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The Celtic year is traditionally divided into quarter and cross-quarter days, all marked by a major celebration. For an overview, see the Wheel of the Year page. Samhain - Yule - Imbolc - Ostara - Beltane - Litha - Lughnasadh - Mabon October 31 - Samhain
The turn of the year is at Samhain, which continues today in the form of Hallowe'en, or the Christian All Hallow's Eve. Its symbols are the cauldron and the jack o'lantern - this is a survival of the ancient custom of placing the skulls of the ancestors, with a candle inside, outside the house to invite them back. Deities relevant to the celebration of Samhain are the goddess in her Crone form, and dying and sacrificial gods. Colours associated with Samhain are orange and black, and corresponding herbs are mullein, heather, patchouli and sage. Apt decorations, traditionally, are acorns, apples, oak leaves and ferns. Samhain (pronounced SOR - vin) marked the beginning of the old Celtic new year, and many Celtic Pagans still observe Samhain as the renewal of the Wheel of the Year. This was the night that the old God died, returning to the Land of the Dead to await rebirth at Yule, and a time when the Crone Goddess would go into mourning for her lost son/consort, leaving her people in temporary darkness. As in days long past, Celtic Pagans believe that the veil between the world of the living and that of the dead is at its thinnest on this night, and that the spirits of the dead walk the earth, visit family and friends, and join in the ritual celebrations. This makes Samhain a prime night for any type of spirit contact rituals. The feeding of the dead is a widespread practice, even in modern Celtic lands. In Brittany and Ireland food is always left out for these spirit travellers, and candles are placed in windows to guide them along their way. To see all our Samhain items, click here... 21 December - Yule
The Winter Solstice has long been understood as a time for rebirth, when life emerges from the darkest depths of winter. Its symbols are evergreens, holly, the yule log and the spinning wheel. Deities celebrated at this time are newborn gods and the triple goddess in her aspect as Mother. Associated colours are red, green and white, and appropriate herbs are holly, mistletoe, ivy, cedar, bay, juniper, rosemary, frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood, and pine. Offerings can be apples, oranges, nutmegs, lemons, pinecones, oak leaves, and/or whole cinnamon sticks. Yule is a time of the greatest darkness and is the shortest day of the year. Earlier peoples noticed such phenomena and petitioned the forces of nature to lengthen the days and shorten the nights. After the Norse brought Yule into prominence it nearly replaced Samhain as the date of the New Year, and many modern Celtic adherents still honor Yule this way. The Nordic-influenced Celts celebrated Yule with many of the trappings we associate with modern Christmas observances; decorated evergreen trees, wreaths, holly, mistletoe, feasting, and dancing. They also believed that on this night the Holly King, as the God of the waning year, would battle the Oak King, the God of the waxing year, and lose. To see all our Yule items, click here... Imbolc - Ostara - Beltane - Midsummer - Lughnasadh - Mabon |
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Samhain October 31 Yule Imbolc February 2 Ostara Beltane Litha Lughnasadh August 1 Mabon 
Titania's
Book of Hours This
is a celebration of the never-ending cycle of daily, weekly, monthly and
seasonal rituals of the White Witch. Hardie demonstrates the best spells,
divinations and rituals to perform at these times, with beautiful photographs
and inspiration. Was
£14.99 . . .
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if you prefer to pay by cheque or over the phone, click here...
Tel: 01484 400587 |
"The
ancient Celtic view of time...is cyclical. And in this framework, New
Year's Eve represents a point outside of time, when the natural order
of the universe dissolves back into primordial chaos, preparatory to re-establishing
itself in a new order. Thus, Samhain is a night that exists outside of
time."
"The
Goddess gives birth to a son, the God, at Yule. This is in no way an adaptation
of Christianity. The Winter Solstice has long been viewed as a time of
divine births. Mithras was said to have been born at this time. The Christians
simply adopted it for their use in 273 CE (current era)."
