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Just when it feels like the snow will never melt and your blood will never warm, Wicca provides a Sabbat and a month to remember that the Wheel of the Year will always turn.
Imbolc, celebrated on February 2, is a Sabbat with a variety of names, depending on which culture and location you’re looking at. In the Irish Gaelic, it’s called Oimelc, which translates to “ewe’s milk.” It’s a precursor to the end of winter when the ewes are nursing their newly born lambs. Spring and the planting season are right around the corner.
The Romans Celebrate
To the Romans, this time of year halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox was known as Lupercalia. For them, it was a purification ritual in which a goat was sacrificed and a scourge made of its hide. Thong-clad men ran through the city, whacking people with bits of hide. Those who were struck considered themselves fortunate indeed. This is one of the few Roman celebrations that is not associated with a particular temple or deity. Instead, it focuses on the founding of the city of Rome, by twins Romulus and Remus, who were suckled by a she-wolf — in a cave known as the "Lupercale."
The Feast of Nut
The ancient Egyptians celebrated this time of year as the Feast of Nut, whose birthday falls on February 2 (Gregorian calendar). According to the Book of the Dead, Nut was seen as a mother-figure to the sun god Ra, who at sunrise was known as Khepera and took the form of a scarab beetle.
Christian Conversion of a Pagan Celebration
When Ireland converted to Christianity, it was hard to convince people to get rid of their old gods, so the church allowed them to worship the goddess Brighid as a saint — thus the creation of St. Brigid's (Brighid) Day. Today, there are many churches around the world which bear her name.
Purification and Light
For Christians, February 2 continues to be celebrated as Candelmas, the feast of purification of the Virgin. By Jewish law, it took forty days after a birth for a woman to be cleansed following the birth of a son. Forty days after Christmas – the birth of Jesus – is February 2. Candles were blessed, there was much feasting to be had, and the drab days of February suddenly seemed a little brighter.
Love and Courtship
February is known as a month when love begins anew, in part to to the widespread celebration of Valentine's Day. In some parts of Europe, there was a belief that February 14 was the day that birds and animals began their annual hunt for a mate. Valentine's Day is named for the Christian priest who defied Emperor Claudius II's edict banning young soldiers from marrying. In secret, Valentine "tied the knot" for many young couples. Eventually, he was captured and executed on Feb. 14, 269 C.E. Before his death, he smuggled a message to a girl he had befriended while imprisoned — the first Valentine's Day card.
A Celtic Connection
Serpents in the Spring
Although Imbolc isn't even mentioned in non-Gaelic Celtic traditions, it's still a time rich in folklore and history. According to the Carmina Gadelica, the Celts celebrated an early version of Groundhog Day on Imbolc too – only with a serpent, singing this poem:
Thig an nathair as an toll
(The serpent will come from the hole)
la donn Bride
(on the brown day of Bride (Brigid or Brighid)
Ged robh tri traighean dh’an
(though there may be three feet of snow)
Air leachd an lair
(On the surface of the ground.)
Among agricultural societies, this time of year was marked by the preparation for the spring lambing, after which the ewes would lactate (hence the term "ewe's milk" as "Oimelc"). At Neolithic sites in Ireland, underground chambers align perfectly with the rising sun on Imbolc.
The Goddess Brigid (Brighid)
Like many Pagan holidays, Imbolc has a Celtic connection as well, although it wasn’t celebrated in non-Gaelic Celtic societies. The Irish goddess Brigid (Brighid) is the keeper of the sacred flame, the guardian of home and hearth. To honor her, purification and cleaning are a wonderful way to get ready for the coming of Spring. In addition to fire, she is a goddess connected to inspiration and creativity.
Brigid (Brighid) is known as one of the Celtic "triune" goddesses — meaning that she is one and three simultaneously (Triple Goddess: Maiden, mother and crone). The early Celts celebrated a purification festival by honoring Brigid (Brighid), or Brid, whose name meant "bright one."
In some parts of the Scottish Highlands, Brighid was viewed as Cailleach Bheur, a woman with mystical powers who was older than the land itself. Brighid was also a warlike figure, Brigantia, in the Brigantes tribe near Yorkshire, England. The Christian St. Brigid was the daughter of a Pictish slave who was baptised by St. Patrick, and founded a community of nuns at Kildare, Ireland.
In modern Wicca and Paganism, Brigid (Brighid) is viewed as the maiden aspect of the maiden/mother/crone cycle. She walks the earth on the eve of her day, and before going to bed each member of the household should leave a piece of clothing outside for Brigid (Brighid) to bless. Smother your fire as the last thing you do that night, and rake the ashes smooth. When you get up in the morning, look for a mark on the ashes, a sign that Brigid (Brighid) has passed that way in the night or morning. The clothes are brought inside, and now have powers of healing and protection thanks to Brigid (Brighid.)
