Lady’s Musings
Beltane and May Celebrations
Merry Meet
Beltane is April 30th – May 1st in the Western Hemisphere. This is one of the 8 Sabbats of the year. This is said to be the beginning of Spring. The Goddess throws off her maiden robes and takes on the robes of the Mother, with her Consort and mate, the Green Man standing by her side. It is also said to be the celebration of Persephone returning from the Underworld to her mother in our world, allowing the re-awakening of the land. It is the historically celebrated half-year mark, the counterpoint of Samhain, which is the end of the year, November 1st.
May is named for Maia, the grandmother, the Goddess of death and fertility. Maia scorns marriage, so it is a good idea to put weddings off until June. It is one of the 3 days of the year when the fairies are said to be able to be seen.
Traditionally, this was a major fertility festival. Great bonfires were lit to assist the sun in returning to heat the fields and increase the harvest. To signify their availability, unattached people, young and old, who were seeking a partner wore green during the festival. They would spend Beltane night in the greenwood (forest) with their chosen one. After the evening’s celebrations, the celebrants would return home bearing armloads of May boughs covered in budding flowers, as well as any other blooming flowers they came across. These were all shared with families in the community. As they shared their May bounty, the homes they visited shared the best in food and drink they had. A child born of this festival was considered especially blessed, and to share in the good fortune, the entire community would care for the mother and child. The May Pole was also raised during this celebration and people danced and made merry around it. There is a tradition that if the May Pole dancers wove a perfect pattern with the ribbons hung from the May Pole then the coming harvest would be an excellent one. But, if the ribbons became entangled during the dancing then the upcoming harvest was not expected to be as bountiful as it could be. The May Pole dancers trained and practiced to try to ensure their weaving of the ribbons did not tangle.
The Hawthorn was known as the May and bringing May blossoms into the home was considered very unlucky. This could have been due to the increasing Christian influence. Bringing Mayflowers into the home could reveal the Pagan beliefs of the family and put the entire household at risk for persecution. Another theory as to the unluckiness of bringing May flowers into the home is said to refer to the Beltane night celebrations, and the flowers in the home could reference the unattached not finding a partner that eve.
If you are lucky enough to have a May bush; beneath it is a wonderful place to lie back and contemplate the coming growing season. You can gather the beautiful flowers and weave them into a circlet to wear, or to give to your ladylove. If you have a Goddess statue you may want to make a circlet for her as well.
Another traditional activity for this eve is lighting the Beltane fire. Young lovers would jump through the smoke and low flames to bring luck to their union. Farmers led their herds and flocks through the smoke from the fires for increased productivity in the coming season. Pregnant women are said to have stepped over the coals to help with an easy and successful birth. Small children, and even infants, were carried across the coals and through the smoke for luck and health throughout the year.
If you don’t have access to a May Day celebration, you can light a small fire and add green boughs to it to encourage the smoke. Jumping through the flames and smoke (with any long skirts kept out of the flames) can be done to celebrate the new season and to bring luck to your endeavors. If a bonfire is not possible, due to apartment living, living with non-Pagans, etc, you can also do the ‘jumping through the flame’ ritual using candles or even tea light candles. Please be careful and hold any long skirts or other pieces of clothing that might catch fire out of the way, and make sure to have the candles placed on non-flammable material, in case you knock them over.
Flowers can also be gathered for May baskets. Filling your home with the newest blooms will help brighten your day as well as bring the joy of the coming together of the Goddess and her Consort, the Green Man, into your world. May baskets make wonderful gifts for shut-ins and elderly friends and neighbors.
A wonderful, and very simple spell for this day is an increase spell. Take 5 new, shiny, and cleansed pennies. Place them under your front steps, heads up. Then say the following, or something you come up with on your own:
Penny Penny, Shining Bright
Bring to my door what I need that is right
Guide my steps to help me find
Help for my home and peace of mind
As I will so mote it be.
While this spell does not specify money or property, it asks for what you ‘need’ to be brought to you, and for your steps to be guided as well. If you don’t have traditional ‘front steps’ you can place the pennies under your front doormat or even plant them, face up, in a flower bed near your front door. This little spell has helped me when I thought there was nothing I could do to meet my home or my families needs. I hope it helps you as well.
Here is a poem by Sir Thomas Malory, written for the May celebrations of the time.
The month of May was come,
when every lusty heart beginneth to blossom,
and to bring forth fruit; for like as herbs and trees bring
forth fruit and flourish in May, in likewise every lusty heart that
is in any manner a lover, springeth and flourisheth in lusty deeds.
For it giveth unto all lovers courage, that lusty month of May.
Sir Thomas Malory, 1485
Blessed Be and brightest blessings.
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author bio:
Blessed Be
Lady Ana
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Lady Ana can be found deep in the bible belt, peeking out of her broom closet occasionally when her cats deign to give her the all clear.