As always with this blog, this is just parts of the book I find interesting. For full information and celebratory ideas (as well as a list of other books to read) you will most definitely need to purchase the sabbat book which you can using the link provided >> Beltane
Old Ways
As, you'll see, Beltane has been honored in many different ways each unique to its own time and place, yet common themes of growth, protection, abundance, fertility, light, love and sexuality can be fount throughout.
Beltane celebrations are most commonly held beginning at sundown on April 30 and ending at sundown on May 1. There are, however, other ways to time the festival. You might time it to fall exactly between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice, in which case, if you're a Northern Hemisphere witch, you would hold your celebration when the ecliptic longitude of the sun reaches 45 degrees. In Celtic lands, the hawthorn trees were generally in their flowering stage when the proper time for the festival arrived; you might decide to celebrate Beltane when the hawthorns or other flowering thorn trees in your area burst into bloom.
You might like some Druids of the past and the present, determine the proper date by following the movement of the stars. You could time your celebration to coincide with the point where the sun is positioned at 15 degrees relative to Taurus.
Beltane has its roots in the ancient Roman festival of Floralia as well as in the early Pre-Christian Celtic festival of Beltaine and other European May Day celebrations. Out modern Beltane is a composite of many different traditions, a blending of cultures, beliefs, and customs reflecting a common urge to welcome the coming of May and the warmer temperatures and thriving vegetation that comes with it.
The festival was known as Bealtaine to the Irish and Bealltainn in Scottish Gaelic, both names derived from a common Celtic word meaning "bright fire."
Fire seems to have played a big role in Beltaine ceremonies. The earliest mention of the festival of Beltaine is found in an early medieval text from Ireland written by Cormac, bishop of Cashel and king of Munster. The text reports a festival held May 1 to mark the beginning of summer, and it describes a fire ritual performed at this time by the Druids. Two fires were made, and as incantations were spoken, cattle were forced to pass between the two torrents of raging flames. Another early mention of Beltaine comes from the seventeenth century historian Geoffrey Keating, who describes two huge bonfires, a stream of cattle passing between the flames, and a sacrifice to a god named Bel. These actions were believed to protect the cattle from disease and thus safeguard the supply of dairy products and meat that were important supplements to the Celt's diet.
Beltaine bonfires were kindled solely with friction. Called a needfire, such a fire was considered sacred. In Ireland, a wheel and spindle were used to create the needfire; the wheel being an emblem of the sun and thus a perfect emblem for kindling a Beltaine blaze. On the islands of Skye, Mull, and Tiree off the coast of Scotland, the friction was created with a square frame of greenwood featuring an axle down the middle. Such contraptions were sometimes operated by multiple people working in teams. If any one of the party was guilty of murder, theft, adultery, or other heinous crimes, the fire would not start or its properties would be altogether void or significantly diminished. Once sparks were successfully created, a species of highly combustible agaric that grows on birch trees was applied, causing an instant burst of flame from which the rest of the fire was kindled.
Fire wasn't the only element believed to be especially potent at Beltaine. Water was also thought to have supernatural power. It was widely believed that Beltaine morning dew was infused with magical powers, capable of preserving youth, clearing skin ailments, and enhancing beauty and sexual attractiveness. Druids would collect the dew in a hollowed-out stone prior to sunrise on May Day morning. Whoever was sprinkled with this sacred dew could expect health and happiness. Young women would often roll in the dew on Beltaine morning or simply anoint their faces with the heavenly dew. Sometimes the dew was collected in a jar and left in the sunlight. It was then filtered and kept for use throughout the year as a versatile potion for beauty, healing and more.
Flowers also played a prominent role in Beltaine celebrations. Up until the late nineteenth century, it was common practice throughout Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man to deck the halls and more with flowers come Beltaine. Primrose, hawthorn, rowan, marsh marigold, and gorse were frequently chosen for their colorful yellow blooms. Flowers were scattered on the threshold of the home as a means of ensuring magical protection. Cows were also gussied up with flower garlands, and even the equipment used in the butter- and milk-making process received the same treatment.
New Ways
There is a whole slew of different modern ways in this section. (Wiccan, Druid, Neopagan) I'm only including the two practices which I relate to most. Seriously, though, buy the book Beltane.
