My current research says Imbolc is to be held on February first this year. I swear to the Goddess I was taught it was always on February second. I’d ask my pal Mihos–he was in the same class–but he ain’t handy. Since I’m the suspicious type, we’ll go with February second. (Don’t agree, Pilgrim? Go write your own column.) Moving on, the Imbolc Sabbat is at the midpoint between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox and heralds the very first breath of oncoming Springtime. It can be a one-day event or a multiple day celebration, depending upon authority cited. It happens when the Sun transits Aquarius–which is associated with change, humanitarianism…

The Thirteen Months of the Celtic Tree Calendar are associated with sacred trees. They symbolize qualities and individual growth through the cycles of nature. This calendar is a modern construct which comes from the work of Robert Graves, poet and author of The White Goddess (1948). He based his ideas upon his own interpretations of the Ogham alphabet, Celtic mythology, selenic cycles and poetic symbolism. The Rowan Moon is frequently called “The Tree of Protection”. It’s aligned with spiritual strength and intuition, shielding and higher knowledge. The Celts thought Rowan trees–which have red berries and white flowers–were good for magical work due to their protective traits. These trees are useful for meditation and…

The Celtic Tree Calendar, often used by modern Neopagans and Druid practitioners as a way (no pun intended) to connect with nature and olden Celtic spirituality, was inspired by Celtic and Druidic traditions. It’s primarily based on work of the poet Robert Graves, assigning a different tree to each of the thirteen lunar months, based on the Ogham alphabet, which was a medieval script used to write early Irish. Graves used letters of the Ogham to correspond to different trees, which he employed to develop the calendar. Modern pagans often use fixed dates for each of these lunar months instead of the waning and waxing selenic cycle to prevent this…

Yule and the New Moon This Sabbat happens between December 20th and 23rd. The precise date varies according to Earth’s tilt and orbit. This year Yule will be observed on December 21st, a date that marks the longest night and shortest day of 2025 and symbolizes the move from darkness to light as the days grow longer again. The New Wolf Moon is going to be the last new moon of autumn (not a typo, Pilgrim–winter doesn’t start until December 21st, and Wolfie rises on the 19th) and will encourage setting new intentions as well as thoughts about personal growth and expansion, due to its association with the Sagittarius New…