How I Celebrated Beltane - Mother Moon

As many of you know one of my fondest activities is tending my garden.  I have long awaited this spring and the warmth to return so that I could once more venture outdoors.  This spring I have planted more than in previous years.  Also as the fruits of my previous years efforts began to spring forth, I realized that it was going to be quite a colorful spring.  It seems that my efforts to harvest and replant as many seeds as I could from the previous year is starting to show some progress.   The pond is encircled with a variety of wild flowers as well as the small gardens I have scattered throughout my yard.  I will say that I give much credit for my great abundance to the wee folk or faery that reside in the woods that surround me.  I have asked that they help to tend my gardens and in turn I have helped them when needed as much as one can.  It seemed only fitting that the bulk of my festivities this Beltane be focused towards them.

I had tended my garden under the Elm, a special place of theirs.  Earlier in the season I had cleared out an area and planted more of a variety of flowers for them to enjoy.  Foxglove, english daisies, Bleeding hearts, and many more were scattered across the area.  Throughout the area I set up small solar lights  to give a subtle glow.  As May Eve began, I was sure to set out an extra special treat for them to enjoy as they celebrated the coming of Beltane.  Fresh cream and freshly made butter with honey drizzled across the top were nestled underneath the tree where I always place my offerings to the fae.  I lay some choice flowers along side for decoration as well as for an extra edible treat.  Before exiting I gave a quick blessing and bid them a hearty celebration and left them to their festivities.

The next morning cleaning up from the night before, I found a shiny red stone.  Occasionally they leave treats for me.  I have found special bird feathers, stones, and other things with no explanation as to how it could have gotten there.  I keep them all in a special place as I truly beleive they are gifts from the wee folk.  I then hung the ribbon, beads, and other colorful items from the branches of the trees.  I made sure that ample seed was there for the birds to enjoy as I also think they enjoy this time also.  Once again a short blessing as well as a request for blessings on the planting that had been done. 

I know that it is not how most spend their Beltane, yet it was a delight for me to share it with the fairy.  I feel I have been blessed with a magical place to enjoy and because of this I wish to do what I can to help it thrive.  I did enjoy a nice glass of wine with my choosen "consort" (Vincent of course).  And in our own manner we enjoyed the time and what it represents.  It was a pleasant way to welcome in the growing season.  I hope that all of you likewise had a joyful and fulfilling experience.  Each enjoying it in your own unique manner.  Blessings

The Divine Marriage on Beltane

"One dark night,
fired with love's urgent longings
- ah, the sheer grace! -
I went out unseen,my house being now all stilled.
In darkness,and secure,
by the ladder,disguised,
- ah, the sheer grace! - 
in darkness and concealment,
my house being now all stilled.
 

On that glad night,
in secret,for no one saw me,
 nor did I look at anything,
with no other light or guide
 than the one that burned in my heart. 

This guided me
 more surely than the light of the noon
 to where he was awaiting me
- him I knew so well - 
there in a place where no one appeared.
 

O guiding night! 
O night more lovely than the dawn!


When the breeze blew from the turret,
as I parted his hair,
it wounded my neck
 with its gentle hand,
suspending all my senses.I abandoned and forgot myself,
laying my face on my Beloved; 
all things ceased; I went out from myself  leaving my cares
 forgotten among the lilies."

~St. John of the Cross~

 It's bound to happen that we will all be disappointed in love. We want everything from our lovers; to listen to our darkest secrets, to comfort us when we're hurt, to treat us like a god or goddess and on and on. And there's nothing wrong with wanting that quality of love, the problem is, that our human partners can't always love us the way we want and when we want it. I know for myself that I have made assumptions about love that have cost me dearly. Through therapy, dream-work, spiritual practice, studies of world mythologies and having romantic relationships I finally met my true soul-mate. He is the divine lover within myself. 

Some may consider me strange, narcissistic, vain or delusional. I don't follow any organized religion, consider myself "born again" or believe in a new-age philosophy. The relationship with the inner lover has been written about, sung about, and portrayed through every medium you can think of for centuries. Our romantic relationships on the external realm are shaped by our relationships on the inner realm. Each of us must find our own divine lover in our own individual way, but we can learn from others how they have found soulful love.

 Today is Beltane, and many of you either celebrate it or have learned what Beltane represents.  My eWitch sisters have written some wonderful posts about Beltane. Today the joining of the May Queen and the Green Man are being re-enacted as they have from earlier times. The song I've quoted above called "The Dark Night of the Soul" was written by St. John of the Cross expressing "divine union of the love from God." When I first heard this song performed by Loreena McKennitt I though it was the most beautiful and perfect song for any type of love. You don't have to be a Christian or worship  a similar path to know this divine love St. John sings of. It's the acceptance and willingness to surrender yourself to God however you know her/him that makes the difference. 

