Arts
The Year Turns, Part Eight
Mabon The autumnal equinox is an important turning point in the year. The hours of day and night are balanced, indicating that the light half of the year is drawing to a close, heralding the [more…]
Carvetii
Arts
The Year Turns, Part 7
Lughnasadh For me, this was always one of the festivals which seemed to slip under the radar. Which is a shame, because it’s a nice social time, with fun and games, and good food. Falling [more…]
Arts
The Year Turns, Part 6
Litha Litha is the name given to the summer solstice. While the rest of the sabbats that make up the Wheel of the Year have reasonably secure roots in past beliefs and traditions, ‘Litha’ has [more…]
Arts
The Year Turns, part 5
Beltane This important festival has been reinvented umpteen times throughout the ages. I knew it from childhood as May Day. On a couple of occasions while at primary school our class was forced to dance [more…]
Arts
The Year Turns, Part 4
Ēostre My earliest memories of this time of year involve decorating eggs, going to the local park, and rolling them down a hill. Well, more of a small embankment than a hill, but the thought [more…]
Arts
The Year Turns, Part 3
Imbolc This celebration of light and hope marked the early signs of spring and is one of the key occasions in the Celtic calendar, marking the transition from winter to spring. Widely observed in Ireland, [more…]
Arts
The Year Turns, Part 2
Yule I grew up with Yule, even though I never really understood anything about it. It was just another word that was heard around Christmas time. People would wish each other a merry Yuletide, and [more…]
Arts
The Year Turns, Part 1
In this series of articles, I’d like to meander through the roots of some ancient customs, beliefs and rituals that have shaped our culture. Many are still followed, though sad to say, a growing number [more…]