across the grass? Nostalgic memories are the best place to begin when deciding how you want to celebrate Pagan holidays or the Wheel of the Year. If you feel stuck, remember the wonder and excitement for the seasons you felt as a child. Slow down and fully immerse yourself in the season around you.

You can also focus on the spiritual intentions these holidays represent and modernize them to fit into your practice (this is sometimes referred to as Pagan reconstructionism). Simple gratitude for the privileges we enjoy that our ancestors did not is a beautiful way to celebrate the Wheel of the Year.

(Although maybe not so hard to imagine after 2020).

Most of us don’t harvest anything larger than a garden, so it’s easy to become disengaged from the process.Īlthough we may not be working farmland, reflect on what would happen if a catastrophic event made it impossible for our food to be delivered to local stores. Most of us are not harvesting fields or worried about our livestock as the ancient Pagans were.
SATURNALIA WINTER SOLSTICE HOW TO
How To Celebrate the Pagan Wheel of the Year
SATURNALIA WINTER SOLSTICE FREE
There’s no right or wrong way to celebrate Nature and the seasons, so feel free to choose what resonates with you most! You do not need to be Wiccan to celebrate the Wheel of the Year or Pagan holidays. This is why you’ll see the equinoxes with additional names (Ostara and Mabon), but I’ll go into that more in-depth for each holiday listed below. However, six holidays felt irregular, so they added the equinoxes to create a perfect balance. So naturally, they wanted to continue this spiritual belief and include it in their Wiccan faith. However, Druidism was celebrated by most of Gardner’s coven, including the High Priestess Doreen Valiente and the solstices were a part of their spiritual practice. Gerald Gardner did not initially want to include the solstices and equinoxes in the Wheel of the Year and only wanted to focus on the Celtic fire festivals. They were attempting to modernize ancient Pagan traditions and pulled from Celtic and Middle East celebrations, among many others. The Wheel of the Year term and concept was adopted and used by Gerald Gardner from Jacob Grimm when creating Wicca, along with other members of his coven during the early 1950s. Some may choose only to celebrate the solstices and equinoxes, and some may mix and match. Depending on each practitioner’s spiritual beliefs, they may choose only to celebrate the Celtic fire festivals. However, it’s important to note that not every Pagan celebrates all eight holidays. A simple meal with a loved one, meditating alone with a candle, journaling, or a walk outside can be your celebration if you’d like.Īs you read through this article, you’ll find celebrations, holidays, or traditions today have many similarities to ancient Pagan holidays, and it’s fascinating to learn about their origins. It can be as easy or complicated as you choose to make it, just like any other holiday.įind a way to connect with Nature in your area or the spiritual intentions the holiday represents. Pagan holidays consist of celebrating and honoring the seasons of Nature wherever we live. Pagan Holidays and Wheel of the Year Dates 2022.Pagan Holidays and Wheel of the Year Dates 2023.How To Celebrate the Pagan Wheel of the Year.
