By Teresa Novellino ~ABC News Interview of Dr. Michael Samuels


Watch the Video!

The Minor High Days are Mean Earrach (Spring Equinox), Mean Samradh (Summer Solstice), Mean Foghamhar (Fall Equinox), Mean Geimredh (Winter Solstice). These are based on the fixed signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. These are calculated by standard means.

The Major High Days are calculated as to when the Sun reaches 16 degrees 18 minutes declination, North or South. This puts them half way between the Minor High Days, plus or minus a couple of hours. This is based on the research of Robert Larson into the Famous "Cologny Caalendar" as well as his analysis of the observaton angles he believes were used at Stonehenge.
For observing purposes, the Celts reckoned each day as starting with sunset of the night before.

For each holiday, two deities have been assigned. One is the major, the other is the minor. The deity is first honored as a minor deity one festival. The next festival, it is the major one. It is recommended, that one male and one female deity be honored each festival. These are the Irish ones. Feel free to use Gods and Goddesses from any Indo-European culture.
Druid New Moons are celebrated on the sixth night after the night in which the New Moon is first visible. In other words, the "first quarter".