Hitting Send

It is the eve of May Day, as it is known by the Catholic Church, or Beltane (most commonly pronounced BELL-tayn), as the Celts called it, which is derived from the Irish Gaelic ‘Bealtaine’ or the Scottish Gaelic ‘Bealtaine’, meaning ‘Bel-fire’, the fire of the Celtic God of Light (Bel, Beli, Belinus or Belinos being one name for the Sun God). Celtic festivals often tied in with the needs of the community; and since Spring was the beginning of the farming calendar, the community was hopeful for a fruitful year ahead for their families and fields. This festival celebrates the start of the Light Half of the Year, the coming of Summer, and the desire for fertility in crops, flocks, herds and humans. Beltane is the most overtly and unashamed sexual festival of flowers, fertility, love and lust. The baby animals are being born, new plants are growing shoots, flowers bloom, trees rebirth their leaves, and the God and Goddess are ready to unite as one.

The Maypole is the symbol for the union of God (the May King, Jack in the Green, Hod or Green God, which was also the name for Robin Hood) and Goddess (the May Queen, Flora, or Maid (May) Marian). Interestingly, it has been suggested that the Catholic Church made Mary the Queen of May as a way of promoting chastity rather than the sexuality of earlier Goddesses associated with May. The unity is represented by the weaving of ribbons (a web of life) around the Maypole, which is an obvious phallic symbol representing the God and the ribbons that encompass it are the Goddess. I remember as a little girl in Holland, dressed in traditional dress, garland upon my head, I just loved dancing around the Maypole, watching the ribbons weave together. Little did I know that it was a symbol for the sexual union of God and Goddess.

Another important ritual is the Beltane fire. Community bonfires were lit upon the mountain or hilltops, from which individual hearth fires were then lit. May boughs (Rowan) and May bushes (Hawthorn) were used. The fire was thought to cleanse, purify and increase fertility. Leaping over the fire is supposed to bring good fortune, happiness, and fertility of mind, body and spirit. Also, cattle were passed between two fires to ensure fertility. I hear one should be careful what one wishes for before leaping a Beltane fire, because the wish will come true.

In the British Isles young men and maidens would go a-Maying on the eve of May Day, spending all night in the forest and returning at day break “bringing in the May”, adorning villages with Spring boughs and blossoms. There was much criticism of this practice, as it was said that very few maidens returned in a pure state, so to speak. The children conceived on Beltane were considered to be gifts from the Gods and were known as ‘Merry-Be-Gots’.

Today, one can celebrate Beltane by sending flowers to a loved one, planting new gardens, or doing some Spring cleaning. Traditional foods associated with the Holiday are oat and dairy related, so making Oat Cakes, or custard are wonderful ways to share in the festival. This is a time of self-discovery, love, union and developing your potential for personal growth. It is a way of allowing for the fertility of our personal creativity, and thus, a perfect time to turn dreams into action. Wishing you a Blessed Beltane, my friends.