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Witch's Wheel of the Year: Rituals for Circles, Solitaries & Covens
Make Your Sabbats Joyful, Powerful, and Deeply Spiritual with 24 New, Customizable Rituals
Designed to perfectly fit your needs--whether you're a solitary practitioner or part of a group--this marvelous book will enhance your sabbat celebrations in many fun and meaningful ways. Jason Mankey provides three all-new rituals for every sabbat--one for solitaries, one for covens, and one for large gatherings. Each ritual is flexible enough for you to pick and choose the components that best suit your intentions. Explore the history and traditions of all eight sabbats and learn why and how rituals became such an important part of Witchcraft. Discover the ins and outs of ritual practice as well as guidance on planning, decorating, presenting, and adapting. Witch's Wheel of the Year is incredibly versatile for all Witches looking to enhance their craft and their connection to the sacred sabbats.
Designed to perfectly fit your needs--whether you're a solitary practitioner or part of a group--this marvelous book will enhance your sabbat celebrations in many fun and meaningful ways. Jason Mankey provides three all-new rituals for every sabbat--one for solitaries, one for covens, and one for large gatherings. Each ritual is flexible enough for you to pick and choose the components that best suit your intentions. Explore the history and traditions of all eight sabbats and learn why and how rituals became such an important part of Witchcraft. Discover the ins and outs of ritual practice as well as guidance on planning, decorating, presenting, and adapting. Witch's Wheel of the Year is incredibly versatile for all Witches looking to enhance their craft and their connection to the sacred sabbats.
389 pages, Paperback
Published December 8, 2019
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421 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 22, 2023
Things looked incredibly great at the start... So much so I actually remarked to a friend that, after 20 years of whing-dinging around Paganism, a Neopagan author had finally actually managed to do the one thing I never thought they'd actually ever manage to do: Impress me.
Right out the door Mr. Mankey does the absolutely incredibly and acknowledges the poor quality of early Neopagan materials. He then goes on to emphasize the necessity of a historically informed basis, while acknowledging that the primary interest lies in today's practices (not in reconstructionism). He mentions a bibliography, and even uses footnotes throughout the text. All complete shocks for a mainstream NeoPagan work.
The blatant condemnation of sexual and financial predation, and other common forms of abuse seen in the Pagan community, was also nice to see- though I would caution against using the No True Scotsman fallacy; the assertion Mankey makes that "abusers are not practicing Witchcraft" is a blatantly false one which ignores that abusers do, in fact, have all the same social and religious tools as the rest of us and are practicing the same things we are... While tempting, denial and No-True-Scotsman-ing them, and calling them "fake practitioners", isn't going to solve the problem of their existence or root them out.
Mankey also addresses some of the reproductive essentialism we sometimes see in Paganism- which is nice. As I age, however, honestly I find the whole conversation unnecessary; of course religious mythos and symbolism founded in reproduction doesn't inherently apply to all women... Those who take it as if it does are frankly no better than the biblical literalists we all like to shake our sticks at. Still, it apparently still needs to be said, and it was nice to see it done.
The preface about creating rituals in general isn't much used to me, personally- and truth be told I'm really not entirely sure a whole preface to creating rituals was necessary at all in this kind of book... That being said, however, it's easily the most comprehensive instructions I've seen breaking down how to create a ritual, and it was nice to see some acknowledgement about the size of the group and the differences that creates in ritual & ritual needs. The rituals themselves provided during the holidays aren't bad. Nothing I would use personally, but they do give you some food for thought, and they are more interesting than rituals I typically see from other authors.
He did get a few "demotions" early on for his "intention is key" rhetoric and spelling magic with a k, however- as well as the subtle digs at Christianity littered throughout (though it's a Neopagan book so that's par for the course. It just gets fucking old after a while)... That said, most of the advice in the early sections of the book is both refreshing, and rather practical / reasonable; in general his writing style is personable... Not preachy or unnecessarily tangential, but instead very "to the point" while still remaining warm.
