Wheel of the Year

The Wheel of the Year (Irish Roth na Bliana) consists of eight ritual points of the Celtic natural calendar, defining the rhythm of life, agricultural work and spiritual practice.

Four Solar Festivals

Astronomical events. These festivals mark astronomical events:

• Yule (winter solstice, ~21 December) — rebirth of the Sun
• Ostara (spring equinox, ~21 March) — balance of light and darkness
• Litha (summer solstice, ~21 June) — peak of solar power
• Mabon (autumn equinox, ~21 September) — second harvest

Four Fire Festivals

Seasonal transitions. These festivals mark seasonal transitions:

• Samhain (Irish Samhain, ~1 November) — the new year, the "thin veil" between the worlds
• Imbolc (Irish Imbolc, ~1 February) — awakening of the earth, the festival of Brigid
• Beltane (Irish Bealtaine, ~1 May) — beginning of summer, fire rituals
• Lughnasadh (Irish Lúnasa, ~1 August) — first harvest, the festival of Lugh

Comparison with the Chinese Calendar

A different ontology. The structural analog is the 24 seasonal terms (節氣, jiéqì) of the Chinese calendar (#24), but with a different ontology: the Celtic cycle is a living conversation with the earth, not celestial mechanics.