"There are rituals of the elements and feasts of the times."
- AL II,36
The Tropical Zodiac, while not shifting with the precession of the Earth like the Sidereal Zodiac, has the charming characteristic of matching up with the Neo-Pagan Wheel of the Year in a most tidy fashion -- the Equinoxes and Solstices all fall when the sun is at zero degrees of the Cardinal Zodiac signs and the Rituals of the Elements fall when the sun is at perfect cross-quarters, at fifteen degrees of the Fixed Zodiac signs.
- The Thelemic New Year, called Ostara by the Neo-Pagans, begins on the Vernal Equinox, when the sun is in Zero degrees of Aries.
- The Ritual of Earth, Beltane falls at Fifteen degrees of the Earth sign Taurus.
- The Summer Solstice, Litha, falls at Zero degrees of Cancer.
- The Ritual of Fire, Lammas, falls at Fifteen degrees of The Fire sign Leo.
- The Autumnal Equinox, Mabon, falls at Zero degrees of Libra.
- The Ritual of Water, Samhain, falls at Fifteen degrees of the Water sign, Scorpio.
- The Winter Solstice, Yule, falls at Zero degrees of Capricorn.
- The Ritual of Air, Imbolc, falls at Fifteen degrees of the Air sign, Aquarius.
These are the Times of the Feasts of the Sun.
Some people might find it helpful to their travels with the Sun to develop a rhythm of yearly ritual that serves as a Macrocosm to the daily Microcosm of Liber Resh. There is a direct correlation between Resh and the ingresses of the seasons:
- RA = Spring
- AHATHOOR = Summer
- TUM = Fall
- KEPHRA = Winter
Because the Gregorian calendar does not fit neatly into the Wheel of the Year, these are all movable feast days. Celebrating The Ritual of Earth on May First, for example, is fine if one celebrates Ahathoor when the clock reads twelve, regardless of true Solar Noon. Realize, however, that the standard Neo-Pagan dates of these Feasts are general and imprecise.
For those who seek a higher level of precision in their celebrations, I offer the following charts. I've done the calculations myself, using Astrolog...don't hesitate to double-check my work. Being human, I've been known to be fallible at least once or twice. All times are rendered in 24 hour notation and all Feasts are listed in Greenwich Mean Time on the Gregorian Calendar -- don't forget to adjust for your time zone!
Vernal Equinox
Year Day Time
---- --- ----
2000 March 20 07 35
2001 March 20 13 31
2002 March 20 19 16
2003 March 21 01 00
2004 March 20 06 49
2005 March 20 12 33
Ritual of Earth
Year Day Time
---- --- ----
2000 May 5 05 00
2001 May 5 10 33
2002 May 5 16 30
2003 May 5 22 00
2004 May 5 04 00
2005 May 5 10 00
Summer Solstice
Year Day Time
---- --- ----
2000 June 21 02 00
2001 June 21 07 30
2002 June 21 13 30
2003 June 21 19 20
2004 June 21 01 00
2005 June 21 06 50
Ritual of Fire
Year Day Time
---- --- ----
2000 August 7 05 00
2001 August 7 11 00
2002 August 7 16 30
2003 August 7 22 30
2004 August 7 04 30
2005 August 7 10 00
Autumnal Equinox
Year Day Time
---- --- ----
2000 September 22 17 30
2001 September 22 23 10
2002 September 23 05 00
2003 September 23 10 50
2004 September 22 04 40
2005 September 22 22 30
Ritual of Water
Year Day Time
---- --- ----
2000 November 7 03 00
2001 November 7 08 30
2002 November 7 14 00
2003 November 7 20 20
2004 November 7 02 00
2005 November 7 07 40
Winter Solstice
Year Day Time
---- --- ----
2000 December 21 13 40
2001 December 21 19 30
2002 December 22 01 20
2003 December 22 07 10
2004 December 21 12 50
2005 December 21 18 40
Ritual of Air
Year Day Time
---- --- ----
2000 February 4 12 30
2001 February 3 18 30
2002 February 4 00 30
2003 February 4 06 00
2004 February 4 12 00
2005 February 3 17 40