Correspondences for the Sabbat
Animals/Mythical Creatures — Firebird, dragon, groundhog, deer, burrowing animals, ewes, robin, sheep, lamb, other creatures waking from hibernation
Gemstones — Amethyst, garnet, onyx, turquoise
Incense/Oil — Jasmine, rosemary, frankincense, cinnamon, neroli, musk, olive, sweet pea, basil, myrrh, and wisteria, apricot, carnation
Colors/Candles — Brown, pink, red, orange, white, lavender, pale yellow, silver
Tools/Symbols/Decorations — White flowers, marigolds, plum blossoms, daffodils, Brigid wheel, Brigid’s cross, candles, grain/seed for blessing, red candle in a cauldron full of earth, doll, Bride's Bed; the Bride, broom, milk, birchwood, snowflakes, snow in a crystal container, evergreens, homemade besom of dried broom, orange candle anointed in oil (see above)can be used to symbolize the renewing energy of the Sun’s rebirth.
Goddesses – Virgin Goddess, Venus, Diana, Februa, Maiden, Child Goddess, Aradia, Athena, Inanna, Vesta, Gaia, Brigid, Selene (Greek), Branwen (Manx-Welsh)
Gods — Young Sun Gods, Pan, Cupid/Eros(Greco-Roman), Dumuzi (Sumerian)
Essence — Conception, initiation, insight, inspiration, creativity, mirth, renewal, dedication, breath of life, life-path, wise counsel, plan, prepare
Dynamics/Meaning — First stirring of Mother Earth, lambing, growth of the Sun God, the middle of winter
Purpose — Honoring the Virgin Goddess, festival of the Maiden/Light
Rituals/Magick — Cleansing; purification, renewal, creative inspiration, purification, initiation, candle work, home and temple blessings, welcoming Brighid, feast of milk and bread
Customs — Lighting candles, seeking omens of Spring, storytelling, cleaning house, bonfires, indoor planting, stone collecting, candle kept burning dusk till dawn; hearth re-lighting
Foods — Dairy, spicy foods, raisins, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds, poppyseed bread/cake, honey cake, pancakes, waffles, herbal tea
Herbs — Angelica, basil, bay, benzoin, celandine, clover, heather, myrrh, all yellow flowers, willow
Element/Gender — Earth/female
Threshold — Midnight
February 2, 8:31pm — New Moon
This year the New Moon in Aquarius on February 2, coincides with Imbolc, the date on the Celtic calendar marking the beginning of spring and the return of the light. For those of us who live in the northern latitudes visibly longer days are reason enough to celebrate.
Aquarius is noted for a quirky approach to life, usually more interested in looking ahead than dealing with the boring routines so dear to its fellow fixed sign, Taurus. They are extremely good at seeing trends in the collective but need to post reminders to take out the garbage and feed the cat. And they do usually prefer cats to dogs because cats are far more independent minded . . . just like Aquarians.
A New Moon in Aquarius encourages everyone to consider their next step and where they would like to be down the line. This New Moon looks quite good for that with a supportive trine from Saturn in Libra to help keep the focus on the practical side of things, reining Aquarius’s tendency to go for the idealistic solution no one can afford. An energizing conjunction between Mars and the Luminaries is wonderful for firing up enthusiasm for new projects, especially those that benefit the collective. If you have planets or Angles from 12 to 15 degrees in the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius), you are likely to get a boost from this lunation.
Uranus, Aquarius’s ruler, is still in Pisces forming aspects to Mercury in Capricorn, Venus in Sagittarius and Neptune in Aquarius creating an exciting blend for producing innovative thought and sparking the imagination. Hopefully pragmatic Mercury in Capricorn will take notes before Venus drags Uranus and Neptune off to the nearest party. This configuration will affect everyone with planets and Angles from 26 to 29 degrees in all the signs!
Speaking of Venus, she is footloose and fancy free in Sagittarius and the square to Uranus in Pisces just underscores her need for autonomy. The sextile from Neptune to Venus turns on the romance and is wonderful for creating atmosphere. This can be lots of fun for those already in committed relationships looking for a little something to rekindle the romance but not so good for those out looking for their soul mate. After her extended stay in passionate Scorpio, Venus just wants to enjoy the moment and flirt to her heart’s content, not get into deep discussions about whether or not you know each other from a past life.
Jupiter is revving up his engines in Aries and enthusiastically extolling the benefits of taking action and hitting the road. This is a huge blessing for all you fire signs out there and I hope you are starting to feel like life is worth living again. However, the waxing square between Jupiter and Pluto in Capricorn (exact on February 25). When these two were square last summer, Saturn in Libra was on hand to keep their combativeness in check and tone down the rhetoric – something Jupiter in Aries is full of. This time around, they will be going at each no holds barred. If you have planets or Angles from 4 to 7 degrees in Cancer or Libra in particular, you might find yourself embroiled in a heated discussion or two. Cardinal types who enjoy confrontations will be fine but more sensitive types may want to maintain a low profile for the duration.
