Religion & Spirituality

Wicca Series (Part 4): Wheel of the Year - Wiccan Holidays (Second Half)

Wicca Series (Part 4): Wheel of the Year - Wiccan Holidays (Second Half)

So the fifth holiday of the year is Litha or midsummer. It is on the Summer solstice which is June 21st. It is the brightest day of the year. It is the holiday of the sun god. To celebrate we use fire. It can be in a bonfire, lots of candles, and stuff like that. To celebrate you can also send out paper boats, and have picnics.

After that, we have Lammas which is on August 2nd. This is the first harvest holiday. In this one we are thanking the god for using his energy to grow wheat and grains. On this day it is customary to make bread, corn dollies, and go for a walk.

Next is Mabon which is the Autumn equinox which is on September 21st. Today the light and the dark are equal and after Mabon, every day will become darker representing how everything will be dying. It is the second harvest holiday and a time to reap what you sow and give thanks for the earth and the harvest. Now the sun god is old and returns to the goddess to rest in her embrace. It is time to go out and collect some fallen leaves, acorns, and the like to decorate your home. It's also a good time to go apple picking, and making hearty food like stews.

The last holiday of the year and arguably one of the most important and favorites among Wiccans is Samhain which is October 31st. On this day the veil between the afterlife and our world is the thinnest which means our passed ancestors can come and visit us. You can encourage your ancestors to come and visit by displaying their pictures around your home, leaving them a place at your dinner table, and some will use an Ouija board on this day. This is a day of death but also the celebration of the deceased lives. This day is our new years eve and is the last of the harvest holidays. Today marks the passing of the God who will be reborn on Yule. Celebrating is a lot like regular Halloween with pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, and partying. But because the veil is so thin on this day now is the perfect time for divination, spell work, and necromancy.

So, there we have it, the Wheel of the Year! I'm definitely looking forward to Samhain this year.

In my next post, I am going to talk about what Wiccans believe about what happens after we die.

Wicca Series (Part 4): Wheel of the Year - Wiccan Holidays (Second Half)
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