Modern Pagan

Mabon (the Autumn Equinox, usually Sept 21–24 in the Northern Hemisphere) is that sweet, steady moment when day and night balance perfectly—one last even breath before we tip toward the

Lughnasadh (pronounced LOO-nah-sah), also called Lammas, arrives around August 1 in the Northern Hemisphere—the first harvest, when grain heads bow and the air tastes faintly of warm straw and berries.

Litha—the Summer Solstice, usually June 20–22—is the year’s bright high note: longest day, shortest night, sun at full stretch. Nature is in her “look what I can do” era—fruit swelling,

Beltane (usually May 1) is spring turned all the way up—blossoms shouting, bees drunk on perfume, grass suddenly tall enough to tickle your ankles. It’s the cross-quarter day halfway between

Ostara (the Spring Equinox, usually March 19–22 in the Northern Hemisphere) is the sweet midpoint where night and day share the sky evenly. It’s the season’s gentle “50/50”—light rising, sap

Imbolc (usually Feb 1–2) is the soft hinge between deep winter and the very first breath of spring. The word is often translated as “in the belly,” that belly being

Yule (pronounced “yool”) arrives at the Winter Solstice—our longest night, usually between December 20–23. It’s the hinge of the year, the quiet click when the sun begins its slow return.

Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”) is the soft doorway between worlds—the last exhale of autumn before winter leans in. Traditionally marked around October 31, it’s the close of harvest and the beginning