May – About The Month & Events

May

Hare Moon

May is the fifth month of the year. Its astrological sign is Taurus, the bull (April 20 – May 21), a fixed earth sign ruled by Venus. The month is named for Ma’a, a Roman Goddess an Mother of the God Hermes. May is known as the Queen of Months. It is a month of lushness and beauty. The main holiday is May Day or Beltane. This Sabbat celebrates the sacred union of the Goddess and God. It is a celebration of growth and fertility. A traditional part of this holiday is the Maypole, usually a fir tree with the side branches removed – a symbol of fertility. Since growth is a theme of May, another central figure of the month is the Green Man, a male form covered with leaves and branches. He is an ancient nature spirit, who brings life to the fields and forests after the long winter. Flowers are popular during Beltane rites, which give May’s Full Moon its lovely name – the Flower Moon. Many flowers and trees that bloom this month are associated with magick. Lilacs were originally grown near the home to repel evil. Wild blue violets can be used in love magick. A streaming infusion made with dried dandelion root was used to contact spirits. The hawthorn tree is also associated with May folk magick. To make a wish come true, burn three hawthorn branches in a Beltane fire.

Events in May

May is National Brain Tumor Awareness Month.
April 29 to May 5 in Japan, which includes four different holidays, is called “Golden Week”. Many workers have up to 10 days off. There is also ‘May sickness’, where new students or workers start to be tired of their new routine. (In Japan the school year and fiscal year start on April 1.)
In the neopagan Wheel of the Year, May begins on Beltane in the northern hemisphere and Samhain in the southern hemisphere.
May 1 is the feast of St. Joseph the worker in the Roman Catholic calendar. In the Catholic Church the month of May is dedicated to and honors the Blessed Virgin Mary.
May 1 in the Irish calendar is Beltane (Bealtaine), the first day of Summer, and a public holiday is held on the first Monday in May.
May is the month of Music in New Zealand.
May 1 is May Day in many countries. This is also celebrated as Labor Day in many countries.
May 1 is May Day in the United Kingdom, however the public holiday is held on the first Monday in May.
The night before May 1 in Germany it is an old custom to plant a “Maypole” to honor someone. Often young men set up an adorned birch in front of their girlfriend’s house.
May 3 is when the Polish Constitution Day is celebrated in Poland.
May 3 is Japanese Constitution Day Japan
The first Saturday in May is the date of the annual Kentucky Derby, the most famous horse race in the United States.
May 4 is the day of Remembrance of the Dead in the Netherlands, commemorating all the casualties in military conflicts involving the Netherlands.
May 4 is Liberation Day in Denmark, celebrating the ending of the German occupation from April 9, 1940, to May 4, 1945.
May 5 is when Cinco de Mayo or the Batalla de Puebla is celebrated in Mexico. It is also celebrated widely in the United States.
May 5 is the Children’s Day in Japan and Korea
May 5 is Liberation Day in the Netherlands, celebrating the ending of the German occupation.
May 5 is Europe Day in Europe (uncommon usage, largely replaced by May 9).
May 8 is VE Day in Western Europe. In Eastern Europe it is celebrated on May 9.
May 9 is Europe Day in the European Union
May 10 is Golden Spike Day (1869 – Completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad – Promontory Summit, Utah)
May 10 is Mother’s Day in Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador.
May 12 is International Nurses Day.
May 12 is the day of the Finnish language in Finland.
May 12 is International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND). These diseases include Neurofibromatosis, Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS)/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Fibromyalgia, Gulf War Syndrome and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.
May 13 is when the Catholic Church honors the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima to the three children of Fatima, Portugal – May 13, 1917.
May 15 is the beginning of Tourette Syndrome awareness month. It ends on June 15th.
May 17 is Norwegian Constitution Day.
May 17 is Vesak full moon poya day(Buddhism’s Holiest Day, The day of birth, enlightenment (nirvāna), and passing away (Parinirvāna) of Gautama Buddha.
May 21 is when the Battle of Iquique (Combate Naval de Iquique) is celebrated in Chile, and it is a national holiday.
May 24 is when Eritrea celebrates its Independence Day (Independence from Ethiopia).
May 24 is when Molly Stevens was born in America.
May 24 is remembered and celebrated in Ecuador as the day of the Battle of Pichincha – May 24, 1823.
May 25 is the May Revolution (or Revolución de Mayo), a national holiday in Argentina.
May 25 is Towel Day, in tribute to Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
May 28 is Armenia’s first independence, from the Ottoman Empire;- May 28, 1918.

Under the French Ancien Régime, it was of habit to “plant a May” or a “tree of May” in the honor of somebody. The County of Nice saw girls and boys “turn the May” with the sound of fife and drum, i.e. to dance rounds of May around the tree of May planted on the place of the village.
The second Sunday in May is Mother’s Day in the United States.
Each year in May, the Eurovision Song Contest is held.
The Indianapolis 500 is held on the Sunday before Memorial Day.
Labor Day in Queensland, Australia, is celebrated on the first Monday in May.
In Canada, Victoria Day is celebrated on the last Monday on or before May 24.
The last Monday of May is Memorial Day in the United States, first celebrated on May 5, 1866, in Waterloo, New York.

Monthlong events in May

May is National Brain Tumor Awareness Month. (http://www.MilesForHope.org)
South Asian Heritage Month – celebration of Indian/South Asian peoples and peoples of Indian/South Asian descent worldwide
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month – celebration of Asian and Pacific Islanders in the United States.
Jewish American Heritage Month – celebration of Judaism in the United States.
Mental Health Awareness Month – raising awareness about mental illness in the United States.
National Military Appreciation Month – in the United States to recognize and honor the US Armed Forces.
Skin Cancer Awareness Month
May is traditionally devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Roman Catholic traditions. May crowning occurs in some locales at the beginning of the month.
In New Zealand, May is the New Zealand Music Month.
Older Americans Month in the United States, established by John F. Kennedy in 1963.
National Moving Month in the United States – recognizing America’s mobile roots and kicking off the busiest moving season of the year.
National Smile Month in the United Kingdom
Eurovision Song Contest.
May is National amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) Awareness Month in the United States.

Weeklong events in May

1st Week of May

New Zealand Sign Language Week happens once every year in May, Deaf Aotearoa New Zealand organises NZSL Week with over 500 events happening in New Zealand to help promote the language as well as raise awareness about New Zealand’s Deaf community.

2nd Week of May

Bike Week (Bicycle Week) is a yearly international event that advocates the importance of bicycling as a means of transportation. Bike Week takes place during the second week of May or June and is typically an entire week of city-wide cycling supplemented with events.

3rd Week in May

The League of American Bicyclists is promoting Bike-to-Work Week from May 16–20, 2011 and Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 20, 2011.

Last Week in May

ALIA celebrates Library and Information week in May. Events are organised by libraries around Australia to encourage people to use their local libraries. Children’s librarians hold a special event known as National Simultaneous Storytime, where public and school libraries read the same book, at 11 am EST, to children around Australia.

May moving events

Eastern Christianity celebrates Easter on a Sunday between April 4 and May 8.
On the full moon of May, Vesak is celebrated in many southeast Asian countries; it commemorates Siddhartha Gautama.
In Canada, Victoria Day is observed on the Monday on or before May 24. In Quebec, it is known as Patriots Day.

First or second Friday

In the United States, Military Spouse Day is observed on the Friday preceding Mother’s Day.

First Saturday

In Kentucky, United States, the Kentucky Derby

Second Sunday

Is Mother’s Day in Anguilla, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Croatia, Curaçao, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, Malta, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zimbabwe.

Second Saturday

World Fair Trade Day is celebrated.

Third Saturday

The Preakness Stakes is run, second jewel in the triple crown of horse racing.

Last Monday In the United States, Memorial Day, a public holiday, is on May 30, but observed on the last Monday in May.

Last Sunday

Is Mother’s Day in Algeria, Dominican Republic, France, Haiti, Mauritius, Morocco, Sweden, Tunisia.
Is Children’s Day in Hungary.

May symbols

May’s birthstone is the emerald which means love or success.
Its birth flower is the Lily of the Valley and the Crataegus monogyna.
The Zodiac signs for the month of May are Taurus and Gemini.

