Western Spiritual Days: A North–South Calendar You Can Actually Use

From solstices and equinoxes to Lammas and All Souls, many Western spiritual days carry strong seasonal imagery. That’s simple enough in the Northern Hemisphere—but what happens when you live in Australia or elsewhere in the south, where the seasons are flipped?

This guide offers a practical overview: what these days are, two sensible ways to keep time in the Southern Hemisphere, and a side-by-side spiritual calendar you can use straight away.

Two ways to keep a southern calendar

1. Seasonal-theme approach (most common in modern nature-based paths):Keep the meaning with the local season, shifting cross-quarter festivals by six months.Example: Celebrate Samhain (ancestral, end-of-harvest themes) around 30 April–1 May in Australia, not at Hallowe’en.

2. Fixed-date approach (typical for global churches and some households):Keep the same dates as the Northern Hemisphere, and adapt the prayers, music, and symbolism to local weather.

Both are valid. If you’re new, choose one and be consistent for a year so the rhythm can settle.

The Wheel of the Year (nature-based calendar)

Dates are typical; many celebrate on the nearest weekend. Solstices/equinoxes occur on the same global dates but express opposite seasons north and south.

Festival (alt names)	Northern Hemisphere	Southern Hemisphere	Core themes
Imbolc (Candlemas, Brigid)	1–2 Feb · first stirrings of spring	1–2 Aug · first stirrings of spring (south)	Blessing the new; purification, hearth, crafts
Spring Equinox (Ostara)	20–23 Mar · light = dark	20–23 Sep · light = dark	Balance, sowing, hope
Beltane (May Day)	30 Apr–1 May · peak spring	31 Oct–1 Nov · peak spring (south)	Blossom, vitality, union, joy
Summer Solstice (Litha, Midsummer)	20–23 Jun · longest day	20–23 Dec · longest day (south)	Light at full power, celebration, generosity
Lughnasadh (Lammas)	1 Aug · first harvest	1 Feb · first harvest (south)	Gratitude, skill, sharing bread
Autumn Equinox (Mabon)	20–23 Sep · light = dark	20–23 Mar · light = dark (south)	Balance, justice, thanksgiving
Samhain (All Hallows)	31 Oct–1 Nov · end of harvest	30 Apr–1 May · end of harvest (south)	Ancestors, remembrance, threshold time
Winter Solstice (Yule, Midwinter)	20–23 Dec · longest night	20–23 Jun · longest night (south)	Hope in darkness, candles, community

Tip: In Australia, many groups flip the cross-quarters by six months and keep the astronomical solstices/equinoxes as they fall (June = midwinter, December = midsummer).

Christian year highlights (fixed global dates)

Most churches keep the same dates worldwide; seasonal imagery may feel “inside-out” in the south, so communities often adapt hymns, flowers, and liturgy.

Day / Season	Date	Notes for the Southern Hemisphere
Epiphany	6 Jan	Light to the nations; summertime in the south—use local blooms and evening services.
Candlemas	2 Feb	Christ as light; aligns with Imbolc imagery—late summer in Australia.
Lent	Moveable (begins Ash Wednesday)	Fasting/reflection during late summer–autumn in the south.
Easter	Moveable (Mar/Apr)	Resurrection imagery sits in southern autumn; lean into harvest/thanksgiving tones.
Pentecost	50 days after Easter	Spirit, language, and community; often cool-weather gatherings in Australia.
St John’s Day(Midsummer)	24 Jun	Deep midwinter in the south—keep the date; adapt with fires, candles, and warmth.
Michaelmas	29 Sep	Courage and justice; early spring in the south.
All Saints/All Souls	1–2 Nov	Ancestral remembrance during southern spring; many communities still keep these dates and add a local autumn remembrance around April/May if desired.
Advent	Four Sundays before Christmas	Long, bright evenings in the south—use dusk services and outdoor candles.
Christmas	25 Dec	Nativity in high summer: carols by candlelight outdoors, fresh greenery, and picnic feasts work beautifully.

Blending calendars in real life

• Choose a “home rhythm”. If you’re nature-based in Australia, flip the Wheel by six months. If you’re part of a church, keep the global dates and soften the seasonal references.

• Let the land lead. Use local phenology (what the trees, birds, and weather are doing) as your guide.

• Name both layers. “We’re keeping All Souls on 2 November, and we’ll also hold an autumn remembrance in early May.”

• Keep it simple. A candle, a song, a short reading, and a shared cup will carry the meaning.

• Be considerate of First Nations protocols. In Australia, acknowledge Country and avoid borrowing Indigenous ceremony without permission.

  
  

A one-page, pocket calendar (quick reference)

North → South equivalents (by season):

• Imbolc 1–2 Feb (N) ↔ 1–2 Aug (S)

• Spring Equinox ~20–23 Mar (N) ↔ ~20–23 Sep (S)

• Beltane 30 Apr–1 May (N) ↔ 31 Oct–1 Nov (S)

• Summer Solstice ~20–23 Jun (N) ↔ ~20–23 Dec (S)

• Lughnasadh/Lammas 1 Aug (N) ↔ 1 Feb (S)

• Autumn Equinox ~20–23 Sep (N) ↔ ~20–23 Mar (S)

• Samhain 31 Oct–1 Nov (N) ↔ 30 Apr–1 May (S)

• Winter Solstice ~20–23 Dec (N) ↔ ~20–23 Jun (S)

Global Christian fixed dates:

Epiphany 6 Jan · Candlemas 2 Feb · St John 24 Jun · Michaelmas 29 Sep · All Saints/All Souls 1–2 Nov · Christmas 25 Dec (Eastertide moveable).

In sum

Western spiritual days are wonderfully portable—if you keep the spirit of each moment while honouring the land beneath your feet. In the Northern Hemisphere, the imagery largely matches the weather; in the Southern Hemisphere, you can flip seasonal festivals by six months or keep global dates and adapt the symbolism. Either way, let your calendar be kind, local, and consistent—and you’ll feel the year deepen, wherever you live.