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116-500: The Wheel of the Year is an annual cycle of seasonal festivals , observed by a range of modern pagans , marking the year 's chief solar events ( solstices and equinoxes ) and the midpoints between them. Modern pagan observances are based to varying degrees on folk traditions , regardless of the historical practices of world civilizations . British neopagans popularized the Wheel of

232-579: A Doctor of Divinity degree from Life Science College in Rolling Meadows, Illinois , (a defunct nonresidential seminary) in 1967. In 1968, he completed a teaching certificate at Harris–Stowe State University . His parents were Protestants. In an interview with Natalie Zaman in 2008, Zell described himself as a Wizard. Distinguishing his practice from the wizards of fiction , Zell used the alternative spelling magick (with final "k") and claimed that his interest therein began at an early age with

348-677: A Church of All Worlds presence at Starwood, called the CAWmunity, for over a decade. From 1998 to 2014 Oberon and Morning Glory Zell lived in Sonoma County, California , where they were members of the Sonoma County Pagan Network. He was a frequent speaker at the organization's local activities, served on the Board of Directors, and contributed articles to its website. During a routine colonoscopy , doctors found

464-541: A cancerous growth attached to Zell's colon , and removed it laparoscopically at Petaluma Valley Hospital. Following surgery, he underwent a six-month course of chemotherapy and continued a robust schedule of travel and teaching. Zell regards himself as cured of the cancer. He resided in Sonoma County, California , with Morning Glory until her death at age 65 from multiple myeloma on May 13, 2014. Morning Glory died at home, surrounded by family, friends, lovers, and more than 360 Goddess images she had collected from around

580-493: A change in daily floral and animal events can be observed, the season is changing. In this sense, ecological seasons are defined in absolute terms, unlike calendar-based methods in which the seasons are relative. If specific conditions associated with a particular ecological season do not normally occur in a particular region, then that area cannot be said to experience that season on a regular basis. Six ecological seasons can be distinguished without fixed calendar-based dates like

696-555: A community. Heathens may add to the demarcations of the Wheel of the Year with various Days of Remembrance celebrating heroes of the Edda and the Sagas and figures of Germanic history such as Leif Ericson , who explored parts of North America . Heathen organisations using the Wheel of the Year framework for their festival calendar include the Swedish group Samfundet Forn Sed Sverige ,

812-404: A four-season model to demarcate the warmest and coldest seasons, which are further separated by two intermediate seasons. Calendar-based reckoning defines the seasons in relative rather than absolute terms, so the coldest quarter-year is considered winter even if floral activity is regularly observed during it, despite the traditional association of flowers with spring and summer. The major exception

928-1022: A legendary 2-year “Walkabout of the Wandering Wizard,” driving back and forth and up and down all over the US, with a few month-long trips to the Yucatan, Guatemala and Ecuador. He spent four months in Salem, MA, and attended the 2018 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Toronto. After another four months in Nashville, TN, he was invited to the Venusian Church Longhouse in WA, where he spent the next 2½ years, departing in October 2022 for

1044-466: A list of the (then-obsolete) Anglo-Saxon names for the months of the early Germanic calendar . Ærra Liða ( first or preceding Liða ) roughly corresponds to June in the Gregorian calendar , and Æfterra Liða ( following Liða ) to July. Bede writes that "Litha means gentle or navigable , because in both these months the calm breezes are gentle and they were wont to sail upon

1160-645: A narrative of the Holly King and Oak King as rulers of the waning year and the waxing year respectively. These two figures battle endlessly with the turning of the seasons. At the summer solstice, the Holly King defeats the Oak King and commences his reign. After the Autumn equinox the Oak King slowly begins to regain his power as the sun begins to wane. Come the winter solstice the Oak King in turn vanquishes

1276-532: A six-season model for temperate climate regions which are not tied to any fixed calendar dates: prevernal , vernal , estival , serotinal , autumnal , and hibernal . Many tropical regions have two seasons: the rainy / wet / monsoon season and the dry season . Some have a third cool , mild , or harmattan season . "Seasons" can also be dictated by the timing of important ecological events such as hurricane season , tornado season , and wildfire season . Some examples of historical importance are

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1392-513: A suitable new home. In October 2015, he moved in with a couple in Santa Cruz, CA, where they opened a center in town they called the Academy of Arcana. It featured a store, a library, classroom, museum, meeting space and offices. However, it was not economically viable, and had to close at the end of Nov. 2017. Oberon put everything he owned into storage. The following June Oberon embarked on

1508-510: Is Alban Elfed . It is a neopagan festival of thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth and a recognition of the need to share them to secure the blessings of the Goddess and the Gods during the coming winter months. The name Mabon was coined by Aidan Kelly around 1970 as a reference to Mabon ap Modron , a character from Welsh mythology. Samhain ( / ˈ s ɑː w ɪ n / ), or Sauin ,

1624-787: Is 1 November ( Samhain , the Celtic origin of Halloween ); spring starts 1 February (Celtic Imbolc ); summer begins 1 May ( Beltane , the Celtic origin of May Day ); the first day of autumn is 1 August (Celtic Lughnasadh ). The traditional calendar in China has 4 seasons based on 24 periods, twelve of which are called zhōngqi and twelve of which are known as jiéqi . These periods are collectively known in English as "solar terms" or "solar breaths". The four seasons chūn ( 春 ), xià ( 夏 ), qiū ( 秋 ), and dōng ( 冬 )—translated as "spring", "summer", "autumn", and "winter" —each center on