Fertility Deities of Beltane

By Patti Wigington

Beltane is a time of great fertility — for the earth itself, for animals, and of course for people as well. This season has been celebrated by cultures going back thousands of years, in a variety of ways, but nearly all shared the fertility aspect. Typically, this is a Sabbat to celebrate gods of the hunt or of the forest, and goddesses of passion and motherhood, as well as agricultural deities. Here are a list of gods and goddesses that can be honored as part of your tradition’s Beltane rituals.

Artemis (Greek): The moon goddess Artemis was associated with the hunt, and was seen as a goddess of forests and hillsides. This pastoral connection made her a part of spring celebrations in later periods.
Bes (Egyptian): Worshipped in later dynasties, Bes was a household protection god, and watched over mothers and young children. He and his wife, Beset, were paired up in rituals to cure problems with infertility.
Bacchus (Roman): Considered the equivalent of Greek god Dionysus, Bacchus was the party god — grapes, wine, and general debauchery were his domain. In March each year, Roman women could attend secret ceremonies called the bacchanalia, and he is associated with sexual free-for-alls and fertility.
Flora (Roman): This goddess of spring and flowers had her own festival, Floralia, which was celebrated every year between April 28 to May 3. Romans dressed in bright robes and floral wreaths, and attended theater performances and outdoor shows. Offerings of milk and honey were made to the goddess.
Hera (Greek): This goddess of marriage was the equivalent of the Roman Juno, and took it upon herself to bestow good tidings to new brides. A maiden about to marry could make offerings to Hera, in the hopes that she would bless the marriage with fertility. In her earliest forms, she appears to have been a nature goddess, who presides over wildlife and nurses the young animals which she holds in her arms.
Kokopelli (Hopi): This flute-playing, dancing spring god carries unborn children upon his own back, and then passes them out to fertile women. In the Hopi culture, he is part of rites that relate to marriage and childbearing, as well as the reproductive abilities of animals. Often portrayed with rams and stags, symbolic of his fertility, Kokopelli occasionally is seen with his consort, Kokopelmana.
Pan (Greek): This agricultural god watched over shepherds and their flocks. He was a rustic sort of god, spending lots of time roaming the woods and pastures, hunting and playing music on his flute. Pan is typically portrayed as having the hindquarters and horns of a goat, similar to a faun. Because of his connection to fields and the forest, he is often honored as a spring fertility god.
Priapus (Greek): This fairly minor rural god has one giant claim to fame — his permanently erect and enormous phallus. The son of Aphrodite by Dionysus (or possibly Zeus, depending on the source), Priapus was mostly worshipped in homes rather than in an organized cult. Despite his constant lust, most stories portray him as sexually frustrated, or even impotent. However, in agricultural areas he was still regarded as a god of fertility, and at one point he was considered a protective god, who threatened sexual violence against anyone — male or female — who transgressed the boundaries he guarded.
Shiela-na-Gig (Celtic): Although the Sheela-na-Gig is technically the name applied to the carvings of women with exaggerated vulvas that have been found in Ireland and England, there’s a theory that the carvings are representative of a lost pre-Christian goddess. Typically, the Sheela-na-Gig adorns buildings in areas of Ireland that were part of the Anglo-Norman conquests in the 12th century. She is shown as a homely woman with a giant yoni, which is spread wide to accept the seed of the male. Folkloric evidence indicates that the figures are theory that the figures were part of a fertility rite, similar to “birthing stones”, which were used to bring on conception.
Xochiquetzal (Aztec): This fertility goddess was associated with spring, and represented not only flowers but the fruits of life and abundance. She was also the patron goddess of prostitutes and craftsmen

Setting Up Your Beltane Altar – What To Include on Your Beltane Altar

By Patti Wigington

It’s Beltane, the Sabbat where many Wiccans and Pagans choose to celebrate the fertility of the earth. This Sabbat is about new life, fire, passion and rebirth, so there are all kinds of creative ways you can set up for the season. Depending on how much space you have, you can try some or even all of these ideas — obviously, someone using a bookshelf as an altar will have less flexibility than someone using a table, but use what calls to you most.

Colors of the Season

This is a time when the earth is lush and green as new grass and trees return to life after a winter of dormancy. Use lots of greens, as well as bright spring colors — the yellow of the daffodils, forsythia and dandelions; the purples of the lilac; the blue of a spring sky or a robin’s egg. Decorate your altar with any or all of these colors in your altar cloths, candles, or colored ribbons.

Fertility Symbols

The Beltane holiday is the time when, in some traditions, the male energy of the god is at its most potent. He is often portrayed with a large and erect phallus, and other symbols of his fertility include antlers, sticks, acorns, and seeds. You can include any of these on your altar. Consider adding a small Maypole centerpiece — there are few things more phallic than a pole sticking up out of the ground!

In addition to the lusty attributes of the god, the fertile womb of the goddess is honored at Beltane as well. She is the earth, warm and inviting, waiting for seeds to grow within her. Add a goddess symbol, such as a statue, cauldron, cup, or other feminine items. Any circular item, such as a wreath or ring, can be used to represent the goddess as well.

Flowers and Faeries

Beltane is the time when the earth is greening once again — as new life returns, flowers are abundant everywhere. Add a collection of early spring flowers to your altar — daffodils, hyacinths, forsythia, daisies, tulips — or consider making a floral crown to wear yourself. You may even want to pot some flowers or herbs as part of your Sabbat ritual.

In some cultures, Beltane is sacred to the Fae. If you follow a tradition that honors the Faerie realm, leave offerings on your altar for your household helpers.

Fire Festival

Because Beltane is one of the four fire festivals in modern Pagan traditions, find a way to incorporate fire into your altar setup. Although one popular custom is to hold a bonfire outside, that may not be practical for everyone, so instead it can be in the form of candles (the more the better), or a table-top brazier of some sort. A small cast-iron cauldron placed on a heat-resistant tile makes a great place to build an indoor fire.

Other Symbols of Beltane

May baskets
Chalices
Honey, oats, milk
Antlers or horns
Fruit such as cherries, mangos, pomegranates, peaches
Swords, lances, arrows

Legends and Lore of Beltane

By Patti Wigington

In many cultures, there are different legends and lore surrounding Beltane. Here are a few of the stories about this magical spring celebration.

Like Samhain, the holiday of Beltane is a time when the veil between the worlds is thin. Some traditions believe that this is a good time to contact the spirits, or to interact with the Fae. Be careful, though — if you visit the Faerie Realm, don’t eat the food, our you’ll be trapped there, much like Thomas the Rhymer was!
Some Irish dairy farmers hang a garland of green boughs over their door at Beltane. This will bring them great milk production from their cows during the coming summer. Also, driving your cattle between two Beltane bonfires helps protect your livestock from disease.
The pious Puritans were outraged by the debauchery of Beltane celebrations. In fact, they made Maypoles illegal the mid 1600’s, and tried to put a halt to the “greenwood marriages” that frequently took place on May Eve. One pastor wrote that if “tenne maiden went to set (celebrate) May, nine of them came home gotten with childe.”
According to a legend in parts of Wales and England, women who are trying to conceive should go out on May Eve — the last night of April — and find a “birthing stone”, which is a large rock formation with a hole in the center. Walk through the hole, and you will conceive a child that night. If there is nothing like this near you, find a small stone with a hole in the center, and drive a branch of oak or other wood through the hole — place this charm under your bed to make you fertile.
If you go out at sunrise on Beltane, take a bowl or jar to gather morning dew. Use the dew to wash your face, and you’re guaranteed a perfect complexion. You can also use the dew in ritual as consecrated water, particularly in rituals related to the moon or the goddess Diana or her counterpart, Artemis.
In the Irish Book of Invasions, it was on Beltane that Patholan, the first settler, arrived on Ireland’s shores. May Day was also the date of the defeat of the Tuatha de Danaan by Amergin and the Milesians.
Babies conceived at Beltane are considered a gift from the gods. They were sometimes referred to as “merry-begots”, because the mothers were impregnated during Beltane’s merrymaking.
In Cornwall, it’s traditional to decorate your door on May Day with boughs of hawthorn and sycamore.
Eating a special oatcake called a bannock or a Beltane cake ensured Scottish farmers abundance of their crops for the year. The cakes were baked the night before, and roasted in embers on a stone.