 In alchemy the masculine principle; the sun king marries the feminine principle; the moon queen in a sacred marriage for wholeness and harmony. In psychological terms; a man's inner feminine queen is known as an "Anima" and for a woman her inner king is known as the "Animus." Anima and Animus stem from the word; "animate", to bring alive with spirit and soul.  King Arthur and Guinevere, Isis and Osiris, Psyche and Eros, Father Sky and Earth Mother, the Yin/Yang are all representations of the God and Goddess uniting for wholeness in a sacred marriage.

So while I may not be jumping over a Beltane fire with a lover today, I will let myself be loved and honored as every May Queen deserves from my divine soul-mate. How are you going to celebrate Beltane?

Please check out the video of Loreena McKennitt singing "The Dark Night of the Soul."

Blessed May Eve

"Be like a flower and turn your face to the sun."

- Kahlil Gibran

The Magic Of Beltane

Tomorrow evening (April 30th) marks the beginning of Beltane. It is the Sabbat which celebrates fertility and the returning of the sun. Winter has passed and the warmth has returned. It is the beginning of the growing season. Cupboards that were dwindling from the winter past will slowly be restocked as seeds are planted and soon they bear fruit. It is a time when the pleasures or growth of the earth as well as the self becomes awakened. With such an awakening comes the hope of a bountiful harvest later as well as the carefree nature that only summer can bring.

Beltane translated means “fire of Bel” or “bright fire”. This refers further to Bel the Celtic Sun God. It is Bel who is the father, and also husband of the Mother Goddess. On April 30th or May Eve, two large fires referred to as Bel fires are built from the nine sacred woods. They are as follows:

 Birch – representing the goddess or female energy

Oak - representing the god or male energy

Hazel – representing knowledge and wisdom

Rowan – representing life

Hawthorne – representing purity and faery magic

Willow – representing death

Fir – representing birth and rebirth

Apple – representing love and family

Vine – representing joy and happiness

Bel is then asked to bring his blessings and protection to those whom have come to pay him homage. The Bel fire is a sacred fire known for its healing and purifying powers. They represent the return of the sun as well as the coming of the growing season which will put an end to the coldness and barrenness of winter. Animals are led between the two fires as a means to purify, protect, as well as bring luck to them. Fires in the home are also quenched at this time and relit with the fresh fire from the Bel fires. When Beltane has completed and the fires are no more, their ashes are scattered across fields where the crops have been planted as well as other gardens wishing to benefit from them.

Other traditions for Beltane include the May pole: A pole usually made of birch, from which a number of brightly colored ribbons hang. Flowers and leaves likewise decorate it in a festive manner. Upon taking a ribbon in hand those participating, dance around the pole intertwining the ribbons as they do so. The participants traditionally are to be an equal number of young males and females. The dance symbolizes the union of the goddess and her consort. In the joining of the two they form a third. As the ribbons are woven it is thought that the pattern it creates will predict how bountiful the coming harvest will be.

The faeries are also very active during this time. With the return of the vibrant colors of spring flowers as well as their sweet scent it is a time one has the opportunity to have an encounter of the faery kind. They live in trees, plants and flowers and love to hang out in overgrown areas. The fae is a great reminder of our own child like ways whom we tend to hold back as we become older. Much like a child though, faeries love sweets. Be sure and leave a special treat set out for them during your celebration. I myself have already started to ready their area beneath my Elm. The flowers are blooming, a wind chime hangs, and a special area where their feast is placed has been cleared.

If you would like to call the fae, begin by ringing bells. The soft sound of bells is known as a wake up device for the fae and lets them know you would be delighted if they come out and play. Look for the slightest flicker of movement. Be sure also to acknowledge the trees. Often you can feel a presence, even if you do not see anything. Making friends with the faeries in your area is a wonderful thing. They in turn will lend their hands and magic to you. You will soon notice your mood lightened as well as your cares less.

Whatever your plans for Beltane, remember this: It is that childlike demeanor that best portrays the nature of Beltane. It is that unbridled energy which surges up from deep down within us and craves to be released. It is an expression of bliss and delight in the simplicity of running freely with no restraints. It is lying in the middle of a field of soft clover with the warmth of the sun on your face and the smell of the wildflowers around you. It is dancing without any inhibitions, expressing ourselves freely. Quite simply: It is the natural abandonment of our adult sensibilities. Which in turn allows us to find pleasure, bliss, and peace in celebrating the gift of Beltane.