This is a delightful, imminently readable, and inspired introduction to the wheel of the year, particularly for those who do not know much about the pagan relationship with natural cycles. The author points out many of the differences between perception and reality, such as circles for Sabbats typically taking place during the weekend, rather than on the day of the event because of the complications of the modern world. This book gives an accessible overview of the ins and outs of the seasons and how we can connect with them.

I would recommend this book for newbie witches, people interested in paganism, and anyone who needs to reconnect with the cycles of the year.

Thank you to Netgalley and Elliott & Thompson for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is a very easy to read guide on the wheel of the year. The wheel of the year is times of the year that pay attention to things like the winner and summer solstice, the traditional version of Halloween and Christmas and the pagan traditions around these, how to make the most of them to encourage luck and prosperity throughout the year. This book is an easy to follow but very informative guide that has been extremely helpful in my understanding of the wheel of year

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.

Such a wonderful read! The writing is eloquent and makes us think about ways in which to connect with nature’s seasons and the wheel of the year. I really enjoyed the recipes and rituals and learning more about the author’s relationship with magic and the different seasons.
Truly recommend for beginners and advanced practitioners alike or even just for curious minds.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC ✨

Lovely read so many great ideas for reconnecting with nature.Ideas that will inspire me to notice the seasons and I am inspired to be involved.Would make a wonderful gift.

I think this is a nice book for those in the northern hemisphere. I like the author's style and tone, there's a real warmth to this book that I enjoy so much. It is clear the author is passionate and wants to share that love with others.

I love this book! I love living the seasons of the year in synch with the wheel of the year so I was excited to read this book to deepen my understanding.
The book description states -
“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 is exactly what it does.
I find this way of living builds intention in my days, creating opportunities to pause, reflect and come into balance when needed. This is a wonderful way to live closely with nature as our ancestors did.
This book explores celebrations throughout the year including Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas and Samhain, the Spring Equinox, Midsummer, Autumn Equinox and Yule. The reader is taken through natures cycles and seasons while exploring traditions and folklore.
Tools and rituals are detailed for each season to help you connect with the wheel of the year and the natural world. I highly recommend it!

This book was very well written. As a beginner to the Wheel of the Year, I found it concise, informative and enchanting. It offers a mixture of folklore, traditions, poetry, personal anecdotes, and activities to help inspire your own Wheel of the Year traditions. The does a good job being all inclusive of all beliefs, while also explaining what her own beliefs are. She inspires her readers to find their own path, enjoying each simple moment along the way. This is definitely a book I will buy to keep as a reference. I can see myself going to this book for inspiration and information time and time again. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Can you even stand this cover? 🔆🌲✨ So good!

I have mad respect for this part too — where the author states that this book is not about religion but about connecting to nature and all that you find there. I also really like Beattie’s open approach to using what’s available and subbing out supplies.

So, fast forward to the Midwinter because we’re almost at Winter Solstice, (and it also happens to be where she starts exploring the wheel) 🕯❄️ and yes the solstice day is magical in so many ways historically celebrated as a turning point in our return to the light — and for me it holds a special place in my heart as it’s also the day that my husband proposed! 💃🌙♥️🔥

Ok, back to Yule … Beattie’s a talented writer, very knowledgeable and her writing is also completely relatable, and readable. It’s almost like, you're sitting down for afternoon tea while you learn about archetypes and our ancient ancestors.

And let me just tell you — I was blown away in this section. Like Beattie, I’ve traveled to Stonehenge, Newgrange and Abu Simbel, and yet today, I learned some fascinating exciting things that feel very synchromystical and exceptionally aligned. ✨

Good stuff! It’s true, I’m completely drawn into Beattie’s teachings and looking forward to circling the wheel with her over the next year. Highly recommend!

Excellent ideas to mindfully live in each season with anticipation and gratitude. This book describes the turning of each season as a way to be present.

The Wheel of the Year by Rebecca Beattie is a beautifully written and researched book.

I really enjoyed this book as it is written in a way you feel is easy to understand and it feels like Rebecca has put a lot of thought into her words. I really enjoyed hearing about her own experiences which she writes about in the book.

The book would be great for someone who is just starting out following the wheel of the year or someone who has followed it for a long time as it has many great ideas for ways to celebrate the sabbats.

Thanks to Netgalley and Elliot and Thompson for the ARC Copy. My review is my own opinion.

This was a really enjoyable and informative read! The author provides an engaging overview of each of the eight Sabbats associated with modern Paganism. Each Sabbat is accompanied with rituals, and gentle encouragement to use each Sabbat as an opportunity to check-in with yourself, to reflect and to take stock of the year so far, including goals and achievements. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in learning more about Paganism, and an alternative way of viewing the calendar year. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy of the book!

This book was absolutely wonderful, I found so many relatable moments especially how her journey slowly transitioned on this path she is on. I am bit speechless to be honest as on so many occasions this book pulled a few heart strings for me, I sincerely lived it.