Beltane History – Celebrating May Day

By Patti Wigington

The Fires of Tara:

Beltane kicks off the merry month of May, and has a long history. This fire festival is celebrated on May 1 with bonfires, Maypoles, dancing, and lots of good old fashioned sexual energy. The Celts honored the fertility of the gods with gifts and offerings, sometimes including animal or human sacrifice. Cattle were driven through the smoke of the balefires, and blessed with health and fertility for the coming year. In Ireland, the fires of Tara were the first ones lit every year at Beltane, and all other fires were lit with a flame from Tara.

Roman Influences:

The Romans, always known for celebrating holidays in a big way, spent the first day of May paying tribute to their Lares, the gods of their household. They also celebrated the Floralia, or festival of flowers, which consisted of three days of unbridled sexual activity. Participants wore flowers in their hair (much like May Day celebrants later on), and there were plays, songs, and dances. At the end of the festivities, animals were set loose inside the Circus Maximus, and beans were scattered around to ensure fertility. The fire festival of Bona Dea was also celebrated on May 2nd.

A Pagan Martyr:

May 6 is the day of Eyvind Kelve in Norse celebrations. Eyvind Kelve was a pagan martyr who was tortured and drowned on the orders of King Olaf Tryggvason for refusing to give up his pagan beliefs. A week later, Norwegians celebrate the Festival of the Midnight Sun, which pays tribute to the Norse sun goddess. This festival marks the beginning of ten straight weeks without darkness.

The Greeks and Plynteria:

Also in May, the Greeks celebrated the Plynteria in honor of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and battle, and the patroness of the city of Athens (which was named after her). The Plynteria includes the ritual cleansing of Athena’s statue, along with feasting and prayers in the Parthenon. On the 24th, homage is paid to the Greek moon-goddess Artemis (goddess of the hunt and of wild animals). Artemis is a lunar goddess, equivalent to the Roman moon-goddess Diana – she is also identified with Luna, and Hecate.

The Green Man Emerges:

A number of pre-Christian figures are associated with the month of May, and subsequently Beltane. The entity known as the Green Man, strongly related to Cernunnos, is often found in the legends and lore of the British Isles, and is a masculine face covered in leaves and shrubbery. In some parts of England, a Green Man is carried through town in a wicker cage as the townsfolk welcome the beginning of summer. Impressions of the Green Man’s face can be found in the ornamentation of many of Europe’s older cathedrals, despite edicts from local bishops forbidding stonemasons from including such pagan imagery.

Jack-in-the-Green:

A related character is Jack-in-the-Green, a spirit of the greenwood. References to Jack appear in British literature back as far as the late sixteenth century. Sir James Frazer associates the figure with mummers and the celebration of the life force of trees. Jack-in-the-Green was seen even in the Victorian era, when he was associated with soot-faced chimney sweeps. At this time, Jack was framed in a structure of wicker and covered with leaves, and surrounded by Morris dancers. Some scholars suggest that Jack may have been a ancestor to the legend of Robin Hood.

Ancient Symbols, Modern Rites:

Today’s Pagans and Wiccans celebrate Beltane much like their ancestors did. A Beltane ritual usually involves lots of fertility symbols, including the obviously-phallic Maypole dance. The Maypole is a tall pole decorated with flowers and hanging ribbons, which are woven into intricate pattern by a group of dancers. Weaving in and out, the ribbons are eventually knotted together by the time the dancers reach the end.

In some Wiccan traditions, Beltane is a day in which the May Queen and the Queen of Winter battle one another for supremacy. In this rite, borrowed from practices on the Isle of Man, each queen has a band of supporters. On the morning of May 1, the two companies battle it out, ultimately trying to win victory for their queen. If the May Queen is captured by her enemies, she must be ransomed before her followers can get her back.

There are some who believe Beltane is a time for the faeries — the appearance of flowers around this time of year heralds the beginning of summer and shows us that the fae are hard at work. In early folklore, to enter the realm of faeries is a dangerous step — and yet the more helpful deeds of the fae should always be acknowledged and appreciated. If you believe in faeries, Beltane is a good time to leave out food and other treats for them in your garden or yard.

For many contemporary Pagans, Beltane is a time for planting and sowing of seeds — again, the fertility theme appears. The buds and flowers of early May bring to mind the endless cycle of birth, growth, death and rebirth that we see in the earth. Certain trees are associated with May Day, such as the Ash, Oak and Hawthorn. In Norse legend, the god Odin hung from an Ash tree for nine days, and it later became known as the World Tree, Yggdrasil.

If you’ve been wanting to bring abundance and fertility of any sort into your life — whether you’re looking to concieve a child, enjoy fruitfulness in your career or creative endeavors, or just see your garden bloom — Beltane is the perfect time for magical workings related to any type of prosperity.

Calendar of the Sun for Monday, April 30

Calendar of the Sun
30 Eostremonath

Walpurgisnacht Day VIII – May Eve

Color: Black
Element: Air
Altar: Upon a black cloth lay eight candles, with a ninth one for Odhinn’s nine days, a figure of the World Tree, two nails, sterile needles, a sterile blade, a marker, and all the runes.
Offerings: Pain. Blood.
Daily Meal: Fasting again, from the night before to this day’s Hesperis.

Walpurgisnacht Invocation VIII

Great Odhinn, half-blind and limping,
Worn through by his travels,
Came before the Norns, the three Fates,
Urd the elder, grey and wrinkled as stone,
Pulling the threads of life from her long white hair
And spinning them fine and strong,
Verdandi the weaver, fair and brilliant,
On her loom of many colors,
And Skuld the dark maiden in armor
On her great black horse,
With her blade that slashes life away.
And Odhinn said to them, Give me magic,
That I may have understanding of all things,
That I may work great wights of power,
That my knowledge shall grow.
The Norns said unto him, What price
Shall you pay for this knowledge, O Odhinn,
Once King of Asgard, once keeper of Valhalla,
Once Lord of the Aesir, All-Father of the Gods,
Now a one-eyed, limping beggar on the road
With no home before you and no home behind you,
With dirt on your hands and dust in your mouth,
And the birds of ill omen flying about you,
What price will you pay for this wisdom?
Would you be wounded even unto the death?
And Odhinn said, I will pay any price you ask,
O givers of Fate whom all must obey.
I do surrender myself into your hands.
And so the Norns took Odhinn’s body,
And brought it to the great World Tree,
Yggdrasil, on which lie all the Nine Worlds,
And they nailed him to the tree,
Crucified him onto the great ash
And left him there to live or die.
And Odhinn’s blood ran down the tree
In rivers, and they gathered it
Like fine red thread, and spun his Wyrd,
And wove it into tapestry, and stood ready to cut it
Should he fail in his quest.
Odhinn hung on that windswept tree
For nine days and nine nights,
And the worlds whirled by him
And the blood ran down him
And the hail pelted him like knives.
And in the moment before he died,
His vision cleared, and he saw before him
All the runes, their magic, their wisdom,
And he seized them, crying out,
And fell from Yggdrasil’s arms
Back onto Midgard’s hands,
And opened his eyes into a new dawn,
And it was Spring in the world,
And the time of renewal was upon it,
So Odhinn rose to his weary feet
And found that the path before him
Led him in only one direction,
And that was home.

Chant:
Cauldron of Changes
Blossom of Bone
Arc of Eternity
Hole in the Stone

(Each member comes forth one at a time, and one who has been chosen to do the work of the ritual takes a sterile needle and pricks their finger, and each leaves blood upon the figure of the World Tree as a sacrifice. Then each closes their eyes and takes blindly a rune from the altar, and a message from Odhinn shall be seen therein. That rune should be then drawn upon their flesh, in marker for those who have not the courage to bleed more, and cut lightly with a blade for those who would know more of Odhinn’s sacrifice. Great care should be taken that the cuts do not get infected, as that would be a poor omen. There should be silence until Hesperis, and then release from silence, as the time of Beltane will begin.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Beltane – Celebrating the Goddess Flora of Springtime and the May Queen

Beltane – Celebrating the Goddess Flora of Springtime and the May Queen
In the month of May, Spring is in full bloom and at its height. The flowers are a beautiful palette of vivid colors blossoming everywhere and the trees are abundant in their greenery. The Earth feels fully alive and vibrantly awake after the deep, long, grey slumber of Winter. Birds sing messages of joy and hope as the sun rises each morning and a new day begins to unfold. Life is flowering and lush.
The Roman Springtime Goddess Flora, the Goddess of Spring and Flowers, puts on her floral rainbow dress and her crown of flowers. She dances under the blue skies and greets the sun as the May Queen.