1740-601: Is a Neopagan writer, speaker and religious leader. He is the co-founder of the Church of All Worlds . Born on November 30, 1942, in St. Louis, Missouri , Zell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri , in 1965 before briefly enrolling in a doctoral program in clinical psychology at Washington University in St. Louis . He also received

1856-657: Is a 7% variation in sunlight received. Orbital eccentricity can influence temperatures, but on Earth, this effect is small and is more than counteracted by other factors; research shows that the Earth as a whole is actually slightly warmer when farther from the sun. This is because the Northern Hemisphere has more land than the Southern, and land warms more readily than sea. Any noticeable intensification of southern winters and summers due to Earth's elliptical orbit

1972-530: Is a name for the spring equinox in some modern pagan traditions. The term is derived from a reconstruction produced by linguist Jacob Grimm of an Old High German form of the Old English Ēostre , an Anglo-Saxon goddess for whom, according to Bede , feasts were held in her eponymous month , which he equated to April in the Julian calendar . Known as Alban Eilir in strands of neo-druidry, this holiday

2088-477: Is called "summer" and the rainy season (May to October) is called "winter", even though it is located in the northern hemisphere. There is no noticeable change in the amount of sunlight at different times of the year. Instead, many regions (such as the northern Indian Ocean ) have varying monsoon rain and wind cycles. Oberon Zell-Ravenheart Oberon Zell (born Timothy Zell , November 30, 1942; formerly known as Otter G'Zell and Oberon Zell-Ravenheart )

2204-585: Is contradictory. These are mainly a matter of custom and not generally proclaimed by governments north or south of the equator for civil purposes. Meteorological seasons are reckoned by temperature, with summer being the hottest quarter of the year and winter the coldest quarter of the year. In 1780 the Societas Meteorologica Palatina (which became defunct in 1795), an early international organization for meteorology, defined seasons as groupings of three whole months as identified by

2320-418: Is defined as when the mean daily temperature permanently rises above 0 °C. The beginning of summer is defined as when the temperature permanently rises above +10 °C, autumn as when the temperature permanently falls below +10 °C, and winter as when the temperature permanently falls below 0 °C. In Finland, "permanently" is defined as when the mean daily averaged temperature remains above or below

2436-492: Is distributed. As the creator and original editor of the NeoPagan magazine Green Egg in 1968, Zell was an early popularizer of the term " Neo-Pagan ". When Green Egg began publishing as a spirit-duplicated newsletter , Zell used the term "Neo-Pagan" to describe the new religious movement he was helping to create. Green Egg later grew to be a semi-glossy magazine with international distribution and, in an era before

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2552-461: Is in the tropics where, as already noted, the winter season is not observed. The four seasons have been in use since at least Roman times, as in Rerum rusticarum of Varro Varro says that spring, summer, autumn, and winter start on the 23rd day of the sun's passage through Aquarius, Taurus, Leo, and Scorpio, respectively. Nine years before he wrote, Julius Caesar had reformed the calendar, so Varro

2668-634: Is mitigated by the abundance of water in the Southern Hemisphere. Seasonal weather fluctuations (changes) also depend on factors such as proximity to oceans or other large bodies of water, currents in those oceans, El Niño /ENSO and other oceanic cycles, and prevailing winds . In the temperate and polar regions , seasons are marked by changes in the amount of sunlight , which in turn often causes cycles of dormancy in plants and hibernation in animals. These effects vary with latitude and with proximity to bodies of water. For example,

2784-470: Is the name of a traditional Gaelic festival held around 1 November. Its Welsh name is Calan Gaeaf . For Wiccans, it is a time to celebrate the lives of those who have passed on, and it often involves paying respect to ancestors, family members, elders of the faith, friends, pets, and other loved ones who have died. Aligned with the contemporary observance of Halloween and Day of the Dead , in some traditions

2900-572: Is the second of three spring celebrations (the midpoint between Imbolc and Beltane), during which light and darkness are again in balance, with light on the rise. It is a time of new beginnings and of life emerging further from the grips of winter. Beltane comes from the Gaelic name for May Day ( Irish : Bealtaine and Scottish Gaelic : Bealtainn ), with the Welsh names being Calan Mai , Calan Haf , or Cyntefin . Traditionally, it marked

3016-628: The Celtic names used by Gardner and the Germanic -derived names introduced by Kelly, regardless whether local celebrations are based on those cultures. In many traditions of modern pagan cosmology , all things are considered to be cyclical, with time as a perpetual cycle of growth and retreat tied to the Sun 's annual death and rebirth . This cycle is also viewed as a micro- and macrocosm of other life cycles in an immeasurable series of cycles composing

3132-612: The Gaels as Beltane (1 May), Lughnasadh (1 August), Samhain (1 November), and Imbolc (1 February). Influential works such as The Golden Bough (1890) by James George Frazer explored various European seasonal festivals and their possible pagan roots. The Witch-Cult in Western Europe (1921) by Margaret Murray examined reports of the European witch trials , including a 1661 trial record from Forfar , Scotland, where

3248-669: The Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard and later the Companion for the Apprentice Wizard . While initially conceived for ages 11–17, the school currently has mostly adult students. The school comprises sixteen departments of study, various clubs and organizations, a forum area, a prefect/captain system, opportunities for awards and merits and a house/lodge system for adults and youths in which they can communicate directly with each other. Youth (under 18) students are grouped into

