Beltane celebrates love and sexuality. Plants are growing and wild animals are giving birth. Summer is here!
Beltane is celebrated with great joy and optimism, decorating the home with flowers, bonfires, feasting, and visiting holy wells.
The light half of the year starts now with abundant sunshine and warmer temperatures.
You are probably mowing your yard, planting your garden, and enjoying being outdoors after the rain and snow of winter. Enjoy the smell of the earth and freshly cut grass. Take quiet nature walks and look for baby animals.
Keep Reading for our many activities for a fun holiday!
History
The word Beltane comes from the Gaelic word La Beltane and is widely celebrated in Great Britain especially Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the Isle of Man.
Traditionally celebrated on May 1st which is halfway between the spring and summer equinox. One of the four major Gaelic festivals. The others are Samhain, Imbolc, and Lughnasa.
Beltane is also known as May Day and Walpurgis. Both names come from more Christianized ceremonies. May Day is a public holiday in many European countries and traces its origin back to the Roman goddess Floralia.
Flora represents fertility, renewal of life, and the flowering of Spring. We modern pagans continue to evoke the essence of Flora and her protection of the Spring in our Beltane celebrations. You can read my article FLORALIA - CELEBRATING THE GODDESS OF SPRING.
Walpurgis Night is a Christianized version of Beltane which celebrates Saint Walpurga. A German saint, she was a healer and anti-witchcraft. Her followers prayed to her to save them from the evil witches – definitely not someone we want to follow!
Geoffrey Keating a historian in the 1600s wrote in detail about a large community festival in Uisneach, Ireland. There a sacrifice was made to Beil (the Shining God) a Celtic Sun God and the patron deity for Aquileia, Italy. He rode across the sky in a horse-drawn chariot.
New York RenFaire 2004 Photo by Ken L.
Coming to America
Beltane was widely celebrated throughout Europe. The holiday was brought to America with settlers from Great Britain.
Thomas Morton erected an 80-foot-tall Maypole in the settlement of Merrymount, Massachusetts in 1626. The festival that year was fun and exciting, drawing settlers and Natives from around the colonies.
This of course infuriated the stuffy Puritans who called in Miles Standish. Standish arrested Morton. Morton was then exiled to Maine – where I am hopeful that he built more Maypoles (but we don’t know for sure).
Correspondences
Not a complete list. Keep reading! Some we will go into more detail below.
Symbols - maypole, crowns of flowers, bonfires, cauldron’s, eggs, may gads, and fairies
Food – dairy, bread, strawberries, oats, fresh greens, cakes, eggs
Herbs/plants – mint, clover, dittany, thyme, and yarrow. Ash, elder, hawthorn. Honeysuckle, marigolds, lily of the valley, rose, and other flowering plants.
Incense – lilac, rose, frankincense
Crystals/Gemstones – Emerald, malachite, amber, bloodstone, and rose quartz
Animals – bees, cattle, lambs, doves, frogs, swans, cats, leopards, lynx
Tools - broom, cauldron
Agriculture Connections
Like many of our pagan holidays, Beltane began among early farmers and herdsmen. This was a time to drive the cattle and sheep to summer pasture.
It was also the time to walk your property checking fence lines, and water levels, and protecting boundaries.
For farmers at this time the chickens were laying eggs, and calves and lambs were being born. Cows were milked. Animal products were the basis of their diet during early summer.
Some gathering of greens such as dandelion, mushrooms in the woods, and a big treat – wild strawberries were ripening.
Rituals were performed to protect the livestock and growing crops and encourage their growth. In one ritual cattle were led between two bonfires for protection from diseases.
Beltane Altar. Picture byRaeVynn Sands
Altar Ideas
Beltane is represented by bright colors, beautiful flowers, and the goddess. Yellow, purple and red will liven up your space.
Add spring time flowers that are blooming in your area.
Place offerings of springtime foods on your altar or in your yard. An outside altar is a great place to leave an offering for wildlife.
Families may wish to weave a flower crown to wear during altar time.
Female Energy - have a picture or statue of a goddess
Celebrate the womb and giving birth with eggs (your children may wish to dye them like at Ostara). Other female symbols are cups, rings, young plants
Honor female ancestors with a photograph or family story
The Gods energy can be represented with a symbol of potency such as antlers, acorns, arrows, or swords. A statue or picture of a god you honor.
Prayers to express gratitude for the fertility of the earth.
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Celebrate Beltane
Dance around the May Pole, cuddle with your lover ,have a parade, indulge in melted chocolate. All are great ways to celebrate this holiday.
Are you welcoming a new baby into the home? Babies born on May 1st were traditionally named Robin. The Roman goddess Juno watched over childbirth.
Dance
Dancing is a way we celebrate. We use our bodies to express joy and revitalization.
Dance around the bonfire or around the Maypole.
Hawthorn in spring. Photo by Nilfanion
Make a May Bush
A May Bush is a chosen bush that is decorated for Beltane. Traditionally it was a multiflora rose bush or similar thorny plant, with flowers, ribbons, and pretty shells or stones.
Often yellow and orange were used to represent the fire. Marigolds, dandelions, buttercups, and primrose may be blooming. Trees such as Hawthorne, birch, and hazel have pretty springtime flowers.