Traditional Witchcraft
Traditional Witchcraft is the religion of non-Wiccan witches who base their practices on pre-Christian animism, traditional folk magic, and an often polytheistic belief system. Traditional Witchcraft varies from place to place, and specific practices are based on the local culture and the environment in which one lives. Some Traditional Witches celebrate the solstices and equinoxes, and some celebrate cross-quarter days, but most do not celebrate both. Traditionally, either the solstices and equinoxes were honored, or the cross-quarter days were honored, according to local lifestyles and to the needs of the land. Traditions that were mostly agricultural tend to celebrate the solstices and equinoxes, while more pastoral-based traditions with their roots in Celtic lands acknowledge the cross-quarter days such as Beltane. When Traditional Witches celebrate Beltane, they may do so just as their ancestors did, with bonfires, rituals, orgiastic revelry, reverence, and magic.
Eclectic Witchcraft
Eclectic Witchcraft is a term defining practitioners of Witchcraft who may or may not choose to define themselves as Wiccan, (I am not Wiccan, and do not call me Wiccan) and who draw practices and beliefs from a variety of traditions and from both crafted and indigenous magical and spiritual systems. Common aspects include an emphasis on natural energies and seasonal tides, with most eclectic witches working closely with the moon, the sun, the stars, the earth, and the elements.
Beltane rituals often emphasize springtime energies, and fires may be lit in solidarity with the sun's rising strength. Common themes include abundance, growth, prosperity, fertility, love, and sexuality. Rituals are typically very joyful, and fresh vegetation such as leaves and flowers are frequently found donning the altar as well as the witches. Sometimes plants are all that is worn on the body, and of course, there are many eclectic witches who prefer to wear nothing at all.
Many eclectic witches consider Beltane the perfect time to honor the union of energies that manifest the blossoming of Nature, and sex magic may be practiced solo, with a partner, or with multiple partners. Sex magic can have a strongly magical focus or a highly reverent tone with the ritual serving the sole purpose of communion with the divine, no particular magical goal at hand. It might take the form of one person receiving stimulation from the group, directing the energy raised toward a shared magical goal. It might take the form of one partner representing the lunar Triple Goddess and pone partner representing the solar Horned God who impregnates her. (This impregnation is understood in a magical and metaphorical sense; birth control and safe sex are wisely practiced.) Sex magic can take the form of a solitary witch self-stimulating while invoking the god of the spring. Practices vary, as eclectic witches are by definition diverse.
Modern Beltane Gatherings and Festivals
I'm only including the ones near this area of the US (near me), cause buy the book Beltane.
May Day Fairie Festival-- Spoutwood Farm outside of Glen Rock, PA (This was actually recommended to me by a lady in The Crystal Wand in Gettysburg PA. I hear its a grand time!)
Blue Ridge Beltane Festival-- Greenville, VA
The Beltane Gathering-- Darlington, MD
Review Your Defenses
Whether it's an extra charm placed over a perfectly sufficient deadbolt lock or a crystal placed in the soil of an already healthy and thriving plant, we like to do all we can to gain magical protection, and with its strong solar energies, Beltane offers a perfect opportunity for protective magical workings.
Get Creative
Beltane has a very vibrant, creative, and fertile energy flow that can be utilized to help get your own creative projects off the ground. Just as the seeds of the earth begin to sprout and grow, so too can ideas originating in the heart and mind find their way into the world of manifested reality come Beltane.
Enjoy Nature
As with all the sabbats, Beltane marks a point in the year when it's especially beneficial to renew and strengthen our connection to Nature. It's a good day to tent to the outdoors, perhaps weeding, pruning, watering, or fertilizing. Consider planting some flowers or some vegetable seeds; perhaps plant a tree.
Get Spiffy (It totally says that in the book OK)
To the Celts, Beltane was a time of purification, when impurities and baneful influences were driven away from the people, their animals, their land, their possessions, and their homes. It's no coincidence that many modern Pagans see Beltane as a time of purification too. Ritual baths, fire rituals, house smudging, and other methods are commonly employed at Beltane as a means of banishing negative energies and baneful influences.
For a purifying Beltane ritual bath, sea salt, lavender, or other purifying minerals and herbs might be placed in the bath water, as the practitioner visualizes any physical or spiritual impurities flowing out of the body and into the water.
Go Crazy
Beltane is an excellent time for adventure, and rash, bold, spontaneous behavior is widely embraced. You might celebrate with an impromptu trip to an exotic locale, a short road trip to a neighboring town, or by finally mustering up the courage to hit on that special someone.
