The last point that we'll look at before tying things up is the Wheel of the Year. Essentially, the Wheel of the Year is the calender of holidays that Druids, and many Pagans follow. The Wheel was created by Gerald Gardener ("Father of Wicca") and Ross Nichols (prominent figure in Druidic history and originator of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids), but was based off of ancient Celtic festivals and similar holidays found around the world, as well as the natural cycle of the seasons and the positions of the Sun, Moon, and Stars. The Wheel is not unique to Druidry, and not all Druids use it, but it is more commonly than not used as a guideline for celebrations, and is often very prominent within the lives of Druids. Each high day is called a Sabbat, drawn from words like "sabbath" or "shabbat."
You might find some of these holidays sounding very similar to ones that you celebrate today, so just remember that these are not the same holidays and are actually very old.
- Samhain: (sao-in) approx. October 31-November 1. Also called All Hallows Eve or Halloween. This has since ancient times been considered the Celtic new year and a major fire festival. Many Druids and Pagans today see it rather as a spiritual new year and as the start of the dark part of the year, rather than the actual new year. It is a time to honour the dead and is said to be the night when the veil between our world and the Otherworld is at it's thinnest, thus allowing the sprits of the dead to walk among us. It's a time of remembrance but also represents rebirth and is seen as an excellent time to shed old, unneeded habits. A lot of Druids throw a big bonfire party and dress up.
- Yule: approx. December 21 or 22. Also called Midwinter, Modronacht, and the Winter Solstice. The name is drawn from an old Norse tradition, but the solstice has been celebrated all over the world for many years. In the Druidic tradition, there is a celebration to welcome the Sun back, as until this point the Sun's power had been waning and it will finally start waxing again. It is essentially the rebirth of the Sun, who is sometimes seen as a newborn child at this point.
- Imbolc: approx. February 1-2. Also called St. Bridgit's Day or Candlemas. Imbolc is another traditional Celtic fire festival, and was usually celebrated when the first lambs were born or the first flowers poked their heads out of the snow. It is often celebrated as a time to start setting goals that you want to come to fruition later, and also celebrates the Goddess Brighid who is hailed as the Goddess of the hearth and home, among other things. Druids often use candles to represent the fire of this celebration, and get the family together to tell stories and enjoy each other's company in the last stretch of winter.
- Ostara: approx. March 20 or 21. Also called Eostra and the Vernal/Spring Equinox. Ostara is named after the Norse fertility Goddess Eostre, and is a celebration of the coming of spring in all of it's abundance and new life. Eggs and rabbits are associated with Eostre, and many Druids celebrate this time as a time when night and day are equal, and the Sun will finally start becoming truly powerful in the sky.
- Beltaine: approx. April 30-May 1. Also called Mayday. This is a major Celtic fire festival and Druidic festival as it celebrates the beginning of the light part of the year. This celebration is all about celebrating youth and potency (essentially, this is a celebration of the sexual nature of... everything), but also celebrates family and Love. The Druids often celebrate with huge bonfires and big parties, often asking for good luck in the coming months.
- Litha: approx. June 20 or 21. Also called Midsummer or the Summer Solstice. This is often a major holiday for Druids as it celebrates the Sun at it's strongest point. There also seems to be a lot of faery lore associated with this holiday. Some Druids even stay up from Midsummer's eve until the next morning to welcome the Sun back into power.
- Lughnasadh: (loo-nah-sah) approx. July 31-August 1. Also called Lammas. The last major Celtic fire festival which celebrates the first harvest of the year and the God Lugh who is seen as a Sun God and also a God of smith-craft and healing. It's one of the first major feasting festivals.
- Mabon: (mah-bon) approx. September 22 or 23. Also called the Autumnal Equinox. This is the last harvest festival and is often thought of as a thanksgiving festival. Druids may celebrate by giving thanks for the harvest, and also acknowledging the Sun's descent from power after this point.
As you can see, there's a lot to celebrate. Many Druids celebrate with a ritual gathering, and instead of trying to describe it to you, I'm going to give you a video of an OBOD Midsummer celebration.
Just to break it down a bit and take a look at some familiar symbols, we have a Celtic cross at 0:07 to represent the Sun and the Wheel of the Year. At about 0:53 they start to chant/sing the sounds of the Awen, invoking it's power. At about 1:38 you can see a man speaking, presumably some sort of poetry, a practice which is often encouraged during Druid rituals, and it continues throughout the video. At 2:08 you can clearly see a man with the symbol of the Awen embroidered on his robe. At 2:19, a woman seeming to be speaking some lyric or poetry looks as though she hails the Sun, celebrating it's highest point. To finish the video, there is footage of the Druids lifting their arms and voices in celebration of the Sun.
Finally, it's time to end this journey in our last segment of conclusion.
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