The Maiden Stone

The second month of the Celtic year, Dumhainn, starts on Sunday, 9th December and you can view the calendar for this month here: Dumhainn.

A new slant on perennial calendars and secular holidays

This is a nice discovery that I made when checking websites that have linked to my page. This calendar is similar to my Anglo-Saxon calendar, in that it has variable length seasons depending on the course of the sun along the ecliptic during the year. It is nice in that I could actually apply it to my calendar, with the rest days and holidays depending on the number of days in the month. Under this system today would be the 2nd Thursday of the 8th month (date: 04 / 02 / 02 / 08 / 12). If I applied it to my calendar it would be the 2nd Friday of the 11th month (Blotmonath), with the Ides holiday on Monday (5th November) and the next rest day on Tuesday (6th November).

The calendar also uses a system of ages based on the zodiacal sign of the galactic equator, so we are currently in the age of Aquarius, which began on 20th March 1988 by the calendar’s reckoning. It’s a pretty cool system and does have a practical purpose in that it illustrates the precession of the equinoxes and keeps track of it by aligning with the sun’s position on the ecliptic. There is much information at the following link: The Ecliptic Calendar.

Below are the calendars for the Pictish lunar year of 3040 P.E.

1. Samhain
2. Dumhainn
3. Riùr
4. Naghaid
5. Uarain
6. Cuithe
7. Geamhain
8. Siùfainn
9. Eacha
10. Eilmì
11. Aodhrain
12. Cadal

It’s Yule tonight. Get ready for a whole new year.

Month 10 – Eilmì – “Claim” Moon

The Celtic lunar month of Eilmì starts today, the tenth month of the year. Click the link below for the calendar for this month (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

Eilmì signals the oncoming autumn. As there are four full moons in the summer this year, this month’s full moon is called the “Blue Moon”, delaying the Harvest Moon for a month. In the Islamic calendar the month begins with “Eid al-Fitr”, the feast that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, and in the Jewish calendar the month ends with “Rosh Hashanah”, the Jewish new year, beginning on the evening of 5th September/29th Eilmì.

In other calendars

• Hebrew: Elul, 12th month of 5773
• Hijri: Shawwal, 10th month of 1434
• Hindi: Sravana, 5th month of 2070
• Saxon: Blue Moon, 3rd and extra moon of summer
• Chinese: 7th month, Year of the Snake

Month 9 – Eacha – “Horse” Moon

The Celtic lunar month of Eacha starts today, the ninth month of the year. Click the link below for the calendar for this month (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

Horse moon occurs in high summer, and is equivalent to the Saxon moon of Grain Moon, the second full moon of summer. This month also marks the Islamic fast of Ramadan, which begins at sunset on 8th July and ends with the feast of Eid-al-Fitr on the evening of 7th August. The solar cross quarter day of Lughnasadh, the halfway point between the north solstice and the southward equinox, also takes place on 7th August.

In other calendars

• Hebrew: Av, 11th month of 5773
• Hijri: Ramadan, 9th month of 1434
• Hindi: Ashadha, 4th month of 2070
• Saxon: Grain Moon, 2nd moon of summer
• Chinese: 6th month, Year of the Snake

Month 8 – Siùfainn – “Midsummer Brightness” Moon

The Celtic lunar month of Siùfainn starts today, the eighth month of the year. Click the link below for the calendar for this month (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

The mid summer month, the north solstice and Litha take place on 21st June/12th Siùfainn. This month is the Hay Moon in the Saxon calendar, the first full moon of summer.

In other calendars

• Hebrew: Tammuz, 10th month of 5773
• Hijri: Sha’baan, 8th month of 1434
• Hindi: Jyaishtha, 3rd month of 2070
• Saxon: Hay Moon, 1st moon of summer
• Chinese: 5th month, Year of the Snake

Month 7 – Geamhain – “Winter’s End” Moon

The Celtic lunar month of Geamhain starts today, the seventh month of the year. Click the link below for the calendar for this month (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

This month is the Flower Moon in the Saxon calendar, the last full moon of spring.

In other calendars

• Hebrew: Sivan, 9th month of 5773
• Hijri: Rajab, 7th month of 1434
• Hindi: Vaisakha, 2nd month of 2070
• Saxon: Flower Moon, last moon of spring
• Chinese: 4th month, Year of the Snake

Month 6 – Cuithe – “Wind” Moon

The Celtic lunar month of Cuithe starts today, the sixth month of the year. Click the link below for the calendar for this month (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

This month coincides with the Hindi Chaitra new year, as well as the Tamil and Bengali new years. On the 25th of the month (5th May) it is the Beltaine solar cross quarter, marking the halfway point between the northward equinox and the north solstice (summer in the northern hemisphere). As this is the 14th year of the lunar cycle, Cuithe gets an extra day and will consequently be 30 days long instead of the usual 29.

In other calendars

• Hebrew: Iyyar, 8th month of 5773
• Hijri: Jumada’al-Akhira, 6th month of 1434
• Hindi: Chaitra, 1st month of 2070
• Saxon: Milk Moon, 2nd moon of spring
• Chinese: 3rd month, Year of the Snake

Month 5 – Uarain – “Cold’s End” Moon

The Celtic lunar month of Uarain starts today, the fifth month of the year. Click the link below for the calendar for this month (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

This month includes the northern vernal (northward) equinox, which marks the beginning of spring and the festival of OSTARA in the Saxon calendar, and the Persian new year (Noruz) of 1392 PE. The equinox this year occurs at 11:02 UT on 20th March/9th Uarain. The full moon marks the beginning of Passover (26th March/15th Uarain) and the Saxon Egg Moon festival, the first full moon of spring. The following Sunday, 31st March/20th Uarain, is Easter in the Christian calendar. The clocks go forward one hour in Europe on the same day.

In other calendars

• Hebrew: Nisan, 7th month of 5773
• Hijri: Jumada’al-Ula, 5th month of 1434
• Hindi: Phalguna, 12th month of 2069
• Saxon: Egg Moon, 1st moon of spring
• Chinese: 2nd month, Year of the Snake