Make Way to the Water
Wells, rivers, lakes, and other sacred water sources are often visited at Beltane as a way to honor the earth's fertility. Consider making a trip to a water source this Beltane, taking time to admire the beauty of the water, make a wish, and leave behind a gift or two. Just make sure the gift isn't a source of pollution; natural items like rocks, flowers, or small amounts of birdseed, fruit, or vegetables are all appropriate choices for Beltane offerings.
I'm skipping the spells and divination ... because its mostly love spells... and those backfire... not to mention...do they love you or are they just under a spell altering their free will?... I don't like it so if that's what your into the book Beltane...LOL
Recipes and Crafts
Friendly Rainbow Pasta Salad
This easy Beltane side dish is designed to increase feelings of friendship and community. Make this ahead of time so that when your grilling is done, you can just pull it out of the refrigerator ready to serve.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound Rainbow Rotini
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2/3 cup ranch salad dressing
- 1/2 cup black olives
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 Parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add one pound of dried rainbow rotini and a pinch of salt. Notice the different colors of pasta, and think about how people of all ages and colors and dispositions come together to enjoy the May sunshine. Think of your friends and send your good feelings into the rotini as it cooks. Boil until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water. Drizzle olive oil over the pasta, envisioning a loving, compassionate energy raining down upon the people of your community. Gently toss the pasta until the oil is evenly distributed. Allow the rotini to cool to room temperature, then place it in the refrigerator until it's thoroughly cold. Add the ranch salad dressing, chopped black olives, salt, and Parmesan cheese. When you add the olives, think again of love, friendship, and compassion. Mix thoroughly, then store cold until you're ready to eat.
Come together Lemonade
This magical lemonade can help facilitate cooperation and feelings of togetherness and camaraderie. As a citrus fruit, lemons are associated with the sun, but their more subtle vibrations associate the fruit with the lunar goddess energies as well, making them an especially suitable choice for a Beltane beverage base symbolic of the union between the Goddess and the God.
Ingredients:
- 9 lemons
- 1 gallon cold water
- 2 cups sugar
Cut lemons in half horizontally, then score the cut sides and squeeze out the juice. As you squeeze the juice from the lemons, contemplate the gifts that nature gives to us, the tremendous amount of energy poured into the earth by the Goddess and the God in order to make it bloom. Add the lemon juice to a gallon of cold water, then stir in sugar. Project your own feelings of love and gratitude into the lemonade as you stir in the sugar. Add a bit more sugar if it's not as sweet as you like. Serve over ice and enjoy.
There's a really cool craft in here for a wand... I'm allergic to pine so... it can be found in Beltane
Beltane Maypole
Maypoles have their roots in the early Germanic Paganism practiced throughout parts of Europe during the Iron Age and medieval periods. Their symbolism has been linked to the World Tree and the World Axis, but most commonly, the Maypole with its phallic shape is considered a symbol of fertility. While the Maypole tradition may have evolved from older practices of simply decorating the living trees at Beltane, at the time the tradition really took root in Europe, it was common for Maypoles to be made from a tree that had been cut down especially for the purpose. Men would head into the woods to seek the tallest tree for the Maypole well ahead of the actual celebration. Sometimes, the Yule tree was saved and recycled as the next year's Maypole.
The Maypoles were erected in public areas where the whole community could see them. The pole was originally decorated with garlands and wreaths of flowers and leaves, and later, colorful ribbons were added. Villager, especially young maidens, would dance around the Maypole in hopes of bringing fertility and good fortune to the community.
If you'd like to make your own Maypole this Beltane, go for it!
Instructions are lengthy and can be found in Beltane
Or you can opt for
Mini Maypole Centerpiece
This easy to make decoration will add a festive touch to a dining table or side table. All you'll need is a dish, some potpourri, a stick, some ribbon, a small hunk of modeling clay. To get started, find a smooth stick about seven to eight inches long. Wrap the stick with ribbon spiraling it around from top to bottom down the length of the stick and tying it at both ends to keep it in place. Next, tie several ribbons to the top of the stick so that you'll have a piece of ribbon trailing down each side. Put the base of the stick into a small hunk of modeling clay, then place this in the middle of the dish. Fill the dish with potpourri, arrange the ribbons around the sides, and your Beltane centerpiece is complete.
Further Reading
Online :)
And one more time for more readings and more info out of the book I use for this blog Beltane
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