The God, the Goddess & the Cycle of Seasons

The story of the god and goddess as it relates to the solstices and equinoxes is a central theme in many Pagan and Wiccan traditions. In these traditions, the god and goddess are seen as symbolic representations of the cycle of the seasons and the natural world.

At the heart of this mythology is the idea of the god as the embodiment of the waxing and waning of the Sun throughout the year, while the goddess represents the Earth and its fertility.

The story goes something like this;

At the winter solstice, which is around June 21st in Australia, the goddess is seen as giving birth to the god, symbolizing the return of the Sun and the lengthening of days. The god is depicted as an infant or a young child, representing hopes for the future and the potential for growth. Where I live, in regional NSW, this is always a great time to have a party, because the idea of an eternal winter is usually getting pretty real by mid June, and we’re all over being cold, and dealing with long nights and dark days. I usually have a fire outdoors for the 24 hour period around the winter solstice to welcome the return of the light. It’s a time of being in the deep, but looking to the light.

As the year progresses, the god matures, and the Spring Equinox, which is the midpoint between the winter and summer solstice, is a time when the balance of light and dark are equal. This occurs around the 22nd of September, although the dates can adjust slightly from year to year as it is an astronomical event, for example, it’s the 22nd of September in 2024, but falls on the 23rd in 2025. The spring equinox is a great time to do goal setting. It’s a time of new beginnings, so in just the same way that we plant seeds in the garden as the earth gets ready to warm, so we put our ideas and intentions out into the vortex of space and consciousness so that they can gain traction.

The God reaches his peak strength at the summer solstice, which is often celebrated as the marriage of the god and goddess and happens around the 21st of December here in Australia. This is a time of abundance and fertility, as the Earth is in full bloom and the days are at their longest. This is the time to bask in the warmth of all that is good and right.

At the autumn equinox, the god begins to wane, and again, there is a balance between light and darkness, for the day and the night are equal in length. The god starts to age and move toward his eventual death, while the goddess is seen as nurturing him and the fruits of the harvest are celebrated. Here in Australia, this happens around the 20th of March. Finally, the god dies and enters the underworld, only to be reborn again at the next winter solstice.

This story can vary a bit depending on the specific tradition from which it comes, and lots of individuals who follow the natural cycles of the seasons as a pathway for mindfulness or spirituality, have their own ‘take’ on the rituals and practices that should be done at each of the seasons sabbats, but I love the simplicity of this story.

You might see different dates on other websites, they are flipped for those who live in the northern hemisphere, as their winter solstice happens in December and their summer solstice in June. Why? Because it’s all about the seasons, and the movement of the planet through the sky.

Taking note of, and honouring the shifting seasons is a beautiful practice, one that I truly love. The seasonal retreat days that happen here at the Cottage, occur in each of the four main seasons, and although they are not always held on the actual days of the pagan or nature festivals, the energy and sacredness of the seasonal ‘turning of the wheel’ is noted and honoured. If you’d like to come along to one of these small, sacred, days of rest and rejuvenation, you can book in or check out some of the details here.