Book Review: The Wheel of the Year by Rebecca Beattie

 

Title: The Wheel of the Year

Author: Rebecca Beattie
Genre: Wicca - Witchcraft - Spirituality
Publisher: Elliott & Thompson - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: February 1, 2023
Read: January 1, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advanced reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: Rediscover nature’s cycles through the Wheel of the Year: a celebration of eight key moments within the turning seasons – from solstices to equinoxes and those midpoints in-between. 

The Wheel of the Year allows its celebrants a moment to pause and still the chaos of modern life every six weeks, to observe what is happening in nature and to reflect on the turn of their own lives. 

This nurturing new guide is an exploration and celebration of the Wheel of the Year – from Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas and Samhain to the Spring Equinox, Midsummer, Autumn Equinox and Yule. Our expert guide, Rebecca Beattie, traces the cycles of nature and the rhythms of the seasons, exploring enchanting traditions and folklore for each celebrated moment. ​ 

This book is alive with what is happening in the nature and in ourselves, offering tools and rituals to rediscover and appreciate each seasonal festival, to pause and reflect. It will connect you to the wheel of your own life, allowing its readers to explore and chart the turning of their own seasons alongside the cycles of the natural world.

Review: Rebecca Beattie introduces the Wheel of the Year by delving into its history, which is surprisingly recent as it was created by a merging of ideas originally conceived by Ross Nichols (Father of Modern Druidry) and Gerald Gardner (Father of Modern Witchcraft) in the 1950s and 1960s. Since then, the wheel has gained wide acceptance in pagan communities and even in the larger mundane world as a way to mark the seasons. 

Each Sabbat is given its own chapter: Midwinter/Yule, Imbolc/Candlemas, Spring Equinox, May Eve/Beltane, Midsummer/Summer Solstice, Lammas, Autumn Equinox, November Eve/Samhain. The amount of information Beattie includes for each holiday ranges from history, folklore, rituals, recipes, crafting ideas, and tips/suggestions for marking the days in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, which isn't something I've seen often in books that cover the topic of the Wheel as most available to me tend to be Northern Hemisphere-centric.

Overall, The Wheel of the Year is a great addition to any Witch's or Pagan's library. Written in an easy-to-read style, the information isn't hard to follow, and yet the amount of research Beattie has obviously done on the subject is on full display, making this a good reference for anyone looking for more in-depth information regarding individual Sabbats and the Wheel of the Year as a whole.