The history of the wheel of the year was also an interesting addition- and frankly not something I've seen an author bother to touch on before. It was good to see, though I still need to verify the information... But that is, unfortunately, where the book begins to ultimately fall apart once you get to the holiday sections themselves.
As someone who has spent the last 9 years neck deep in Reconstructionism (the last 5 in Irish Reconstructionism in particular, with an emphasis on the transitional era of the Medieval Period), I always have to suspend a certain amount of my intelligence to read anything Neopagan which proports to be "Celtic" (or related to "Celticism") in some way. But with such a lofty first impression, I really... Really... Expected better information in the holiday sections- especially where the "Celtic" origins Neopaganism likes to broadly claim of its holidays was concerned... But I was met with more of the same nonsense as always, just with a slightly thicker veneer of "historicism" than I usually get (now with footnotes).
The "certainty" with which he expresses that Brighid the Goddess became Brighid the Saint, for instance, is but one measly (and frankly irrelevant) example- and that is far less certain than he thinks it is; historians have been very adamant over the decades that there is insufficient evidence to claim any such thing with certainty, though Pagans are incredibly persistent in pretending that uncertainty isn't the case. Theoretics, however, aren't truths.
And that is where Mankey fails repeatedly, time and time again; many of his statements are ever so slightly to the left of being entirely true- yet aren't always far enough left to warrant necessarily being called false, either... Rather, they're half truths and stretches- or "well I guess you could interpret it that way if you tilted your head and squinted"s; the kind of right that's based more on a lot of technicalities than any actual truth.
Where he is wrong, however, he is very wrong- such as his hanging on to the myth of "Eostre / Ostara the Germanic fertility Goddess" of Bede and the Grimm Brothers.... For which absolutely no evidence exists; nevermind the denial of the importance of Easter in Christian tradition (and the importance of Rabbits and Eggs both in those celebrations) well before the aforementioned area of Europe was ever converted, and all manner of other things- up to and including the casual antisemitism Pagans participate in every time they deny Passover's and its own traditions' connection to Easter, or the casual nationalism we continue to perpetuate by refusing to acknowledge the Grim Brothers as the Nationalists they were. It all just gets so very, very tiring.
While Mankey certainly did a better job than most manage to- and held it together far longer than most are capable of- he still falls into the same bad traps and poor history that plague Reimaginist faiths from top to bottom. And, as with all Neopagan books, I once again find myself saddened and disappointed by the quality of information itself... Maybe more-so this time, as promises were made about the historical information from the get-go.
If you'd like some genuine academic information on European holiday histories, then Hutton's The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain still remains far more accurate than anything you can get from a Llewellyn author, for anyone who can muddle through Hutton's strange way of setting up his arguments in it.
That being said, this is still arguably the best book I've read on the Wheel of the Year; while it's not what I would consider accurate or up to standard in regards to the historical information, the ritual elements of the book are well written and presented, and full of practical things. For that reason I could see this book being very useful for the rituals themselves- if you're willing to overlook the historical areas and find better sources elsewhere.
Right out the door Mr. Mankey does the absolutely incredibly and acknowledges the poor quality of early Neopagan materials. He then goes on to emphasize the necessity of a historically informed basis, while acknowledging that the primary interest lies in today's practices (not in reconstructionism). He mentions a bibliography, and even uses footnotes throughout the text. All complete shocks for a mainstream NeoPagan work.
The blatant condemnation of sexual and financial predation, and other common forms of abuse seen in the Pagan community, was also nice to see- though I would caution against using the No True Scotsman fallacy; the assertion Mankey makes that "abusers are not practicing Witchcraft" is a blatantly false one which ignores that abusers do, in fact, have all the same social and religious tools as the rest of us and are practicing the same things we are... While tempting, denial and No-True-Scotsman-ing them, and calling them "fake practitioners", isn't going to solve the problem of their existence or root them out.
