Introduction to The Wheel of the Year
The following is a free preview of Lesson 4 of The Good Witch’s Path 50-Lesson Course. Enjoy :)
Let's talk about something really special: The Wheel of the Year.
It's the heart of a witch's journey.
It gives you this amazing way of understanding life, like a secret map to the magic of the Earth.
So, The Wheel of the Year is basically how pagans have been connecting with the Earth's natural magic for thousands of years. It's made up of Sabbats and Esbats, which are like sun holidays and moon holidays. Think of them as special days, holy days, moments of special, unique energy - and a time when we tune into the rhythms of nature.
The Sabbats mark the exact moments when the seasons shift, which happens only at zero and fifteen degrees of zodiac signs for the sun. And the Esbats? They follow the moon's journey, waxing and waning each month, marking the natural flow of energy.
Basically, the sun goes through all the zodiac signs in a year, and the moon does it every month (which, by the way, used to be called a 'moonth,' how cool is that?).
The Wheel of the Year is all about observing, celebrating, and channeling the Earth's ever-changing energies.
In Wicca, and a lot of pagan paths, the sun is like the physical representation of energy, like God's energy. And the moon? That's the spiritual side, the unseen, the Goddess's energy. The zodiac is like their playground, with 12 main energies and tons of little nuances within them. It's like a cosmic dance.
The Sabbats and Esbats are those special times when we acknowledge, embrace, celebrate, and work with the energies that are available to us.
The Sabbats are for the sun celebrations, marking the turning of the seasons, and the Esbats are for the full moon celebrations.
You can use these holidays for celebration, for manifesting your desires, or just for connecting with the energy. It's all up to you.
There are eight Sabbats and 12 or 13 Esbats, depending on the year. And don't worry about the exact dates right now. We'll dive into each Sabbat and I'll show you how to figure out the exact date in your area.
And speaking of the moon, all the phases are important! Every moon cycle has its own little eight-part wheel, just like the year does. Each phase has its own energy, just like the Sabbats and seasons. So, even though we focus on the full moons for Esbats, all the other phases are useful too.
Now, here's a little history tidbit: The Wheel of the Year is ancient. It goes back to the Celts and many other cultures, even those that were geographically separated. It's like a shared understanding of the Earth's rhythms.
And one more thing…
the Solar Wheel, the Sabbats, they work differently depending on where you are. If it's summer up north, it's winter down south, right? But the Lunar Wheel, the moon phases, those are the same for everyone on Earth. We all see the same moon phases at the same time.
Alright, in the next few lessons, we'll take a closer look at each of the Sabbats and Esbats. Get ready to dive in!
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