The Sun. Our magnificent Sun that rises every morning, lights up our skies and is the centre of our Solar System is actually a star! The closest star to Mother Earth, even though it is 93 million miles away!! The heat and light it provides us enable all life to be sustained on our planet in this lifetime. Mother Earth orbits around the Sun and she takes 1 year to complete this transit.
Each year consists of four seasons; Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter and collectively this is called the Seasonal Cycle. The seasons are caused by the Earth's axis being tilted as it orbits around the Sun. This tilt means that different parts of the Earth are orientated towards the Sun at different times of the year. When the Northern Hemisphere tilts towards the Sun the temperature is higher and we experience Summer. When the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the Sun the temperature drops and we experience Winter.
The pattern of our life throughout the year can follow that of Mother Earth and reflect the changing nature and energy of the seasons. This helps to bring more balance into our lives.
Celebrating the Seasons of the Year
We can celebrate this Solar Cycle through the seasons as The Wheel of the Year. This is the progression of the Sun's journey throughout the course of a whole year. Of course, it never actually stops, it just keeps on moving forward continuously just like a wheel.
Festivals
There are 8 fire festivals that celebrate the turning points of the seasons and provide a connection to each phase of the Solar year. This divides the year up, creates flow from one phase to the next and helps us to focus on what's important at the time.
They are called Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltain, Litha, Lammas, Mabon and Samhain.
Four of these festivals are the Quarter Points; the Solar festivals which divide the year up equally into quarters. They are always at a set time of year when the Sun moves into each of the Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn). They are:
Spring Equinox - equal day and night - Sun enters Aries
Summer Solstice - longest day/shortest night - Sun enters Cancer
Autumn Equinox - equal day and night - Sun enters Libra
Winter Solstice - shortest day/longest night - Sun enters Capricorn
The remaining four are the Cross-Quarter Festivals, they sit between each of the Solar festivals (Equinoxes and Solstices). These are more flexible in nature and can be celebrated at a different time each year depending on the nearest Full Moon and appropriate signs of nature. The popular days to celebrate these festivals are:
Imbolc - 2nd February
Beltain - 1st May
Lammas - 1st August
Samhain - 31st October
Through the Year
If we map all of these festivals in relation to the Gregorian calendar, it will look like this:
Imbolc - End January/beginning of February mid Aquarius
Spring Equinox - East Air 20th-23rd March the Sun enters Aries
Beltain - End April/beginning May mid Taurus
Summer Solstice - South Fire 20th-23rd June the Sun enters Cancer
Lammas - End July/beginning August mid Leo
Autumn Equinox - West Water 20th-23rd September the Sun enters Libra
Samhain - End October/beginning November mid Scorpio
Winter Solstice - North Earth 20th-23rd December the Sun enters Capricorn
When we look beyond our modern teachings into the world of natural cycles that span eternity, our lives can become enriched beyond measure. We just have to make a choice to see the world differently, from a fresh, new and different perspective.
Love and warm, sunny blessings,
Tiggy xx
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