The ancient Irish were very much in tune with the land and the changing of the seasons. They observed the changing of the seasons and the movement of the sun across the sky as the cycle of life of the Mother Earth and the Father Sun. Their existence depended on the continued warmth of the Sun and the ability of the Earth to provide them food. These observances told the people when to plow, plant, and harvest. The ancients held great festivals and fairs at the beginning and end of the agricultural cycle, with rituals held in honor of the land and the overall cycle of life. The beginning of each of the four seasons was marked as an especially important time in the lives of these agricultural people. The Solstices and Equinoxes were marked points in the “life” of the Sun as it traversed the heavens.
The ritual observances of the ancient Irish has come down to us in the form of eight holy days. The Ord Draiochta na Uisnech observes the “wheel of the year,” which is comprised of eight spokes or holy days. As Druids and walkers of the ancient ways we know that what happens in the universe outside the self also occurs inside the self. “As it is in the Green World, so it is in our lives.” We are reflections of the world around us; each of us is a little universe in the greater universe. We change and grow as the universe changes. We are beings of nature we are bound by her laws, so we also have periods of light and dark in our lives, and those who are specially attuned to the cycles of the seasons can often feel the changes within themselves. There exists a threshold between these two extremes, a small thin line, which warns us of the coming change. It is important to remember not to label these times as “good” or “bad.” Both light and dark are necessary to existence, as is life and death, summer and winter. Honoring the holy days is as important to us as modern Druids as it was to our ancestors.
SAMHAIN (SOW’en)Oct. 31 - Nov. 1 [top]
This was one of the most magical times for the ancient Celts. Samhain marked the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. Because this is an in-between time, we believe that the veil between this world and the otherworld is thin, which allows beings from both sides to pass freely between the worlds. On this day the ancients honored their ancestors and welcomed them back into their homes. Animals that would not live through the long winter were slaughtered for meat to sustain the people through the long winter. It was a time when divination and augury were performed because the veil was thin (and so an accurate answer could be obtained). Today, this ancient feast is more recognizable as Halloween. It is a time to set goals for the New Year and a time to initiate change in our lives.
MEAN GEIMHRIDH (moon gerry) Winter Solstice, approx. Dec. 21 [top]
Also known as Yule, Mean Geimhridh, is a time for hearth, home, and storytelling around the family fire. The Winter Solstice is a time when Light struggles for supremacy over the Dark, during which a threshold exists where powerful magick may be done. In the Ancient times the people would hold vigils on the eve of this festival to watch for the new Sun. The Sun has reached its farthest point in its journey south and time seems to stand still as the young light is reborn. Evergreens like the Holly, Pine, and Ivy were, and still are, held in reverence at Mean Geimhridh. Maybe some of the reasons why are forgotten by most modern people, but we Druids remember. Evergreens are honored at this time of the year because they represent eternal life and help to remind us that summer and the warm months will come again.
OIMELC (EE?melk) also called Imbolc, Jan. 31 - Feb. 1 [top]
This feast of the coming of Spring celebrates the returning strength of the Sun and also held pastoral significance to the Celtic peoples. Oimelc is known as the feast of the flowing because at this time of the year the new lambs and calves are born and the ewes and cows begin to give milk. This was the signal to prepare for the first plowing of the fields and that Spring was on its way. Historically this feast day was mostly celebrated in the home. The plow also played a significant part of this holy day. Offerings of milk, cheese, or whiskey would be offered to the plow to ensure a plentiful harvest. The energy of life that is beginning to stir in the Green World can be tapped into and directed towards the goals we planned at Samhain.
MEAN EARRAIGH (moon erric) Spring Equinox, approx. March 21 [top]
The Sun has finally joined us here in the northern hemisphere, the first blossoms show and the world is filled with bright new colors. The Sun will gradually reach its apex of power after this day, with each day becoming longer. This is a time when day and night are equally balanced, and thus an in?between time. The Earth awakens from the slumber of the cold, dark half of the year and is tilled for the first sowing of seed. As a time for putting crops in the ground, it is now time for us to “plant our seed” in that we are beginning to actively work toward the goals we set for ourselves at Samhain. This is also a time to reinforce balance in our own lives.
BELTAINE (BE?al?tane) April 30 - May 1 [top]
This is the festival opposite on the wheel with Samhain. And likewise, it is another in between time. Beltaine marks the end of the dark half of the year and the beginning of the light half. To the ancient Celts this was the great fertility festival. They believed that through their sexual union they could ensure the fertility of the Land and herds, so there was very little sexual restraint on this day. The plowing and sowing had been done, and it was customary to build great bonfires. The cattle would be driven between two great fires to purify them from the stresses of the long stabling. Each household would also extinguish their hearth fires and re-light it from embers carried from the ritual “need” fire.
MEAN SAMHRAIDH (moon SOM-rah) Summer Solstice, June 21 [top]
The Sun has reached its most powerful state, and the Green World is at its full growth. This is the time of high Summer, a time of strength and maturity. From this day on, the Sun will begin its journey south causing the days to become shorter. This is a major in-between time for Druids. The longest day of the year creates a threshold at the meeting point at dawn that is highly magickal. We perform sunrise ceremonies to welcome the Sun God in all his glory and power. The Sun will spend longer in the sky on this day than on any other. But this day is bittersweet, because it is the known way of things that the Sun will soon become increasingly absent from us.
LUGHNASADH (LOO-nass-AH) Aug. 1 [top]
At Lughnasadh we give thanks to the Earth for its bounty and beauty. The ancient Celts played games and sports to honor the God Lugh and to celebrate strength and good health. This is a time to harvest the dreams planted earlier in the year. Lugh, the bright one, is a fire God and a prominent champion of the Tuatha de Danaan. Lughnasadh is a time for work, the harvest is at hand, and the long lazy days of summer are over. The work of the harvest takes the entire tribe working together. As an Order, it is working to ensure that goal plans are in the finishing stages and when rewards for hard labors are realized.
MEAN FOGHAMAR (moon FOW-er) Autumn Equinox, Sept. 21 [top]
Autumn Equinox is a hunting feast, with thanksgiving for a successful farming season and the warmth of the summer. This is the season that the fallowing-plants cease to produce new fruits and await the end of their growing cycle. The harvest is finished and it is time to relax. Mean Foghamar reminds us that the fruits of our yearly spiritual growth have been harvested and we await the beginning of our new productive cycle. We should focus inward, examine what we have achieved, and learn from what we have not, using this knowledge to set goals for the coming year. The times of Death and Rebirth are nearing, a period of preparation for the long winter months. The holy day is for hunting and storing food and provisions spiritually, mentally, and physically.