A little confused

Hi, I've been reading "Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft" (don't laugh ) this is out of interest following delving into Tarot and divination in general.

In the book the authors talk about the Sabats. For example, they talk about Yule, which occurs at the time of the Winter Solstice. What I'm confused about is, is it still called Yule in the Southern Hemisphere? Because here it would occur at the Summer Solstice. And so it would follow through the year, with everything being topsy turvy. For instance, they talk about Ostara being the first day of Northern Hemisphere spring, and the "awakening of the earth", whereas here we would be heading into Autumn.

Sorry if this is a dumb question, the book is clearly aimed at an American audience, which is a shame since the Idiot books go further afield than that. And yes, I do feel like an idiot asking about this. I mean, if Yule is supposed to be at the winter solstice, then we would have it here in June/July and "yule" with all it's Christmas connotations, seems a bit odd.
Maybe Norseman can answer this one?

best wishes, Happyheartxxx

[norseman]

Hiya Happyheart [ good title for a song ]. The Sabbats calender is actually derived from the agricultural year which is why the dates are always approximate and that is an ancient calender. The Sabbats are based on the four directions and the four elements which gives you an eight-spoked Wheel of the Year. The rationale behind the dates is that everything happens in it's time, not when you want it to. So, Ostara is the time of the Spring equinox, about March 21st. The next one is Beltain, about May 1st. These are Northern hemisphere dates, so skew them by six months to give Southern hemisphere equivalents. So, instead of dates, think seasons - planting season, harvest season, etc.

So, when we here celebrate Beltain, you will have Samhain -the Day of the Dead.

Wiccan Calender

Thanks, Norseman, you've cleared it up for me So Yule would be in the middle of the year which would coincide with many Brits Down Under celebrating "Christmas in July"

There is so much to learn about Pagan and Witchcraft beliefs it is a lot to take in. I have to confess I'm very ignorant about much of this stuff, and am now embarrassed to think of my old opinions of being a witch being "cool and fun". While you are these things, you are so much more and so very learned. The average person would never know how much knowledge you guys have and how much they could learn from you. All my years of Catechism at school, and I couldn't tell you anything about the Catholic faith, except it is seeming more and more archaic and out of touch to me.

xxxlove Happyheart

[norseman]

Hh, much of it is emotional rather than intellectual. The pagan creeds are very much bound to the Earth and the skills of the ancestors. So, in many ways being pagan is something that you feel rather than something that you learn. In many ways, it is rather tribal in the respect of you belonging to your Land. Everything you need to know about the Craft of the Wise is in the Land waiting for you to discover but, first and foremost, you need to know your Land. You need to have an intimate relationship with the Land and the Nature Spirits, the rest will then follow. You must think as a Child of Mother Earth.