The above picture I took at the Little Rock, Arkansas Convention Center contains the Wheel of the Year symbol in the stained glass piece. The Wheel of the Year is a common symbol used around the world to remember the cycles of the Earth from spring time, summer time, autumn, and winter. The symbol has variations around the world, but it still represents the cycles of the planet. Rituals were kept at certain times of the year to keep up with the planting and harvesting seasons. Here are some Wheel of the Year symbols from cultures around the world:
copyright RitaJeanMoran
The Natie American Medicine Wheel could even be looked upon as a calendar:
The tarot card for Wheel of Fortune is even a Wheel of the Year calendar.
The animals in the corners probably represent constellations and the figures around the wheel appear to represent deities or perhaps other times of the year.
The Stonehenge in England and stonehenges in other places are also Wheel of the Years.
The Wheel of the Year was a sacred and important symbol across many cultures and it was a symbolic calendar of the planetary year cycle. The knowledge and observance of rituals was important for the survival of ancient people such that they could remember when to plant the crops and when to harvest them so that they could have food. Unfortunately, some of these rituals were corrupted with bad ways that had nothing to do with the original idea of the Wheel of the Year and observance of the planetary cycles of the Earth.
by Rita Jean Moran (www.thelibrarykids.com)
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