3364-633: The Midwestern United States and parts of eastern Europe . The actual dates for each season vary by climate region and can shift from one year to the next. Average dates listed here are for mild and cool temperate climate zones in the Northern Hemisphere: Indigenous people in polar, temperate and tropical climates of northern Eurasia, the Americas, Africa, Oceania, and Australia have traditionally defined

3480-642: The Paracel Islands and parts of the Tibetan plateau ) may be said to have summer all year round or winter all year round. Astronomical timing as the basis for designating the temperate seasons dates back at least to the Julian Calendar used by the ancient Romans. As mentioned above, Varro wrote that spring, summer, autumn, and winter start on the 23rd day of the sun's passage through Aquarius, Taurus, Leo, and Scorpio, respectively, and that (in

3596-516: The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus . With R. Lance Christie, Zell founded the Church of All Worlds (CAW) on April 7, 1962, by the ritual of "sharing water". This foundation ritual was practiced by a fictional church of the same name in Robert A. Heinlein 's Stranger in a Strange Land . Zell and Christie attributed their inspiration to Heinlein's novel. From the 1960s through

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3712-654: The South Pole is in the middle of the continent of Antarctica and therefore a considerable distance from the moderating influence of the southern oceans. The North Pole is in the Arctic Ocean , and thus its temperature extremes are buffered by the water. The result is that the South Pole is consistently colder during the southern winter than the North Pole during the northern winter. The seasonal cycle in

3828-630: The elliptical nature of the orbit of the Earth, as discovered by Johannes Kepler . From the March equinox it currently takes 92.75 days until the June solstice, then 93.65 days until the September equinox, 89.85 days until the December solstice and finally 88.99 days until the March equinox. Thus the time from the March equinox to the September equinox is 7.56 days longer than from the September equinox to

3944-581: The middle of the respective seasons. Because of seasonal lag due to thermal absorption and release by the oceans, regions with a continental climate , which predominate in the Northern Hemisphere , often consider these four dates to be the start of the seasons as in the diagram, with the cross-quarter days considered seasonal midpoints. The length of these seasons is not uniform because of Earth's elliptical orbit and its different speeds along that orbit . Most calendar-based partitions use

4060-457: The northern and southern hemispheres always experience opposite seasons. This is because during summer or winter , one part of the planet is more directly exposed to the rays of the Sun than the other, and this exposure alternates as the Earth revolves in its orbit. For approximately half of the year (from around March   20 to around September   22), the Northern Hemisphere tips toward

4176-399: The solar flux . Due to seasonal lag , June, July, and August are the warmest months in the Northern Hemisphere while December, January, and February are the warmest months in the Southern Hemisphere. In temperate and sub-polar regions, four seasons based on the Gregorian calendar are generally recognized: spring , summer , autumn ( fall ), and winter . Ecologists often use

4292-512: The ( proleptic ) Gregorian calendar agrees with the Julian calendar in the third century of the Christian era , rather than in the fourth. Currently, the most common equinox and solstice dates are March 20, June 21, September 22 or 23, and December 21; the four-year average slowly shifts to earlier times as a century progresses. This shift is a full day in about 128 years (compensated mainly by

4408-471: The American inclusive group The Troth , and the folkish Ásatrú Alliance . According to some pagan traditions , for each holiday on the wheel, different colours are displayed. This practice is not universal, however, and there are a wide range of ways which different sects or individuals would decorate for the sabbats. Many of these colours are also used in the different holidays interchangeably with

4524-556: The Christian festival of All Hallows' Day (All Saints' Day, Hallowmas), and All Hallows' Eve, are appropriations of Samhain by early Christian missionaries to the British Isles. Celebration commonly takes place outdoors in the form of a communal gathering. The precise dates on which festivals are celebrated often vary to some degree, as would the related agricultural milestones of the local region. Celebrations may occur on

4640-460: The Elder , in his Natural History , mentions the two equinoxes and the two solstices and gives the lengths of the intervals (values which were fairly correct in his day but are no longer very correct because the perihelion has moved from December into January). He then defines the seasons of autumn, winter, spring, and summer as starting half-way through these intervals. He gives "the eighth day to

4756-604: The Germanic and later Northern European winter festival of the same name, those celebrations by Germanic heathens likely followed the Christianisation of the Germanic peoples . Historical sources indicate those observances coinciding with the full moon of the lunisolar month following the winter solstice, ranging between January 5 and February 2 in the Gregorian calendar. The reversal of the Sun 's ebbing presence in

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4872-607: The Goddess at Beltane , reaches his peak at the summer solstice , wanes in power at Lammas , passes into the underworld at Samhain (taking with him the fertility of the Goddess/Earth, who is now in her crone aspect ) until he is once again born from Her mother/crone aspect at Yule. The Goddess, in turn, ages and rejuvenates endlessly with the seasons, being courted by and giving birth to the Horned God . Many Wiccan, modern Druids , and eclectic modern pagans incorporate

4988-437: The Gregorian calendar. According to this definition, for temperate areas in the northern hemisphere, spring begins on 1 March, summer on 1 June, autumn on 1 September, and winter on 1 December. For the southern hemisphere temperate zone, spring begins on 1 September, summer on 1 December, autumn on 1 March, and winter on 1 June. In Australasia the meteorological terms for seasons apply to