Mankey also addresses some of the reproductive essentialism we sometimes see in Paganism- which is nice. As I age, however, honestly I find the whole conversation unnecessary; of course religious mythos and symbolism founded in reproduction doesn't inherently apply to all women... Those who take it as if it does are frankly no better than the biblical literalists we all like to shake our sticks at. Still, it apparently still needs to be said, and it was nice to see it done.
The preface about creating rituals in general isn't much used to me, personally- and truth be told I'm really not entirely sure a whole preface to creating rituals was necessary at all in this kind of book... That being said, however, it's easily the most comprehensive instructions I've seen breaking down how to create a ritual, and it was nice to see some acknowledgement about the size of the group and the differences that creates in ritual & ritual needs. The rituals themselves provided during the holidays aren't bad. Nothing I would use personally, but they do give you some food for thought, and they are more interesting than rituals I typically see from other authors.
He did get a few "demotions" early on for his "intention is key" rhetoric and spelling magic with a k, however- as well as the subtle digs at Christianity littered throughout (though it's a Neopagan book so that's par for the course. It just gets fucking old after a while)... That said, most of the advice in the early sections of the book is both refreshing, and rather practical / reasonable; in general his writing style is personable... Not preachy or unnecessarily tangential, but instead very "to the point" while still remaining warm.
The history of the wheel of the year was also an interesting addition- and frankly not something I've seen an author bother to touch on before. It was good to see, though I still need to verify the information... But that is, unfortunately, where the book begins to ultimately fall apart once you get to the holiday sections themselves.
As someone who has spent the last 9 years neck deep in Reconstructionism (the last 5 in Irish Reconstructionism in particular, with an emphasis on the transitional era of the Medieval Period), I always have to suspend a certain amount of my intelligence to read anything Neopagan which proports to be "Celtic" (or related to "Celticism") in some way. But with such a lofty first impression, I really... Really... Expected better information in the holiday sections- especially where the "Celtic" origins Neopaganism likes to broadly claim of its holidays was concerned... But I was met with more of the same nonsense as always, just with a slightly thicker veneer of "historicism" than I usually get (now with footnotes).
The "certainty" with which he expresses that Brighid the Goddess became Brighid the Saint, for instance, is but one measly (and frankly irrelevant) example- and that is far less certain than he thinks it is; historians have been very adamant over the decades that there is insufficient evidence to claim any such thing with certainty, though Pagans are incredibly persistent in pretending that uncertainty isn't the case. Theoretics, however, aren't truths.
And that is where Mankey fails repeatedly, time and time again; many of his statements are ever so slightly to the left of being entirely true- yet aren't always far enough left to warrant necessarily being called false, either... Rather, they're half truths and stretches- or "well I guess you could interpret it that way if you tilted your head and squinted"s; the kind of right that's based more on a lot of technicalities than any actual truth.
Where he is wrong, however, he is very wrong- such as his hanging on to the myth of "Eostre / Ostara the Germanic fertility Goddess" of Bede and the Grimm Brothers.... For which absolutely no evidence exists; nevermind the denial of the importance of Easter in Christian tradition (and the importance of Rabbits and Eggs both in those celebrations) well before the aforementioned area of Europe was ever converted, and all manner of other things- up to and including the casual antisemitism Pagans participate in every time they deny Passover's and its own traditions' connection to Easter, or the casual nationalism we continue to perpetuate by refusing to acknowledge the Grim Brothers as the Nationalists they were. It all just gets so very, very tiring.
While Mankey certainly did a better job than most manage to- and held it together far longer than most are capable of- he still falls into the same bad traps and poor history that plague Reimaginist faiths from top to bottom. And, as with all Neopagan books, I once again find myself saddened and disappointed by the quality of information itself... Maybe more-so this time, as promises were made about the historical information from the get-go.
