Beltane – the May festival

1^st May

(pronounced bell-tain)

Beltane heralds the coming of summer and is a festival of fertility.  The seeds are sown, the plants and crops are all growing and the Earth is fertile.   This is the festival where we celebrate the fertility not just within the Earth but within the union between the God and the Goddess and between humans too, ’tis the season to celebrate getting naked …   Celebrate love, happiness, union and life itself.

Our ancestors would have transferred their livestock from the winter shelter to the fields and pastures, at this time the animals would have been driven between the Beltane bonfire to cleanse and purge them from evil spirits and to bring fertility.

Symbols

Maypole, Beltane fires, May King and Queen, The Green Man, hobby horse, chalice, butterchurns, Jack in the Green, flower garlands, Pan.

In the garden

The plants in the garden should all be well under way now, keep them protected from any really late frosts.  Give them all a good plant food to prepare them for the full on growing season.

Herbs

Ash, birch, bluebells, daisies, frankincense, ivy, lilac, primrose, rosemary, roses, cowslip, hawthorn, meadowsweet, clover and sorrel.

Foods

All dairy products, sweets, custards, ice cream, honey, oats, fruits, salads, barley and fruit punch.

Colours

Pastel colours, colours of the rainbow, red and white.

Activities

Get up early and watch the sun rise.

Spend an evening sitting around a camp fire with friends, then jump the fire leaving behind you anything that is hampering your life.

Beltane is also May Day, so make a Maypole and dance around it with friends!

Take a walk in your local woods and see if you can spot the first wild herbs of the season.

Take a picnic outdoors.

Wash your face in dew at sunrise on Beltane to keep your beauty in the coming year.

Find a local hawthorn tree and make a wish to the faeries.  Take a strip of material or twine (please make sure it is biodegradable) and visualise your wish coming true, then tie the material to the tree sending your wish to the Fae.  Leave an offering for the tree too, some fertiliser or water.

Mark the boundaries of your property with oatmeal, this is a traditional Beltane grain and will provide protection.

Leave offerings of honey and milk in your garden or in the woods for the Faeries.

Incense

Frankincense, lilac, rose, passion flower, angelica, copal, vanilla, cinnamon, honeysuckle, daffodil, dragon’s blood

Incense Recipe

Dragon’s blood

Hawthorn

Daffodil petals

Mugwort

Cinnamon

Oils

Rose, lavender, jasmine, patchouli, ylang ylang, dragon’s blood, coriander, myrrh, vervain,  frankincense, neroli and sandalwood.

Oil Recipe 1

Rose

Dragon’s blood

Coriander

Spell workings

Making changes, spreading goodwill, setting goals, making plans, finding a focus and personal growth. Prosperity, safety and love.

Beltane New Project Spell

Beltane is a wonderful time to begin a new project with all the fertile and fire energy that this festival brings you can channel that energy into your goal.

What you need:

Greenery/flowers

Green candle

Red candle

A natural item such as a shell, pebble or leaf

A small bag (cloth or paper)

If you have something green, it would be useful to wear it whilst working this spell.

Place fresh greenery and flowers on your altar (if you don’t have an altar use a shelf or the table to create a sacred space for this working).

Light a red and a green candle.

Ground and centre yourself then pick up the shell, leaf or pebble and hold onto it for a few moments appreciating the wonder of Mother Nature and what she creates.

Place the item on the altar between the two candles and focus on it.

As you focus visualise your new project and how you want it to take shape, be positive and creative!

Visualise all the energy and enthusiasm you have for your project being focused on your item.

You might want to say an affirmation at this point.

Then when you are ready extinguish the candles and place your item into a small bag, keep the bag with you or on your altar, somewhere that you will see it regular and be reminded of the energy and your goal.

From Grimoire of a Kitchen Witch