Beltaine joyfully heralds the arrival of summer. Beltaine is also known as Mayday, Walburga and Bealtinne. Beltaine is the last of the three spring fertility festivals, and the second major Celtic festival. Beltane, and its counterpart Samhain, divide the year into two seasons, Winter and Summer. May is the month of sensuality and sexuality revitalized, the reawakening of the earth and Her Children.
Beltaine brings hopes of love, prosperity, friendship and peace. As we dance amongst the flowers around the Maypole our thoughts wander through our lives and loves . It is said that if you bathe in the dew of Beltaine morn, your beauty will flourish throughout the year.
Beltaine literally means "fire of Bel". Bel is known as the bright and shining one. On the eve of Beltane the Celts build two large fires. In the honor of summer they were lit, and the herds were ritually driven between them, to purify and protect the herds. The fires celebrate the return of life and fruitfulness to the earth. Celebration includes frolicking throughout the countryside, dancing the Maypole, leaping over fires, and "going a maying".
Beltaine marks the handfasting (wedding) of the Goddess and God, the reawakening of the earth's fertility at its fullest. This is the union between the Great Mother and her Young Horned God. This coupling brings new life on earth. It is the unifying of the Divine Masculine and the Divine Feminine forms to bring forth the third form, consciousness.
| Symbols | May Pole, Flowers, Fauna, Handfastings, Butter Churn, Eggs, Chalice, Knife, Flower Chaplet, May Baskets, Bells |
| Colors | Red, White, Green, Yellow |
| Deities | Pan, The Green Man, Flora, Diana, Artemis, Faunus and Nymphs. |
| Incense And Oils | Rose, Lilac, Florals, Frankincense, Ylang Ylang,Yarrow, Basil, Camphor, Clove. |
| Stones | Rose Quartz, Emerald, Sapphire, Bloodstone |
| Foods | Dairy Foods, Oats and Oat Cakes, Bannocks, Honey and Sweets, Greens, Green Salads, Beltaine Cakes |
| Herbs | Hawthorn, Primrose, Cowslip, Rose, Rosemary, Birch, Pine, Lilac |
| Activities | May Pole Dancing, Gathering Flowers and Herbs, Weaving a Chaplet, Gatherings of Families and Clans, Fertility Rites, Handfastings, Balefires, The Great Rite - Symbolic Fertility Ritual |
| Animals | Rabbits, Goats, Honey Bees, Pegasus, Satyrs |
| Drinks | Red or Blush Wine, Red or Pink Punch, Teas of Burdock, Damiana, Hibiscus, Rose Hips and Saffron |
Beltaine Incense Recipe:
- 3 parts Frankincense
- 2 parts Sandalwood
- 1 part Woodruff
- 1 part Rose Petals
- a few drops Jasmine Oil
- a few drops Neroli Oil
Belaine Oil Recipe:
5 drops rose oil, 2 drops Dragon's blood, 3 drops coriander oil. (Use almond oil as a base here)
Beltane Rituals
