April's
showers have given way to rich and fertile earth, and as the land greens, there
are few celebrations as representative of fertility as Beltane. This holiday
incorporates traditions from the Gaelic Bealtaine, such as the bonfire, but it
bears some relation to the Germanic May Day festival, both in its significance
(focusing on fertility) and its rituals (such as May pole dancing). It is the
celebration of the mystical union with the land, honoring Freyr and Freya. Observed on May 1, festivities typically begin
the evening before, on the last night of April. It's a time to welcome the abundance of the
fertile earth.
May Day on May 1
is an ancient Northern Hemisphere spring
festival
and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many
cultures. May Day is a festival that
has been somewhat lost but is best known for its tradition of dancing the maypole dance.
Depending on your particular
tradition, there are many different ways you can celebrate Beltane, but the
focus is nearly always on fertility. 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. It's the
time when the earth mother opens up to the fertility god, and their union
brings about healthy livestock, strong crops, and new life all around.
Beltane Fire
Bonfires are traditionally lit to keep away
malevolent spirits or those who might do us mischief.
The ritual welcoming of
the sun and the lighting of the fires was also believed to ensure fertility of
the land and the people. Animals were transferred from winter pens to summer
pastures, and were driven between the Beltane fires
to cleanse them of evil spirits and to bring fertility and a good milk yield.
The Celts leapt over Beltane fires - for fertility and purification.
Plantings
For
many contemporary Pagans, Beltane is a time for planting and sowing of seeds --
again, the fertility theme appears. Urban
Pagans can start a herb garden in their kitchen. The buds and flowers of early May bring to
mind the endless cycle of birth, growth, death and rebirth that we see in the
earth. Certain trees are associated with May Day, such as the Ash, Oak and
Hawthorn. Norse legend, the God Odin hung from an Ash
tree for nine days, and it later became known as the World Tree, Yggdrasil.
Maypole
The maypole (May Tree) - a phallic pole planted deep in
the earth representing the potency and fecundity of the God, its unwinding
ribbons symbolized the unwinding of the spiral of life and the union of male
and female - the Goddess and God. Young maidens and lads each hold the end of a ribbon and
dance revolving around the base of the pole, interweaving the ribbons. It is usually topped by a ring
of flowers to represent the fertile Goddess.
Handfasting
This
ancient Pagan and Celtic ceremony marked the taking of a partner - this
involves a commitment to perform an annual review of relationship. The couple's hands are ritually bound together
to symbolize their union. Some people
choose to use a ribbon that they have both signed. Between Beltane and the Summer Solstice is the
most popular time for handfastings.
Thanks to the Earth Mother
Great earth mother!
We give you praise today
and ask for your blessing upon us.
As seeds spring forth
and grass grows green
and winds blow gently
and the rivers flow
and the sun shines down
upon our land,
we offer thanks to you for your blessings
and your gifts of life each spring.
We give you praise today
and ask for your blessing upon us.
As seeds spring forth
and grass grows green
and winds blow gently
and the rivers flow
and the sun shines down
upon our land,
we offer thanks to you for your blessings
and your gifts of life each spring.
Wisdom
from the world's religions inspires our ethical and spiritual life.
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