The overall tone of this New Moon will be set by Saturn in Libra due to Saturn’s role as leading planet in the Bowl Chart Pattern, aided by the trine to the luminaries. Those who choose to compromise rather than confront will find Saturn can be a good friend and supporter. Brushing up on the old listening skills is also highly recommended rather than getting locked up preparing more arguments. Libra seeks healthy debate with ALL sides represented before reaching an equitable decision. Please keep in mind the result benefiting the greatest number of people will seldom make those at the far ends of the bell curve happy.
February 3 — Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade. The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-year cycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the! household and the family ancestors. The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, united the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.
According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2011 is the Year of the Golden Rabbit, which begins on February 3, 2011 and ends on January 22, 2012. The Rabbit is the fourth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 animal signs. The Rabbit is a lucky sign. Rabbits are private individuals and a bit introverted. People born in the Year of the Rabbit are reasonably friendly individuals who enjoy the company of a group of good friends. They are good teachers, counselors and communicators, but also need their own space.
According to Chinese tradition, the Rabbit brings a year in which you can catch your breath and calm your nerves. It is a time for negotiation. Don't try to force issues, because if you do you will ultimately fail. To gain the greatest benefits from this time, focus on home, family, security, diplomacy, and your relationships with women and children.
Make it a goal to create a safe, peaceful lifestyle, so you will be able to calmly deal with any problem that may arise.
Not many people know that the Rabbit is the symbol of the Moon, while the Peacock is the symbol of the Sun, and that together, these two animal signs signify the start of day and night, represent the Yin and Yang of life. It is said that anyone making supplications for wishes to be fulfilled are certain to get what they want... and in the Year of the Rabbit, the wish-granting aspect of the Sun and the Moon combined is multiplied. The Moon is YIN and this is the Yin of Heaven, signifying magic. Thus on each of the Full Moon nights of this year, go out into your garden to gaze into the Full Moon and visualize plenty of Moon dust and Moon glow flowing into you, filling your whole body with bright white light and granting you fearlessness, love and courage. This will not only strengthen your inner "Chi" energy, it will also bring wisdom into your life.
February 14 — St. Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day Card Spell
Supplies: Valentine's Day Card, Pen, One Candle — Red (for passion) or pink (for romantic love)
Write the name and your desire onto the Valentine's Day card. Take the candle and drip wax to seal the envelope with the card inside. Place this special spell in the same drawer where you keep your underwear. Within four months you should hear from your beloved and of his/her intentions!
February 18, 2:36 am — Full Moon
Moon of the Guardian Sphinx
The Sphinx, a composite human-lion creature, symbolizes this Leo Full Moon. Sphinxes guard passageways by posing a riddle the traveler must answer to gain entry. Pirvate groups create sphinx-like barriers with passwords, secret handshakes, and marked tokens. When a coven gathers, casting a sacred circle creates further protection. members may safely reveal their magickal identities by sharing a true name.
As this Full Moon nears, the solitary practitioner may develop personal emblems and passwords. Design a unique magickal glyph to use when signing petitions or boons. If one has not yet ben found, seek a true name.
For a coven craft, design or choose an emblem. Make clay disks for each member and one extra. Poke a hole for a string, and inscribe the group emblem. Bake or fire the disks and string as necklaces. Hand a disk-amulet to each member. Place the extra disk on the altar, on or near a focal statue or Goddess candle, to indicate the coven is divinely protected. If a member has chosen a true name, confirm the new identity with a ceremony. Discuss methods to protect the group, and strengthen the circle-casting ritual.
~A portion of the above is adapted from: Llewellyn's 2011 Witches' Datebook
— Danu's Daughter
Please Note: On-going series will be interrupted from time to time to present posts related to unexpected events, or celebrations occurring within the Turning of the Wheel of the Wiccan Year.
May
May represents the rebirth of the Earth in the saga celebrated within the Wiccan Wheel of the Year. Once April's rains and winds have subsided, the sun begins to warm up the earth so gardens and crops are planted. Followers enjoy getting out in their gardens under the Flower Moon and putting their hands into the rich soil of Mother Earth.
Spring is a time of fertility, and May is a fiery month indeed – full of lust and passion! It's sometimes called the month of the Hare Moon – and it’s known what hares are busy doing in the spring.