May 1 begins with the pagan sabbat Beltane. This day celebrates love, fertility, sensuality, sexuality, abundance, beauty, growth, awakening, and all the signs that summer is coming as the days grow lighter and warmer. To honor and celebrate the Goddess of Springtime Flora, the Queen of May and her within your self there are many simple ways to do this during Beltane and the beautiful month of May.

Some ideas are:
*Create a crown of flowers from wild flowers outdoors or from your garden and crown yourself the May Queen. Celebrate yourself as the Queen of Spring.

*Spend time walking in nature connecting to the beauty of Springs full abundance. Go to your local park, garden, or take a hike.

*If you have a garden this is a great time to spend connecting with your plants and flowers as well as blessing you garden on Beltane.

*Pick some flowers and make a May Basket from paper in the shape of a cone to place them in. Give this as a gift to someone you love or decorate your home with it bringing Springtime indoors with the lovely scent of flowers.

*Decorate your home with flowers and greens inside and out.

*If you are an artist take your sketchbook or paint outdoors and draw and paint the flowers and trees blossoming around you. Capture the beauty of the Goddess on paper.

*If you like to write take your journal outdoors and write about your experience in the beautiful Spring weather or write a poem that honors the season and the Goddess Flora and May Queen.

*Dress up in many bright Spring colors as Flora the Spring Goddess and May Queen. Feel your own beauty within manifested in your dress. Celebrate the beauty and sensuality of yourself.

*Think of ways to connect to the sensuality of the Spring season through all your senses-smell, taste, sight, touch, and sound.

*Enjoy your own sensuality and sexuality with yourself or a lover. Honor your body as the Goddess and Queen.

*Have a Spring picnic outdoors. Bring a blanket, picnic basket, and sit on the grass. Make it a May Feast to celebrate the Goddess and Queen within yourself. Invite others and have a Beltane celebration. Buy local Spring foods to share such as berries and honey.

*Contemplate what ways you would like to blossom full this Spring from now until the Summer Solstice and the sabbat Litha. What would you like to grow and bloom more?

*Think of ways to nurture and be self loving everyday in the month of May. Allow new habits to grow and flourish as you treat yourself like the May Queen and Goddess Flora of Springtime.

*Create a ritual to honor the Goddess Flora and connect to beauty, love, sensuality, growth and the abundance of Spring.

May 1, 2012 [Beltane]

Belatian, also spelled Beltine, Iris Beltaine or Beltaine and Cetamainalso is one of the 8 sacred Sabbats of the Pagans. This festival is held on the first day of May in Ireland and Scotland. Beltane was first mentioned in a glossary to Cormac, bishop of Cashel and King of Munstern, who was killed in 908. Cormac describes how cattle were driven between two bonfires on Beltaine as a magical means of protecting them from disease before they were led into summer pastures. This custom is still observed in Ireland.

Beltane was started to celebrate and Bless the seeds and make happy that winter is over and spring is here. Beltain celebrations and rituals are a fact and still celebrated by Pagans and Wiccans to this very day. The other side of the Beltane is celebrated by Christianity as Maypole day with dancing around the pole. Beltain is a fire ritual/celebration and is celebrated around a bonfire. Dancing and singing go all night long and in the morning, flowers were gathered to make wreaths for the hair.

Beltane is the last of the 3 celebration Sabbaths celebrated by the Ancients and it heralded the beginning of summer. Food supplies were low, people were depressed from the drab cold days of winter and this made Beltane celebration very special. Facts and myths blend together during these celebrations.

May was not an ideal time for the ancients for marriage, thus the year and a day was begun for hand fasting couples. This was considered a trial time for couples, living together before making the marriage legal. So it seems to me the Ancients knew living together and knowing one another before actually marrying made more sense than marring then divorce.

Water was another important aspect of the Beltane celebration. Myths surround the usage of water at this time also. It is said that if you bathe in the dew gathered before dawn on Beltane, your beauty will flourish all year. Those sprinkled with May dew are insured if health and happiness. Other customs such as drinking from a well before sunrise will insure good heath and fortune.

The main color of Beltane is green representing growth, abundance, plentiful harvest, fertility and luck. The use of other colors in Beltane celebrations as well as the whole month of may are used, whites, yellows, pinks, reds, violets and purples representing cleansings, purity, good fortune, fertility, happiness and wealth. So no matter how you choose to celebrate Beltane, rather it be a ritual, dancing around the fire or Maypole, singing and eating natures produce, its a time for happiness and joy to be alive and one with the Goddess. Blessed BeÂ…Â…

References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltane

Beltane

by Lila

Gather Round the Maypole Friends

Twist and Turn and Back Again

Dancing, Laughing, Joyful Glee

Now pair off lovers, Secretly

In Love’s embrace

The Goddess Grace

The May Queen and Consort Lay

Entangled Limbs on this Sweet Day

Gather Round the Maypole Friends

Twist and Turn and Back Again

The Lovers Rest in Quiet Heaps

In Fall the Bountiful Harvest Reaps

The ancient Celts called this holiday Beltane and began celebrating at sunset on April 30th. It marked the beginning of summer, the time to move with the flocks up to the summer pastures. Other names for May Day include: Cetsamhain (‘opposite Samhain’), Walpurgisnacht (in Germany), and Roodmas.

In Germany, April 30th is Walpurgisnacht, the night when it was believed that witches flew on their brooms to mountaintop gatherings where they danced all night around bonfires. Like Halloween, this is a night when witches, fairies and ghosts wander freely. The veil between the worlds is thin. The Queen of the Fairies rides out on a snow-white horse, looking for mortals to lure away to Fairyland for seven years. Folklore says that if you sit beneath a tree on this night, you will see Her or hear the sound of Her horse’s bells as She rides by. If you hide your face, She will pass you by but if you look at Her, She may choose you.

Many May Day customs involve flowers and green branches. Flowers are woven into wreaths to exchange as gifts between lovers or to hang on doors as decoration. Hawthorn is particularly auspicious since it begins blooming when the weather is warm enough for planting. Anyone who went out into the woods and found a branch of flowering hawthorn would bring it triumphantly into the village and announcing the start of planting season. However there were warnings about bringing hawthorn into the house, since it would invite the fairies in.

The Maypole is a symbol with many meanings. Often celebrated as and considered a phallic symbol, it also resembles the garlanded trees associated with moon goddesses. In the Phrygian rites of Attis, celebrated around the spring equinox, a fir tree was chopped down, wrapped in a shroud and placed in a tomb. Resurrected three days later, it was decorated and danced around. In some places, May Day ceremonies took place beneath a sacred tree, which was not uprooted. These trees represented the world-tree, the axis between heaven and earth. The Maypole dance is a round dance of alternating male and female dancers, weaving in and out, plaiting ribbons as they go. Maypole dances fulfilled social and sacred functions. They helped people flirt and mingle socially and they also raised energy.

Bring the May into your life by bringing home green branches, flowers and branches of flowering trees. Transform your house into a bower by making a wreath to hang on the door or to crown your version of the Goddess. This is a time for giving gifts. Gather flowers with special messages for friends and relatives. Make up your own explanation of the meaning of each flower and give it along with the bouquet. For friends at a distance, send pressed flowers or May Day cards or packets of flower seeds.

If you can, stay up all night, preferably outdoors. At least go for a walk in the night on April 30th and listen for the bells that herald the approach of the Fairy Queen. And you can run around, under cover of darkness, leaving May baskets of flowers on doorsteps. On the first of May, wear your most colourful clothes or dress all in green (the colour of the fairies). Consider wearing a flower in your hair.

Treat yourself like a Goddess. Take a long luxurious bath in scented water. Anoint yourself with oils. Crown yourself with flowers. Indulge yourself. Sip your May wine. Honor your sexual choices. In your journal, recall the times when sex was magical, when you felt alluring or you fell in love. Write about smoldering glances, the times your body caught fire, the sweetness of a first kiss or caress. If you have a partner, celebrate sex as a sacred activity. Make the time you spend together and the space you inhabit special. Light candles or strew the bed with rose petals. Notice how your lover represents the God or Goddess to you. This is the time to celebrate attraction and pleasure.

