Wheel of The Year - Narratives - Modern Wicca and Neo-druidism

Modern Wicca and Neo-druidism

In Wicca, the narrative of the Wheel of the Year traditionally centres on the sacred marriage of the God and the Goddess and the god/goddess duality. In this cycle, the God is perpetually born from the Goddess at Yule, grows in power at the vernal equinox (as does the Goddess, now in her maiden aspect), courts and impregnates the Goddess at Beltane, reaches his peak at the summer solstice, wanes in power at Lammas, passes into the underworld at Samhain (taking with him the fertility of the Goddess/Earth, who is now in her crone aspect) until he is once again born from Her mother/crone aspect at Yule. The Goddess, in turn, ages and rejuvenates endlessly with the seasons, being courted by and giving birth to the Horned God.

Many Wiccan, Neo-Druid and eclectic Neopagans incorporate a narrative of the Holly King and the Oak King as rulers of winter and summer, respectively. These two figures battle endlessly with the turning of the seasons. At the summer solstice, the Oak King is at the height of his strength. Having just defeated the Holly King, he enjoys the commencement of his reign. As the year progresses, the Holly King slowly regains his power and with the autumnal equinox, the tables finally begin turning in the Holly King's favor. Come the summer solstice, he vanquishes the Oak King. Over the next months, however, the sun waxes in power again and the Oak King slowly regains his strength. At the vernal equinox he begins to triumph until he once again defeats the Holly King at the summer solstice. The two are ultimately seen as essential parts of a whole and would not exist without each other.

The Holly King is often portrayed as a woodsy figure, similar to the modern Santa Claus, dressed in red with sprigs of holly in his hair and the Oak King as a fertility god.