Moon Phases – North America
New Moon: May 14; 01 hour, 04 minutes
First Quarter: May 20; 23 hours, 43 minutes
Full Moon: May 27; 23 hours, 07minutes
Last Quarter: Jun 04; 22 hours, 13 minutes
Correspondences
In Wicca, followers honor or attune to the energy/power of a goal or seasonal occurrence by selecting natural objects and deities to better bring that target goal or occurrence into clearer focus prior to meditation, or for use when working with them in magick. These are referred to as “Correspondences,” and they generally have been linked by practitioners to that goal’s energy/power or seasonal occurrence since antiquity.
Thus, the following have been shown to “correspond” or be linked with May:
Colors: Red, Orange, Yellow
Gemstones: Ruby, Garnet, Amber, Apache Tear
Trees: Hawthorn, Rowan
Gods: Kali, Priapus, Cernunnos, Flora
Herbs: Cinnamon, Members of the Mint Family
Element: Fire
May 01 – Beltane
Beltane, May 01, 2010, is one of the eight Sabbats (Holy Days) celebrated by Wiccans and other Pagans in the Wheel of the Year.
Beltane is a celebration of the union of the union of the Goddess and the God – a celebration of fertility and new life.
Beltane is one of the four "fire festivals" or "greater sabbats". Although the holiday may use features of the Gaelic Bealtaine, such as the bonfire, it bears more relation to the Germanic May Day festival, both in its significance (focusing on fertility) and its rituals (such as maypole dancing). Some Wiccans celebrate 'High Beltaine' by enacting a ritual union of the May Lord and Lady.
Even some of the folk traditions which are still followed today can find their roots in the ancient celebration of love, sex and fertility. The May Pole was originally designed for Beltane, the Pagan fire festival that celebrated the abundance of spring. The pole and ribbons of the May Pole represented the phallus and semen and maidens danced about the maypole to evoke fertility and prosperity for the summer. This festival, which was celebrated on May 1st, was named after the Celtic God, Bel, a fire God of fertility, love and passion but was eventually dissolved into folk custom and renamed May Day.
The May Pole, an ancient pagan phallic symbol representing the king and spirt of vegetation (in Celtic lands referred to as The Greenman, or Oak King), is planted into Mother Earth to symbolize union and balance.
It was on May Eve that the Tuatha Dé Danann (Tribe of the Goddess Danu) arrived in Ireland. They are masters of enchantment, and in May their magic is the strongest.
Brigid (Brighid), known in Ireland as the Goddess of fire and inspiration, also represents THE GREAT GODDESS, Danu. Brigid is also known as Queen of the Faeries.
To celebrate Beltane with the Spirits, say:
Star light, star bright,
I call the faeries forth tonight,
Come and celebrate with me,
Dance and sing, so mote it be.
May 05 – Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is a date of great importance for the Mexican and Chicano communities. It was on May 5th in 1862 that 2,000 poorly trained Mexican peasants, under the command of General Ignacio Zaragoza, fiercely fought and won the Battle at Puebla against a regiment of 6,000 French soldiers under the command of Napoleon III.
In modern times on the Fifth of May, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated by native Mexican (and American) people everywhere. In Mexico, several towns elaborately reenact the Battle of Puebla in a day-long dramatization that includes acting and speeches. In America, Cinco de Mayo is an opportunity to celebrate Chicano culture in general, and is celebrated with huge fairs that include Mexican singing, dancing, feasting, costumes, sports activities, fireworks, and entertainment. Mariachi bands play while dancers perform native Mexican dances such as the Mexican Hat Dance and the Raspa. Speeches and parades encompass a large part of the celebration too. These events are one way in which people celebrate the friendship of the United States and Mexico.
This observance of the Cinco de Mayo victory is a special symbol for all Mexican people who celebrate their rights of freedom and liberty, honoring those who fought and won against greater odds. Although the Mexican army was eventually defeated, the "Batalla de Puebla" has come to represent a symbol of Mexican unity and patriotism. With this victory, Mexico demonstrated to the world that Mexico and all of Latin America were willing to defend themselves of any foreign intervention. Especially those from imperialist states bent on world conquest.
May 21– Gemini
Moon moves into Gemini, the sign of the Twins. Its power stone is citrine, and its birth stone is the beautiful diamond.
The ruling planet is Mercury. In mythology, Mercury was the messenger between the gods and men. He is depicted wearing a winged helmet, and has wings at his ankles, enabling him to deliver messages with great speed. Ironically, it is because of his swiftness that he was also adopted by the god of thieves!
May 27: Full Moon – Hare Moon or Flower Moon
In most areas, flowers are abundant everywhere during this time. Thus, the name of this Moon. Other names include the Full Corn Planting Moon, or the Milk Moon.
May is rebirth of life upon the Earth. With its reputation for being prolific, no creature is more suited than the hare as this month’s symbol.
This is a good time to work on magic related to careers and jobs. Thinking about switching to a new position, or perhaps trying a new field altogether? Want to take a class or get your degree? Take the seeds you've planted last month, and allow them to bloom and grow in your favor. Do some fire divination this month to help guide you on your way. This would also be a good time to plan a ritual to reaffirm your goals.
