Honouring the natural flow of the Earth and its cycles, Beltane, the fire festival celebrated around May 1st in the Northern hemisphere, marks the half-way point between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. When the Earth is fertile and spring is in full abundance.
Beltane is one of the eight sacred cycle celebrations of the year marking the transitions of the seasons: Imbolc, Spring Equinox, Beltane, Summer Solstice, Lughnasadh, Autumn Equinox, Sahmain, and Winter Solstice.
Beltane comes from the Gaelic word meaning “bright fire”. It’s about transformation, passion and the sacred spark of life itself.
Beltane, as a festival in the Celtic Wheel of the Year, was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. In Britain and Northern Europe it has merged into May Day.
At Beltane we can feel the bright fertile energy of spring, the days are getting warmer and longer, nature is colourful and abundant in Her beauty. A joyful time to come together and celebrate life.
It is a time, like Samhain, when the veils between worlds are thinner and at this time of the Earth cycle, we may contact deeper with fairy and nature spirits. It’s a time of fertility, bringing forth our passions, ushering new life and of the meeting of the God and the Goddess.
Beltane is also about keeping your heart open and recognising and celebrating love in all its forms. Other themes include sacred union, fertility, beauty and the balancing of opposites. And as a festival day at a time when the land is becoming ever more fertile and lush, it also has a quality of sensuality, reminding us to reconnect with and take care of our physical bodies.
Beltane, whose past and present significance is deeply steeped in ritual rites of sexuality and fertility, celebrates the height of spring, and the coming of summer, when the earth has warmed.
Deities associated with Beltane: Aphrodite, Artemis, Freya, Rhiannon, Apollo, Bel/Belnos, The Great Horned God, BÓand/Boann
Suggestions to do on Beltane –
Make a bonfire and dance around it
Dance around a maypole (symbolising fertility)
Take action on a project you are working on – the force of creation
Celebrate your own sensuality
Set aside time for self care
Gratitude journal
Make flower crowns
Dress in Green
Journal prompts
Ask, what brings your joy and inspires you right now?
What fills you with passion? And where can you devote your energy?
Are you in right relation to yourself, others and the Earth? If not, where needs adjusting?
Do you feel connected with your sexual energy? Do you connect with that side of your self? How can you connect more deeply with that part of you?
What parts of yourself do you feel most confident about? Where do you need to boost your self-confidence?
What intentions do you want to plant for the coming weeks & months? What do you hope to grow in your life? What do you want to harvest in the fall?
This post was written by Kim Booth