Reflect on your day, meditate or sit still... these are such wonderful practices to slow down and simply be isn't?! I loved some of these tips on how to get creative and crafty and especially how to make your own oils.

Recommended this!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC opportunity.

this book was wonderful, it has so many relatable experiences from the author and how this path come to hee and how she is following it.

i love that it has a lot to teach, it gives you a little history on the Sabbaths and ways to celebrate each one, it gives you guide on what you can reflect or meditate on and awesome ways to make your own oils and other crafts for each season.

Totally recommended if you're initiating in a more natural way of living life or want to find yourself in this maddening world.

The perfect book for this season of Christmas and festivities!

For someone like me who’s totally ignorant about the background and the cultural aspects mentioned in the book, I would say it’s quite a struggle to get through the book. That’s my personal issue I would say.

However, the book is concise and would not take up much of your time. The writing is very engaging for a nonfiction read. It’s impressive.

Further, the author makes it a point to make the read a fun and interactive one. Just check out the activities and the tools we can do. They won’t cause much effort on our part. I wish more nature parts are there though.

Thank you, Elliott & Thompson, for the advance reading copy.

Rebecca Beattie is a Wiccan priestess with a PhD in Creative Writing. Beattie has been practicing solitary witchcraft for 20 years and has been an initiate of the Gardnerian Wiccan tradition for 15 years. She's been teaching people about the pagan Wheel of the Year for years at a bookshop in Bloomsbury called Treadwell's. 

Right off the bat, Beattie recognizes that Wicca and the Wheel of the Year is "modern-created, ancient-inspired." This means that there are no hard and fast rules about how to practice and celebrate. This is especially the case when you consider how agricultural seasons are not the same all over the world. The author emphasizes how this book is not about religion, but about connecting to nature. 

The cyclical nature of the Wheel of the Year also means that the practioners can begin celebrating the sabbats whenever they're called to do so. 

This book offers short rituals for each of the sabbats to give the reader an opportunity to participate on their own. 

This book covers the following festivals: 
1. Midwinter or Yule
2. Imbolc or Candlemas
3. Spring Equinox
4. May Eve or Beltane
5. Midsummer or Summer Solstice
6. Lammas
7. Autumn Equinox
8. November Eve or Samhain

For each festival, the author provides a history, dates, themes, planet, direction, Tarot Card, zodiac, ritual, and recipe. 

I enjoyed how the author provides personal anecdotes throughout the book. Most reference books are cold and straight to the point. Here, she makes a personal connection to the sabbats, mirroring her goal of having her readers connecting to the festivals through nature.

I recommend this book for people who are new to the craft and are interested in beginning their journey with Wicca or another nature-based path. The Wheel of the Year provides a sturdy frame to learn about the history of modern witchcraft. This book in particular provides history, avoids dogma, and inspires creativity. Overall, it's beautifully written and educational.

The circular nature of time, it's seasons, it's significance in our lives, it's reminders to focus and cherish different aspects of life, is successfully explored in The Wheel of the Year. The author begins in one season and follows the year around in segments that are aligned with significant pagan dates, with their accompanying rituals, but also draws from the earth's natural seasons and other religious and civic markers of time to draw the reader's mind to the meaning of each phase of the year to their own modern life. And although the author starts and ends her survey of the year, as a book has need to do, she is ever-reminding the reader to see the continuity of time beyond one season, one year, one lifetime. and see the larger picture - that each season, year, lifetime, is but a part of the whole. Although this work is not a comprehensive guide to the philosophy and cultural meanings of the passage of the seasons, it is a pleasant read and a useful tool for reflection.

4.25/5

I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

As a pagan, I often like to read books by others on similar paths and so when this popped up on Netgalley, I requested a copy. The book goes through each of the Sabbats of The Wheel of the Year, detailing themes, ritual ideas and personal anecdotes from the author.

- I enjoyed how the book was structured and the reasoning given by the author. This book is a balanced mix between information, inspiration and encouragement to develop your own practice and I think Beattie strikes that balance very well. I like the inclusion of ideas for rituals, poetry and stories to encourage the reader to go forward and find their own path for each Sabbat.

- Whilst acknowledgement is given to other geographies and pagan paths, this book heavily focuses on the authors location and sect of paganism. It mainly centres around the northern hemisphere (in particular the UK) and around the Wiccan faith. The contents could be used by anyone worldwide with small adaptation though and the author does heavily encourage deciding your own path in terms of the spiritual side. She clearly intends it to be used as inspiration rather than a rulebook to be adhered to.

If you're looking for a book to begin or enrich your journey through the Wheel of the Year, this book is an excellent choice. It's simple enough for beginners and contains fresh ideas for those with some experience.

This is a gorgeous non-fiction book based on the will of the year. I loved how easy this book was to read and how easy this book breaks down all the parts of the wheel of the year it makes it some thing very familiar and easy to add into your life. I think the author did a great job with this concept and making it into some thing that we can adjust and adapt for our lives, no matter where you live.

This was such a fascinating read! I have found this so helpful and informative and now have some great ideas to get me back out and reconnecting with nature.