I was asked to create a guest post for s lovely free group over at Shamanic Reiki UK.
I thought you guys would like to read it too 🤩
There is not much known about the ancient Wheel of the Year. We can, however, create a fairly robust idea through later stories and myths. Non of the information we have is earlier than the mediavel period. That is over 1000 yers after the time of the Celts in the Iron Age. But as with many stories, myths and legends the ideas are often much older.
We do what we can with the information available. I have found that The Celtic Wisdom Wheel can be a tool that guides you through the year and connects you with the ancient energies of the Celts.
Here I’ll distil the information I’ve found and also show you how to get creative with the themes (through the Moon Cycles for instance).
🔶 North (Battle): The North is associated with battle, strength, and resilience to face life’s challenges. It embodies the dark night of the soul, symbolised by the colour black and the winter season. The wild boar, often linked with this direction, reminds us of the courage to confront external and internal conflicts.
Samhain (Beginning of North & Winter): Samhain marks the start of the dark, feminine half of the year. It’s a time to embrace the mysteries of the unseen. The goddess Morrighan, a powerful deity of battle, prophecy, and sovereignty, is closely associated with this festival and with the direction of North. Samhain invites you to move from the logical, masculine realms into the intuitive, emotional depths of the feminine. There are many rituals and ceremonies asking for protection at this time of year.
🔶 East (Prosperity): The East breathes life into new beginnings, symbolising prosperity, gratitude, and hospitality. Represented by the colours red or purple, it aligns with spring, a time for planting seeds and welcoming abundance into our lives. The East teaches us the importance of generosity and the richness of life through good manners and positive relationships.
Imbolc (Beginning of East & Spring): Imbolc heralds the return of light and the renewal of life. Associated with the goddess Brigid, a deity of healing, smithcraft, and poetry, this festival celebrates the nurturing of new growth and the return of abundance. The emphasis is on fertility and the distribution of resources as Winter gives way to Spring.
🔶 South (Music & Celebration): The South is the direction of music, fertility, and creative expression. White is the colour of this direction, representing the vibrant energy of summer. Here, we celebrate the fullness of life, creativity, and the arts, guided by the passion and vitality of the hare, encouraging us to live with exuberance and joy.
Beltane (Beginning of South & Summer): Beltane celebrates the peak of fertility and the blossoming of life. The god Dagda, known for his association with abundance, fertility, and life force, is honoured during this time. Beltane is a festival of fire and passion, where communities come together to celebrate the vitality of life and the union of masculine and feminine energies. Beltane is also the transition point into the masculine half of the year.
🔶 West (Knowledge): The West is the realm of learning, teaching, and ancestral memory. It’s where we honour our lineage and the stories passed down through generations. Symbolised by the colour yellow, it represents the autumn season and the wisdom gained from introspection and study. The primary attributes are knowledge, intuition, and the flow of ancestral wisdom.
Lughnasadh (Beginning of West & Autumn): Lughnasadh marks the beginning of the harvest season and is named after the god Lugh, a deity of light, craftsmanship, and skill. This festival is a time of gathering the first fruits, celebrating the abundance of the earth, and preparing for the coming winter. Lugh’s multifaceted nature as a warrior, poet, and craftsman embodies the spirit of this transitional time.
🔶 Centre (Sovereignty): At the centre of the wheel lies sovereignty and balance, the core of our being where all elements converge. It represents stability and inner wisdom, guiding us to govern our lives with dignity and grace. The horse, a central figure in Celtic tradition, symbolises the power and importance of sovereignty in our lives.
Each direction on the Celtic Wisdom Wheel offers unique insights and energies that guide you through the year’s cycles. As you align with these sacred directions, you deepen your connection to ancient Celtic wisdom, honouring the balance between knowledge, resilience, prosperity, creativity, and sovereignty.
Moon Cycles in the Celtic Wisdom Wheel
If you’re feeling creative, The Celtic Wisdom Wheel can also be aligned with the moon’s phases, offering a monthly cycle of reflection and intention:
🌑 Dark Moon (North): A time for noticing the current battle presenting itself, then being in stillness, observing with non-judgement and self-love. The dark moon represents the potential magic the dark, free from distraction, can offer.
🌓 First Quarter Waxing (East): As the moon waxes, gather your tools (prosperity) and prepare for growth and building energy. This might mean making those changes you know need attention.
🌕 Full Moon (South): The full moon brings clarity and revelation, highlighting the results of the intentions set earlier in the cycle. It’s a time for celebration (music) and expressing your fullest potential. Often at this time, you will feel either the high of achieving or a manic avoidance that you didn’t quite succeed this time.
🌗 Third Quarter Waning (West): This phase focuses on harvesting the fruits of your efforts and reflecting on the cycle’s lessons. It’s a time to prepare for the next cycle by integrating the wisdom gained. Did you manage to say no and put up boundaries? Or were you derailed by a sabotaging behaviour that still needs attention? Stay in a reflective, non-judgemental space and prepare for the Dark Moon with new wisdom and understanding of the issue at hand.
Two Halves of the Celtic Year
Before the more recent four sections of the wheel, which appeared with the onset of agriculture, The Celtic year was originally divided into two halves based on the rearing of cattle:
☀️ Summer (Masculine): The warm half of the year, beginning at Beltane, is associated with action, outward energy, and the masculine. It’s a time for growth, expansion, and external pursuits. Masculine (not male) is also associated with logic, structure and schedule.
❄️ Winter (Feminine): The cold half of the year, beginning at Samhain, is a time for introspection, inner work, and the feminine. It’s a period of rest, reflection, and preparing for the new growth that will come with the spring.
This masculine and feminine balance can still be seen in today’s version of the wheel.
The balance between the masculine and feminine energies remains crucial in Celtic spirituality, guiding the natural rhythm of life throughout the year. The oldest stories show the King of the tribe must act in service to the Land and his people otherwise the Soveriegn Godess of the Land would bring misfortune and perhaps death upon the King and the tribe. There are many stories at Samhain about the death of Kings (showing the death of the masculine half of the year).
I hope you enjoyed this post, and please feel free to ask questions ⬇️