5104-465: The Holly King.After the spring equinox the sun begins to wax again and the Holly King slowly regains his strength until he once again defeats the Oak King at the summer solstice. The two are ultimately seen as essential parts of a whole, light and dark aspects of the male God, and would not exist without each other. The Holly King is often portrayed as a woodsy figure, similar to the modern Santa Claus , dressed in red with sprigs of holly in his hair and

5220-531: The ICZ migrates to a position south of the Equator. In meteorological terms, the solstices (the maximum and minimum insolation ) do not fall in the middles of summer and winter. The heights of these seasons occur up to 7 weeks later because of seasonal lag . Seasons, though, are not always defined in meteorological terms. In astronomical reckoning by hours of daylight alone, the solstices and equinoxes are in

5336-518: The Internet, its letters column provided a widely distributed public forum for discussion and networking. Green Egg is currently published as an online magazine, edited by Katrina Rasbold. Oberon is the founder and Headmaster Emeretus of the Grey School of Wizardry , an online school specializing in the teaching of a wide range of ancient wisdom and esoteric magic. In November 2022 he passed

5452-470: The Julian Calendar) these days were February 7, May 9, August 11, and November 10. He points out that the lengths are not equal, being 91 (in non-leap years), 94, 91, and 89 days for spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. The midpoints of these seasons were March 24 or 25, June 25, September 25 or 26, and December 24 or 25, which are near to the equinoxes and solstices of his day. Pliny

5568-471: The Kalends of January" (December 25) as the date of the winter solstice, though actually it occurred on the 22nd or 23rd at that time. Nowadays the astronomical timing has winter starting at the winter solstice, spring at the spring equinox, and so on. This is used worldwide, although some countries like Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Russia prefer to use meteorological reckoning. The precise timing of

5684-403: The March equinox. The times of the equinoxes and solstices are not fixed with respect to the modern Gregorian calendar, but fall about six hours later every year, amounting to one full day in four years. They are reset by the occurrence of a leap year. The Gregorian calendar is designed to keep the March equinox no later than 21 March as accurately as is practical. The calendar equinox (used in

5800-486: The Northern hemisphere, is celebrated by neopagans under various names, including Midwinter and Yule . A name used by neo-druids is Alban Arthan . It has been recognised as a significant turning point in the yearly cycle since the late Stone Age . Ancient megalithic sites Newgrange and Stonehenge were carefully aligned with the winter solstice sunrise and sunset. While commonly referred to as "Yule", after

5916-603: The Oak King as a fertility god . Seasonal The Northern Hemisphere experiences most direct sunlight during May, June, and July (thus the traditional celebration of Midsummer in June), as the hemisphere faces the Sun. For the Southern Hemisphere it is instead in November, December, and January. It is Earth's axial tilt that causes the Sun to be higher in the sky during the summer months , which increases

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6032-539: The Sami people in Scandinavia. Many indigenous people who no longer live directly off the land in traditional often nomadic styles, now observe modern methods of seasonal reckoning according to what is customary in their particular country or region. The North American Cree and possibly other Algonquian speaking peoples used or still use a 6-season system. The extra two seasons denoting the freezing and breaking up of

6148-429: The Southern Hemisphere often advance these dates by six months to coincide with their own seasons. Offerings of food, drink , various objects, etc. have been central in ritual propitiation and veneration for millennia. Modern pagan practice strongly avoids sacrificing animals in favour of grains, herbs, milk, wines, incense, baked goods, minerals, etc. The exception being with ritual feasts including meat , where

6264-577: The Sun, with the maximum amount occurring on about June   21. For the other half of the year, the same happens, but in the Southern Hemisphere instead of the Northern, with the maximum around December   21. The two instants when the Sun is directly overhead at the Equator are the equinoxes . Also at that moment, both the North Pole and the South Pole of the Earth are just on the terminator , and hence day and night are equally divided between

6380-415: The Universe. The days that fall on the landmarks of the yearly cycle traditionally mark the beginnings and middles of the four seasons . They are regarded with significance and host to major communal festivals. These eight festivals are the most common times for community celebrations. In addition to the quarter and cross-quarter days, other festivals may also be celebrated throughout the year, especially in

6496-405: The Year in the mid-20th century, combining the four solar events (" quarter days ") marked by many European peoples, with the four midpoint festivals ("cross-quarter days") celebrated by Insular Celtic peoples. Different paths of modern Paganism may vary regarding the precise timing of each observance, based on such distinctions as the lunar phase and geographic hemisphere . Some Wiccans use

6612-701: The accused witch (Issobell Smyth) was alleged to attend witches meetings " every quarter " at Candlemas (2 February), Roodmas (3 May), Lammas (1 August), and Hallowmas (1 November). The White Goddess (1948) by Robert Graves suggested that, despite Christianisation , the importance of agricultural and social cycles had preserved eight holidays of "the ancient British festal system", consisting of Candlemas (2 February), Lady Day (25 March), May Day (1 May), Midsummer Day (24 June), Lammas (1 August), Michaelmas (29 September), Halloween (31 October), and Christmas (25 December). Two neopagan streams in Britain popularised these seasonal festival calendars in

6728-415: The ancient Egyptian seasons— flood , growth , and low water —which were previously defined by the former annual flooding of the Nile in Egypt . Seasons often hold special significance for agrarian societies, whose lives revolve around planting and harvest times, and the change of seasons is often attended by ritual . The definition of seasons is also cultural. In India, from ancient times to