Dancing May Day Through History

by Jon Bergeon

As the sun set, the hilltops became alive with fire. The warm spring air filtered gently through the trees and caressed the lush green landscape as a blanket of night fell over the land. Happiness, hope and passion filled the night as the people danced and celebrated this sacred time, taking time to explore the forests, meadows and even each other.

This night, known as Beltaine, has been celebrated in many cultures and in many different ways. Today, it remains as one of the two most important holidays to modern pagans, the other being Samhain.

Also known as May Day or May Eve, Beltaine falls on the first evening of May, or on the last evening of April, as people once considered that the beginning of a new day occurred at dusk. Beltaine, a fertility Sabbat, marks the last day of the planting season, once a very important time before the advent of modern conveniences and inconveniences. Beltaine also celebrates life and renewal and a time of hope; from this time, things started would tend toward their fruition.

Among the customs of Beltaine, two stand out the most. These are the bonfire, also called the balefire, and the ever popular Maypole.

The balefire played such an important role that not only did certain rules cover its making and uses, but a law was even passed in ancient Ireland making it illegal for anyone to light a balefire until the king first did so himself. One of the balefire’s purposes was purification, a practice used for ages to remove negative energies such as disease and physical impurities and replace them with positive energies. In magickal work, purification mostly takes place between the act of banishment and the act of consecration, being a lesser form of each (though playing an important part connecting the two, which some modern practitioners of the magickal arts seem to overlook nowadays).

One of the many things that underwent balefire purifications was cattle, which were often led through the balefire’s smoke. Cattle held a very important place in those days, not only as food, clothing and whatever else can be made out of a cow, but also as a source of wealth and status. Irish sagas such as the “Tian Bo Cuailgne” demonstrate the important place of cattle. In this tale, the province of Connacht, led by Queen Maeve, goes to war with the province of Ulster, under the leadership of the unsuspecting Cuchulain, the only one able to defend his land as every other adult male in Connacht was undergoing labor pains (don’t ask, just read the story). The war, as it was, raged over a single bull, known as the Brown Bull of Quelgny. Odin’s runes also demonstrate the important role cattle once played in ancient society, which can be seen in the first rune of the aettir, Fehu or Fe, which literally translates as cattle but also symbolizes wealth.

Besides purifying, the balefire also consecrated. A couple who planned to marry on May Eve would jump over through the flames of the bonfire to seal their vows and consecrate the union (not to be confused with consummating the union, which did not take place over or in the fire). How it was regarded if the bride or groom burst into flames I don’t know; the interpretation was probably left to the officiating party.

In addition to the purifying and consecrating properties of the bonfires of May Eve, they served also as a method of insurance, allowing a family or way of life to continue. Traditionally, this was achieved by bringing glowing embers of the balefire into the house, where they would be used in blessings to bring joy and happiness to the family that resided there. The ashes were then taken to the fields, where they would be scattered about, thereby blessing the future crops. Such a blessing works magickally through a quality known as “inherent virtue,” where the properties of a known positive thing are applied to another to obtain a positive result. The result was a better crop yield, at least partly because the ashes made a fine growth supplement due to the nitrogen content of the ash.

Another belief behind the balefires concerned the inhabitants of the underworld, or the world of faery. Folk of ancient Europe once believed, and pagans of the faery faiths may still believe today, that the faery folk could not create fire and had to rely on humans to do it for them. Once the fire began, the faery would then cart coals off to the underworld, where they would be tended and nurtured by the inhabitants.

The holiday of Beltaine didn’t only serve as a fertility Sabbat, as it is commonly known today, but also as a time when the dead came out of the underworld to join the living, as on Samhain. At least, so believed the ancient Teutonic peoples, and without doubt also the modern practitioners of the Northern Mysteries. On Beltaine, the living invited deceased friends and relatives to warm themselves by the fireside and toast to a glorious past.

The other outstanding Beltaine tradition, the Maypole, still survives to this day. The Maypole dance is a fertility rite, which is made obvious by the symbolism of the pole itself, which sticks straight up out of the ground in phallic fashion. To the top of the pole are attached an even number of ribbons of varying color. The dancers, which usually consist of an equal number of males and females, hold high their arms, and with a ribbon in one hand circle the pole counter to the dancers next to them, weaving in and out and wrapping the ribbons down the length of the pole. Once done, the dancers turn, changing direction and unwrapping the ribbons.

The Maypole usually consists of a tall straight tree stripped of its branches. For this purpose, the pine is an excellent choice, though some consider the birch even better due to its qualities as a tree of birth and rebirth. These qualities can be seen in the rune Beorc or Birkana and the first letter of the Celtic Ogham alphabet, Beithe, which both represent the birch tree and the energy of birth and rebirth. However, the Maypole need not be made out of either pine or birch; it can be made out of any pole or beam planted in the ground.

Another Beltaine custom was the activity of going “a-Maying,” usually enjoyed by the young folk. Going a-Maying usually consisted of people going into the forest together looking for the blossoms of the hawthorn tree. The hawthorn, a sacred tree, had protective energies, but only on this night could one take branches and blossoms from the tree. The ancients also believed that sitting beneath a hawthorn on May Eve could result in the unfortunate sitter being abducted to the underworld. Fortunately, this event doesn’t appear to happen often, as I have been to the hawthorn on this day to collect wood for an amulet and was spared the experience. The hawthorn was not the only thing deflowered while a-Maying; those gone a-Maying into the forests and other secluded spots also took time to collect on their natural urges.

Once flowers were gathered, the gatherers created from them wreaths and garlands. These were brought back to decorate, bless and protect houses and people.

Flowers also figured in another May custom, that of the May King and his triumph over the winter. Until relatively recently in Sweden, the May King would parade down a town street, dressed head to toe in flowers, with a man dressed in furs. The man in the furs was the personification of winter, and this was his time to go. During the procession, the May King accosted the man in furs, pelting him with flowers, thereby driving him off. The May King, victorious, then began his reign.

Beltaine has many customs, many more even than I have mentioned. It is a holiday worth celebrating, a time of renewal and rebirth when the skins and troubles of the winter, both in the world and in ourselves, may be shed. At Beltaine, we can nurture new ideas and grow as individuals and as a community.

May Eve has survived for many, many years and shall continue to survive for many, many more. Through these years, we can expect a change in the customs, but never in the idea of hope and rebirth.

About Beltaine

a guide to the symbolism
of the Wiccan Sabbat

by Arwynn MacFeylynnd

Date: April 30, May 1, or the Full Moon in Taurus, depending on your tradition.

Alternative names: Bealtaine (Irish Wittan), Bealtinne (Caledonii or the Druids), Celtic Summer, Floralia, Giamonios, the Great Rite, La Giornata di Tana or Tana’s Day (Aridian Strega), May Day, May Eve, Roodmas, Rudemas (Mexican Craft), Samhradh and La Baal Tinne (Faery Wicca), Walburga (Teutonic), Walpurgis Eve, Walpurgisnacht (German) and Whitsun or Old Bhealltainn (Scottish PectiWita).

Primary meanings: Beltaine honors the union of the God and Goddess and the beginning of the fertile Goddess’s reign. We see Her power in the flowering plants and warm days. This day marks the emergence of the God into manhood. The Goddess and the God unite, and the Goddess becomes pregnant. Flowers and greenery symbolize the Goddess, the Maypole the God.

Symbols: Many pagans represent Beltaine with fresh flowers all around and a cauldron filled with flowers. All of the following flowers are symbolic of Beltaine: roses, bluebells, marigolds, daisies, primroses and lilac. Mirrors are also appropriate. Altar decorations may also include a small Maypole or phallic-shaped candle and a daisy chain. Plaiting and weaving straw, creating in wicker and making baskets and fabrics are traditional arts. Other symbols are the traditional full-sized Maypole (about 10 feet tall), May baskets, crossroads, eggs, butter churns and chalices.

Colors: White and dark green particularly, also all colors of the rainbow.

Gemstones: Sapphires, bloodstones, emeralds, orange carnelians and rose quartz.

Herbs: Almond, angelica, ash trees, birch trees, bluebells, cinquefoil, daisies, frankincense, hawthorn, ivy, lilac, marigolds, primroses, rosemary, roses, satyrion root, woodruff and yellow cowslip.

