Southern Hemisphere Wheel of the Year - Goddess Temple Bellingen

SFOTY Header Slide

Wheel of The Year

From ancient times, all over the world, the turning of the seasons has been celebrated by our ancestors. These festivals have many names and take varied form. Here we use the framework of the Celtic wheel of the year. The modern 8-holiday Wheel of the Year was invented in the 1950s and 1960s by early proponents of Wicca and Neo-Paganism. While it draws on ancient Celtic and Germanic traditions, the combined eight-fold structure was not used historically.There are four solar festivals: Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, and Autumn Equinox. Between these arc the fire festivals of Imbolc/Early Spring, Beltane/High Spring, Lughnasadh/Late Summer, Samhain/Deep Autumn, each with their day of celebration. The fire festivals have their modern traditional dates, the exact astronomical date, or ancient lunar calendar - second new moon after the solar festival. The following slides hold basic information about each festival.

In depth exploration of these festivals can be found in our magazines.

SFOTY Deep Autumn Slide

Deep Autumn
Festival of Ancestors

This festival is celebrated around April 30 - May 1 and marks the halfway point between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice. Festival of Ancestors is often celebrated as the celtic new year Samhain (literally meaning 'Summer's end'). A time for releasing, honouring those people and things who've had their time. The energy of the world is retreating, sinking in, preparing for rest and rejuvenation. Knowing a sense of death, the knowing of the passing of all, is intimate with appreciation of the moment of Now – its gift and its beauty.
Artist: Angela Latham

SFOTY Winter Solstice slide

Winter Solstice
Longest Night

Winter Solstice can occur from June 20 - 23. It marks the shortest day and longest night. From now on the light returns, we celebrate the re-birth of the sun. Winter Solstice is called mid-winter as our ancestors placed Autumn Equinox as the true start of Winter. Also known as 'Mother Night', a time Goddess worked her magic to nurture seeds lying dormant. It is a good time to celebrate the the eternal cycle of life, death, rebirth. The theme of hearth and home continues, and it is a great time to celebrate the beginning of the lengthening of days with family and friends around a fire.
See our Celebrating the Seasons magazines for inspiration.

SFOTY Early Spring slide

Early Spring
Festival of Candles

Early Spring is the mid point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. It is traditionally held on July 31 but some people prefer to celebrate on the exact astronomical date. Also known as The Quickening,this celebration is often associated with Brigid, and celebrates the first stirring of life in the soil after hibernating through the depth of Winter. Take care not to hurry into busy-ness - let the seeds in the soil be your teacher.
Artist: Ruth Sanderson

SFOTY Spring Equinox slide

Spring Equinox
The Holy Pause;
The Balance

Spring Equinox can occur from September 21 - 23. Equinoxes are the times of year where we experience days of equal daylight and darkness. This festival is traditionally associated with goddesses of fertility.
Spring has sprung and those first stirrings have turned into an eagerness for growth and productivity, our creative juices are flowing and there is excitement and expectancy in the air.
Artist: Amanda Clark

SFOTY High Spring slide

High Spring
Festival of Flowers

High Spring is held on Oct 31-1. It is the midpoint between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. Often referred to as Beltaine it is a celebration of passion - for what or whom do you burn; what or who stokes your inner fire? It is the season of celebrating sweet desire, the attraction of archetypal feminine and masculine. Now we celebrate the 'lovemaking' between Sun and Earth that enables life to spring forth, leading to fruition. Both High Spring and Deep Autumn are considered times when the veil between this world and the Otherworld thins.

SFOTY Summer Solstice slide

Summer Solstice
Longest Day

Summer Solstice is celebrated on Dec 21-22. It marks the longest day and shortest night. Now is light at Her fullness, ripe and ready to let go with orgasmic abundance. Galaagaarr (hot) is the Gumbaynggirr name for this season. It is a celebration of the Mother and all that she births. Summer is just stepping into her own; energy is high, fruit is plentiful, and the urge is to be outside, to be social, to be creative and productive.

SFOTY Late Summer slide

Late Summer
Festival of Fields

Late Summer (sometimes known as Lammas/Lughnasadh) occurs Feb 2nd. It is midpoint between Summer Solstice and AutumnEquinox. We and the season are replete, we are reaping the harvest of that which we have sowed. The days are hot and languid as our sun shines her fiercest and yet there is a sense that the season has changed. This season is dedicated to the crone or wise woman, and the recognition that we cannot keep up the pace of peak productivity, we perceive the need for slowing down and eventual dissolution back into Dark Mother.

SFOTY Autumn Equinox slide

Autumn Equinox
The Holy Pause;
Taking Refuge

Autumn Equinox can occur March 20-22. Equinoxes are the times of year where we experience days of equal daylight and darkness. There is a definite sense of ending, of conclusion and a quiet sadness that comes with acknowledging the good times are coming to an end, we are coming down after the 'high' of Summer. Now is the appropriate moment for thanksgiving; expressing joy for what has been received, and is received, for the “harvest” of the moment. Here is the moment to reflect upon our energy expense, have we overspent? This is the opportunity to take refuge in the stepping back and resting into the gentler, peaceful darker months.