From me to you: May the peace of Danu remain in your hearts, now and forevermore. Tod Estu.
— Danu’s Daughter
Beginning at sundown tonight through sundown tomorrow most Wiccans and Neo-Pagans will celebrate one of the oldest, bawdiest and most controversial nature-based holidays of the year: Beltane, commonly called May Day.
May represents the rebirth of the Earth in the saga that Wiccans celebrate through the Wheel of the Year (calendar.) The wheel has turned from Winter to Spring, and the God who was reborn at December’s Yule is now Jack-in-the-Green, the Green Man, or the Oak King – a young man stepping into manhood. The Great Goddess is now transforming herself from Maiden to Mother, preparing to conceive.
(In fact, celebration and acknowledgment of the union of the God and Goddess to conceive the sun-child takes place on this holiday – regardless of the tradition or path of Neo-Paganism followed.)
So, celebrate life, love and your sexuality, since it all began as a very ancient fertility celebration. It is also a time when Wiccans perform “magick” toward the success of plans and projects, the achievements of goals, prosperity, and of course, the conception and birth of healthy children.
But, modern Beltane is not just about orgies and sexual depravity. It is primarily a glad celebration and welcoming of the return of the Sun, of Spring, and the Summer to come with all the gifts nature provides during this time of green abundance.
It is one of the four "Fire Festivals" or "Greater Sabbats." Originally, all Neo-Pagan Sabbats (holidays) was celebrated from dusk one day to dusk the following, similar to some other religions.
Although the holiday may use features of the Gaelic Bealtaine (Beltaine), such as the bonfire, it bears more resemblance to the Germanic May Day festival, both in its significance (focusing on fertility) and its rituals (such as maypole dancing).
Some Wiccans still celebrate 'High Beltaine' by enthusiastically enacting a ritual sexual union of the May Lord and Lady during outdoor coven meets. Generally, such a union involved the High Priest and Priestess of the coven. Some Solitary Practitioners also enact sexual celebrations on this holiday, but privately either inside or outside under the moon and stars.
Beltane is believed to have been named after the Celtic God, Bel, a fire God of fertility, love and passion, but the holiday eventually dissolved into folk custom and was renamed May Day.
Even some of the folk traditions which are still followed today can find their roots in the ancient celebration of love, sex and fertility. In fact, the maypole was originally designed for Beltane to celebrate the abundance of spring.
It was also on May Eve that the Tuatha Dé Danann (Tribe of the Goddess Danu) is believed to have arrived in Ireland. They are masters of enchantment, and in May their magic is the strongest. Brigid (Brighid), known in Ireland as the Goddess of fire and inspiration, also represents THE GREAT GODDESS, Danu. Brigid is also known as Queen of the Faeries.
Thus, Beltane begins the season of faerie magic, and the Faerie Queen (an aspect of the Goddess) is represented by the May Queen in many modern celebrations and festivities across the globe. Faeries are spirits of nature, also referred to by Neo-Pagans as Elementals. They are believed to reside in rocks and trees, flowers, meadows, every natural formation! Beltane is one of the three "spirit-nights" of the year when it is believed that these faeries can be seen. At dusk, it is suggested to twist a rowan sprig into a ring and look through it – celebrants might very well see them.
Like Samhain (Halloween,) this is a night when witches, faeries and ghosts wander freely because it is believed that veil between this world and the otherworld is unusually thin.
Legend maintains that the Queen of the Faeries rides out on a snow-white horse, looking for mortals to lure away to Faerieland for seven years. Folklore says that if you sit beneath a tree tonight, 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 directly at Her, She may choose you.
To celebrate Beltane with the Fey Spirits, say:
Star light, star bright,
I call the faeries forth tonight,
Come and celebrate with me,
Dance and sing, so mote it be.
Beltane is the one holiday most discouraged by the Christians, who didn't even use it as a point for a holiday of their own because the type of natural power it raises. Still, even in Christianized Ireland the May Day dance of the maypole remained, as did the giving of flowers to those you love or care for as friends.
The maypole itself is a symbol of the union of the God and Goddess to create life, the pole a phallic symbol while the dancers and their streamers, ribbons or vines of flowers represent the fertile womb of the goddess as it takes in the Phallus of the god and his seed. The pole is planted in Mother Earth to represent balance to evoke fertility and prosperity during the coming summer.
Samhain (Halloween) is primarily a festival of death, a time for letting go and of mourning. May Day, on the opposite side of the Wheel of the Year, is about life, about falling in love and frolicking in the woods. As such, it is the start of the "light" half of the year. Death is an ending but also a beginning. Falling in love is a beginning which is also a death. It is believed, “the Goddess who manifests herself at May Day calls you out of yourself and you may never return, at least to the same world you knew.”
