This excerpt from the Book of Shadows of the SoulCraft tradition relates to the nominal Wiccan sabbats and the Wheel of the Year, as well as to the moon cycles and lunar magic. It is not intended to replace the Wheel, but rather to augment it with the concept of the continuing development of the soul as it journeys through life.
The basic concept of the Journey of the Soul is that the interrelated cycles of the Sun and Moon represent the greater cycles of the development of the individual soul. In turn, the growth of the soul is a microcosm of the spiritual evolution of communities at every level, from families and clans, to cities, nations and ultimately, the entire human race.
The process of the soul's development is reflected in the Wheel of the Year, which is divided into eight sections, with the lines that separate the sections corresponding to the sabbats. The spring equinox is the beginning of the solar year, and represents the birth/creation of the soul, or the beginning of a new cycle or stage of its development. This does not mean that all souls literally begin their journey on the spring equinox; it is only a recognition that the spring equinox is the time of beginnings in nature. In keeping with the principle, as above, so below, we celebrate our own beginnings--whenever they may actually fall on the calendar--at this time. This concept holds true for all of the celebrations and observations on the Wheel of the Year.
On the Wheel of the Year, the solar festivals are the minor sabbats: Ostara (Spring Equinox), Litha (Summer Solstice), Mabon (Fall equinox) and Yule (Winter Solstice). The major sabbats are the lunar festivals: Beltane (April 30), Lughnassad (August 2), Samhain (October 31) and Imbolc (February 2). Whenever possible, celebrate these days on the actual date they fall. If possible, take off from work. These are your holidays, after all.
OSTARA: Spring Equinox (0 degrees on the zodiac)
Happy new year! Everything is fresh and new. Light and dark are in equilibrium. Life, in all its diversity, emerges, seemingly from nothingness. The soul begins its journey, or starts a new cycle. Everything is possible. You begin with a clean slate, so let go of all that has transpired before and look forward. Between now and Beltane, start planting the seeds for what you want in your life.
The colors of Ostara are the colors of the emerging spring; the clear, baby blue sky, the soft yellow buttercups, the pinks, lavenders and purples of wisteria, mountain laurel and crepe myrtle, the gentle green of the weeping willow. Decorate your home and altar with wildflowers. Read or enact your favorite creation myth. Decorate eggs and celebrate the birth of the universe. Lore says you can only balance a raw chicken egg on its end at the spring equinox. Celebrate the rebirth of the grain God, who was sacrificed last Lughnassad, and the birth of the Maiden. Research how different traditions mark the spring equinox and/or create your own observances based on the themes of creation and emergence.
Collect the materials you will need for making amulets, talismans and magical items throughout the year. Harvest fresh herbs, get bottles and jars for canning and storage, make altar oil, incense and candles. Sew or repair robes and rededicate your magical tools.
The New Moon nearest Ostara is the Seed Moon, the following Full Moon is the Quickening Moon.
BELTANE: May 1
Fertility day! You have planted your seeds. Short-term goals have been reached or are beginning to take form. Be mindful that the seeds you have planted are growing and nurture them. Having begun its journey, the soul gains strength and momentum. It begins to acquire maturity. If you are not aware of your current mission or purpose, now is the time to seek it out.
Celebrate the sacred marriage of the God and Goddess, the fertility of the Goddess and the diversity of Creation. Dance around the maypole. Light a Bel-fire. Give your home a thorough cleansing and purification, then perform a dedication ritual, cast home protection spells and set your wards. Go on picnics and outings, exchange bouquets of flowers and cast floral wreaths into the streams and rivers in your area as blessings and thanksgiving for the water.
The colors of Beltane are similar to those of Ostara, only deeper, darker and richer; the dark greens of fresh grass and the leaves on oak, plum and mulberry trees, the vivid reds, yellows and blues of bottlebrushes, sunflowers, daisies, Indian paintbrushes, snapdragons, bluebonnets and cornflowers, the clear blue of deep lakewater and the silver of light reflecting off of dragonfly wings.
Between now and Litha, conditions are ideal for out-of-body work, spirit communication and divination. The New Moon closest to Beltane is the Fertility Moon, the following Full Moon is the Growth Moon.