6844-421: The astrologically precise quarter and cross-quarter days, the nearest full moon , the nearest new moon , or the nearest weekend for contemporary convenience. The festivals were originally celebrated by peoples in the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere . Consequently, the traditional timing for seasonal celebrations do not align with the seasons in the Southern Hemisphere or near the equator. Pagans in

6960-401: The average temperature difference between summer and winter in location — will also change over time because the Earth's axial tilt fluctuates between 22.1 and 24.5 degrees. Smaller irregularities in the times are caused by perturbations of the Moon and the other planets. Solar timing is based on insolation in which the solstices and equinoxes are seen as the midpoints of the seasons. This was

7076-412: The beginning of summer. It is known as Walpurgis Night in Germanic countries. Ancient Rome observed Floralia at the same time of year. Following the Christianisation of Europe, the May Day festival was generally associated with maypole dancing and the crowning of the May Queen . May Day is celebrated in many neo-pagan traditions; in neo-druidry, it recognises the power of life in its fullness,

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7192-725: The benefit of better aligning celebrations between the two neopagan groups. Gardner's first publications refer to the Celtic festivals as "May eve, August eve, November eve (Hallowe'en), and February eve". The phrase 'Wheel of the Year' was in use by the mid-1960s to describe an annual cycle of eight observances. Prominent Wiccan Aidan Kelly gave names to the Wiccan summer solstice (Litha) and equinox holidays (Ostara and Mabon) in 1974, which were then promoted by Timothy Zell through his Green Egg magazine. Popularisation of these names happened gradually; in her 1978 book Witchcraft For Tomorrow , influential Wiccan author Doreen Valiente did not use Kelly's holiday names, instead simply identifying

7308-490: The calculation of Easter) is 21 March, the same date as in the Easter tables current at the time of the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. The calendar is therefore framed to prevent the astronomical equinox wandering onto 22 March. From Nicaea to the date of the reform, the years 500, 600, 700, 900, 1000, 1100, 1300, 1400, and 1500, which would not have been leap years in the Gregorian calendar, amount to nine extra days, but astronomers directed that ten days be removed. Because of this,

7424-452: The case with the seasons described by the Roman scholar Varro (see above). It was the method for reckoning seasons in medieval Europe, especially by the Celts , and is still ceremonially observed in Ireland and some East Asian countries. Summer is defined as the quarter of the year with the greatest insolation and winter as the quarter with the least. The solar seasons change at the cross-quarter days, which are about 3–4 weeks earlier than

7540-434: The century "leap year" rules of the Gregorian calendar); as 2000 was a leap year, the current shift has been progressing since the beginning of the last century, when equinoxes and solstices were relatively late. This also means that in many years of the twentieth century, the dates March 21, June 22, September 23, and December 22 were much more common, so older books teach (and older people may still remember) these dates. All

7656-421: The context of polytheistic reconstructionism and other ethnic traditions. While festivals of the Wheel are steeped in solar mythology and symbolism , many Wiccan esbats are commonly based on lunar cycles . Together, they represent the most common celebrations in Wiccan-influenced forms of modern paganism, especially in Neopagan witchcraft groups. The winter solstice , falling on or about 21 December in

7772-500: The defined limit for seven consecutive days. (In Sweden the number of days ranges from 5 to 7 depending on the season.) This implies two things: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) designates four climatological seasons: In China, a common temperature-based reckoning holds that it is winter for the period when temperatures are below 10°C on average and summer for the period when temperatures are above 22°C on average. This means that areas with relatively extreme climates (such as

7888-423: The different Celtic nations . Slavic mythology tells of a persisting conflict involving Perun , god of thunder and lightning, and Veles , the black god and horned god of the underworld . Enmity between the two is initiated by Veles' annual ascent up the world tree in the form of a huge serpent and his ultimate theft of Perun's divine cattle from the heavenly domain. Perun retaliates to this challenge of

8004-410: The direction of the axis, known as axial precession , takes place over the course of 26,000 years, and therefore is not noticeable to modern human civilization. The seasons result from the Earth's axis of rotation being tilted with respect to its orbital plane by an angle of approximately 23.4 degrees . (This tilt is also known as "obliquity of the ecliptic ".) Regardless of the time of year,

8120-401: The divine order by pursuing Veles, attacking with his lightning bolts from the sky. Veles taunts Perun and flees, transforming himself into various animals and hiding behind trees, houses, even people. (Lightning bolts striking down trees or homes were explained as results of this.) In the end Perun overcomes and defeats Veles, returning him to his place in the realm of the dead. Thus the order of

8236-399: The greening of the world, youthfulness, and flourishing. The summer solstice , falling on or about 21 June in the Northern hemisphere, is celebrated by neopagans under various names, including Midsummer and Litha . A name used by neo-druids is Alban Hefin . The name Litha , is found in Bede 's The Reckoning of Time ( De Temporum Ratione , eighth century), which preserves

8352-413: The harvest. After the harvest, however, Jarilo is unfaithful to his wife and she vengefully slays him, returning him to the underworld and renewing enmity between Perun and Veles. Without her husband, god of fertility and vegetation, Morana – and all of nature with her – withers and freezes in the ensuing winter. She grows into the old and dangerous goddess of darkness and frost, eventually dying by

