10 September 2026 · 6 min read · Wildmoon studio
The Wheel of the Year in the southern hemisphere
Australian practitioners turn the wheel around so the festivals match our seasons. Here are the eight dates we use.
The Wheel of the Year is a cycle of eight seasonal festivals used in many modern pagan traditions: the two solstices, the two equinoxes and four cross-quarter days between them. It was written for northern seasons, so most practitioners in Australia shift each festival by six months to follow the weather outside.
The eight festivals, southern dates
| Festival | Marks | Approximate southern date |
|---|---|---|
| Samhain | Start of the dark half | 30 April to 1 May |
| Yule | Winter solstice | 20 to 22 June |
| Imbolc | First stirrings of spring | 1 to 2 August |
| Ostara | Spring equinox | 21 to 23 September |
| Beltane | Height of spring | 31 October to 1 November |
| Litha | Summer solstice | 21 to 22 December |
| Lughnasadh | First harvest | 1 to 2 February |
| Mabon | Autumn equinox | 20 to 21 March |
The solstice and equinox dates move by a day or so each year, because they follow the Earth's orbit rather than the calendar. Check an astronomical almanac for the exact date and time in your state.
How we mark them
We hold a small gathering in the studio garden for most of the eight. Mabon in March, with apples, bread and candles in jars, is usually our largest. Dates for the next season are on the workshops page.