Samhain
Southern Hemisphere Date: April 30th
Northern Hemisphere Date: October 31st

Irish Gaelic for "summer's end."
At samhain, the Wicca say farewell to the God. This is a temporary farewell.
He isn´t wrapped in eternal darkness, but readies to be reborn of the Goddess at Yule.
Samhain is a time of reflection, of looking back over the last year,
of coming to terms with the one phenomenon of life over which we no control - death.
The Wicca feel that on this night the separtion between the physical and spiritual realities is thin.
Wiccans remember their ancestors and all those who have gone before.
--Pronounced "Sahm-hayn", The standard Irish pronunciation is "sow-in" with the "ow" like in "cow."
Other pronunciations  include "sow-een" "shahvin" "sowin" (with "ow" like in "glow").
The Scots Gaelic spelling is "Samhuin" or "Samhuinn."  There is no linguistic foundation for saying  "samhane"
the way it might look if it were English.  When in doubt,  just say "Hallows" or even "Hallowe'en."

This is the winter solstice,  it marks the start of the  New Year in Norse and Roman times.
Norse for "wheel." as it is a symbol  that the year has turned.
The Goddess gives birth to a son, the God, at Yule. Yule is a time of the greatest darkness
and is the shortest day of the year. Since the God is also the Sun, this marks the point of the year
when the Sun is reborn as well. Thus, the Wicca light fires or candles to welcome the Suns´s returning light.
The Goddess, slumbering through the winter of Her labor, rests after Her delivery.
To comtemporary Wiccans it is a reminder that the ultimate product of death is rebirth.
--Pronounced the way it looks,  but more like "yool" and  less like "yewl."

Imbolc marks the recovery of the Goddess after giving birth to the God.
The lengthening periods of light awaken Her.
The God is a young, lusty boy, but His power is felt in the longer days.
The Earth begins to feel this warmth, marking a return to the months of Spring.
It originated in Ireland as a holy day for Brighid (pronounced "breed"), the Great
Mother Goddess,  who was in the form of a bride for the returned Sun God.
Imbolc is also known as Imbolg, Candlemas; Feast of Torches, Oimelc, Lupercalia and Brigid´s day.
--Pronounce this one "IM-bullug" or "IM-bulk" with a guttural "k" on the end.  Irish Gaelic for "in the belly."
and Oimelc (pronounced EE-mulk), which means "ewe's milk" in Scots Gaelic.

Ostara, or Spring Equinox marks the first day of true spring.
The Goddess blankets the Earth with fertility, bursting forth from Her sleep,
as the God stretches and grows to maturity.
On Ostara the hours of day and night are equal. Light is overtaking darkness.
Symbols of Ostara include eggs and rabbits.
Ostara is the Saxon name for a maiden goddess of spring, loosely connected to Astarte and Ishtar.
--Pronounced "o-STAHR-uh."  Other names include Eostre (say "OHS-truh" or "EST-truh").
 

Beltane marks the emergence of the young God into manhood.
Stirred by the energies at work in nature, He desires the Goddess.
They fall in love, lie among the grasses and blossoms, and unite.
The Goddess becomes pregnant of the God.
The Wiccans celebrate the symbol of Her fertility in ritual.
The flowers and greenery symolize the Goddess; the May Pole the God.
Beltane marks the return of vitality, of passion and hopes consummated.
 Irish Gaelic for either "fires of Bel" or "bright fires."
Other names are Walpurgisnacht (vawl-PUR-gis-nahkt) and May Day.
--Pronounced like it looks -- "BELL-tane"  but if you want to try it in Gaelic,
you can say "bee-YAWL-tinnuh" or "BELL-tinnuh."

Norse or Anglo-Saxon for "longest day."
The powers of nature reach their highest point.
The Earth is awash in the fertiliry of the Goddess and God.
Bonfire's representing the Sun, were lit to rouse love, purification, health, and fertility.
Also known as Midsummer, it is a classic time for magic of all kinds.
--Pronounced just like it looks, or you can try for a Scandinavian sound
and say "leetha" with the "th" more like a "t."

Lughnasadh is the time of the first harvest, when the plants of spring wither
and drop their fruits or seed for our use as well as to ensure future crops.
Mystically, so too does the God lose His strength as the Sun rises farther
in the South each day and the nights grow longer.
The Goddess watches in sorrow and joy as She realizes that the God is dying,
and yet lives on inside Her as Her child.
Bread is baked in honour of the first reapings of the grain harvest.
Lughnasadh is Irish Gaelic for "festival of Lugh" (a major Irish deity)
Lunsa is Anglo-Saxon for "festival of the loaves" ("hlaf-mass")
--Pronounced "LOO-nah-sah.", the Scots dialect says it "LOO-nah-soo."
Lammas is just like it looks, "LAH-mus."

Mabon is the completion of the harvest begun at Lughnasadh.
Once again day and night are equal, poised as the God prepares to leave His physical body
and begin the great adventure into the unseen, toward renewal and rebirth of the Goddess.
Nature declines, draws back its bounty, readying for winter and its time of rest .
The Goddess nods in the weakening sun, though fire burns within Her womb.
She feels the presence of the god even as He wanes.
--Pronounced "MA-bon" with the "a" like in "mass." or "May-bone"
However, most Wiccans and pagans say "MAY-bon."