8468-499: The holiday is named, while others draw on more eclectic sources. While Lughnasadh is one of the most common names for the holiday in Wicca currently, in early versions of Wiccan literature, the festival is referred to as August Eve . Lammas is often referenced interchangeably with Lughnasadh, though the two are sometimes recognised as distinct and separate holidays. While Lughnasadh has Celtic origins, Lammas has Anglo-Saxon origins, and

8584-426: The home and tree decorating are also common during this time. Imbolc is the traditional Gaelic name for 1 February and traditionally marks the first stirrings of spring . In Christianity it is Saint Brigid's Day, while 2 February is Candlemas . It aligns with the contemporary observance of Groundhog Day . It is time for purification and spring cleaning in anticipation of the year's new life. In ancient Rome, it

8700-675: The house of Psyche. Adult (18+) students are sorted into four lodges: Society of the Four Winds, Order of the Dancing Flames, Coterie of the Flowing Waters, and Circle of the Standing Stones. Zell regularly presents workshops, lectures, and ceremonies at NeoPagan events. He and his late wife Morning Glory have appeared at more than 40 Starwood Festivals and WinterStar Symposiums over four decades, and maintained

8816-432: The ice on rivers and lakes. The Noongar people of South-West Western Australia recognise maar-keyen bonar, or six seasons. Each season's arrival is heralded not by a calendar date, but by environmental factors such as changing winds, flowering plants, temperature and migration patterns and lasts approximately two standard calendar months. The seasons also correlate to aspects of the human condition, intrinsically linking

8932-426: The inedible parts of the animal are often burned as offerings while the community eats the rest. Sacrifices are typically offered to gods and ancestors by burning them. Burying and leaving offerings in the open are also common in certain circumstances. The purpose of offering is to benefit the venerated, show gratitude, and give something back, strengthening the bonds between humans and divine and between members of

9048-474: The late 1990s, Zell served as High Priest and Primate of the church. He returned to lead the Church of All Worlds, Inc. in 2005 and currently serves as First Primate. A sculptor and graphic artist as well as an author, Zell has created numerous images of Pagan deities—some based upon historical images, others his original creations. With his family, he created Mythic Images, a business through which his artwork

9164-482: The lives of the people to the world that surrounds them and also dictating their movements, as with each season, various parts of country would be visited which were particularly abundant or safe from the elements. In the tropics, where seasonal dates also vary, it is more common to speak of the rainy (or wet, or monsoon ) season versus the dry season . For example, in Nicaragua the dry season (November to April)

9280-536: The meteorological and astronomical seasons. Oceanic regions tend to experience the beginning of the hibernal season up to a month later than continental climates . Conversely, prevernal and vernal seasons begin up to a month earlier near oceanic and coastal areas. For example, prevernal crocus blooms typically appear as early as February in coastal areas of British Columbia , the British Isles , but generally do not appear until March or April in locations like

9396-482: The meteorological seasons and 6–7 weeks earlier than seasons starting at equinoxes and solstices. Thus, the day of greatest insolation is designated "midsummer" as noted in William Shakespeare 's play A Midsummer Night's Dream , which is set on the summer solstice. On the Celtic calendar , the start of the seasons corresponds to four Pagan agricultural festivals - the traditional first day of winter

9512-532: The number of seasons between summer and winter can number from one to three. The dates are fixed at even intervals of months. In the Hindu calendar of tropical and subtropical India, there are six seasons or Ritu that are calendar-based in the sense of having fixed dates: Vasanta (spring), Grishma (summer), Varsha ( monsoon ), Sharada (autumn), Hemanta (early winter), and Shishira (prevernal or late winter). The six seasons are ascribed to two months each of

9628-521: The other members of his group marriages, he has been influential in the modern polyamory movement. Zell co-founded the Ecosophical Research Association in 1977, an organization that explores the truth behind myths. This group was known for the authentic "Living Unicorns " they created by minor surgery to the horn buds of goats , a technique he was granted a patent for in 1984. One of their unicorns, Lancelot, toured with

9744-425: The others, and colour decorations are not exclusively these colours. However, it is widely believed that Samhain has a particular association with black (and orange) only. Colour associations vary across sects and practice, nor are they an integral part to a holiday. Some practitioners do not have colour associations for sabbats at all. It is a misconception in some quarters of the modern pagan community, influenced by

9860-449: The polar and temperate zones of one hemisphere is opposite to that of the other. When it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, it is winter in the Southern, and vice versa. The tropical and (to a lesser degree) subtropical regions see little annual fluctuation of sunlight and temperature due to Earth's moderate 23.4-degree tilt being insufficient to appreciably affect the strength of the sun's rays annually. The slight differences between

9976-428: The present day, six seasons or Ritu based on south Asian religious or cultural calendars are recognised and identified for purposes such as agriculture and trade. The Earth's orbit exhibits approximate axial parallelism , maintaining its direction toward Polaris (the "North Star") year-round. This is one of the primary reasons for the Earth's seasons, as illustrated by the diagram to the right. Minor variation in

10092-487: The reading of Greek myths and fairy tales. As a child, Zell had visions, which his mother told him were derived from the life of his grandfather. An early advocate of deep ecology , Zell claims to have been the first to have articulated and published the Gaia Hypothesis (using the spelling "Gaea" ) in 1970, independently of James Lovelock , who is usually given credit. Along with his wife Morning Glory and