LITHA: Summer Solstice (90 degrees on the zodiac)
The Sun is at its peak. This is the longest day of the year. In the midst of the brightest light, the seed of darkness lies. Hold an all night vigil and greet the solstice sun as it rises; then, just after sunrise, hold a brief ceremony to foreshadow the death/rebirth of the sun at Yule. Build a bonfire and celebrate the strength and generosity of the Goddess and the fullness of Her power. Jump through the flames for personal purification and empowerment, fertility and good luck. Weddings are popular at this time of the year. The soul is emerging from its adolescence and coming into its full power. It has a vision of its purpose, and perhaps some ideas of how to achieve it, but it does not yet have a plan.
The colors of Beltane have become muted, and most of the greens are turning towards yellow as the heat of summer evaporates surface water and bakes the earth. The sun is high and golden, and the sky is almost white with the heat. With less water, the lakes are a paler shade of blue. Figs, currants and plums ripen under the shade of their parent trees, and the air is alive with the keening whistle of cicadas, whose withered brown shells reflect the dry heat of the season.
The New Moon nearest Litha is the Shadow Moon, the next Full Moon is the Strength Moon.
LUGHNASSAD: Aug. 2
First harvest and second planting. Mid-to-long-term goals are manifesting. Enjoy the rewards of that which you have sown earlier in the year. The keywords for this time of year are grain and bread. Celebrate the gifts of the grain Goddess and observe the sacrifice of the grain God, who will be reborn at Ostara. Make corn dollies. Research the many ritual uses of bread. Make beer and mead.
The soul is strong. It has acquired enough experience to begin to assess its abilities in light of its purpose and the context of its circumstances. Intelligence emerges, and with it, a new awareness of the cycles of time and growth and the need for adjustment.
The colors of Lughnassad are dominated by the golden tones of goldenrod and blood red of ripening grains--wheat, corn, oats and barley. Milkweed and dandelion plants release puffs of white seeds to the currents of the air, while jade-green succulents and cacti drink the elusive moisture from the dry atmosphere. The baked earth is hard and brown, or bleached nearly colorless. Whirlwinds kick up brown and gray dust from the parched ground.
This is the time for forgiving debts and granting amnesty. Begin by performing a complete inner and outer cleansing ritual so that you will have the strength to face the coming winter. Then settle all debts and conflicts before Mabon. If this cannot be done, call a truce and agree to renew negotiations for a settlement peacefully at the earliest convenient time. Seal the deal by sharing salt and bread.
The New Moon nearest Lughnassad is the Reaping Moon, The next Full Moon is the Fruitful Moon.
MABON: Fall Equinox (180 degrees on the zodiac)
Second harvest. Thanksgiving. Light and darkness are again in equilibrium. Summer is over. The crops, sensing the approach of death, go to seed, thus insuring that a new generation will be born, while simultaneously feeding the present one.
Renew your strength and gather your resources, for the growing season is over and cold and darkness approach. The Grain Mother is pregnant with her daughter, who will be the new Maiden when she is born in the spring. Though this is a season of thanksgiving, the mood is also somber, as the days are growing noticeably shorter, and the nature of sacrifice--and its necessity--impresses itself on our consciousness. This is an excellent time to honor the elders of the community, for they have survived the hardships of the past and sacrificed the most for the present to insure the future. The soul learns the lessons of patience and compromise, and acquires the gift of discernment. With this newfound wisdom, the plan that the soul began to formulate at Litha is now adjusted and adapted, or per-haps replaced by a better plan.
Mabon's colors are the variegated reds, yellows and browns of the turning leaves.
The New Moon closest to Mabon is the Blessing Moon, the next Full Moon is the Harvest Moon.
SAMHAIN: Oct. 31
Cold weather has arrived in most places. The days are short. Darkness rules. This is the time of death, when the powers of the Crone predominate. We pay our respects to the honored dead and celebrate the eternal aspect of the soul, which at this time is learning of the hidden powers of humility and submission. The soul turns inward, and the time for introspection begins. Light a bonfire to dispel darkness and give aid to the dying sun.
The colors of Samhain are the fall colors of Mabon, with the oranges, greens and yellows of pumpkins and winter squash, and the black of the unknown, the depths of the cauldron of the Crone and the darkness of the coming months.
The Veil parts. From now until Yule, conditions are optimal for out-of-body work, spirit communication and divination.