Gods and goddesses: All virgin-mother goddesses, all young father gods and all gods and goddesses of the hunt, of love and of fertility. Some Beltaine goddesses to mention by name include Aphrodite, Arianrhod, Ariel, Artemis, Astarte, Cybele, Diana, Freya, Rhiannon, Shiela-na-gig, Skadi, Var, Venus and Xochiquetzal. Beltaine gods include Apollo, Bacchus, Bel/Belanos, Cernunnos, Cupid/Eros, Faunus, Frey, the Great Horned God, Herne, Odin, Orion, Pan, Puck and Robin Goodfellow.

Customs and myths: Wrapping the Maypole is a Beltaine tradition. In the old days, the Maypole was often made from a communal pine tree decorated at Yule, with most branches removed for Beltaine. In some traditions, the ribbons around the top are red and white; the white can represent the Virgin Goddess and the red the Sun God, or the white the Maiden and the red the Mother. The participants dance around the Maypole with the ribbons — the males holding the red and the females holding the white. As they dance, they intertwine the ribbons to form a symbolic birth canal around the phallic pole, representing the union of the Goddess and God. Many Wiccans choose this time to perform their own handfastings; others hold that the Goddess frowns on marriage in this month. Another great choice would be the next Sabbat at the Summer Solstice.

The Great Rite, jumping the balefire, blowing horns and gathering flowers are other Beltaine traditions. Solitary practitioners might weave ribbons as an alternative to dancing around the Maypole. It is considered taboo to give away fire or food on this day.

Beltane Poem

Beltane Poem
A poem by Morgana

Hilltop fires glowing bright
Calling in the Beltane Night.
Gleeful youths, barefoot tread
Along the paths the ancients led
Laughing, singing, loving free
They land beneath the Elder Trees
The Fae look on, then join the sight
Dancing gaily through the night.
King and Queen, young and old
None left standing in the cold
Rich or poor, all join the frey
Bringing in the Beltane Day.

About The Author: Morgana is an Ordained Minister, High Priestess, and Founder of The Daughters of the Greening, a sister branch and affiliate of the Order of The White Moon.

Beltane Garden Blessing

Beltane Garden Blessing
By Morgana

Beltane, often called May Day, is a time of fertility, merry-making and joy. The Fae are very active on this day as the Earth is blooming anew, bringing forth new life. All around, sexuality is in the air. Animals mating, birds building nests, flowers blooming.
For the Celts, Beltane began on April 30th at sundown. Fires were lit on the hillside made from sacred wood, couples went into the woods and made love rejoicing in the fertility of the Earth. Many customs surround this day, including the Maypole, May baskets, walking the boundaries of your land and the blessing of gardens.
Here is a blessing that I use each year on my gardens that hasnt failed me yet!!

You will need:
Cornmeal (representing the God)
Moon Water (representing the Goddess. Recipe follows)

Stand before your garden, freshly plowed or planted. Raise your hands in the air and say:

“Lady and Lord of the Green, I thank you for the renewed life all around me and I ask that you extend this blessing to my little patch of earth that I tend.”

Go to the center of the garden and pour alittle of the moon water and a pinch of the cornmeal.

Go to the East Corner of the garden. Thank the spirits of Air for watching over the garden and guarding it, for circulating freely and blessing. Say:

“The sun kisses the earth, and earth brings forth life. Blessed Be, Great Ones.”

Pour a bit of moon water and a pinch of cornmeal in the East. Next go to the South and repeat, thanking the spirits of Fire for sunlight to feed the plants and their blessing. Next, the West, thanking the spirits of Water for rain and their blessing, and finally the North, thanking the spirits of Earth for fertile soil and their blessing.
Return to the center, and thank Great Spirit for the fertility of the Earth and the blessing on your plants. Again sprinkle moon water and cornmeal. It is done!!

How to make Moon Water
On the night of the Full Moon, pour spring water into a silver or crystal bowl. Add a quartz crystal. After sundown, take the bowl outside and place it in a place where the moon can shine on it all night long. Hold your hand over the bowl, and pray, asking the Lady of the Moon to shine Her blessings on the water and fill it with Her energies. Be sure to bring the bowl in before sunrise. Store in a dark colored bottle.

About The Author: Morgana is an Ordained Minister, High Priestess, and Founder of The Daughters of the Greening, a sister branch and affiliate of the Order of The White Moon.

Walpurgisnacht

Walpurgisnacht
By Rowen Saille

Walpurgisnacht or the night of Walpurga is the Nordic tradition’s answer to Beltaine. The festival comes from the name of a saint born in Wessex in 710. Also known as Valborg, Walburga, Walpurgis, Wealdburg, and Valderburger, she was alleged to be the niece of Saint Boniface and the daughter of a Saxon prince. She was canonized on May 1, 779 and the Swedish calendar still bears her name for that date.

Pagan tradition associates the Feast of Walpurga or Walpurgisnacht with the fertility traditions celebrated around April 30 th on the modern calendar. Walpurga was honored with the traditional ways of celebrating the new spring: Bonfires, ritual dances, fertility charms and prank-playing. In German folklore, the celebration of Walpurgisnacht is the time when witches meet on Brocken Mountain and to hold revels to the gods and goddesses. In Sweden the young collect the new greens with which to adorn the houses and welcome the growing season.

For the Asatru, Walpurgisnacht is a night of mystery and magic. The lady of magic is Freya and as the Norse goddess of fertility she is particularly appropriate as a focus of rites to celebrate this season. Modern traditions include fertility dances, merriment, and fun during May Day. Freya is often honored in blot (sacrifice or ritual) to insure a fertile growing season and bring good wishes to bear. Walpurgisnacht (or May Day eve) often includes a rite particular to Freya called seidr (pronounced saythe). This holiday along with Winter Nights is a time when the folk look to the seidkona (seid-worker) or a vitki (rune-worker) to get a glimpse into what the year or season will bring.

This season of the year is a perfect time to scry in a fire or work with runes. Bonfires to purify and for luck are lit and danced round or jumped over. It is a time to purify and renew the self. Set up a maypole and dance with your family, friends or spiritual group to tie in wishes for the season. Drumming is an excellent way not only to keep time to dance the Maypole but also to raise the energy and focus the conscious mind.

Foods for celebration: Stews and the first fresh greens of spring are particularly appropriate. The ancients would have used some of the last of stored foodstuffs to create a stew base adding to it the new fresh greens available. “Stone Soup” (where individuals each bring an ingredient to add to the cauldron or stewpot), though also common at Freyfaxi feast, gives an opportunity for a group to gather and add their own ingredients to the soup with their energies for well-wishes. Sharing the “first fruits” imparts the luck of the spring while preserved food stores illustrate the “wealth” and wisdom of the folk for being good stewards and surviving the hard winter months. By eating the stew, the gathered kin internalize the good wishes for all.

Enjoy the Feast of Walburga and Walpurgisnacht. Bring joy to this time of new growth and renewal with your own celebrations, and share these traditions with love ones to bring luck and magic to the season of fertility.

About The Author: Rowen Saille Ordained Minister HP Founder of The White Willow and The Shining Crescent. She is a member of the Rune Gild, professional counselor, is taking students.

Witch Works: Spells and Rituals for Every Season

Witch Works: Spells and Rituals for Every Season
By: Banshee

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Beltane is a special time of year, with love and lust in the air. Beltane, because of its association with fertility, love, and sexual desire, was seen as an excellent time to marry one’s beloved. If you are considering having a handfasting ceremony, renewing your vows, or want to affirm them in a pagan ceremony, consider performing your own handfasting ritual this Beltane season!

Hand Fasting Ritual

Preparation
Long ribbon or soft rope (~ 3 feet)
Vows to exchange (written by the couple)
Small gifts (or rings) to be exchanged by the couple.
5 rose candles (Quarter and god candle (god candle can be red))
1 white candle (Goddess candle)
Gifts from the coven/guests for the couple.

Ritual
Cast the circle normally.
Invoke the Goddess and God normally, or as below. If no HPs are available or you are a solitary, work all elements of the ritual yourself.

HPriest:
We call upon you in the guise of Eros,
Kindler of desire,
Bringer of love,
to join us here and witness the bonding
of _____and_____.

HPriestess:
We call upon you in the guise of Aphrodite,
Always desirous one,
Sensual lover,
to join us here and witness the joining
of _____and _____.

Grounding meditation.

The HPriest and HPriestess motion the two people to be hand fasted
to join them before the altar.

Couple faces the altar.