When the Druids and their successors raised the “Beltaine” fires on hilltops throughout the British Isles on May Eve, they were performing a real act of magic, for the fires were lit in order to bring the sun’s light down to earth. In Scotland, every fire in the household was extinguished, and the great fires were lit from the need-fire that was kindled three times by three men (underscoring the sacred and magickal number three) using wood from the nine sacred trees of Paganism. When the wood burst into flames, it proclaimed the triumph of the light over the dark half of the year.
When that was done, the entire hillside came alive as people thrust branches into the newly roaring flames and whirled them about their heads in imitation of the circling of the sun.
If any man in attendance was planning a long journey or dangerous undertaking, he leaped backwards and forwards three times through the fire for luck. As the fire sank low, the girls jumped across it to procure good husbands; pregnant women stepped through it to ensure an easy birth; and children were also carried across the smoldering ashes. When the fire died down, the embers were thrown among the sprouting crops to protect them, while each household carried some back to kindle a new fire in their hearth. When the sun rose that coming dawn, those who had stayed up to watch it might see it whirl three times upon the horizon before leaping up in all its summer glory.
Thus, it became Beltane and a time of fertility and unbridled merrymaking, when young and old would spend the night making love in the Greenwood. In the morning, they would return to the village bearing huge budding boughs of hawthorn (the tree associated with May), and other spring flowers used to decorate themselves, their families, and their homes.
As they slowly returned home, they stopped at each house on their way and left leave flowers, while they enjoyed the best of food and drink that the homeowner’s hospitality had to offer. In every village, the maypole – usually fashioned from a birch or ash tree – was raised, and dancing and feasting began anew.
Festivities were led by the May Queen and her “consort” representing the King (again representing Jack-in-the-Green, the Green Man, or the Oak King), the old god of the wildwood. They were borne in state through the village in a cart covered with flowers and enthroned in a leafy arbor as the “divine” couple whose unity symbolized the sacred marriage of earth and sun.
At Beltane, today’s followers open to the God and Goddess of Youth. However old, Spring makes us feel young again, and at Beltane celebrants jump over the fires of vitality and youth and allow that vitality to enliven and heal them. When young celebrants might use this time as an opportunity to connect to their sensuality in a positive creative way, and when older the mating sought might well be one of the feminine and masculine sides of everyone’s nature. Integration of the male and female aspects of the Self has long been seen as one of the prime goals of spiritual and psychotherapeutic work, and Beltane represents the time when celebrants can open to this work fully, allowing the natural union of polarities that occurs in nature at this time the opportunity to help them in their work – a work that is essentially alchemical.
In addition to a maypole, often a bonfire is present, and members of the group are encouraged to jump the flames for luck and their own fertility. Food, drink and love are the order of the evening. In most covens the celebration of unions of love are enacted. Beltane is the time of many marriages/handfastings in the pagan community (in some it is the point where one chooses to begin and end relationships of a physical nature).
Clothing is optional in some coven get-togethers on this holiday, as some do celebrate naked, referred to as “Skyclad” by Wiccans. Regardless, it is a sensual and colorful celebration. Even those coven that are prudish about things tend to accept the rules of the holiday, as it is the holiday of free love. It is said that a child conceived on this day will grow up to wield great power and knowledge and to be healthier than upon any other.
The month’s sacred tree is oak, known as “duir” to the ancient Celts, to whom it represented great strength, survival and to overcome the challenges placed before us. It is interesting to note that Druids were originally called that because they held the Oak Tree as sacred.
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The following terrific, in depth account of Beltane, “A Celebration of May Day,” was published in 2005 by Mike Nichols, and is reprinted here in full with permission from the author:
“Perhaps it’s just as well that you won’t be here...
to be offended by the sight of our May Day celebrations.”
— Lord Summerisle to Sgt. Howie from The Wicker Man
There are four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year and the modern Wiccan (Witches’) calendar, as well. The two greatest of these are Halloween (the beginning of winter) and May Day (the beginning of summer). Being opposite each other on the Wheel of the Year, they separate the year into halves. Halloween (also called Samhain) is the Celtic New Year and is generally considered the more important of the two, though May Day runs a close second. Indeed, in some areas – notably Wales – it is considered “The Great Holiday.”
By Celtic reckoning, the actual Beltane celebration begins on sundown of the preceding day, April 30, because the Celts always figured their days from sundown to sundown. And sundown was the proper time for Druids to kindle the great Belfires on the tops of the nearest beacon hill (such as Tara Hill, County Meath, in Ireland). These “need-fires” had healing properties, and skyclad (nude) Witches would jump through the flames to ensure protection.
Sgt. Howie (shocked): "But they are naked!"
Lord Summerisle: "Naturally. It's much too dangerous
to jump through the fire with your clothes on!"
