All About Beltane
Beltane is the fourth sabbat of the wiccan year and it happens on May 1st in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a time of fire, dancing, fun, and abundance.
The word Beltane literally translates to Day of the Sun God (Bel = God, tane = Sun). The roots of this sabbat celebrated two major Gods, the Greek sun god Belenus and the Celtic sun goddess Belisima. It always wows me how so many cultures across the world have such similar gods and goddesses for the same times of year. Belenus and Belisima are both associated with the sun, water bodies (the sea for Belenus and rivers for Belisima), and healing. Beltane is a good time to use the polarizing qualities of fire and water to balance your energy. Another group who are honoured today are the Flora, goddesses of flowers and fruit who are celebrated in the Roman tradition of Floralia (celebrated at the same time as Beltane).
Symbols of Beltane: Fire & Water
I’ve heard it said that the best people are the most well-rounded. Beltane asks us to look into both our fiery side and our aquatic side to find optimal balance and healing -it is also the time of year when the Libra constellation first appears in the sky, furthering the theme of balance. Fire energy is all about drive, passion, and vigour, while water energy is about emotions, intuition, and thoughtfulness. During Beltane you are encouraged to be mindful of both.
Beltane is a day of exciting sexual energy, creation, and abundance. It was observed by the Puritans as one of the most offensive Sabbats because of this, but luckily today many Pagan groups can celebrate Beltane without fear, one of the biggest fire festivals happening in Edinburgh, Scotland. Some classic Beltane rituals include dancing around the May Pole which was a tall wooden pole with brightly coloured ribbons tied to it (one for each participant to hold as they danced in circles), and crowning the May King and May Queen, which sounds to me like an ancient version of prom. Symbols of Beltane are flowers, bonfires, and white cattle or bulls, as we are now in the sign of Taurus.
Beltane is also one of two sabbats where the curtain between the two worlds is lifted. The other, Samhain, honours the dead, but Beltane honours the living.
Your Beltane Ritual
Below I’ve written some ideas for your Beltane ritual. As of now I practice without a coven so these are all things you can do by yourself in your own home.
1. Creating a Personal May Pole
If you are solo circling the pole and holding the ribbons won’t really have the same effect -though I encourage you to definitely move your body today. It also didn’t feel practical to me to construct a giant 8 foot tall pole. Instead you can use a stick from outside and tie on strips of cloth as your ribbons. On each strip of cloth you can choose to write out wishes or desires that you want the light-hearted energy of Beltane to bring you. These can be words like “abundance”, “sexuality”, or “vitality” or specific desires or fantasies you wish to manifest. Beltane is about having fun and thriving so wishes about these things are very on brand.
2. Fire & Water
The ultimate way to do this would be a huge bonfire by the lake or by the sea… that is the epitome of magic for me… But if you’re a city dweller like me it’s safer and still fun to place a symbol of each element on either side of your altar. I chose a orange candle for fire (Beltane rules the sacral chakra which is represented by the colour orange) and a bowl of water for the… water… no explanation needed there. Rain water would be the best as it is said that rain or dew found on Beltane is extremely powerful in bringing harmony and beauty, but any tap water charged for a few minutes in the sunlight will do.
3. Gratitude
This one is pretty simple and practical… if you have a partner who you’re thankful for in the physical sense, let them know! If you want them to do something differently, also let them know (but in a light-hearted way)! If you want a lover and you don’t have one, let the Goddess know. In your meditation at your Beltane altar think about what you want that person to be like and how you want to feel when you’re with them. The Universe will deliver.
4. Honour Your Senses
Beltane is a grounded sabbat when we are very aware of our physical bodies. They do so much for us and they deserve to feel the pleasures of life. In your ritual I encourage you to do something pleasurable for each of your senses. I took inspiration for this ritual idea from the book “The Wiccan Year” by Judy Ann Nock, which I highly recommend.
5 Senses Beltane Ritual
You Will Need:
- Your altar or a quiet place.
- A candle to burn -I recommend red or orange.
- A scent that you love (oil, incense, etc).
- A few physical knick-knacks, totems, or photos that you find beautiful.
- A hand mirror, or other mirror close by.
- Body scrub or lotion you enjoy.
- One of your favourite foods -fruits are recommended.
Beginning your Ritual
Get into a space where you won’t be interrupted (in front of your altar if you have one). This Ritual is for you and only you, taking time to practice self-care on your body. I know I just talked about thanking lovers in the last tip, and while that’s important the most important person will always be you.
Sense of Smell
Start with the powerful sense of smell. Choose a scent that you really love and bring it into your space. You could do this with essential oils, incense, scented candles, or a scented mist. For me I really love the seductive yet innocent smell of my rose essential oil. Get the scent going in your space and breathe it in, entering a meditative state.
Listening
Next, treat your ears to music you adore. It can be anything you want! Either slow and trancy, enveloping your body, or upbeat and invigorating, making you believe you can do anything.
Sense of Touch
With the music playing, you will move on to the magical sense of touch. Exfoliate your skin, use dry brushing, self massage, stretching or a yoga practice -whatever makes your body feel good and energized. I think touching your actual skin is important here, so if you choose to do yoga or stretching here make sure you also include some type of self massage. For me I like to put a hydrating lotion all over my body and also do some yogic stretching.
Sense of Sight
Now it’s time to treat your eyes. Begin by finding stillness in front of your altar again. Before the ritual you will have placed some beautiful things on it. Look at them in detail. Really take them in. Why do you find them beautiful? The next thing I will suggest may be scary to some of you, because I know self-love can be hard. But look in the mirror. Look at you. Really look. You are so beautiful. Stare at yourself until you find things you find beautiful, internalize them, and really believe them. I hope you find many things. Of course if this sounds scary to you, you can leave it at looking at things you find beautiful.
Enjoy a Treat
Finally we will finish the ritual with the sense of taste. Eat something you love! Beltane is the sabbat of the sacral chakra and the colour orange, and it is also a sabbat tied to fruits and harvast. If you are a fan of mango, oranges, grapefruit, or other orange fruits these are great choices. But it can be anything you want. If it’s chips, eat those chips and enjoy it!
After eating, imagine the food as good energy filling your stomach with love and possibilities. Take your final moments of meditation, as long as you like, blow out your candle, and then you are done.
Thank you for reading and I wish you a day of fun, abundance, and prosperity.
No Comments