HPriest:
(to one of the couple, the female if the couple are of
opposite gender) Do you _____join us here of your
own free will, to acknowledge before the Lord and
Lady the bond that is shared between yourself and
_____.
Person1:
(responds (hopefully this will be a yes 🙂 if not,
go to closing).

HPriestess asks the other the same thing and gets response.
Couple turns to face each other and join their left hands.
Each now recites the vows they have prepared.

HPriest:
(taking the joined left hands, and the rope)
Here before witnesses, _____ and _____ have
sworn vows to each other. With this cord, I bind
them to the vows that they each have made. (wrap
the cord loosely around both arms) However this
binding is not tied, so that neither is restricted by
the other, and the binding is only enforced by both
their wills.

Couple:
(turning to face each other, in unison)
Heart to thee,
Soul to thee,
Body to thee,
Forever and always,
So mote it be.

Coven:
So mote it be.

Couple unbinds their left arms.
Couple exchanges the gifts they have brought for each other.
Coven members and guests give couple good wishes and/or gifts.
Great rite and Cakes and Ale.

Bid farewell to God and Goddess as usual, or as below.

HPriestess:
We thank you Aphrodite, for your presence among us,
And as you take your leave, we ask that you leave
among us, in each of us, the ability to each be
Sensual lover, and desirous one.
Hail and farewell.

HPriest:
We thank you Eros, for your presence here this day,
And ask, as you take your leave, that you leave in
each of us, the ability to be
a Bringer of desire, and kindler of love.
Hail and farewell.

Dismiss the Quarters, and open the circle.

About the Author: Banshee is a solitary practitioner from the Midwest. She is currently a student at The White Moon School, studying to become a High Priestess. Banshee has been a practicing witch for 4 years and performs tarot readings and long distance energy work via the Internet. To contact the author, please email banshee@…

Manifesting the Power of Beltane

Manifesting the Power of Beltane
By Rhianna

Beltane is the height of Spring and celebrates the flowering of life. It marks the beginning of the light half of the year and is full of fun and mischief. This is a time when, like Samhain, the veils are thinnest, making it a magical time when anything is possible. Beltane marks the passage into the growing season so it’s appropriate that we evaluate our lives and nurture those tender “plants” that we have started and to help them grow and manifest in our lives.

About two days before your Beltane ritual, grab a pen and paper and find someplace quiet where you won’t be disturbed. Outdoors with the flowers and budding trees would be a wonderful choice, if possible. Make yourself comfortable, close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath. Hold it for a count of three and then slowly release it. Do this several more times until you are relaxed. Visualize your spine going down through the earth like the root of a tree. Watch it travel down, down and in the center of the earth, there is a large rock. Wrap your “root” around this rock and anchor yourself there. Now you are connected to the earth. Next, visualize a beam of white light rising through your crown and up to the Universe. Take another deep breath from your heart charka. Now that you are grounded and centered, take a moment to just revel in the connection that you have made.

When you are ready, think about what you have chosen to add to your life recently. Have you put them into action? Are they working for you? What about the rest of your life? Are you happy with where you see yourself going? Is there anything else you would like to add to enhance your journey? Really take the time to fully evaluate what you have, what you would like and what you need. When you’ve worked all this out for yourself, write down what you’ve come up with. Write down those items that you’ve already added to your life and need more nurturing, write down those items that you’d like to add that will only enhance your life and if needed, write down those things that are impeding you.

Once you have your list and have received all that you feel you need from this meditation, thank the Universe for the gift of its energy, take what you need, return the rest and slowly draw your beam of white light back from the Universe. Now, thank the earth for the gift of its energy, take what you need, return the rest and slowly release the rock to which you are anchored. Draw your “root” back up into your spine. Know that the energy is there for you whenever you need it. For the next two days, keep this list with you and read it often. Ingrain it into your mind. Visualize the outcome. Bring this paper to your circle at Beltane.

Before your Beltane ritual, add a few extra items to your list of supplies. You will need a small yellow candle and holder, an essential oil that calls to you, a rose quartz and of course your list. At some point during your ritual, hold the rose quartz in your hand and anoint your candle with the oil. As you anoint it, think of your list, repeat it out loud, visualize it. This energy will transfer into the candle and the rose quartz. Put the candle in its holder on top of the paper that your list is written on and put the rose quartz in front of the candle. Light the candle and visualize it carrying your intentions to the Universe. Let the candle burn out. Now, you have sent your intentions to the Universe and you have created a talisman in the rose quartz to help you stay centered on your goal(s). Finish and close your ritual as you planned. Carry this rose quartz with you for about a week or two while you are implementing your changes. After this period of time, you can continue to carry it as you wish or just use it when you need it. Give it a place of honor. When you no longer need it, give it back to the earth with your thanks.

Of course there are many ways to manifest the power of Beltane. This is a great time to harness that power and use it to bring about the changes that you wish to see in your life. I hope this holiday finds you all in happiness and love.

About The Author: Rhianna is a High Priestess in the Order of the White Moon and will soon be opening her own branch, Sisters of the Spiral Garden. She is an ordained minister through the Ministry of Light Interfaith Church and a Reiki Master/Teacher. She lives in Texas with her husband and two furbabies. You can contact her at Rhianna@…

Beltane Rituals

Beltane Rituals
by Freya

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The name Beltane implies “fire of bel” and is also known as May Eve, and May Day. It signifies the height of Spring and the sensuality of life. This date has been considered one of the power points of the Zodiac, and is symbolized by the “Tetramorph” figures featured on Tarot cards (Tetramorph means Four Elements) Astrologers know these figures as the symbols of the four signs of the Zodiac – Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius – which align with the four Great Sabbats of the Craft. Beltane is also one of the three spirit-nights of the year when the faeries can be seen. To welcome the magick of the Faeries into your home on this Sabbat try my Beltane aromatherapy blend;

3 drops Rose EO
3 drops Vanilla EO
3 drops Honeysuckle EO

Burn in diffuser or aroma lamp and feel the magick unfold : )

Beltane celebrations traditionally begin with the lighting of Beltane bonfires at moon-rise on May Day eve to light the way for Summer. A ritual in form of the Maypole dance is performed, representing the unity between the Goddess, manifesting as the May Queen and Flora ( Ribbons), and the God ( Pole).

As a festival of passion, Beltane represents one of the two greatest Sabbats in the Pagan wheel of the year, second only to Samhain, which lies directly opposite it on the Wheel.

In Germany, Beltane is also known as Walpurgis Night, which means “Night of the Witches.” With the take–over of Christianity, the life-affirming Maypole, became the death- affirming cross. Thus, in the Christian calendar, this was celebrated as ‘Roodma,’ which is an archaic English word meaning “Mass of the Cross”.

Traditional Symbols for Beltane include;

Maypole
Ribbons
May Fires
Cherries
Strawberries
Cakes and Wine
Beads

Colors, Herbs, and Flowers symbolic for Beltane include;

Pink
Blue
Yellow
All Greens

Honeysuckle
St.John’s Wort
Mugwort
Almond
Daisy
Marigold

Traditional incense include;

Frankincense
Rose
Mint

Beltane Cakes

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter (unsalted)
1 egg
1 cup mashed peaches
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
cinnamon to taste
Mix flour, baking powder, and brown sugar together, cut butter into mixture , add egg and peaches, add some cinnamon to taste. Drop tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 F for about 15 – 17 min.

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About The Author: Freya is ordained High Priestess in the Order of The White Moon, Founder of the school and circle of Sisters In Freya’s Moon, Reiki Teacher, Celtic Shaman Practitioner and have a doctorate degree in Naturology with diplomas and certificates in related fields http://www.sistersinfreyasmoon.com

Goddesses Of Seasons

A Column By Heathwitch, WMS, Order of the White Moon
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Lady of the Beasts
Sing of your magic
Greenwood Nymph
Dance in the green-glens
Virgin Huntress
Revel in the moonlight
Artemis, Artemis, Artemis!Be joyful! Be blissful! Be playful! It is Beltane — that time of year when we celebrate new life, fertility and the earth’s ripe abundance in all its forms. It is the beginnings-time, when the divine union of the Goddess with Her Consort fertilizes ourselves and our lives. We celebrate this festival of fertility and fire by decorating our altars with greens and reds, fresh flowers and bright candles, and we honour Virgin-Mother Goddesses such as Artemis.

