Blog Wheel of the year
The wheel of the year: the 8 seasonal festivals and their dates in 2027
What Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, Mabon, Samhain and Yule are, when they fall in 2027, and one simple gesture to mark each one.
The year isn't a line, it's a wheel. Many ancient European cultures marked the solstices and, sometimes, the equinoxes; the Celts also celebrated four great festivals that fall exactly between them. In the twentieth century they were all brought together in a single circle of eight moments: the wheel of the year, a modern synthesis of ancient traditions.
You don't need to believe in anything to use it. It's simply a way to pause eight times a year and see where you are, in step with the light.
The eight festivals and their dates in 2027
| Festival | 2027 | What it celebrates | One gesture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imbolc | 1 February | The first light after winter | Light a candle and write what you want to awaken |
| Ostara | 20 March (equinox) | The balance of light and dark, the start of spring | Plant a real seed, in a pot |
| Beltane | 1 May | Fertility, joy, fire | Do something purely because it gives you pleasure |
| Litha | 21 June (solstice) | The longest day, fullness | Watch the sun rise or set |
| Lammas | 1 August | The first harvest | Give thanks for what has already borne fruit this year |
| Mabon | 23 September (equinox) | The second balance, gathering in | Tidy up: home, wardrobe, diary |
| Samhain | 31 October | The end of the Celtic year, the dark half | Write what you are letting go of and remember your loved ones |
| Yule | 22 December (solstice) | The longest night and the return of the light | An evening without screens, by candlelight |
In 2027 there's a special coincidence: Lammas arrives with the total solar eclipse of 2 August, visible in southern Spain. A harvest with the sun going dark for a few minutes in mid-morning: in the south of Spain, totality arrives at around 10:45–10:50 local time.
Why it helps in an ordinary year
Eight pauses a year means one roughly every six weeks. That's exactly how long it takes for an intention to be forgotten if nothing reminds you of it. The wheel gives you a lovely excuse to look at your goals again without waiting for December.
A simple way to do it:
- On the day of the festival, open your journal at the goals page.
- Ask yourself: what has grown since the last festival? What do I no longer want to carry with me?
- Write a single line for the six weeks ahead.
In my 2027 journal the eight festivals are marked in their month, so I never miss one. And if you'd like to follow the moon month by month, here is the 2027 lunar calendar.
