Last autumn (2017), I spent a lot of dark, cozy weekend days at home and I ended up diving deep into my soul. As a result, I felt a strong pull toward living the entire year in complete rhythm with the themes + seasons of the year, by following the sacred wheel of the year. The sacred wheel of the year is an ancient pagan/Celtic way of moving through the seasons, celebrating festivals + holidays (many that match up with Christian holidays), through rituals that connect us with the continuous cycle of life.
As Halloween + All Saint’s Day have just passed, the wheel of the year has completed its cycle. And that means that we are now beginning a new cycle, a new year. And, my friends, what could be more magical than beginning this new cycle with November’s new moon? Isn’t the timing just perfect? Everything old has been released. And it’s time to reset + begin again.
So here’s what I did last year: Last December I sat down with my oracle cards + intuitively chose 13 cards for 2018. One as an overarching theme for the year. And 12 others, one for each month. I then also grouped those 12 themes into the 4 seasons. As I journeyed through the seasons last year, I unexpectedly tapped into my earth-based, wild + magic spirit, and I felt a deep connection with this very ancient + sacred way of approaching the year (and hence, my life).
And, last week, during Samhain, as last year’s sacred wheel completed its cycle, I sat down with my oracle cards again as I look forward to the next 12 months.
So, why follow the wheel of the year + the seasons?
Each season of the year has a very specific energy with it, and we all feel + know that, right? It just so happens that those four energies also follow the cycle of life. What I mean is that each season offers us a very real metaphor or symbol for the different seasons of life. From conception (winter) to birth (spring) to life (summer) to death (autumn). Nature not only provides us with this cycle, but also with the cycle of life-death-life/rebirth, as the seasons return again + again. Offering us a clear sign of eternal, cosmic, earthly, divine, mysterious hope.
As the seasons change + as the energies change, and as I follow along with them, I feel more connected, guided, inspired, and grounded when I am rooted in and aligned with nature. It is a much more natural, flowing way of living life that lends itself to teaching me how to soak up the present moment. It is literally living in the present moment, facing + being with the seasons as they change. It means embracing whatever season I find myself in. It is slow, intuitive living, with a focus on trusting the unfolding of life.
Ultimately, it’s about learning how to live a wild + sacred life.
Now that you know all about the sacred wheel of the year, it’s time to discover the themes of each season + each month for the next 12 months.
Winter: WAIT
Take a deep breath. Slow way down + just wait. This is the season for restoration + renewal. Of hibernation + being patient. We are not meant to do much during these months except to slow down and let our minds + bodies rest. To turn inward, be, breathe, and focus on settling in. It is the perfect time to make plans + set intentions, but to not take any action. This seasons oozes coziness + hygge + mys (the swedish word for hygge).
We often miss the meaning of this dark season of stillness + silence. There’s not much going on in nature it seems, because the trees are bare, the ground is hard, and all of life has gone into hibernation. But, it is exactly now that the magic is happening. In the quiet dark, there are mysteries unfolding. Growth is occuring.
So, for us, this is the perfect time to let our own seeds take root. Conception has taken place, and while we cannot see anything yet, new birth will come in a few months down the road. That makes this season perfectly perfect for creating, dreaming, making plans, and letting them take hold in our soul. We have to trust the process. There is so much potential + possibility. And all we need to do is trust + wait.
November: Salmon
December: The Green + Burning Tree
January: Stag
Spring: WAKE
Wake, my friend! This is the season of new life. Of rebirth, waking up, hope + simplicity. It is the perfect time to focus on answering the call to become who we are, to form new habits, to embark on new projects, to simplify our lives + our homes, to make space for the sacred and to let our creativity flow. This is the season of inspiration + emerging. The plans we made during the winter will start to sprout + grow.
February: Otter
March: Crow
April: Ferryman
Summer: WANDER
Ahhhh… the season of life, of activity, and of basking in the beauty of the earth. This is the season of living life to the fullest, of travel, exploration, wandering, experiencing. Of playing + laughing. It is the time of the light of the sun and days that are long + warm. There is nothing to do during this season except to create + soak up every magical moment of life.
May: Boar
June: The lady of the sacred earth
July: Druid
Autumn: WITHIN
Completion + fulfillment + maturity + death. This is the season all about harvesting, gathering, and going within. It is the season of the ending of summer, the transition to autumn, and a reminder to surrender to the present moment. It is saying goodbye to the year + preparing for the long, dark months of winter right around the corner. But, before we settle in to rest + restore, there is deep wisdom + magic waiting for us as we descend into the dark.
August: Eagle
September: Father
October: The Inworld
There you have it. A peek into the themes and seasons of the upcoming year. It feels utterly + completely unknown to me. Like a great, magical mystery. But, because of the nature of the cycle of the seasons of the year, I feel safe + unafraid. I trust the cycle of life. I trust the cycle of the wheel of the year and the turning of the seasons. Mother Earth + the Divine Spirit speak to us of the universal truths of life + death. We are part of it all, wild souls. Part of the cycle, here to live + manifest + embody our truth and our authentic selves during our own cycle of life.
What an incredible way to live in the moment. To flow with the seasons. To live slowly, intuitively, and intentionally. To live with the wheel of the year is to live a very wild + sacred life. One that is filled with real magic + meaning, right in the middle of each and every day.
Stay tuned to this space throughout the year. I have much to share with you + much to offer you. First, will be a little post on the energies + vibes for the Salmon theme in November. In the meantime, soak up the new moon magic today. Know that the newness of this moon, the dark sky + the dark void, is really the perfect place to begin. So, set your intentions. Recognize that you are being called to simply live your truth in your way. And get ready to welcome in a new year + a new cycle of doing just that.
New moon blessings, lovelies. xoxo, liz.
