Celestial Reflections

Written by Stephanie M.

From time immemorial, people have been captivated by their reflections- no better example of this would be that of the hubris of Narcissus, who was so raptured by his own image that he died from the being so immersed with himself; but reflections don't have to be destructive! For example let's look at the sun and the moon:

The moon reflects the sun's light, with the moon's shadow being caused by the earth. So these are all things that are interconnected, and when combined we now have a calendar year of months. Such is the case with the wheel of the year which has eight holidays: the quarters, which are the solstices and the equinoxes, and the cross-quarters, which are also known as fire festivals, which happen in between the quarter holidays. The moon phases reflect those holidays as well but in a much faster form throughout each month:

New Moon → Winter Solstice/ Yule (xxx)-Darkness, quiet, rebirth spark.

Waxing Crescent → Imbolc (Feb 1–2)-First signs of light, hope, germination.

First Quarter → Spring Equinox/ Ostara (xxx)-Balance of light/dark, energy rising.

Waxing Gibbous → Beltane (May 1)-Fertility, building power.

Full Moon → Summer Solstice/ Litha (xxx)-Longest day, illumination, peak energy.

Waning Gibbous → Lammas/Lughnasadh (Aug 1)-Harvest gratitude, sharing abundance.

Last Quarter → Autumn Equinox/Mabon (xxx)-Balance, gathering resources, reflection.

Waning Crescent → Samhain (Oct 31–Nov 1)-Endings, preparing for rebirth.

The Goddess has her place in both the lunar and the solar cycles, with her connection to the moon allowing her to go from maiden, to mother, and to crone in the space of a month. So too, as the Consort of the God, does she go from maiden, mother, and crone over the course of the solar wheel of the year; for she is ever changing. The God also changes over the course of the solar year. He is reborn from the Crone at the Winter Solstice as the Oak King, symbolizing the return of the light. At Imbolc, the God regains his power and the Goddess is now present in her Maiden form and as his Consort. As the year progresses the God brings his fertility to the crops and the herds, up until the height of Midsummer (the Summer Solstice), with the Holly King then becoming ascendant. The God is sacrificed at Lammas and his power goes to the harvest until he is once again reborn.

The Goddess and the God are reflections of each other and they each have their own dark and light sides, with these reflections being mirrored as part of the natural cycle of the year; but this natural cycle is also paralleled in our own lives as well! So the next time you look in a mirror raise your right hand, and see your reflection do the same. But if YOU were the reflection, it would be your left hand raised. This serves as a reminder of how life is reflected throughout the year.

Some sources for the above are Steward and Janet Farrar—both The Witches’ Goddess and The Witches’ God, Robert Graves—The White Goddess, Frazier’s The Golden Bough, and Vivianne Crowley-Wicca.