A cross-quarter day (between Alban Arthan and Alban Eilir) and fire festival, Imbolc is the celebration of early Spring and Awakening occurring around the beginning of February. This is a time of clearing out the old and bringing in the new. We can concentrate our thoughts and wishes to what the coming year will bring.
The Spring Equinox festival of Promise occurs around the 21st-22nd March, the first day of Spring when day and night are of equal length and we emerge from the last days of Winter. All around us we see growth, young flowers and new-born animals. Everything is bursting with life. The Equinoxes balance light and dark and are often represented by spirals, labyrinths and Celtic crosses.
This is the Feast of Life celebrated at the beginning of
May. A time of merry making and fun, we are full of expectation for
the coming of Summer. This is a cross-quarter day (between Alban Eilir and Alban Hefin) and a fire festival of union, fertility and creative life
force.
The
sun reaches a peak in its cycle and gives us Summer Solstice, the
longest day and shortest night, occurring around the 20th -23rd June.
This is the festival of Midsummer and Joy, bestowing abundance and
love, celebrating achieving goals and fulfilling our wishes. From now
the days become a little shorter but we store this energy in
preparation for the seasons to follow.
A
cross-quarter day (between Alban Hefin and Alban Elfed) and the festival of
Transformation, early harvest, first fruits and gathering. Usually
celebrated in the first few days in August, we can almost sense the
coming of Autumn. 'Auger' is an ancient word meaning a person with
the gift of foretelling events through signs and omens, also known as
an 'increaser'. This is a time of feasting and dancing.
Occurring
around 20th-23rd September, this is the Autumn Equinox and another
festival of balance where day and night are of equal length. This is
the main Harvest festival as we prepare for the coming of Winter. The
days will now get shorter and the wind will blow a little colder. In
nature we can see signs and changes taking place; a busy time for
animals filling their stores and leaves changing colour and falling.
This is the Celtic New Year celebrating Summer's end, falling at the end of October - beginning of November. A cross-quarter
day (between Alban Elfed and Alban Arthan) and when the veil between this realm and the
world of the unseen is at its thinnest. We use this festival to
remember and honour our ancestors, a custom that has become present
day Halloween.
Winter
Solstice - Midwinter gives us the shortest day and longest
night. The sun rises a little higher each day from now and we
celebrate this by the lighting of the Yule log and candles, feasting
with family and friends and decorating evergreen trees. 'Yule' means
wheel and is often depicted by a wreath: the evergreens represent
everlasting life.
© All photos by Margo Benson
© All photos by Margo Benson
