Beltane - Bealtaine - May Day
I love the magic made visible in spring, especially that pocket of time between the spring equinox and Beltane. Whether I am walking in the mountains or in the neighborhood, every plant shows signs of waking up. Just after Ostara, trees are covered in little terminal buds, nearly invisible at the tips of their still bare branches, preparing to unfurl a new canopy of leaves for the summer. Some trees already have their leaves and catkins emerging in preparation for the mating season ahead. The quintessential spring crocuses and tulips begin emerging, delicately and bravely stepping out into the early spring sun that can still so quickly turn into rain or snow. As Beltane nears, leaves begin forming on trees – I love seeing terminal buds in various stages of bloom, watching how nature expands immensely from a single point to create new branches, leaves, and flowers. All the bushes begin to take on a brighter hue against their darker mature growth, as their new growth gets underway. One of my favorite moments is watching the clusters of flowers mature on the lilac bushes. Each day I walk past and breathe in the familiar scent that intensifies as Beltane approaches. When they finally bloom I know May Day is nigh, the scent of lilac is synonymous with this time of the wheel for me. Who needs a calendar when you have flowers, plants, and trees?
Beltane, May Day, is a festival that has been celebrated by many cultures throughout history. It is in essence a celebration of the first day of Summer, of the return of fertile, creative energy to the world after the slumber and stirrings of winter and spring. If you watch the plants all around you, you can see them waking up and preparing to expand as the sun returns. This Sabbat celebrates the tipping point of awakening of this creative energy in the Earth and ourselves. Traditionally this creative sexual energy is celebrated by some form of enactment of the Great Rite, which is a coupling of the archetypal energies of the god and goddess – or of masculine and feminine energy. We are talking about energy here, not gender, or even sex for that matter. This type of Magick occurs when any being or beings bring their power together for the sake of creation of any kind, including pleasure. So yes, that includes all types and forms of sex. It can also include a garden, a business, a community, art – anything. We already contain both energies within us – and we need them – they are the alchemical ingredients required to create the friction necessary for creation, and we all express it differently. This is where the power of authenticity comes in. When we tap into what we feel called to create and follow that flow to find others who resonate, the power of authenticity can move mountains. It can change the world. The world needs that right now.
If you are having trouble tapping into this energy, ask yourself what are you passionate about? What do you like to create? What lights that fire within you when you talk about it or think about it? What is the subject that you will talk about for 5 minutes straight when it gets mentioned in passing? If you don’t know, ask your sacred mirrors; people you are in relationship with and know you (partner, friend, co-worker, etc). The answers might surprise you. Pay attention to the things that make the little hairs on your arms stand up. How can you begin to bring that thing from the world within you into the physical world here? What could it look like? What is the first step? What is the next step? That is your intention. That is the Great Rite. Use the energy of Beltane to help you manifest that desire here in this realm. This doesn’t have to be a huge sweeping change – though it can be – this doesn’t always mean quitting your job, moving to another state, changing your name; you’re probably not a spy. Think baby steps. Talk to people about what you love, find others who love what you love. Use the internet to your advantage; fill your feeds with the things that inspire you, that resonate with you. Less doomscrolling and more dreamscrolling. Energy flows where attention goes; find the balance between being informed and dreaming that works for you.
The quintessential celebration of Beltane of course is the May Pole dance; a tall pole is fixed in the ground with ribbons attached at the top, and a wreath rests upon the ribbons stretched out in all directions around the pole, held by the dancers. As the dancers weave the ribbon, widdershins and deosil, under and over, the pole is sheathed as the ribbons weave down to the base of the pole. It is one giant metaphor for the Great Rite; the pole symbolizes the phallus of the God, the energy of the seed ready to spring forth, the terminal bud of a tree ready to bloom; potential kinetic energy. The wreath and ribbons symbolize the Goddess, receiving the seed and amplifying it out a thousand-fold into all the growth and abundance we see each summer. Think of all the abundance that springs forth from a tiny seed. Anyone who grows zucchini in their garden can tell you. We are part of nature and so embody this innate, intelligent abundance as well – ponder on this. I love the Maypole dance because it brings so many different energies together into coherence for the sake of joy and creation. Barefoot on the grass, ribbon in hand, dancing, ducking, weaving, sometimes kissing, always laughing, this ritual dance is an amazing way to connect to the earth, regulate the nervous system, and shift stagnant energy. Many people choose to get married or renew their dedication to one another on May Day and may choose to be tied to the maypole as the ribbons are weaved down to bless their union with love, luck and fertility.
Another classic celebration includes bonfires (Bel fires) – burned for blessings of luck and fertility, and it is also believed that jumping over the fire or coals would help to bring those blessings to a person, or to cattle who were driven between two fires or over the coals. If you are able, jump over a bonfire, or over the coals from one, holding your intentions in your heart to be blessed with luck and fertility to help them grow to fruition. You may also wish to write these intentions down and burn them in the fire; set that intention in motion as it burns – this method results in far fewer rolled ankles. May you celebrate May Day in whatever way speaks to you; let your creativity and authenticity shine out with the Sun. Bright Blessings, and Happy Beltane.