10208-472: The respective solstice or equinox. Astronomically, the seasons are said to begin on Lichun ( 立春 , "the start of spring") on about 4 February, Lixia ( 立夏 ) on about 6 May, Liqiu ( 立秋 ) on about 8 August, and Lidong ( 立冬 ) on about 8 November. This system forms the basis of other such systems in East Asian lunisolar calendars. Some calendars in south Asia use a six-season partition where

10324-604: The result of the variation in Earth's distance to the Sun because of its elliptical orbit . In fact, Earth reaches perihelion (the point in its orbit closest to the Sun) in January, and it reaches aphelion (the point farthest from the Sun) in July, so the slight contribution of orbital eccentricity opposes the temperature trends of the seasons in the Northern Hemisphere. In general, the effect of orbital eccentricity on Earth's seasons

10440-411: The seasons ecologically by observing the activity of the plants, animals and weather around them. Each separate tribal group traditionally observes different seasons determined according to local criteria that can vary from the hibernation of polar bears on the arctic tundras to the growing seasons of plants in the tropical rainforests. In Australia, some tribes have up to eight seasons in a year, as do

10556-450: The seasons is determined by the exact times of the sun reaching the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn for the solstices and the times of the sun's transit over the equator for the equinoxes , or a traditional date close to these times. The following diagram shows the relation between the line of solstice and the line of apsides of Earth's elliptical orbit. The orbital ellipse (with eccentricity exaggerated for effect) goes through each of

10672-483: The six Earth images, which are sequentially the perihelion (periapsis—nearest point to the sun) on anywhere from 2 January to 5 January, the point of March equinox on 19, 20 or 21 March, the point of June solstice on 20 or 21 June, the aphelion (apoapsis—farthest point from the sun) on anywhere from 3 July to 6 July, the September equinox on 22 or 23 September, and the December solstice on 21 or 22 December. These "astronomical" seasons are not of equal length, because of

10788-400: The sky symbolises the rebirth of the solar god and presages the return of fertile seasons. From Germanic to Roman tradition, this is the most important time of celebration. Practices vary, but sacrifice offerings , feasting, and gift giving are common elements of Midwinter festivities. Bringing sprigs and wreaths of evergreenery (such as holly , ivy , mistletoe , yew , and pine ) into

10904-402: The smooth sea". In some neo-druid traditions the festival is called Alban Hefin . The sun in its greatest strength is greeted and celebrated on this holiday. While it is the time of greatest strength of the solar current, it also marks a turning point, for the sun also begins its time of decline as the wheel of the year turns. Arguably the most important neo-druidic festival, due to the focus on

11020-448: The solstices and equinoxes ("Lesser Sabbats") by their seasons. Valiente identified the four "Greater Sabbats", or fire festivals, by the names Candlemas, May Eve, Lammas, and Hallowe'en, while also naming their Gaelic counterparts Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasa, and Samhain. Due to early Wicca's influence on modern paganism and the syncretic adoption of Anglo-Saxon and Celtic motifs, Wheel of the Year festival names in English commonly combine

11136-489: The solstices and the equinoxes cause seasonal shifts along a rainy low-pressure belt called the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ICZ). As a result, the amount of precipitation tends to vary more dramatically than the average temperature. When the ICZ is north of the Equator, the northern tropics experience their wet season while the southern tropics have their dry season. This pattern reverses when

11252-455: The spirits of the departed are invited to attend the festivities. It is seen as a festival of darkness, which is balanced at the opposite point of the Wheel by the festival of Beltane , which is celebrated as a festival of light and fertility. Many neopagans believe that the veil between this world and the afterlife is at its thinnest point of the year at Samhain, making it easier to communicate with those who have departed. Some authorities claim

11368-400: The sun and its light as a symbol of divine inspiration. Neo-druid groups frequently celebrate this event at Stonehenge. Lughnasadh or Lúnasa ( / ˈ l uː n æ s ə / ) is the Gaelic name for a harvest festival held on or around 1 August. Its Welsh name is Calan Awst . In English it is Lammas . Some Wiccan traditions base their celebrations on the Celtic deity Lugh , for whom

11484-413: The temperate zone that occupies all of New Zealand , New South Wales , Victoria , Tasmania , the south-eastern corner of South Australia and the south-west of Western Australia, and the south east Queensland areas south of Brisbane . In Sweden and Finland, meteorologists and news outlets use the concept of thermal seasons, which are defined based on mean daily temperatures. The beginning of spring

11600-410: The term sabbat ( / ˈ s æ b ə t / ) to refer to each festival, represented as a spoke in the Wheel. Seasonal festival activities of pagan peoples differed across ancient Europe . Among the British Isles, Anglo-Saxons primarily marked the solar stations (solstices and equinoxes), while Insular Celtic peoples marked the four midpoints between them. The four Celtic festivals were known to

11716-473: The time of the spring equinox, Jarilo returns across the sea from the world of the dead, bringing with him fertility and spring from the evergreen underworld into the realm of the living. He meets his sister Morana and courts her. With the beginning of summer, the two are married bringing fertility and abundance to Earth, ensuring a bountiful harvest. The union of Perun's kin and Veles' stepson brings peace between two great gods, staving off storms which could damage

11832-524: The times are given in UTC (roughly speaking, the time at Greenwich , ignoring British Summer Time ). People living farther to the east (Asia and Australia), whose local times are in advance, see the astronomical seasons apparently start later; for example, in Tonga (UTC+13), an equinox occurred on September 24, 1999, a date on which the equinox will not fall again until 2103. On the other hand, people living far to