If you'd like some genuine academic information on European holiday histories, then Hutton's The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain still remains far more accurate than anything you can get from a Llewellyn author, for anyone who can muddle through Hutton's strange way of setting up his arguments in it.
That being said, this is still arguably the best book I've read on the Wheel of the Year; while it's not what I would consider accurate or up to standard in regards to the historical information, the ritual elements of the book are well written and presented, and full of practical things. For that reason I could see this book being very useful for the rituals themselves- if you're willing to overlook the historical areas and find better sources elsewhere.
March 24, 2020
This review originally appeared on The Magical Buffet website on 03/24/2020.
Did you read my review of “A Practical Guide to Pagan Priesthood”? Because today’s book would be a perfect companion to it! I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of “Witch’s Wheel of the Year: Rituals for Circles, Solitaires, and Covens” by Jason Mankey, and it is a worthy read.
I don’t want to say that “Witch’s Wheel of the Year” is THE book to get if you observe Pagan holidays, but “Witch’s Wheel of the Year” IS the book to get if you observe Pagan holidays. Mankey covers Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltaine, Midsummer, Lammas, Mabon, and Samhain. Each holiday includes a ritual that is appropriate for large event gatherings, intimate family covens, and solitary practitioners. All the rituals take care to focus on inclusivity. Regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, you will find a place in Mankey’s work. The author also offers advice from his experiences, and gives you a look at how he makes these rituals his own.
I realize this is a short review, but honestly, there isn’t a lot to say. If you want to learn about and observe Pagan holidays, Mankey’s “Witch’s Wheel of the Year” is the perfect book for you.
Did you read my review of “A Practical Guide to Pagan Priesthood”? Because today’s book would be a perfect companion to it! I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of “Witch’s Wheel of the Year: Rituals for Circles, Solitaires, and Covens” by Jason Mankey, and it is a worthy read.
I don’t want to say that “Witch’s Wheel of the Year” is THE book to get if you observe Pagan holidays, but “Witch’s Wheel of the Year” IS the book to get if you observe Pagan holidays. Mankey covers Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltaine, Midsummer, Lammas, Mabon, and Samhain. Each holiday includes a ritual that is appropriate for large event gatherings, intimate family covens, and solitary practitioners. All the rituals take care to focus on inclusivity. Regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, you will find a place in Mankey’s work. The author also offers advice from his experiences, and gives you a look at how he makes these rituals his own.
I realize this is a short review, but honestly, there isn’t a lot to say. If you want to learn about and observe Pagan holidays, Mankey’s “Witch’s Wheel of the Year” is the perfect book for you.
December 10, 2019
If you are looking for information on the 8 spokes on the wheel of the year, and what to do with them, this book is an excellent resource. Plenty of facts, resources, and rituals to get you up to speed. This book is definitely Wicca heavy, but not in a way that I think detracts from the valuable resource that it is.
February 17, 2022
Overview of the most common yearly rituals. I loved the way rituals were created for different groups. As a solitary practitioner this book felt less helpful but would be good to come back to when planning circles. The language is very lord/lady and priest/priestess based but I liked some of the rituals planned.
August 8, 2024
Read this just in time for Lughnasadh. Got and will get to harvest a lot of ideas from it. It's not perfect (what book is) but I like the three variations for every sabbat, providing enough inspiration to mix and match to make your own version and if that is the book's main purpose, it does live up to that.
Read
August 15, 2023I really wanted to like this book, I've enjoyed Jason's writing style in other books but could not connect to this one because it focuses only on the northern hemisphere, that's half the world's witches that celebrate the wheel of the year at different dates left out.
June 27, 2020
Jason is a fraud who supports abusive cults.
December 20, 2020
Great information for beginners! Great resources as well for further reading.
March 2, 2021
A great book focusing on the seasons and sabbats, with amazing rituals!
September 28, 2021
My favorite wheel of the year book. Jason packed in a lot of unique and beautiful ideas.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews