The Rose Lineage Wheel of the Year: How to Walk Out the Priestess Path

the rose lineage wheel of the year - mary magdalene

Why a Rose Lineage Wheel of the Year?

The rose has always been more than a flower. Across cultures and ages, it has symbolised love, death, beauty, secrecy, and the mysteries of the soul. In the Rose Lineage, the rose becomes a living mandala of sacred cycles—from bud to blossom, from fruit to thorn. It reminds us that the spiritual path is not linear but cyclical, flowing with the rhythms of Gaia-Sophia herself.

Many traditions have ritual calendars: the Celtic Wheel of the Year, the Christian liturgical year, and countless indigenous cycles tied to land and sky. The Egyptians themselves divided the year into 36 decans, each aligned with stars and rituals of renewal. The Christian Rosary preserves a cycle of five decades (ten beads) of contemplation. The Tarot carries these echoes too: its 36 Minor Arcana number cards mirror the 36 decans.

This heritage inspires the Rose Lineage Wheel of the Year. It offers a Rose Priestess way of weaving Heaven and Earth together, using festivals, deities, and Tarot archetypes as stepping stones in a sacred circle of time. It is not meant as dogma but as an oasis of inspiration, guiding us petal by petal around the year’s unfolding.

This Rose Lineage Wheel unites four streams:

The Four Rose Seasons: Leaf & Bud (Spring), Blossom (Summer), Rosehip (Autumn), Root & Thorn (Winter).
The Twelve Zodiac Signs in their tropical form, paired with Egyptian deities and corresponding Major Arcana.
The Ten Rose Festivals, aligned with the solar year and Rose Lineage mysteries, form a contemplative string of devotional highlights through the year.
The Shem HaMephorash Angels, two for each zodiacal decan. These angelic intelligences can be called upon as guiding companions in Tarot, meditation, or ritual. Find your birthday Shem Angel HERE.

Although I have emphasised the Egyptian Neteru as guides, it is not necessary to walk with them to on the Rose Lineage Path. The Rose is universal. A Rose Lineage holder could just as readily be devoted to Freya, the Lady of the Norse Mysteries, or walk the path in dialogue with Christ-Sophia. The essence is devotion to the Rose as a symbol of beauty, truth, and divine service—not strict adherence to any pantheon.

The Framework of the Rose Lineage Wheel of the Year

The Four Rose Seasons

Spring – Leaf & Bud: Renewal, potential, becoming.
Summer – Blossom: Union, radiance, abundance.
Autumn – Rosehip: Harvest, preservation, wisdom.
Winter – Root & Thorn: Descent, protection, hidden life.

The Zodiac, the Neteru, and the Tarot

The Egyptian sky was divided into 36 decans, each linked with a star cluster rising on the horizon. This rhythm survives in both the Tarot and modern astrology. Each zodiac sign spans three decans, each mirrored by a Minor Arcana card. The Major Arcana provide a higher octave, and the Egyptian deities (Neteru) embody the living principles. Together they form the “Heaven” layer of the Rose Wheel.

Here is a set of (in some instances unorthodox) correspondences that I have found work well, but feel free to experiment:

Zodiac Sign	Egyptian Deity	Major Arcana	Notes
Aries	Khnum (Ram-headed potter god, ordered creation)	The Emperor	Creative order, rulership, foundation.
Taurus	Hathor	The Hierophant	Embodiment, beauty, sacred instruction.
Gemini	Thoth	The Magician	Language, alchemy, sacred communication.
Cancer	Neith	The Empress	Primordial Mother, creatrix, protector.
Leo	Sekhmet	Strength	Solar lioness, protector, courage.
Virgo	Isis	The Hermit	Great Mother as healer and guide; initiatrix of discernment.
Libra	Ma’at	Justice	Balance, cosmic order, truth.
Scorpio	Anubis	Death	Underworld guide, initiator.
Sagittarius	Horus	Temperance	Expansion, vision, higher quest, sacred balance.
Capricorn	Osiris	Devil / World (duality of descent and resurrection)	Underworld wisdom, structure, rebirth.
Aquarius	Ptah	The Star	Visionary architect, creation by word.
Pisces	Nephthys	The Moon	Mourner, mystic, liminal space.

The Ten Rose Festivals

The Rose Lineage Wheel embraces ten festivals, inspired by the decades of the Rosary and the 36-fold division of the year into decans, mirrored by the Tarot Minor Arcana. Each festival is accompanied by a ritual focus, a Major Arcana correspondence, and a somatic exercise for balancing the nervous system in harmony with the energy of the season.

Please note that there is an overlap here between the corresponding Arcana cards and deities in the table above. There is no rigid structure, and a goddess like Isis, for instance, fills many functions. Please follow and, more importantly, trust your inner guidance for any substitutions you might like to make.

1. Imbolc / Candlemas (1–2 February) – Mother Mary / Seshat

Major Arcana: The High Priestess
Theme: Hidden buds, purification, light quickening.
Rite: Bless candles for the year ahead. Dedicate writing tools and journals to Seshat, Lady of Sacred Writing. Invoke Mary as the Mother of Light. Write your vows for the year.
Somatic Practice: Gentle candle-gazing breathwork (trataka). Breathe slowly while focusing on the flame, soothing the vagus nerve and preparing the body for renewal.

2. Spring Equinox (20–21 March) – Isis

Major Arcana: The Star
Theme: Revitalisation, vision, hope.
Rite: Plant seeds physically or symbolically. Invoke Isis as She Who Restores the Sight and re-members what was broken. At dawn, pour a libation of water or immerse yourself in a cleansing bath, asking Isis to lift the veil of winter’s heaviness and restore clarity of vision. Stand outdoors at sunrise to honour the balance of light and dark, opening yourself to receive her healing rays.
Somatic Practice: Alternating nostril breathing (nadi shodhana) to harmonise the two hemispheres of the brain and balance the nervous system at the equinox.

3. Beltane (1 May) – Hathor

Major Arcana: The Lovers
Theme: Fertility, joy, sacred union.
Rite: Offer rose-water libations to Earth. Dance, sing, and feast. Call upon Hathor for joy, love, and creative passion. Weave flower crowns or garlands to honour the polarity of masculine and feminine currents, or to crown lovers or friends in celebration. Invite Hathor to preside over both sensual love and the union of creative forces within.
Somatic Practice: Free-form dance to rhythmic drumming or music. Movement awakens the parasympathetic system through joy and play.

4. Summer Solstice (20–21 June) – Bastet

Major Arcana: The Sun
Theme: Radiance, play, sensual delight.
Rite: Celebrate with music and feline grace. Bathe with rose petals under the sun. Invoke Bastet for pleasure, protection, and solar joy. On this longest day, practice divination by sunlight or flame: gaze into water, fire, or crystal to receive Bastet’s oracular playfulness. Allow her to show you what must be embraced and what must be released to live more radiantly.
Somatic Practice: Cat-like stretching. Lengthen spine, arch and round the back. Stretching resets stress patterns and reawakens sensual embodiment.

5. Feast of Magdalene (22 July) – Mary Magdalene

Major Arcana: The Empress
Theme: Initiatrix of the Rose Mysteries.
Rite: Anoint yourself with oils. Read aloud from the Gospel of Mary or Song of Songs. Offer roses to Magdalene and contemplate her as priestess, beloved, and bearer of hidden wisdom.
Somatic Practice: Heart-coherence meditation. Place hand on heart, breathe in for 5, out for 5. Invite gratitude, aligning heart rhythm with nervous system balance.

6. Lion’s Gate (8 August) – Sekhmet

Major Arcana: Strength
Theme: Solar fire, courage, fierce love.
Rite: Light a sacred fire. Stand in courage and roar, invoking Sekhmet’s fierce love. Dedicate yourself to the service of Ma’at.
Somatic Practice: Vocal toning. Roar, hum, or chant with long exhales. Vibrations release tension, regulate the vagus nerve, and empower courage.

7. Lammas / Harvest (1 August) – Renenutet

Major Arcana: The Wheel of Fortune
Theme: First fruits, nourishment, protection of the harvest.
Rite: Prepare rosehip syrups or grain offerings. Give thanks for nourishment already gathered and dedicate it to sustaining your path. Call upon Renenutet to bless, protect and multiply the fruits of your labour.
Somatic Practice: Belly-to-earth resting pose. Lie with your belly against the ground, arms relaxed. Breathe slowly and deeply into the belly, letting each exhale be a prayer of gratitude for the harvest that sustains life.

8. Autumn Equinox (22–23 September) – Ma’at

Major Arcana: Justice
Theme: Truth, justice, balance.
Rite: Perform the weighing of the heart meditation: place a feather on your altar and contemplate your soul’s lightness. Speak aloud one truth you must honour. Extend this into journaling: Where does my life feel heavy? Where does it feel light? What adjustments can I make to align with Ma’at? This ritual transforms reflection into lived justice.
Somatic Practice: Standing balance pose (tree pose or simple one-foot stance). Holding balance physically trains the nervous system to remain steady in truth.

9. Samhain (31 October) – Anubis & Nephthys

Major Arcana: Death
Theme: Ancestors, death, underworld initiation.
Rite: Create an ancestor altar with candles and rosehips. Call on Anubis to guide the souls and Nephthys to weep with you. After your vigil, enter dream incubation: before sleep, ask to be shown guidance from your ancestors or from the parts of yourself that need release. Write down any dreams upon waking. Alternatively, perform a mourning ritual for old patterns you are ready to let die, allowing Nephthys to hold space for your grief.
Somatic Practice: Slow forward folds with exhalations, allowing the body to bow. Calms sympathetic arousal, invokes surrender, and honours the descent.

10. Winter Solstice (21–22 December) – Eye of Ra / Black Madonna

Major Arcana: The Devil
Theme: Root & Thorn, womb-dark rebirth, dream journaling.
Rite: Hold an all-night vigil with candles. Meditate on the thorn as protection. Invoke the Eye of Ra as Feminine Solar Logos, and the Black Madonna as Sophia-in-the-dark. Welcome the return of the light. Pay attention to your dreams and journal any insights that come through.
Somatic Practice: Womb-breathing. Place hands on the lower belly, breathing deeply into the womb/sacral space. Let the breath expand into the pelvic bowl, then lengthen the exhale. This grounds the nervous system and attunes you to the hidden inner light.

Free Resource for You

Want a handy way to follow the Rose Wheel throughout the year? I’ve created a Quick Reference Table that includes all ten festivals, their corresponding deities, Tarot Major Arcana cards, themes, and somatic practices.

Download the Rose Wheel Quick Reference Table here

Print it, keep it on your altar, or tuck it into your journal to help you walk out the Rose Priestess Path petal by petal.

Living with the Rose Lineage Wheel

Each Rose Lineage festival is a petal of the rose, but between the petals, there are daily practices to help the rose of your soul stay open:

Create Seasonal Altars: In Spring, adorn with fresh leaves and seeds. In Summer, roses and sun symbols. In Autumn, rosehips, grains, and feathers. In Winter, stones, thorns, and candles. Tending to these altars daily or weekly harmonises you with the season’s energetic stream.
Work with Plant Allies: The Rose is not the only plant you can work with on this path, but, as an example, you can use Rose petals for love, Rosehips for wisdom and healing, and thorns for protection. Essential oils like frankincense, myrrh, and patchouli can mark seasonal transitions. Studying the art of the aromatherapist or myrrhophore will support your embodiment on this path.
Journaling & Tarot Prompts: Begin each day by pulling a card and allowing a question to arise from it. Ask: What question about embodiment on this Path is this card bringing to my attention today? (Write the question down.) Then pull a second card and allow it to provide the answer. Record both in your Rose Journal, along with dreams, synchronicities, and insights. Over time, this becomes an in-depth dialogue with the Spirit of the Rose Lineage.
Embodiment Practices: Somatic rituals keep the nervous system attuned. Dance, breathwork, braiding, balance poses — these ensure that devotion is lived, not abstract.

Two Paths of Initiation

There is no single way to walk out the Rose Lineage Wheel. In truth, the Rose offers multiple petals of entry, each leading inward toward the same heart. Two paths of initiation emerge naturally from the Wheel:

The Path of the Ten Festivals
Walking petal by petal through the Wheel, aligning with Gaia-Sophia’s seasonal cycles and the Rose’s unfolding mysteries. Each year is a full initiation in itself.
The Path of the Twelve Tutelary Deities
Deepening into the Zodiac layer, working with each of the twelve tutelary deities in turn. Each deity holds a gateway into Rose wisdom. Taken month by month, this creates a two-year cycle of initiation, facilitating deeper embodiment and integration of the Rose path.

You may weave these two currents together or choose one. What matters is not the sequence but the sincerity of your devotion and your willingness to embody the Rose Mysteries in your daily life.

How do you feel called to walk out the Path of the Rose Priestess in the year ahead?

If this speaks to your heart, share it with your sisters and brothers on the path. Begin building your own Rose Lineage Wheel of the Year practice this year. You can also take your Rose Priestess practice into a daily flow with deity correspondences, short invocations, and a 9-card week-ahead Tarot spread (CLICK HERE). And if you’d like to journey more deeply into the Rose Mysteries, join me on Substack.