The Wheel Of The Year represents 8 holidays that have been for the most part universally celebrated around the world throughout time. To Wiccans, these holidays are significant because they echo the state of crops and livestock during different seasons of the year in places where changes in the four seasons are very noticeable.

Vampires usually do rituals indoors, gravitate to cities, often live in places where the weather is relatively the same year-round, use few ritual tools, and discard metaphysical practices not relevant to being a vampire [unless the vampire also happens to practice Wicca], making the Wheel Of The Year a dramatically different interpretation to the vampire.

Instead, vampires ascribe holidays to those universal dates because of the changes in the behavior of energies throughout the year. The year is at certain times in the Darkside, indicating the degree that spirits can influence this dimension; and at other times in the Lightside, indicating the degree of importance material things hold.
It’s interesting to note that the Wheel Of The Year starts in the Darkside [giving in to the Lightside on the holiday Ostara] and ends in the Darkside.

The Holidays

• Yule is New Year’s Day and is the peak in power of the Darkside. This is the winter solstice [around December 21].
  Traditionally, Yule is the time to determine how you will bring hope into your life and into the world. The Twelve Nights [December 25-January 6] are said to predict events later in the year in the form of dreams, so keep an elaborate dream diary for each of the Twelve Nights.
• Imbolc is a Gate Of Death, a time of great Darkside power [but not as much as Yule]. This is celebrated February 2.
  Traditionally, Imbolc is the time to explore your creative abilities. Trying different kinds of arts and crafts will help you some time later in the year, be it putting a skill to use when need be or finding a skill you enjoy that you would like to further pursue. A traditional practice on Imbolc is to make and bless the candles you will use for Imbolc as well as the candles for the rest of the year.
• Ostara is a time of balanced energies, but is certainly celebrated in the spirit of a Lightside holiday. This is the vernal equinox [around March 21].
  Traditionally, Ostara is the time to learn to communicate with friends and family. A traditional practice on Ostara is to paint eggs in order to communicate a message to others in an artistic way. Painting curls represents protection, spirals represent spiritual immortality, circles represent completeness, triangles represent fire, equal-armed crosses represent the four cardinal directions [north, south, east, west] or the four natural elements [earth, fire, wind, water], etc. Spend the day with friends and family, learning with them while doing fun activities together.
• Beltane is a Gate Of Birth, a time of great Lightside power. This is celebrated May 1.
  A different name for the holiday is May Day [a name not commonly used anymore] which is a simile for ‘disaster’ because Mayday is an international radio-telephone signal word used as a distress call. Indeed disasters throughout history have happened on Beltane and indeed Beltane is celebrated in wild ways. The reason is that when you look at the holidays of the Wheel Of The Year as spokes on a wheel, you’ll see that Beltane runs parallel to Samhain. Where Samhain is a time for hijinks between the living and spirits, Beltane is hijinks between the living and the physical things the living can do.
  Traditionally, Beltane is the time to try things you haven’t tried before. Go big: it’s a holiday! Get together some friends and skydive, SCUBAdive, dive into a pool party, feel the joys of this dimension. Pleasure and passion are strong motivators, so learn to spot pleasure in the mundane so that it ceases to be mundane.
• Litha is the peak in power of the Lightside. This is the summer solstice [around June 21].
  Traditionally, Litha is the time to remember that beauty is only transitory. Beltane taught you to explore your options, and Litha teaches you to embrace what you truly enjoy and who you truly love and nurture those interests and relationships.
• Lughnasadh is a Gate Of Birth, a time of great Lightside power. This is celebrated August 1.
  Traditionally, Lughnasadh is the time to remember that everyone has to make sacrifices. Tell individuals how much you appreciate them, say prayers of thanks, donate to charities, do volunteer work.
• Mabon is a time of balanced energies, but is celebrated in the spirit of a Darkside holiday. This is the autumnal equinox [around September 21].
  Traditionally, Mabon is the time to stand for justice. Write letters to politicians, post essays on online forums, motivate others. It helps to draw what you fear you have to overcome or cut out pictures of those things in magazines and burn them. Watch them burn away. They are no more. You’re free to do what needs to be done.
• Samhain is New Year’s Eve and a Gate Of Death, a time of great Darkside power. Note that the year doesn’t start until Yule, so in between Samhain and Yule there is primordial chaos [Lot’s of time to finish projects from the past year.]. This is celebrated October 31.
  Traditionally Samhain is the time to learn from the deceased: remember the noble things they did, sort out unfinished business with them, and literally ask the them questions to gain wisdom. This is the most important holiday for a vampire because what all vampires have in common is strong ties to other vampires [“The Family”], some of which are spending time in the astral realm.

Wheel Altar Tile Availible at Lytha Studios