eight sabbats · the modern Pagan calendar
Wheel of the Year
Four solar holidays (two solstices, two equinoxes) and four cross-quarter days between them, mapping the year as a wheel of eight. Pre-Christian European farmers worked to this calendar; Wicca and modern neopaganism formalized it in the twentieth century. The dates below are for the northern hemisphere.
the wheel turns through
Beltane
Currently inside
Beltane(BEL-tayn)
began Fri, May 1, 2026 — 32 days ago
The fire-festival. The May Queen meets the Green Man; cattle driven between two fires.
union · sensuality · flowering · abundance
Next sabbat
Litha · Midsummer — Sun, Jun 21, 2026
in 20 days
All eight, this year and into next
Litha · Midsummer
The longest day. The sun at its highest. After this, the year tilts toward the dark.
fullness · peak · the turn
Sun, Jun 21, 2026in 20 days
Lughnasadh
First harvest. The grain is in. Lugh's funeral games — the god of skill is honored as he begins his long descent.
first harvest · skill · bread · gratitude
Sat, Aug 1, 2026in 60 days
Mabon · Autumn Equinox
Light and dark in balance again, the year leaning into night. Second harvest. Apples ripen.
balance · second harvest · gratitude · preparing
Wed, Sep 23, 2026in 113 days
Samhain
The veil thins. The dead are welcomed back to the table for one night. The Celtic New Year.
ancestors · endings · divination · the door
Mon, Nov 30, 2026in 181 days
Yule · Winter Solstice
The longest night. The sun reborn at the bottom of the year. Evergreens, fire, the wheel turning again.
return of light · rest · rebirth
Mon, Dec 21, 2026in 203 days
Imbolc
The thaw inside winter. Brigid lights her flame. Snowdrops push through frozen ground.
beginning again · cleaning · lighting candles · milking the ewes
Mon, Feb 1, 2027in 244 days
Ostara · Spring Equinox
Light and dark in balance, the tilt about to favor the day. Eggs, hares, the first flowers.
balance · first planting · fertility · Eos returning
Sat, Mar 20, 2027in 292 days
Beltane
The fire-festival. The May Queen meets the Green Man; cattle driven between two fires.
union · sensuality · flowering · abundance
Sat, May 1, 2027in 333 days