Abandon the traditional dates altogether and observe the seasons accordingly to the indigenous people.
On the surface, the Wheel of the Year is similar in both Hemispheres. The Sabbats make the cycles of sowing and reaping, the passage from Winter to Spring, then from Summer and Autumn. Through this cycle, Pagans accept there are times of growth but also times of old age and death. In all things, there is wisdom to be learnt, not just in what is bright and new; there is also deep knowledge and vision in those things old and dark. It is common knowledge that there is a six-month difference in the seasons between the two Hemispheres - when the Northern Hemisphere is celebrating Summer, in the Southern Hemisphere it is Winter. This makes it seem almost ludicrous (to some) to be celebrating a Summer orientated festival while there is snow on the ground.
The Temple of the Dark Moon suggests that each Pagan should observe their natural environment and celebrate the Sabbats as and when they see fit.
Explaining the Eight Festivals
The first four Sabbats are known as the Greater Sabbats, and are Celtic in origin, marking the beginning of the seasons. They are Imbolg, Bealtaine, Lughnasadh and Samhain. The other four Sabbats are solar festivals, whose timing is determined by the relationship of the Sun to the Earth. These are known as the Lesser Sabbats, are the Winter Solstice or Yule (the shortest day), the Summer Solstice or Litha (the longest day) and the Spring and Autumnal Equinoxes (Ostara and Mabon) when the hours of darkness and light are equal.
Today, in our modern world, fixed dates have been given as to when these festivals are in fact celebrated. With global warming and the like we are experiencing, our seasons have changed, making 21 December, for example, rarely Mid Summer in the Southern Hemisphere. It should always be kept in mind that our ancestors did not have calendars, as whether you personally stick to the fixed dates or not, it is entirely up to you.
The Summer Solstice was noted by our early ancestors as having the longest hours of day light (between sunrise and sunset). Six months later the opposite occurred, ie the Winter Solstice with the longest hours of darkness. The word solstice means "the sun stands [still]". If you were to make a record of the exact position where the sun rose each morning, you would find that it "moves" a tiny bit each day; and then it moves back in the other direction; like a pendulum. The day when the Sun starts "moving" back in the other direction is a "Solstice" day, ie around 21 December (Summer Solstice), or 21 June (Winter Solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.
As the days are growing longer (or shorter), there comes a time when the day is exactly as long as the night is. These are the two "Equinox" days (equi meaning "equal"; nox meaning "night"), and these two Equinoxes are also six months apart. The Greater Sabbats mark, therefore, half way points between the Lesser Sabbats, the Solstices and Equinoxes.
In explaining the Sabbats, the associated myths and folklore are more attributed to the Northern Hemisphere, as this is where many of the Pagan traditions originated from. Although sometimes these myths do not seem to be appropriate for the Southern Hemisphere, they are still given to present a better understanding of the Sabbats.
The Wheel of the Year is generally considered to start at Samhain, the Celtic Festival of the Dead, where the veils between the world of men and the world of the spirits is at its thinnest. This idea originates in Irish Celtic traditions.
