Our Existance is Based on a Rhythm, the Earth's Rhythm

For tens of thousands of years, mankind has recognised the importance of the rhythm of the Earth. The turn of the seasons and the lengthening and shortening of the daylight throughout each year have been the foundation upon which we have evolved as a species and developed as a civilization. The cycles of the moon have directed our agriculture and our travel. Since the dawn of the industrial age and the invention of electricity, hardly more than a few generations ago, many of us have moved away from living in harmony with the world around us. We have created a new world based on work, school, greed and corporate profit taking; and this is fast taking it's tole on our civilization.

We live in a world where few people are truly happy, families are split apart, disease, obesity and physical weakness are rampant. Brothers fight against brothers, we attack other people in the name of peace, spiritual values are based on who is the strongest or the loudest, even our religious leaders fail to take responsibility for their actions. We live in a world that is out of beat. The path ahead looks bleak, but all is not lost.

We can get ourselves back on the right path. We can return to lives of walking in the rhythm of our Mother Earth. The first step is to learn to hear, to feel the rhythm of the world around us. Be award of the turn of the seasons, follow and use the phases of the moon, plant a garden, grow houseplants, stop depending on the supermarket and box stores for your needs. Becoming just a little more self sufficient will make you and your family feel better. It is the first step in the recovery of our civilization.

The peak points of this rhythm are marked by holy days found in most cultures throughout time and geography. Everyone has different names for these special days. The specific definitions of these festivals were developed during a time when communities depended on planting and harvesting. The people had a much closer relationship to the seasons, the weather and indeed to their world than we do in our modern society. But the strong energies of the celebrations remain, and can be used when we need extra help in "planting the seeds" of a new project, or in "harvesting the fruits of our labours". It's not important what you call them, or how we choose to mark them. But, it is vital than we, each in our own way, do something to get back in step with our world.

The "Wheel of the Year" defines eight holy days based on the turn of the seasons, the orbit of the earth. The base-notes of the great rhythm are created by the orbit of the earth around the sun. This is the foundation on which we will build.

The Wheel of the Year

Yule Dec 21  - This festival generally marks mid-winter or the winter solstice. For the last six months the days have been growing shorter and the nights longer. After this date the days begin to grow longer once again. This festival is usually a celebration with song, drink and feasting. It has become a time for families to gather and celebrate the returning sun. In pagan beliefs this is the day that the Earth Goddess gives birth to the male god, offering the promise of the coming spring and the continuation of the cycle. Christians mark this date as the birth of their saviour, Christ, the son of God.

Imbulc Feb 2 - Also called Candlemas, this festival is usually celebrated on Feb. 2nd, the half-way point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It can alternatively be celebrated at the first signs of spring in your local area. This is a celebration to mark the coming spring. The days are noticeably longer and winters cold gives way to spring thaws. Traditionally a festival dedicated to the goddess Brigid, it is a of fire and purification. The lighting of candles represents the returning warmth of the sun in the upcoming months. A modern version of this festival is seen in Ground Hog Day where the appearance (or not) of the ground hog's shadow foretells the length of time remaining before spring.

Ostra March 21 - Celebrations are common around the world at the time of the Spring Equinox. That is the day in the spring when the hours of daylight and the hours of night are the same. Astronomically this is the first day of spring. For pagans this is a celebration of the young god regaining his strength and the Mother goddess reverting to her maiden aspect. In modern times, Christians mark the sacrifice of the Christ god, as penance for their sins. This festival is marks by colourful eggs, candy and scenes of spring. It is also time to plant indoor bedding plants, which will be transplanted outdoors once the weather warms.
  This is a good time to do "initiation" magic. Spells to start projects, set plans in motion, or to search for inspiration and direction for the year are strong now.

Beltane May 1 - Beltane is the wild spring festival. This is where everything begins. Energy is high. Everyone is happy. All night bon-fires are the fist image that comes to mind when we think of Beltane. The sacred fires of Spring are built with the nine sacred woods: Alder, Ash, Birch Hawthorn, Hazel, Holly, Oak, Rowan, Willow. A tradition that could have come out of the stone age is that of the Need Fire. All members of a community would extinguish their cooking and hearth fires and relight them by taking flame from the community bonfire which was made with the sacred fires. This was believed to cut the tie that families had with "bad" energies i the past, and set a new clean path for the year to come. A ritual that friend and I have performed for years is to gather around a bonfire. We write words and phased on pieces of paper. The pieces are tossed in to the fire throughout the evening. In that way we cut any emotional or energetic ties we have with these energies. We feel good about starting the year with a clean slate and with a clear focus on the personal issues that we choose to face i the coming year.
Beltain is an important Pagan festival, as it is the mating of the fertility God and the maiden Goddess. Thus insuring the continuium of our existance.

Summer Solstice June 21 - This is the longest day of the year, and as such the shortest night. Summer reaches is peak of vital masculine energy. Plants are growing at their most vigorous rates. The joyous rituals of Litha celebrate the verdant Earth in high summer, abundance, fertility, and all the riches of Nature in full bloom. This is a madcap time of strong magic and empowerment, traditionally the time for hand-fasting or weddings and for communication with the spirits of Nature. For followers of nature religions, this is the time to rededicate yourself to your gods. This is a great time for leasure and travel. Restless energies ebb and flow as the suns energy changes from waxing to waining. This is a time for desision making and taking responsibility. All those crazy ideas have taken form, and now set the path and do the work that will ultimately carry us the the " coming winter."

Lougnasadh August 1 - The first harvest festival, marking the start of the grain harvest and the harvest of the first ripening fruits. Sometimes called "loaf-mass," this is the time when we begin to "reap the harvest" of the planning and hard work we set in motion in the spring and toiled over through the summer months. This is the to reconnect with the foods we eat and to give thanks to Mother Earth who feeds and nourishes us with Her generous bounty. Farmers markets and u-pick farms are getting started for the fall season. If you don't grow your own food search these people out, they are the ones serving real, nutritious food. Talk to them, get to know them, thank them for the work they do. Spend time during this festival to really think about where you food comes from. If your are living on supermarket food that has been chemically or genetically enhanced, sprayed with poisons, picked by machines designed to squeeze more profits out of the land and the expense of families and communities, and then hauled by gas burning trucks, train and ships across the world, then you might want to think about what kind of energy this is putting into yours and your families bodies.

Fall Equinox Sept 15 - In the old Celtic religions Mabon is celebrated on the Autumnal Equinox. the day when the Sun crosses Earth's equator as it appears to travel into the Southern Hemisphere. Aside from marking the end of summer, it's one of only two days each year when the length of day and night are totally equal. Astrologically, the Fall Equinox is also the day the Sun leaves practical Virgo and enters gracious, glamorous Libra - the sign is the image of a pair of scales. This is the second of three harvest festivals. Though not grounded deeply in history as some of the other festivals, Thanksgiving is now the largest and most easily recognised in current culture as Thanksgiving. As with Ostra, this festival falls at a time when the length of daylight is equal to the length of night. It is a time of balance, when it is important to recognise that it is important to take only what we need from Mother Nature, and give in back in equal measure.

Samhain Oct 31 This festival is generally considered the Celtic New Year. It marks the end of the growing cycle: winter is ahead and summer behind. Traditionally this is the time to take stock of grain supplies and herds and decide which animals will need to be slaughtered or sold to make it through the coming winter. This tradition is still observed in most farming communities. This festival has the feel of completion, of finishing and of looking back over our accomplishments. It is time to remember things that have passed this year and those who has gone before us. Now is a good time to remember our ancestors and settle grudges. Meditate on the tings you have done and the things you could have done (differently).