Sculpture “Wheel of the Year” by Chris Darvall
For those who are wondering what reference I use for the various Sacred Moments – it is Archeoastronomy
I have used it for years.
I prefer to celebrate on the actual point of the Sacred Moment, as opposed to using the traditional dates.
Being in the Southern Hemisphere, the next Sacred Moment or Festival is what I refer to as The Quickening on August 07th.
This may be more familiar to many as Imbolc.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the season turns to Lammas.
I will (if I can) take the day prior, day of, and day after the Sacred Moment or Festival off. If I don’t *do* ritual, having that time set aside for reflection and meditation serves me well.
I probably drive my rostering department nuts when all my leave requests come through!
I confess, my personal favourites are what I see as the Sacred Moments of Balance – the Solstices and the Equinoxes.
In terms of the phases of the Moon, again, I base that on what is local to me (Melbourne, Australia). I use the timeanddate site to establish the Sacred Moment.
I would love to take the Full Moons and the Dark Moons off as well. As a full time employee that works a very specific roster, this isn’t a practical approach for me right now. I could do it, I would just end up having very little annual leave left over!
How do you celebrate the various Festivals, Sacred Moments, Moon Phases? If you are happy to share, please respond in the comments section below.
I also use an astro callendar for my hellenic and kemetic practices…it feels right being in tune that way 😀
Absolutely! I used to use the standardized traditional dates for many years before I changed and I was surprised at how much more connected I felt!
Love the page design Fabienne. I blend the astrological seasonal dates with observations of what the plants and animals are displaying in my garden. A kind of “flexi- seasonal” calendar. This year the quickening has arrived early where I live, my hens returned to lay a full 10 days earlier than last year when they usually return to laying within 2 days of the calendar date of Imbolc, and my annuals are already in bud, so I adapt my living and reflective routines according. Because I spend most of my free time outdoors in the yard, this form of observation and reflective routine, most of my meditation is done with dirt on my hands, it gives me a deep connection with the natural spaces where I live. For me as a gardener, I really have 5 distinct natural seasons here in the mountains of SE Qld. Maybe not traditional in any manner but certainly deeply rooted in my niche in the 23 degrees world.
Oh Helen! I think it is so important to study thr local shift and change of the Wheel, so I couldn’t agree more. I’m not a gardener (despite repeated attempts!), but I make a concerted effort to get outside, to walk, and to *see*.. at this time the Wattle has already started to bloom, but it seemed early this year too.. my snowdrops and violets are flowering, and I feel the gentle Quickening in my soul. It’s a beautiful shift.