Beltane for Beginners
If you live in the western world,
you’re probably familiar with May Day. It is typically a bank holiday that is
held on the first day of May, or on the first Monday of May. But you might not
be aware that May Day comes from the Gaelic festival of Beltane, which is still
celebrated by Pagans today.
In Wicca, Beltane celebrates the
midpoint between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. The Sabbat is a
way of recognising that the world is waking up and coming to life again.
Everything seems greener and more vibrant, now is the time that animals such as
lambs and calves and many others are being born, and the days are becoming
longer and sunnier while the nights get shorter.
When celebrating Beltane, one of
the key features is fire. This could be connected to the fact that fires give
us light and warmth, which is what we can expect going forward at this point in
the year. When lighting the Beltane fires, many Wiccans try to invoke the
following things: fertility, creativity, and purification. Traditionally, this
is to invite a good harvest later in the year, so that people could live well
with a good income and enough food. Many people also choose to jump over the
fire, either by themselves to invite purification and blessings, or with a
friend or partner to increase their bond.
At this time of the year, Wiccans
believe that the Sun God (either literally or metaphorically) has come of age,
so the festival of Beltane has quite an emphasis on sexuality and fertility, although
of course if that makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to partake in that
side of things – there’s plenty of other things going on!
Aside from lighting bonfires left
right and centre, throughout the Sabbat of Beltane, Wiccans can be found dancing
around maypoles, hanging May Boughs over their doors and windows, and
decorating May bushes with ribbons, eggshells, and flowers.
All in all, this is a season and
a Sabbat of celebration, so by promoting joy in yourself and others, you’re
already enjoying the spirit of Beltane.
Have a lovely day and Blessed Be!
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