Beltane

Mid-Spring - May 1st

Animals: Faeries, Giants, Goats, Honeybees, Pegasus, Rabbits, and Satyrs.
Colors: Green, Red and White/Silver.
Deities: Aphrodite, Apollo, Arianrhod, Ariel, Artemis, Astarte, Bacchus, Bel/Belanos, Cernunnos, Cupid/Eros, Diana, Faunus, Frey, Freya, The Horned God, Herne, Odin, Orion, Pan, Puck, Rhiannon, Robin Goodfellow, Shiela-na-gig, Skadi, Var, and Venus.
Flowers: Bluebells, Cinquefoil, Daisies, Hawthorn, Ivy, Lilac, Marigolds, Primrose, Roses, and Yellow Cowslip.
Food: Cakes, Dairy Foods, Egg Custard, Honey, Oats, Sweets of all Kinds, and Vanilla Ice Cream.
Herbs: Angelica, Frankincense, Rosemary, Satyrion Root, and Woodruff.
Incense: Lilac, Passionflower, Rose, and Vanilla.
Spell-workings: Conservation, Fertility, Love, Prosperity, Safety, Sexual Energy, and Wish Box Charm.
Special Activities: Dance around the Maypole, Flower Crowns, Gather Wild Herbs, and Jump the Bonfire.
Stones: Garnet, Emeralds, Malachite, Orange Carnelians, Rose Quartz, and Tourmaline.
Symbolism: The Great Wedding of the Goddess and the God.
Symbols: Burrowing Animals, Butter Churns, Chalices, Crossroads, Eggs, May Baskets, May Pole (the traditional full-size one is about 10 feet tall), and Springtime Flowers.
Trees: Almond, Ash, and Birch.

Many Wiccans and Pagans celebrate Beltane. This holiday incorporates traditions from the Gaelic Bealtaine, such as the bonfire, but it bears more relation to the Germanic May Day festival, both in its significance (focusing on fertility) and its rituals (such as May pole dancing). Some traditions celebrate this holiday on May 1st or May day, whiles others begin their celebration the eve before or April 30th.

Beltane has long been celebrated with feasts and rituals. The name means fire of Bel; Belinos being one name for the Sun God, whose coronation feast we now celebrate. As summer begins, weather becomes warmer, and the plant world blossoms, an exuberant mood prevails. In old Celtic traditions it was a time of unabashed sexuality and promiscuity where marriages of a year and a day could be undertaken but it is rarely observed in that manner in modern times.

In the old Celtic times, young people would spend the entire night in the woods "A-Maying," and then dance around the phallic Maypole the next morning. Older married couples were allowed to remove their wedding rings (and the restrictions they imply) for this one night. May morning is a magical time for wild water (dew, flowing streams, and springs) which is collected and used to bathe in for beauty, or to drink for health.

The May pole was a focal point of the old English village rituals. Many people would rise at the first light of dawn to go outdoors and gather flowers and branches to decorate their homes. Women traditionally would braid flowers into their hair. Men and women alike would decorate their bodies. Beltane marks the return of vitality, of passion. Ancient Pagan traditions say that Beltane marks the emergence of the young God into manhood. Stirred by the energies at work in nature, he desires the Goddess. They fall in love, lie among the grasses and blossoms, and unite. The Goddess becomes pregnant of the God. To celebrate, a wedding feast, for the God and Goddess must be prepared. Let Them guide you! Breads and cereals are popular. Try oatmeal cakes or cookies sweetened with a dab of honey. Dairy foods are again appropriate...just make a lovely wedding feast and you are sure to enjoy yourself! An early morning walk through a local park or forest could be fun for everyone. Gather up some plants or flowers to display in your home. Mom and daughter could braid their hair, and weave in a few tender blossoms.