Beltane
April 30th / May 1Also known as Roodmas or May Day
Many Wiccans and Pagans celebrate Beltane. It is one of eight solar Sabbats. This holiday incorporates traditions from the Gaelic Bealtaine, such as the bonfire, but it bears more relation to the Germanic May Day festival, both in its significance (focusing on fertility) and its rituals (such as May pole dancing). Some traditions celebrate this holiday on May 1 or May day, whiles others begin their celebration the eve before or April 30th.
Beltane has long been celebrated with feasts and rituals. The name means fire of Bel; Belinos being one name for the Sun God, whose coronation feast we now celebrate. As summer begins, weather becomes warmer, and the plant world blossoms, an exuberant mood prevails. In old Celtic traditions it was a time of unabashed sexuality and promiscuity where marriages of a year and a day could be undertaken but it is rarely observed in that manner in modern times.
In the old Celtic times, young people would spend the entire night in the woods "A-Maying," and then dance around the phallic Maypole the next morning. Older married couples were allowed to remove their wedding rings (and the restrictions they imply) for this one night. May morning is a magical time for wild water (dew, flowing streams, and springs) which is collected and used to bathe in for beauty, or to drink for health.
In the Christian calendar, this was celebrated as 'Roodmas'. In Germany, it was the feast of Saint Walpurga, or 'Walpurgisnacht'. An alternative date around May 5 (Old Beltane), when the sun reaches 15 degrees Taurus, is sometimes employed by Covens. (Both 'Lady Day' and 'Ostara' are names incorrectly assigned to this holiday by some modern traditions of Wicca.)
The May pole was a focal point of the old English village rituals. Many people would rise at the first light of dawn to go outdoors and gather flowers and branches to decorate their homes. Women traditionally would braid flowers into their hair. Men and women alike would decorate their bodies. Beltane marks the return of vitality, of passion. Ancient Pagan traditions say that Beltane marks the emergence of the young God into manhood. Stirred by the energies at work in nature, he desires the Goddess. They fall in love, lie among the grasses and blossoms, and unite. The Goddess becomes pregnant of the God.
To celebrate, a wedding feast, Breads and cereals are popular. Try oatmeal cakes or cookies sweetened with a dab of honey. Dairy foods are again appropriate...just make a lovely wedding feast and you are sure to enjoy yourself! An early morning walk through a local park or forest could be fun for everyone. Gather up some plants or flowers to display in your home. Mom and daughter could braid their hair, and weave in a few tender blossoms.
-Harvest the dew at Dawn and wash in the 'Pink moon' water or using it as a face wash
-Set Beltane Altar and ritual goal setting with the New Moon.
-Bake Dandelion cupcakes, honey cake, make sweet woodruff wine (without poisoning yourself)
-Fertility spells and candles, change over altar
-Making the Beltane fire
-Collecting ground Ivy for wreaths to wear during the Beltane fire.
-Collecting a bouquet for the table
With the little ones:
COLOR CORRESPONDENCES
Green, blue, yellow, red, purple
ACTIVITIES
-Set Beltane Altar and ritual goal setting with the New Moon.
-Bake Dandelion cupcakes, honey cake, make sweet woodruff wine (without poisoning yourself)
-Fertility spells and candles, change over altar
-Making the Beltane fire
-Collecting ground Ivy for wreaths to wear during the Beltane fire.
-Collecting a bouquet for the table
With the little ones:
-Take a flower foam and put a dowel rod into it with 3 seasonal ribbon colors attached at the top with a pin. Have the kids write their new moon goals on the ribbons and set flowers into the foam. On Beltane, do the maypole twining with music and make knot magic with your maypole! Have a bonfire that night with the kids and your fur friends!
-Nature walk to harvest the ground ivy.
CANDLE MAKING
Wax Temperatures
Soy wax
x Frangracing 185°F / 85°C
x Pouring 120-140°F / 50-60°C
Bees wax
x Fragrancing 185°F / 85°C
x Pouring 140-150°F / 60-65°C
BAKING
• 5 TBSP dandelion petals
• 100g Yoghurt or buttermilk
• 80 g (dandelion) honey
• 1 egg
• 60ml olive oil
• 135g flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Some vanilla sugar or vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 squeeze lemon juice
Ayurvedic honey spice bread:(with aphrodisiacs)
x ½ cup oil
1 cup honey
1 cup kefir (or yoghurt with milk)
2.5 cups spelt flour
2 eggs
4 TBS ginger (grated)
1 TBS cinnamon
1 TBS vainilla
1 pinch cayennepepper
2 TS backing powder
1 pinch salt
