The Celtic Wheel of the Year

The Winter Solstice is the darkest point of the year when we experience the shortest day and the longest night. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice occurs between the 19th and 22nd of December, and in the Southern Hemisphere between the 19th and 22nd of June.

This meditation guides you to turn inwards and rest with the natural stillness of this dark, quiet time. There is an exploration of the opposites hot and cold, and a journey to meditate inside a cave for the long, dark night and emerge with the sunrise.

Photo by AS Photography

Imbolc marks the beginning of the spring, when the first signs of life arise after the winter, and is celebrated on the 1st February in the Northen Hemisphere and the 1st August in the Southern Hemisphere. I

ncluded in this meditation are visualisations connected to new life and new beginnings, and the opportunity to set intentions for whatever you wish to bring into your life during the coming months.

Photo by Diana

At the Spring Equinox, the days and nights are of equal length before the days lengthen into the summer. The Spring Equinox occurs between the 19th and 22nd of March in the Northen Hemisphere and the 19th and 22nd of September in the Southern Hemisphere.

Spring is a time of cleansing, renewal and planting seeds for the future, and this meditation includs a body scan with visualisations of raindrops cleansing the body's energy centres, alternate nostril breathing to harmonise the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and a 'spring cleaning' visualisation where you are guided to clean and decorate a forest cottage, which can inspire mental clarity.

Photo by Pixabay

Beltane marks the beginning of summer and is celebrated on the 1st of May in the Northern Hemisphere and the 1st of November in the Southern Hemisphere.

This meditation guides you through a visualisation of warm sunlight illuminating the body's energy centres, breathing coloured light through the alternate nostrils and alternate sides of the body, exploration of the opposites abundance and lack, and passion and apathy, and a visualisation of passing through a Beltane fire, receiving its blessings, and entering into the mystery of the forest. At the end, there is time to rest at your heart and connect with your passion and gratitude.

Photo by Leigh Patrick

The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, following which the days become shorter until the Winter Solstice. In the Northen Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice occurs between the 19th and 22nd of June, and in the Southern Hemisphere between the 19th and 22nd of December. The Summer Solstice is an abundant time of celebration of life and celebration of the sun, and as the sun begins its descent into the darker half of the year, we get our first glimpse into the mystery that lies ahead.

This meditation includes a guided journey through a forest on Midsummers eve to receive a cleansing from a fire, to gaze into a mysterious pool and to welcome the rising Midsummer sun, with a space to acknowledge gratitude for the abundance of things you have to be grateful for in your life.

Photo by Sachin C. Nair

Celebrated on the 1st August in the Northern Hemisphere and the 1st February in the Southern Hemisphere, Lammas marks the first harvest, when we begin to reap the fruits of the seeds we have sewn.

This meditation acknowledges whatever is coming into fruition in your life and includes a visualisation of late summer sunlight illuminating the body's energy centres, exploration of the opposites abundance and lack, a visualisation of floating back in time, planting seeds of gratitude at significant events from the past, and a journey to collect fruit to place on an altar and celebrate abundance.

Photo by Todd Trapani

At the Autumn Equinox, the days and nights are of equal length, following which the nights will lengthen into the winter. The Autumn Equinox occurs between the 19th and 22nd of September in the Northern Hemisphere, and between the 19th and 22nd of March in the Southern Hemisphere.

This meditation includes a visualisation of sunlight shining onto the right side of the body and moonlight onto the left. There is then a guided journey to walk through an autumn forest, cleanse yourself of what is no longer needed in a cool pool of water, and enter into a dark cave to turn your awareness inwards for the coming winter months.

Image by Shiho

Samhain, or Celtic New Year, marks the end and the beginning of the Celtic Year. Celebrated on the 1st November in the Northen Hemisphere and the 1st May in the Southern Hemisphere, it is a time to acknoweldge that all things come to an end, but that endings make space for new beginnings, and a time to honour the ancestors who went before us.

This meditation includes a long body scan visualising healing light and stars around the body, exploration of the opposites loss and discovery, and a visualisation of a turning wheel moving back through the past generations, with an invitation to plant a seed of intention into the wheel as it spins forwards into the future.

Image by Pablo Stanley