The New Moon closest to Samhain is the Death Moon, the next Full moon is the Light Moon.
YULE: Winter Solstice (270 degrees on the zodiac)
Darkness is at its peak. This is the longest night of the year. In the midst of the deepest darkness, light is reborn. Celebrate the regenerative power of the Goddess and the promise of renewal to come, as symbolized by the cauldron of the Crone, the death and rebirth of the sun and the retreat to and emergence of Amaterasu Omikami--the Lady of Mirrors and She Who Possesses Noon--from the Cave of Heaven. The soul, from its inward perspective, discovers the paradox of receiving through giving and self-sacrifice. Independent action arises from awareness of the interdependence of all things.
The primary colors of Yule are the greens of the evergreen trees, the white of the snow that covers the ground and the reds of the holly-berry and pomegranate.
The New Moon nearest Yule is the Dark Moon, the following Full Moon is the Moon of Rebirth.
IMBOLC: Feb. 2
It is mid-winter, the coldest time of the year, yet life begins to stir underneath the earth as it prepares to return in the spring. This is the time for initiation, to commemorate the completion of the present cycle, and for purification, as the soul begins to emerge from its introspection, humbly bringing the strength and knowledge it has gained to the outer world as it learns the meaning of service. At this time the soul looks forward to the beginning of the next cycle of its growth.
The colors of Imbolc are the gray of the sky, black of night and white of snow, with touches of green and yellow that signify the immanent return of the sun and flowering plants.
Perform a complete inner and outer cleansing ritual, and read or enact the myth of the descent of the Goddess to the underworld--to symbolize winter--and her return--to symbolize the promise of the coming spring. Acknowledge your successes and failures, let go of the past and look toward the future. Settle all debts and differences of opinion before Ostara. (See Lughnassad)
The New Moon closest to Imbolc is the Quickening Moon, the next Full Moon is the Snow Moon.
Lunar Observations and Moon Magic
New Moon and Full Moon rituals are mandatory, not just when they are associated with one of the Sabbats. Ideally, the rituals should be held on the night of the moon that is designated by an ephemeris, adjusting for your time zone. If this is not possible, the ritual can be held any-time from two nights before to two nights after the moon.
The other phases of the lunar cycle can also be used for magical purposes.
NEW MOON
The purpose of the New Moon circle is to reflect on the things that have passed out of your life since the last New Moon, and to contemplate the things that are currently diminishing. Formally give thanks for these things, and for their passing, which makes room for change and growth. Ask to banish (or diminish) undesirable things from your life between now and the next New Moon.
Review and finalize any plans you have for new projects of an invoking nature (building, embarking on a course of study, developing positive attributes and/or attitudes, creating or drawing something into your life), as the next day/night is the beginning of the waxing portion of the lunar cycle, and thus is an excellent time to start projects of this nature, unless there are more compelling reasons to start them at another time.
WAXING MOON
The Waxing Moon is time for drawing things towards you, developing positive attitudes and qualities, performing invoking magic and charging something with affirmative energy.
WAXING CRESCENT
Integrate New Moon energy into yourself. Time for quiet contemplation. Draw the creative energies you will express in the near future into yourself.
FIRST QUARTER
Renewal. Tune into personal needs and desires.
WAXING GIBBOUS
Creative expression. Use the creative energy you drew into yourself at the waxing crescent moon.
FULL MOON
The purpose of the Full Moon circle is to reflect on the things that have come into your life since the last Full Moon, and to contemplate the things that are coming into being. Celebrate the completion of any projects that have been finished since the last Full Moon. Formally give thanks for all that has been fulfilled. Ask for the things you wish to come (or continue to come) to you between now and the next Full Moon.
Review and finalize plans for new projects of a banishing nature (banishing disease, fear or negativity, discarding negative attitudes or personal characteristics). The next day/night is the beginning of the waning half of the lunar cycle, and is a good time to start these projects, unless there are stronger reasons to start them at another time.
WANING MOON
The Waning Moon is time for banishing undesirable energies, influences and disease, changing negative qualities and attitudes in yourself and charging some-thing with banishing energy.
WANING GIBBOUS
Inspire others. Give support or do volunteer work.
LAST QUARTER
Optimal time for healing and dreamwork. A time of inspiration.
WANING CRESCENT
Time for trance work, divination, out-of-body work or spirit communication.