Beltane! 🌞

On the 1st of May will be Beltane and in this blog I will be telling you a little bit about what Beltane is and things you can do to celebrate the day.

What is Beltane?

Beltane honours life and represents the peak of spring and the beginning of summer. This is when the earth energies are at their strongest and most active. This is when most things come to life and when many want to create life.

Beltane is also known as the fire festival and the word comes from the Celtic god ‘Bel’ meaning the bright one and the Gaelic word ‘Teine’ meaning fire. So together makes bright fire.

Traditions of Beltane!

There are many traditions that people do to celebrate Beltane. One is lighting a bonfire to represent and honour the sun and this was to encourage Bel and the suns light to nurture and protect the future harvest. Traditionally all fires in the community had to be put out and this was the only fire allowed. Bel would have to be won over by the people, so they would jump the fire to purify, cleanse and bring fertility. People would also make cattle and other animals walk through the smoke so it would protect them from diseases and to help them with fertility.

Another tradition is Handfasting. Now handfasting is when two peoples hands were tied together in figure eight with red cord or ribbon. Then at a later point would be untied and this meant they would stay together out of free will. Many still do this tradition but have adapted it to include rings and the original time of a year and a day isn’t compulsory and can be ended at anytime.

There is also A-maying. This is when people, old and young, would go as couples into the woods and fields and spend the night and after they did what they set out to do they would come back with armfuls of Hawthorn blossoms. Hawthorns are considered an unlucky plant at every other time of the year except Beltane. Young women would also wash their faces with the dew from the plant and would make flower crowns and may baskets.

This is one I’ve heard of before the MAYPOLE! The maypole is a popular and one of the most recognisable traditions. Now a phallic pole ,made of birch, would be inserted into the ground and this was to represent the potency of the god. The ring of flowers at the top represents the fertility of the goddess. The singing and weaving of the ribbons represent the spiral of life and the union of the god and goddess.

Why dont you try making a wish box?

Beltane is a great time for bringing hopes, dreams and aspirations to life so below I will post how to make one:

You will need:

A small shallow cardboard box. Shoe boxes are good. Rose petals Sunflower seeds and/or poppy seeds Paper A piece of willow bark or piece of willow, an acorn or oak leaf Something that represents your wish (see below)

Take a piece of paper and write your wish on it while visualizing your wish coming to life and growing. You can do this alone, with friends, or as a family. If you want to, decorate the lid of the box, with a triple moon, pentacle, heart, or any symbol of your choice. Poke a few holes in the lid - this will help your wish/plants, to grow. Take your box and sprinkle some earth into it. Put in your paper wishes, wish symbol (see below), and seeds/bark/acorn. Cover with another layer of earth. Mix the rose petals with the seeds and scatter them on top. Cover with a final layer of earth and place the lid on top, leaving enough of the rose petal/seed mixture to scatter on top of the box when you are planting it.

Planting Your Wish Box

The best time for planting your Wish Box is just after a fresh cleansing rainfall as this gives you a bright new start, but if the season is dry just give the earth a good watering the night before. Dig a hole two inches deeper than your wish box and lower it into the earth carefully while concentrating on your chosen wish, visualizing it coming to fruition. Imagine your wish growing with the flowers reaching skyward. As you cover the box with earth say:

"Dream that lies within the earth awaken now. Hope that sleeps awaken now. The stars await as so do I. Grow true, grow strong, toward the sky."

If you don't have a garden you can make a mini wish pot that can live on a window ledge and it works just as well. Just replace the box with a terracotta pot - one wish and one symbol per pot following exactly the same instructions as above. Remember that wishes are only to be used for positive motives.

Suggested Symbols For Your Wish Box:

Love & Marriage - gingerbread New Job - copper coin Abundance - silver coin Difficult Task - glove Hearth & Home - thimble Seeking the Truth - sprig of rosemary Health, Healing, Renewed Strength - blue & green ribbon entwined Happiness, Good Luck - cinnamon stick Seeking Knowledge - apple To Find A Lost Item - feather Protection - key (an old iron key is best if you have one)

Thank you all for taking the time to read through this probably lengthy post but I hope you enjoyed it and I will see you all soon

xx