Sacred Seasonal Calendar

The Pagan Wheel of the Year

A journey through the eight sacred festivals — solstices, equinoxes, and the cross-quarter days that mark the turning of the living earth.

The Pagan Wheel of the Year represents an annual cycle of seasonal festivals embraced by diverse modern pagan traditions. This cyclical calendar is structured around eight key observances marking solstices, equinoxes, and the midpoints between them — the ancient cross-quarter days.

Together, these eight sabbats form a continuous wheel of light and dark, growth and rest, death and renewal. Walking this wheel with intention deepens our connection to the living earth and to each other as a community.

At Eternal Spring Church, we celebrate all eight sabbats with ceremony, ritual, and community gathering. Check our events calendar for upcoming celebrations.

Yule

Winter Solstice — December 20–22

Yule marks the longest night of the year and the rebirth of the sun. It is a time to honor the returning light, celebrate with fire and candles, and welcome the gradual lengthening of days ahead. Many familiar winter holiday traditions have roots in Yule celebrations — the evergreen tree, wassailing, and gift-giving among them.

Winter Solstice Return of the Sun Candles & Fire Evergreen boughs

Imbolc

February 1–2

Imbolc signals the first stirrings of spring beneath the frozen earth. It is sacred to the goddess Brigid — patroness of healing, poetry, and the forge. A time of purification, new beginnings, and tending the inner flame as the world slowly wakes from winter's sleep.

First Light Brigid Purification Candlemas

Ostara

Spring Equinox — March 20–23

The Spring Equinox brings balance — day and night of equal length — as the world bursts into new life. Ostara celebrates fertility, renewal, and the triumph of light over darkness. The egg, the hare, and the first blooms of spring are its symbols.

Spring Equinox Balance Eggs & Seeds Renewal

Beltane

April 30 – May 1

Beltane is the great fire festival of the full flowering of spring. It honors love, desire, and the union of earth and sky. Bonfires are lit, flowers woven into crowns, and the maypole danced — a celebration of life's exuberant creative force.

May Day Bonfires Maypole Fertility

Litha

Summer Solstice — June 20–22

The longest day of the year — Litha is the peak of the sun's power and a time of great magic and celebration. Midsummer fires burn through the night, herbs gathered at this time hold potent healing energy, and the veil between worlds grows thin.

Summer Solstice Midsummer Sun's Peak Sacred herbs

Lammas / Lughnasadh

August 1–2

Lammas is the first of three harvest festivals, honoring the grain and the sacrifice of the corn king. Named for the Celtic god Lugh, it is a time for gratitude, skill, and the first fruits of summer's labor. We bake bread and give thanks for abundance.

First Harvest Bread & Grain Lugh Gratitude

Mabon

Autumn Equinox — September 20–23

Mabon, the second harvest, mirrors Ostara's balance — day and night in equal measure once more, but now tipping toward darkness. It is a time to give thanks for what has grown, to let go of what must fall, and to prepare for the descent into winter.

Autumn Equinox Second Harvest Balance & Release Gratitude

Samhain

October 31 – November 1

Samhain is the most sacred night of the pagan year — when the veil between the living and the dead grows thinnest. It is the final harvest, the new year in many traditions, and a time to honor beloved ancestors. We remember those who have passed and welcome the sacred dark.

New Year Ancestor work The Veil Final Harvest