Most Neopagan are more than familiar with the Traditional
Neopagan/Wiccan Wheel of the Year. In Eclectic
Wicca the Myth of the Wheel follows the dance of the God and Goddess. The God is born of the Goddess on Yule. The God matures from a newborn to a young man
during Imbolc and Ostara. The God and
Goddess fall in love, marry and join sexually for the first time on
Beltane. On Litha the Goddess discovers
She is Pregnant with the Child of Promise, while the God reaches His peak of
power. During Lughnasadh and Mabon the
God continues to age and His power continues to decreases. On Samhain the God dies, but will be
reborn to the Goddess on Yule as the Child of Promise and the cycle continues again.
When a pagan realize that they are Goddess centric they
may also realize the mainstream Neopagan Myth of the Wheel of the Year is no longer relevant
to them. If the Goddess Centric Pagan
decides to keep the Wheel as a part of their practice, which many of us do,
then the question arises "what are they celebrating when they celebrate the
Sabbats?" I know personally this was one
question of mine when I first embraced a Goddess centric path. In this two part series of posts I will
offer basic information on the Dianic Wheel of the year as well as my own take
on the Sabbats, in order to give those new to the Goddess path some ideas to
incorporate into their personal practice.
The Dianic Goddess Wheel according to Ruth Barrett
In Ruth Barrett’s book Women’s Rites, Women’s Mysteries she
provides information on the Dianic Wiccan Wheel of the Year. In Dianic Wicca instead of the heterosexual
dance of the God and Goddess their wheel is centered on the Goddess’s
transition from Maiden to Mother to Crone back to the Maiden again. Bellow I
will give a quick summery of the meanings and themes of each Sabbat in the
Dianic Tradition. If this version of the
Sabbats appeals to you and you would like more info, I would suggest you pick
up Barrett’s book. I have first stated
the title of each individual Sabbat as known in the Dianic Tradition and then added it’s more common
name in ( ) when needed to help prevent confusion.
Winter Solstice
Main theme: Conception. In the Dianic tradition the Goddess does not
give birth on the Winter Solstice. As
this is not a common occurrence in the Natural world, and offspring birthed at
this time would be unlikely to survive.
Instead they view the Winter Solstice as the time that the Goddess in
her Crone stage passes away and conceive Herself as the Child of Light. To the Dianics Solstice does not mark the
rebirth of the Sun, but the conception of the Maiden Goddess whose birth
will come at a later time.
Brigid (Imbolc)
Main theme:
Quickening. In the Dianic tradition Brigid
celebrates the Crones transformation and rebirth as the Maiden. In the tradition this is also the time formal
initiations into Dianic Wicca are done.
Spring Equinox
Main theme: Emergence.
In the Dianic Tradition the Spring Equinox marks the Maiden’s return to
the world.
May Eve (Beltane)
Main theme: Menstruation. While most Wiccan and Neopagan
traditions celebrate the marriage, and the sexual joining of the God and
Goddess on Beltane, the Dianic celebrate the Maiden Goddess’s first bloods on
this day.
Summer Solstice
Main theme: Union. In
the Dianic tradition Summer Solstice is the celebration of fertility, the
ability to create and the Mother aspect of the Goddess.
First Harvest (Lughnasadh)
Main theme: Ripening.
In the Dianic tradition First Harvest is the celebration of the
abundance of the Goddess, as well as the obligation of Sacrifice to the Goddess
in Her reaper aspect.
Autumn Equinox
Main theme: Descent.
Dianic Wiccans observe the transition of the Goddess from Mother to
Crone on the Autumn Equinox. To the Dianics this is
also a holiday of thanksgiving.
Hallowmas (Samhain)
Main theme: Deeping.
On Hallowmas, Dianics believe the Goddess in Her Crone aspect deepens
into Herself and rests. To the Dianics
this is also the time a woman should shed all that is no longer useful and is
harmful so that she can have a fresh start in the New Year. Also according to Z Budapest’s, The Holy Book
of Women’s Mysteries Hallowmas is the time to honor and remember all the women
who died during the Witch Trials.
Some variations to the Dianic Wheel.
While Shekhinah Mountainwater did not call the path she
taught Dianic Wicca, it is very similar to Dianic Wicca and her teachings are
very influential to the Dianic community.
Mountainwater’s take on the Wheel of the Year is very similar to the
Dianic, but has a few differences where I will share below. I will only mention the Sabbats that have
greatly differing themes than those in Dianic Wicca. If you would like to learn more about
Mountainwater’s views on the Wheel of the year, read her book Ariadne’s Thread:
A Workbook of Goddess Magic.
Winter Solstice: In Mountainwater’s Wheel the Maiden is spiritually
reborn on the Winter Solstice.
Spring Equinox: The
Spring Equinox marks the Maiden’s physical rebirth into the world.
Summer
Solstice: In Mountainwater’s Wheel, the Summer Solstice
is a celebration of Love, Sexuality and the Goddess's impregnation. Mountainwater notes that this fertilization
can be self-made, community made, or the result of the joining of two lovers.
This is the end of Part One, my personal Wheel of the Year is to come soon...
Ive never resonated with the eight fold wheel myself as it is agriculturally based in some respects, so for myself, i recognise only Belataine and Samhain, both imo, being very relevant to a neo-Celtic strand of Goddessia as the British Celts divided their year into the light half (summer) beginning at Beltaine when the arch Goddess flower, the Hawthorn bloomed and the dark half (winter) when the leaves had fallen and mists begun. The dates would obviously not be fixed as thses occurences would happen at different times in different areas. Interesting post again!
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