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The Wheel of the Year is a Wiccan and Neopagan term for the annual cycle of the Earth's seasons. It consists of eight festivals, spaced at approximately even intervals throughout the year. These festivals are referred to by Wiccans as Sabbats.

In many forms of Neopaganism, natural processes are seen as following a continuous cycle. The passing of time is also seen as cyclical, and is represented by a circle or wheel. The progression of birth, life, decline and death, as experienced in human lives, is echoed in the progression of the seasons. Wiccans also see this cycle as echoing the life, death and rebirth of their Horned God and the fertility of their Goddess.

The Wheel of the Year in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere these festivals are commonly shifted by six months to match the local seasons.

Wiccans, and some Neopagan groups which are influenced by Wicca, observe eight festivals which they call "sabbats".^[1] Four of these fall on the solstices and equinoxes and are known as "quarter days or Lesser Sabbats". The other four fall (approximately) midway between these and are commonly known as "cross-quarter days," "fire festivals," or Greater Sabbats. The "quarter days" are loosely based or named after the Germanic festivals, and the "cross-quarter days" are similarly inspired by the Gaelic fire festivals. However, modern interpretations vary widely, so Wiccan groups may celebrate and conceptualize these festivals in very different ways, often having little in common with the cultural festivals outside of the adopted name.^[2]

The system of eight yearly festivals held on these dates is unknown in older pagan calendars, and originated in the modern Wiccan religion. ^[3]

The eight major festivals (or "sabbats") are distinct from the Wiccan "esbats", which are additional meetings, usually smaller celebrations or coven meetings, held on full or new moons.

While most of these names derive from historical festivals, the non-traditional names Litha and Mabon, which have become popular in North American Wicca, were introduced by Aidan Kelly in the 1970s. The word "sabbat" itself derives from the same roots as Sabbath (Christian) and Sabbath (witchcraft), namely Old English sabat, Old French sabbat, Latin sabbatum, Greek sabbaton (or sa'baton), and Hebrew shabbat, which means "to cease or rest".

"Litha" also occurs in the Bede's "Reckoning of Time" (De temporum rationis, 7th century), which preserves a list of the (obsolete) Anglo-Saxon names for the twelve months. Ærra Liða ('first' or 'preceding' Liða) corresponds to June in our calendar. Æfterra Liða ('following' Liða) is July (in the Northern hemisphere). Bede writes that "Litha means 'gentle' or 'navigable', because in both these months the calm breezes are gentle and they were wont to sail upon the smooth sea."

Dates for the festivals vary widely. There are many forms of Wicca and Neopaganism, all of which may have somewhat different traditions associated with the festivals. Therefore there is no definitive or universal tradition observed by all the groups. Most Pagans are somewhat flexible about dates, tending to celebrate at the nearest weekend for convenience.

As the Wheel originates in the Northern Hemisphere, in the Southern Hemisphere many Neopagans advance these dates six months so as to coincide with the natural seasons as they occur in their local climates. For instance, an Australian Wiccan may celebrate Beltane on the 1st of November, when a Canadian Wiccan is celebrating Samhain.

While the cross-quarter days traditionally fall on the Kalends of the month, some Neopagans consider them to fall on the midpoint of the two surrounding quarter days. These modern calculations tend to result in celebrations held a few days after the traditional dates (see above table).

"Sun sabbats" refer to the quarter days, which are based on the astronomical position of the sun. "Moon sabbats" can be observed on Full Moons, typically the one closest to the traditional festival date or the 2nd full moon after the preceding quarter day. This would place the Moon sabbat anywhere from 29-59 days after the preceding solstice or equinox. Moon sabbats can also be observed on the nearest Lunar phase to the Cross-quarter day according to the table at right.^{[citation needed]}

Most of the holidays of the Wheel of the Year are named after Pre-Christian Celtic and Pre-Christian Germanic religious festivals. However, a great deal of liberty has usually been taken with the forms and meanings of these festivals, due to the influence of turn of the century romanticism as well as the eclectic elements introduced by Wicca. The similarities between these holidays generally end at the shared names, as Wicca makes no effort to reconstruct these ancient practices.^[4] Wiccans observe the festivals of the Wheel of the Year together in a form of universalism not corroborated by any historical continuity.^[4]

There is no place in Europe where all eight festivals have been observed as a set, and the complete eightfold Wheel of the Year was unknown prior to modern Wicca.^[4] In early forms of Wicca only the cross-quarter days were observed. However, in 1958 the members of Bricket Wood Coven added the solstices and equinoxes to their original calendar, as they desired more frequent celebrations. Their High Priest, Gerald Gardner, was away visiting the Isle of Man at the time, but he did not object when he returned, since they were now more in line with the Neo-druidism of Ross Nichols, a friend of Gardner's and founder of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.^[5]

Among Wiccans, the most common Wheel of the Year narrative is that of the God/Goddess duality. In this cycle, the God is born from the Goddess at Yule, grows in power at Vernal Equinox (along with the Goddess who has now returned to her maiden aspect), courts and impregnates the Goddess at Beltane, wanes in power at Lammas, passes into the underworld at Samhain, then is once again born from Her mother/crone aspect at Yule. The Goddess, in turn, ages and rejuvenates endlessly with the seasons, being courted by and giving birth to the Horned God. Versions of this myth vary from coven to coven, shifting the birth, conception, or death of the God to different sabbats.

Another, more solar, narrative is of the Holly King and the Oak King, with one ruling the winter, the other the summer. These two figures battle with each other endlessly as the seasons turn. At Midsummer the Oak King is at the height of his strength, while the Holly King is at his weakest. The Holly King begins to regain his power, and at the Autumn Equinox, the tables finally turn in the Holly King's favor; he vanquishes the Oak King at Yule. Then over the next months, as the sun waxes in power, the Oak King slowly regains his strength; at the Spring Equinox he begins to triumph until he once again defeats the Holly King at Midsummer.^[6]

• Celtic calendar

• Seasons (astronomically) by Archaeoastronomy
• About the Sabbats by Judy Harrow
• The Eightfold Wheel by Moonhunter

v • d • e Wicca
Key concepts	Dualism (The God · The Goddess) · Pantheism and Polytheism · Witchcraft and Magic · Wheel of the Year · Wiccan morality (Wiccan Rede · Rule of Three) · Coven · History of Wicca	Wicca Portal
Notable Wiccans	Gerald Gardner · Alex Sanders · Maxine Sanders · Raymond Buckland · Doreen Valiente · Scott Cunningham
Traditions	British Traditional Wicca (New Forest coven · Gardnerian Wicca · Alexandrian Wicca · Central Valley Wicca) · Seax-Wica · Blue Star Wicca · Dianic Wicca · Celtic Wicca · Witta · Odyssean Wicca · Faery Wicca · Covenant of the Goddess · Shamanistic Wicca · Eclectic Wicca · Christian Wicca
Rites and Rituals	Esbat · Great Rite · Drawing down the Moon · Fivefold kiss · Skyclad · Wiccaning
Paraphernalia	Book of Shadows · Altar · Magical tools in Wicca (Besom · Cauldron · Athame · Wand · Chalice · Pentacle · Scourge)
Other	Pentagram · Craft name · Summoner · Watchtower · Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches · Homosexuality and Wicca · Museum of Witchcraft
Related	Paganism · Neopaganism