11948-570: The title and mantle of Headmaster to his protege, Nicholas Kingsley. Zell continues to teach in the School, and remains President of the Board of Directors. The Grey School incorporated on March 14, 2005 as a non-profit educational institution in the State of California . The school grew from lessons originally created by the Grey Council, a team of two dozen practitioners, who with Zell, wrote

12064-554: The twelve months in the Hindu calendar. The rough correspondences are: The Bengali Calendar is similar but differs in start and end times. It has the following seasons or ritu: The Odia Calendar is similar but differs in start and end times. The Tamil calendar follows a similar pattern of six seasons Ecologically speaking, a season is a period of the year in which only certain types of floral and animal events happen (e.g.: flowers bloom—spring; hedgehogs hibernate—winter). So, if

12180-520: The twentieth century: the Bricket Wood coven , a Wiccan group founded by Gerald Gardner , and the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids , a neo-Druidic group founded by Ross Nichols . Legend holds that Gardner and Nichols harmonised an eight-fold calendar during a naturist retreat, merging the four solar stations alongside their four midpoints as a unified festival cycle. Coordination eventually had

12296-491: The two also echoes the ancient Indo-European narrative of a fight between the sky-borne storm god and chthonic dragon . On the great night ( New Year ), two children of Perun are born, Jarilo , god of fertility and vegetation and son of the Moon, and Morana , goddess of nature and death and daughter of the Sun. On the same night, the infant Jarilo is snatched and taken to the underworld, where Veles raises him as his own. At

12412-464: The two hemispheres. Around the March equinox , the Northern Hemisphere will be experiencing spring as the hours of daylight increase, and the Southern Hemisphere is experiencing autumn as daylight hours shorten. The effect of axial tilt is observable as the change in day length and the altitude of the Sun at solar noon (the Sun's culmination ) during the year . The low angle of the Sun during

12528-470: The west (America), whose clocks run behind UTC, may experience an equinox as early as March 19. Over thousands of years, the Earth's axial tilt and orbital eccentricity vary (see Milankovitch cycles ). The equinoxes and solstices move westward relative to the stars while the perihelion and aphelion move eastward. Thus, ten thousand years from now Earth's northern winter will occur at aphelion and northern summer at perihelion. The severity of seasonal change —

12644-470: The winter months means that incoming rays of solar radiation are spread over a larger area of the Earth's surface, so the light received is more indirect and of lower intensity. Between this effect and the shorter daylight hours, the axial tilt of the Earth accounts for most of the seasonal variation in climate in both hemispheres. Compared to axial parallelism and axial tilt, other factors contribute little to seasonal temperature changes. The seasons are not

12760-418: The world is maintained. The idea that storms and thunder are actually divine battle is pivotal to the changing of the seasons. Dry periods are identified as chaotic results of Veles' thievery. This duality and conflict represents an opposition of the natural principles of earth, water, substance, and chaos (Veles) and of heaven, fire, spirit, order (Perun), not a clash of good and evil. The cosmic battle between

12876-547: The world. Her body was laid into the Earth at the Church of All Worlds sanctuary of Annwfn, with an apple tree planted over her heart. Arranging all the legalities for Morning Glory's green burial secured Annwfn as an officially-recognized cemetery for full body burials—something Morning Glory herself had tried to do for decades without success. In the years since, other Pagans have had their green burials at Annwfn. After burying Morning Glory, Oberon remained at their home (RavenHaven) for another year, while searching with friends for

12992-551: The writings of Robert Graves , that historical Celts had an overarching narrative for the entire cycle of the year. While the various Celtic calendars include some cyclical patterns, and a belief in the balance of light and dark, these beliefs vary between the different Celtic cultures . Modern preservationists and revivalists usually observe the four 'fire festivals' of the Gaelic Calendar, and some also observe local festivals that are held on dates of significance in

13108-465: The year's end only to be reborn again with her brother in the new year. In Wicca , the narrative of the Wheel of the Year traditionally centers on the sacred marriage of the God and the Goddess and the god / goddess duality. In this cycle, the God is perpetually born from the Goddess at Yule, grows in power at the vernal equinox (as does the Goddess, now in her maiden aspect ), courts and impregnates

13224-605: Was a shepherd's holiday, while the Gaels associated it with the onset of ewes' lactation, prior to birthing the spring lambs. For Celtic neopagans , the festival is dedicated to the goddess Brigid , daughter of The Dagda and one of the Tuatha Dé Danann . In the Reclaiming tradition , this is the traditional time for pledges and rededications for the coming year and for initiation among Dianic Wiccans . Ostara

13340-408: Was able to assign the dates of February 7, May 9, August 11, and November 10 to the start of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. As noted, a variety of dates and even exact times are used in different countries or regions to mark changes of the calendar seasons. These observances are often declared "official" within their respective areas by the local or national media, even when the weather or climate

13456-471: Was often marked with the blessing of loaves of bread by the church. The name Lammas (contraction of loaf mass ) implies it is an agrarian-based festival and feast of thanksgiving for grain and bread, which symbolises the first fruits of the harvest. The holiday of the autumnal equinox is known variously among neopagans as Mabon , Harvest Home , or Feast of the Ingathering . A name used by neo-druids

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