Flower crowns are popular during Beltane. It’s a fun family activity to make crowns out of field flowers.
Fairies
The fairies often reside in gardens. You can make a fairy garden or fairy fort so they have a place to frolic.
Leave out milk and honey!
May Queen and King
The young oak tree falls deeply in love with the Maiden goddess. Their union is completed on the eve of May Day and she becomes pregnant.
They represent the Heiros Gamos or sacred marriage. Together as the May Queen and May King, they bring together the earth and sky.
During the Middle Ages, the May King was often referred to as Robin Hood. This was not necessarily the famous outlaw but a wood sprite named Robin Goodfellow.
May Gads
May Gads are wands decorated with bells, flowers, and ribbons. They were traditionally made from willow branches and thus very flexible.
Cowslips, a spring flower, were often used to decorate them.
Traditionally in England during the middle ages, boys would carry may gads on May Morning to the May Pole in their village. At the pole, they struck their wands together causing the cowslips to fall. This symbolized the start of summer.
Beltane parade in Peebles Beltane Parade, UK. Photo by Jim Barton
Parade
Do you have young children in your family or coven? A great way to celebrate is to have a procession or go see a community parade.
Traditional Beltane parades were known for having a fool and a green man. Many people rode horses (a stick horse will do) Wave your May Gad and shake your tambourine.
Beltane Foods
Think rich delicious spring delicacies. Strawberries dipped in chocolate and truffles.
Fresh greens are either foraged or grown. Dandelions are popular for salads and have medicinal value. Asparagus, onions, sugar peas, and radishes are wonderful spring foods to add to your meal.
Animal foods would have been popular because many crops had not matured yet. Lamb, eggs, and dairy products were available and still popular today.
Fish would have been popular, especially in Scandinavian countries.
Caudle was a popular dish and was made of eggs, milk, oatmeal, and butter. Cook it outside on your fire.
Remember to give back! Leave an offering for the Sith, fairies, or elves.
Magical Properties of Beltane Foods
Many foods have magical properties, correspondences, and can be used in rituals as well as for eating pleasure and good health.
Asparagus – sex and fertility, healing, boldness
Honey – abundance, love, creativity, healing
Oats – fertility, stability, ancestor work, endurance
Rosemary – love, dream work, sleep, protection
Spinach – strength, finances, passion, shielding
Strawberries – romance, friendship, luck, pregnancy
Thyme – purification, releasing negativity, forecasting, relieving anxiety
MayPole
The Maypole is believed to come from Germanic pagans and is a symbol of fertility. However, there is some evidence the Germans brought the tradition back after trading with the Egyptians.
The Maypole is (yes) a phallic symbol of fertility and strength. You can easily make this a fun family-friendly event.
A 15 – 20 foot pole was erected (pun intended) in the commons area of the village. Before it was placed in the ground long ribbons were fastened to the top.
During the Maypole dance, to bright happy music, each person takes the end of a ribbon. Young women go counterclockwise and young men clockwise. Participants weave around each other.
This movement wraps the ribbon around the pole in a brightly colored sheath.
Lovers to Honor
Beltane is a time to think about famous lovers and honor the Gods and Goddesses of love, romance, and passion.
Sexuality and fertility are in abundance. The Maiden Goddess reaches her peak after the renewal of spring.
Who Are the Deities to Honor During Beltane?
Here is a partial list of deities you can honor during the Beltane season.
Aphrodite – Greek Goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation
Astarte – Egyptian and Hittite goddess of love, sexual love, and also war
Bastet – Egyptian goddess of love, protection, and cats
Bes – Egyptian god of love, music, and dance
Cupid- Roman God of love, sexual desire, and affection
Eros- the Greek god of love was known to be mischievous and Aphrodite’s companion
Erzulie – Haitian Vodou goddess of love, passion, beauty, and prosperity
Freya – Norse goddess of love, fertility, sex, and war
Jarilo – Slavic God of fertility, lust, passion
Lada – Slavic goddess of beauty and love
Lofn – Norse goddess of forbidden marriages
Min – Egyptian god of sexual pleasure, love, procreation
Osun – West African goddess of femineity, fertility, and love
Venus- Roman goddess of love and beauty
Yue-Lao – Chinese god of love
Xochipilli – Aztec god of love, song, beauty, and sexual desire
Beltane Fires
The bonfire is an important part of the celebration. A Beltane fire is ignited in the community and it holds special powers. Households would dose their own fire and then relight them using fire from the Beltane Bonfire.
When the Beltane fire dies down ashes are collected and saved. After they have cooled, they are sprinkled on livestock and in gardens. This will help to repel pests.
Couples jumped the fire together to show their commitment to each other. Similar to our pagan wedding ceremony of jumping the broom.
Why Have a Bonfire?
During the Beltane bonfire, we celebrate the return of the sun and the light. We seek to be a light in the world.
Bonfires remind us that we need to shine our light during dark times. There are always people and causes that can use our blessings and financial gifts.
What positive energies can you send out into the world or your community?
Author, Ame is the founder of Celebrate Pagan Holidays. You can check out our books on Amazon.
Working with the fae involves having a connection with nature. Something many in today’s society have lost. We lock ourselves up within mental and physical walls.