Imbolc is when we begin to tap into the Maiden aspect of ourselves – the other aspects being Mother and Crone which are represented at other times of the year. The word Imbolc means ‘in the belly’ and it is a festival of the Waxing Light, of Brigid’s Day in Ireland and Groundhog Day in North America.

At Winter Solstice, we turn the Wheel of the Year to the return of the light. This is the longest night and the shortest day. After midnight, the Sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day.

Samhain (pronounced sow-in) also known as Halloween means summer’s end and is celebrated on October 31. At Samhain, we turn the Wheel of the Year to the beginning of winter. We begin to have more dark in the day than light.

Autumn Equinox is the second of two harvest festivals and is celebrated on September 22. It is also called Mabon, for Queen Mab of the Faery People (Maeve of the Celts). At Autumn Equinox, day and night are equal, in perfect balance, and we give thought to the balance and flow within our lives.

Summer Solstice marks the sun’s maximum height in the sky, making it the longest day of the year. The themes are light and warmth. In Celtic times, young people, still in the throws of the lusty month of May, leaped over the flames of bonfires at Summer Solstice.