—from The Wicker Man
Frequently, cattle would be driven between two such bonfires (oak wood was the favorite fuel for them) and, on the morrow, they would be taken to their summer pastures.
Other May Day customs include: walking the circuit of one’s property (“beating the bounds”), repairing fences and boundary markers, processions of chimney sweeps and milkmaids, archery tournaments, morris dances, sword dances, feasting, music, drinking, and maidens bathing their faces in the dew of May morning to retain their youthful beauty.
In the words of Witchcraft writers Janet and Stewart Farrar, the Beltane celebration was principally a time of “unashamed human sexuality and fertility.” Such associations include the obvious phallic symbolism of the May Pole and riding the hobbyhorse. Even a seemingly innocent children’s nursery rhyme “Ride a cock horse to Banburry Cross…” retains such memories. And the next line, “to see a fine Lady on a white horse,” is a reference to the annual ride of Lady Godiva through Coventry. Every year for nearly three centuries, a skyclad village maiden (elected “Queen of the May”) enacted this Pagan rite, until the Puritans put an end to the custom.
The Puritans, in fact, reacted with pious horror to most of the May Day rites, even making Maypoles illegal in 1644. They especially attempted to suppress the “greenwood marriages” of young men and women who spent the entire night in the forest, staying out to greet the May sunrise, and bringing back boughs of flowers and garlands to decorate the village the next morning. One angry Puritan wrote that men “doe use commonly to runne into woodes in the night time, amongst maidens, to set bowes, in so muche, as I have hearde of tenne maidens whiche went to set May, and nine of them came home with childe.” And another Puritan complained that, “Of forty, threescore or a hundred maids going to the wood over night, there have scarcely the third part of them returned home again undefiled.”
Long after the Christian form of marriage (with its insistence on sexual monogamy) had replaced the older Pagan handfasting, the rules of strict fidelity were always relaxed for the May Eve rites. Names such as Robin Hood, Maid Marion, and Little John played an important part in May Day folklore, often used as titles for the dramatis personae of the celebrations. And modern surnames such as Robinson, Hodson, Johnson, and Godkin may attest to some distant May Eve spent in the woods.
These wildwood antics have inspired writers such as Rudyard Kipling:
Oh, do not tell the Priest our plight,
Or he would call it a sin;
But we have been out in the woods all night,
A-conjuring Summer in!
And Lerner and Lowe:
It's May! It's May!
The lusty month of May!...
Those dreary vows that ev'ryone takes,
Ev'ryone breaks.
Ev'ryone makes divine mistakes!
The lusty month of May!
It is certainly no accident that Queen Guinevere’s ‘abduction’ by Meliagrance occurs on May 1 when she and the court have gone a-Maying, or that the usually efficient Queen’s guard, on this occasion, rode unarmed.
Some of these customs seem virtually identical to the old Roman feast of flowers, the Floralia, three days of unrestrained sexuality that began at sundown April 28 and reached a crescendo on May 1.
There are other, even older, associations with May 1 in Celtic mythology. According to the ancient Irish Book of Invasions, the first settler of Ireland, Partholan, arrived on May 1, and it was on May 1 that the plague came that destroyed his people.
Years later, the Milesians conquered the Tuatha Dé Danann on May Day. In Welsh myth, the perennial battle between Gwythur and Gwyn for the love of Creiddyled took place each May Day, and it was on May Eve that Teirnyon lost his colts and found Pryderi. May Eve was also the occasion of a fearful scream that was heard each year throughout Wales, one of the three curses of the Coranians lifted by the skill of Lludd and Llevelys.
By the way, due to various calendrical changes down through the centuries, the traditional date of Beltane is not the same as its astrological date. This date, like all astronomically determined dates, may vary by a day or two depending on the year. However, it may be calculated easily enough by determining the date on which the sun is at fifteen degrees Taurus (usually around May 5). British Witches often refer to this date as Old Beltane, and folklorists call it Beltane O.S. (Old Style). Some covens prefer to celebrate on the old date and, at the very least, it gives one options. If a coven is operating on ‘Pagan Standard Time’ and misses May 1 altogether, it can still throw a viable Beltane bash as long as it’s before May 5. This may also be a consideration for covens that need to organize activities around the weekend.
This date has long been considered a “power point” of the zodiac, and is symbolized by the Bull, one of the tetramorph figures featured on the tarot cards, the World and the Wheel of Fortune. (The other three symbols are the Lion, the Eagle, and the Spirit.) Astrologers know these four figures as the symbols of the four “fixed” signs of the zodiac (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius), and these naturally align with the four Great Sabbats of Witchcraft. Christians have adopted the same iconography to represent the four Gospel writers.
