Follow the Eightfold Wheel of the Year
Contemplate the aspects of the season for your own personal reflection, setting intentions for the year, and planning important activities.
Samhain — Halloween and Day of the Dead (October 30 – November 1)
Acknowledge our destructive side and nature
Last chance to release anything or anyone that is not honoring our growth
Relinquish any idea of control over others
Honoring of our ancestors and communication between the worlds
Trickster energy
Yule — Winter Solstice (December 20 – 23)
Direction: north
Element: air
Sound: rattle
Taking a stand, right use of power, showing up
Standing meditation
Ego death, express grief and let go of the past and our attachments
Respect limits and boundaries
Judicious communication, being consistent with words and actions
Responsibility and discipline
Rebel energy
Season of the warrior
*Authority issues, patterns of invisibility, stubborn, fixed position
Imbolc — St. Brigid (January 31 – February 2)
Saint Brigid was the goddess of poets, healers, and midwives
New growth and gestation before birth
To find our authentic truth and give birth to our independent spirit
Observe synchronicity
Eostre — Spring Equinox (March 19 – 21)
Direction: south
Element: earth
Sound: drum
Storytelling, balance between giving and receiving, acknowledgment, gratitude
Paying attention to what has heart and meaning, love
Lying meditation
Exploring our potential through planning, research, and study
Season of the healer
*Addictions, drama, the need to know, perfectionism
Beltane — May Day ( April 30 – May 2)
Fertility and celebration of creativity
Sensual pleasure
Community and sharing with loved ones
Investment in growth
Nurture our ideas and relationships
Sharing our gifts with loved ones and greater community
Litha — Summer Solstice ( June 20 – 23)
Direction: east
Element: fire
Sound: bell, singing, chanting
Telling the truth without blame or judgment
Walking meditation
Authenticity and our life dream
Intuition, perception, insight, and vision
Season of the visionary
*Blind spots, projection, self-abandonment, need for approval, acceptance or keeping the peace, indulging in the false self-system
Lughnasadah — Lammas ( July 31 – August 2)
Festival of harvest and gratitude for abundance
Celebrate with a mature attitude
Cooperative effort and sharing of surplus
Generosity to others in service, enjoy the good life
Accepting responsibility and being accountable

Mabon — Autumn Equinox ( September 20 – 23)
Direction: west
Element: water
Sound: sticks and bones
Open to outcome but not attached
Wisdom, clarity, and discernment
Sitting meditation
Silence, trust, comfort with uncertainty
Loss, ancestor spirits and ritual
Release what no longer serves our growth, grieve endings, and reflect
Season of the teacher
*Patterns of judgment and control, confusion, attachments, stubbornness
- Shadow aspects
Some cultures may refer to different elements and directions from what is noted here.
For further discussion, I recommend The Four-Fold Way by Angeles Arrien, Book of Celtic Symbols by Joules Taylor and Goddess Wisdom Made Easy by Tanishka.
Also see my blog Solstices and Equinoxes.