The Ultimate Guide to the Witch's Wheel of the Year
Rituals, Spells & Practices for Magical Sabbats, Holidays & Celebrations
This brief, detailed introduction to the seasonal calendar that celebrated by many modern pagans describes eight festivals, consisting of two equinoxes, two solstices, and the four midway points between, referred to as the cross-quarter sabbats. The first is Yule, or the winter solstice, which marks the darkest day of the year and the beginning of this solar calendar. The book concludes with Samhain, the final festival, which marks the halfway point between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice.
Interesting information on how ancient cultures, including the Celts, Romans, and Egyptians, marked these days is included, as are lists of deities, herbs, stones, and other symbols associated with each sabbat. Brief information is provided for those living in the southern hemisphere, details that are often overlooked.
The book’s rituals, spells, and crafts—like creating a cairn (a collection of stones that mark a significant place) for charging crystals or other tools, assembling a broom for cleansing personal spaces, and creating home remedies for digestive issues and circulatory health—are surprising and creative, likely to appeal both to those who are new to pagan practices and to more experienced practitioners who are looking for fresh ideas. Lovely full-color photographs of tools and altar pieces arise throughout, enhancing the text with their examples of some of the tools and crafts described.
The Ultimate Guide to the Witch’s Wheel of the Year is an informative, evocative, and beautiful book that will appeal to pagan practitioners.
Reviewed by
Catherine Thureson
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