But for most, it is May 1 that is the great holiday of flowers, Maypoles, and greenwood frivolity. It is no wonder that, as recently as 1977, Ian Anderson could pen the following lyrics for the (classic rock) band Jethro Tull:
For the May Day is the great day,
Sung along the old straight track.
And those who ancient lines did ley
Will heed this song that calls them back.
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The Flower Maiden
Sir Thomas Malory wrote the following about the potent effect of May and the customs of King Arthur's court in La Morte d'Arthur:
It was the month of May, the month when the foliage of herbs and trees is most freshly green, when buds ripened and blossoms appear in their fragrance and loveliness. And the month when lovers, subject to the same force which reawakens the plants, feel their hearts open again, recall past trysts and past vows, and moments of tenderness, and yearn for a renewal of the magical awareness which is love.
Early one morning in May, Queen Gwynevere commanded ten of her knights to prepare to ride with her a-Maying. Each knight was to be accompanied by a lady, a squire and two yeomen, and all were to be decked in silk or other cloth of the freshest green, and decorated with moss, flowers and herbs. They were to ride into the fields and woods of Westminster and to return to King Arthur at the court at ten o'clock.
It was customary for the queen to ride forth only in a large company of knights, know as the Queen's knights – knights who were most young, lusty and eager to win fame, who wore plain white shields. Knights who were killed were replaced at the next Pentecost. Chief of them all, of course, was Sir Launcelot.
But this particular May Day, Launcelot is absent and Gwynevere is kidnapped by Sir Mellyagraunce, from whose clutches she must be rescued by Launcelot.
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The following are some fun chants/poems to be used on Beltane:
Chant
Here we come a piping,
In Springtime and in May;
Green fruit aripening,
And Winter fled away.
The Queen she sits upon the strand,
Fair as lily, white as wand;
Seven billows on the sea,
Horses riding fast and free,
And bells beyond the sand.
Doreen Valiente: "Witchcraft for Tomorrow"; Phoenix Publishing 1985
Chant
Oh, do not tell the Priest of our Art,
Or he would call it sin;
But we shall be out in the woods all night,
A conjuring summer in!
And we bring you news by word of mouth
For women, cattle and corn
Now is the dun come up from the South
With Oak, and Ash and Thorn!
Janet and Stewart Farrar: "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983
Stag Call
The men gather around the bon fire, next to their partners, and they repeat in unison:
I am the stag of seven tines;
I am a wide flood on the plain;
I am a wind on the deep waters;
I am a shining tear of the sun;
I am a hawk on a cliff;
I am fair among flowers;
I am a god who sets the head afire with smoke.
Robert Graves; "The White Goddess": Farrar 1970
A Modern Poem
A Meeting. Nighttime
Two people, separated by the waves
Meet
Without bodies
Minds linked by a keyboard
Neither knowing what to expect
They communicate
The screens tell their story
A connection
Not expected
But gladly welcomed
Time and space forgotten
They exchange pictures
Instant recognition
Past memories resurface
Past lives remembered
The ancient ones smile on the meeting
Two paths crossing once more
Past, present, and future fixed on this moment
Two people
One soul
Reunited under the light of Awen.
by Sionnach 1998
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Suggestions To Celebrate Beltane
Arise at dawn and wash in the morning dew: the woman who washes her face in it will be beautiful; the man who washes his hands will be skilled with knots and nets.
If you live near water, make a garland or posy of spring flowers and cast it into stream, lake or river to bless the water spirits.
Prepare a May basket by filling it with flowers and goodwill, then give it to one in need of caring, such as an elderly friend.
Make a wish as you jump a bonfire or candle flame for good luck – but make sure you tie up long skirts, pants first!
Make a May bowl – wine or punch in which the flowers of sweet woodruff or other fragrant blossoms are soaked – and drink with the one you love.
Creating Your Own Bower
Writter Waverly Fitzgerald suggests:
Bring the May into your life by bringing home green branches, flowers and branches of flowering trees. Transform your house into a bower. Make 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. Barbara Walker in Women's Rituals suggests other appropriate gifts including perfume, incense, candied flower petals, herbs, sachets and artificial flowers.
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 colorful clothes or dress all in green (the color of the fairies). Consider wearing a flower in your hair. If festivals were associated with decades, Ma Day would definitely be the 1960's because of its association with sensuality and free love, sweet smells and Nature, flowers and bells.
Make May wine by flavoring wine with herbs, berries, fruits or flowers. The traditional May wine is white wine flavored with sweet woodruff (soak the sprigs of woodruff in the wine for only 15 minutes or so to flavor the wine). If you don't drink alcohol, use the same technique to flavor milk or apple juice. Drink a toast to the glory of May. You might want to use this in a love ritual.
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If you choose to celebrate or acknowledge this powerful holiday in any way, I bid you joy, love and that the beloved God and Goddess bestows prosperity, abundance, fruitfulness, health and well-being.
— Danu’s Daughter