The Goddess of wild places and wild things, the Greek Artemis is a Lady of the Moon most commonly perceived as the Virgin Huntress. She roams the forests and mountains with Her band of nymphs and hunting dogs, in a chariot pulled by silver stags. A beloved deity to the Amazons, Artemis knows of the secret places in Nature where one can rest and regain lost strength.

However, these roles are not Her sole purpose: Artemis is also known as the patroness of nurturing, fertility and birth. Though Her priestesses did not consort with men, they and their Lady aided women in childbirth and defended women who were harassed or threatened by men.

Artemis’ colours are silver, white, green and red, and Her symbols are the sickle, bridle, the crescent (waxing) moon and hanks of wool. She has a fondness for dogs, horses and stags, and is beneficial when dealing with animals or the elemental kingdoms. Mother of the Mysteries, Artemis holds sacred the amaranth flower, which blooms purple and crimson. In the tarot, She can be found in The Star and The Moon.

You can invite Artemis into your life by mixing an oil for Her (add 20 drops jasmine oil and 4 drops verbena oil to 20ml of base oil) and including it in a ritual or meditation dedicated to Artemis. Alternatively you could make an incense blend to honour this Goddess – try the following recipe:

1 part ox-eye daisy flowers
1 part hazel wood
1 part beech bark
1 part willow wood
¼ part wormwood
½ part almond blossoms
¼ part cypress needles
¼ part fir needles
Few drops lemon balm (melissa) oil

You can also work with Artemis in ritual; She can be invoked to aid in all animal or elemental matters, any magick or sorcery, travel, healing and medicines, psychic ability, fertility (particularly female fertility), exercise and dance. She is also particularly useful in protecting and defending women against men. To honour Artemis you can use the following rite:

On the night of the Full Moon, set up an altar outside. On the altar have three candles, white, red and black. Behind the candles place a statue of a woman, with a quiver of arrows, and a dog at her feet. If you can’t get that, a statue of a woman, and separate statues of dogs will suffice. Wolves have long been a symbol of the Moon, and dogs are domesticated wolves. Pick some beautiful flowers, especially white ones, and place them at her feet.

Cast your circle in your usual manner. Be seated at your altar and go into meditation. Then repeat the following invocation:

Lovely Goddess of the bow!
Lovely Goddess of the arrows!
Of all hounds and of all hunting!
Thou who wakest in starry heaven,
when the sun is sunk in slumber.
Thou with moon upon thy forehead,
who the chase by night
preferrest unto hunting in the daylight,
with thy nymphs unto the music of the horn –
thyself the huntress, and most powerful:
I pray thee Think,
although but for an instant,
Upon us who pray unto thee!

Then light the candles, and meditate on the Full Moon. You may light some incense such as jasmine, sandalwood or mugwort or wormwood. Place nine white stones or shells at her feet, forming a crescent Moon, with the points towards the statues feet. Now is the time to ask for a request if needed.

Thank Artemis for Her presence and say goodbye. Blow out the candles and take up your circle.

Have a blessed Beltane!

Sources:
Conway, D. J. The Ancient and Shining Ones. Llewellyn: Minnesota (1993).

Franklin, Anna. Magical Incenses and Oils. Capall Bann: Berkshire (2000).

Grimassi, Raven. Italian Witchcraft: The Old Religion of Southern Europe. Llewellyn: Minnesota (2000).

Marashinsky, Amy Sophia. The Goddess Oracle: A Way to Wholeness through the Goddess and Ritual. Element: Boston (1997).
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About The Author: Heathwitch is a Witch, teacher and author. She runs courses and workshops on energy work, healing, Witchcraft and magic. High Priestess of the Circle of the Moon coven, Heathwitch lives in Cheshire, England. web: http://www.heathwitch.com – email: heathwitch@… See the books I’ve set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/heathwitch

About Beltaine

a guide to the symbolism of the Wiccan Sabbat

by Arwynn MacFeylynnd

Date: April 30, May 1, or the Full Moon in Taurus, depending on your tradition.

Alternative names: Bealtaine (Irish Wittan), Bealtinne (Caledonii or the Druids), Celtic Summer, Floralia, Giamonios, the Great Rite, La Giornata di Tana or Tana’s Day (Aridian Strega), May Day, May Eve, Roodmas, Rudemas (Mexican Craft), Samhradh and La Baal Tinne (Faery Wicca), Walburga (Teutonic), Walpurgis Eve, Walpurgisnacht (German) and Whitsun or Old Bhealltainn (Scottish PectiWita).

Primary meanings: Beltaine honors the union of the God and Goddess and the beginning of the fertile Goddess’s reign. We see Her power in the flowering plants and warm days. This day marks the emergence of the God into manhood. The Goddess and the God unite, and the Goddess becomes pregnant. Flowers and greenery symbolize the Goddess, the Maypole the God.

Symbols: Many pagans represent Beltaine with fresh flowers all around and a cauldron filled with flowers. All of the following flowers are symbolic of Beltaine: roses, bluebells, marigolds, daisies, primroses and lilac. Mirrors are also appropriate. Altar decorations may also include a small Maypole or phallic-shaped candle and a daisy chain. Plaiting and weaving straw, creating in wicker and making baskets and fabrics are traditional arts. Other symbols are the traditional full-sized Maypole (about 10 feet tall), May baskets, crossroads, eggs, butter churns and chalices.

Colors: White and dark green particularly, also all colors of the rainbow.

Gemstones: Sapphires, bloodstones, emeralds, orange carnelians and rose quartz.

Herbs: Almond, angelica, ash trees, birch trees, bluebells, cinquefoil, daisies, frankincense, hawthorn, ivy, lilac, marigolds, primroses, rosemary, roses, satyrion root, woodruff and yellow cowslip.

Gods and goddesses: All virgin-mother goddesses, all young father gods and all gods and goddesses of the hunt, of love and of fertility. Some Beltaine goddesses to mention by name include Aphrodite, Arianrhod, Ariel, Artemis, Astarte, Cybele, Diana, Freya, Rhiannon, Shiela-na-gig, Skadi, Var, Venus and Xochiquetzal. Beltaine gods include Apollo, Bacchus, Bel/Belanos, Cernunnos, Cupid/Eros, Faunus, Frey, the Great Horned God, Herne, Odin, Orion, Pan, Puck and Robin Goodfellow.

Customs and myths: Wrapping the Maypole is a Beltaine tradition. In the old days, the Maypole was often made from a communal pine tree decorated at Yule, with most branches removed for Beltaine. In some traditions, the ribbons around the top are red and white; the white can represent the Virgin Goddess and the red the Sun God, or the white the Maiden and the red the Mother. The participants dance around the Maypole with the ribbons — the males holding the red and the females holding the white. As they dance, they intertwine the ribbons to form a symbolic birth canal around the phallic pole, representing the union of the Goddess and God. Many Wiccans choose this time to perform their own handfastings; others hold that the Goddess frowns on marriage in this month. Another great choice would be the next Sabbat at the Summer Solstice.

Wiccan Tool List Master

Equipment:

a pentacle
6 candles; 1 for each direction, 2 for altar
chalice of wine (hard apple cider on Samhain)
wand
scrounge of silken cords
small bowl of water
small bowl of salt
3 cords, one red, one white, one blue, 9′ long each
white-handled knife
individual athames
incense burner and incense
small hand bell
dish of cakes
sword
chalk
altar cloth of any color
cauldron
tape recorder and tapes of appropriate music
veil for Great Rite of a Goddess color: Blue, green, silver or white

For New or Dark Moon Esbat:

extra incense
an apple and a pomegranate
cauldron with a fire in it and/or a bonfire
crystal ball or other scrying tools
white tabard with hood for Priestess

For Winter Solstice (Yule):

cauldron with candle or oak bonfire
wreaths, 1 of holly and 1 of mistletoe
crowns, 1 of oak and 1 of holly
blindfold
sistrum
animal skull filled with salt

For Spring Equinox:

cords as described in preparations
hard-boiled eggs
a bonfire ready to ignite or a taper
flowers in the cauldron

For Beltane Sabbat:

bonfire

For Initiations:

anointing oil
tub to bathe the candidate in
towels
salts, herbs and oils to add to the bath
a blindfold
a shirt or other clothing that can be cut
a length of string to measure the person
two lengths of cord to bind the hands and feet
bonfire for warmth if needed

For Blessings:

anointing oil
wine

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