“The Earth awakes from Spring to Summer on Beltane. Dance, dance dance!”
– Layla Morgan Wilde
Wednesday 1st May marked the start of Beltane, an ancient festival synonymous with the advent of Spring.
According to otherworldlyoracle.com ‘the word Beltane, which in traditional Irish is spelled Bealtaine, means “Fire of Bel” or “Great Fire”. Bel or Belenos is a Celtic fire god who may have been the catalyst for this sabbat thousands of years ago.’
Beltane has been celebrated for millennia as a fire festival first and foremost. Both the Celts and Germanic people burned fire with pungent herbs as a spiritual cleansing practice but also so as to fumigate parasites from their livestock to make for a fruitful season of farming.
After the rise of Christianity, Beltane became associated with witchcraft and paganism and during times when witches were persecuted, celebrating it outwardly became perilous.
Ancient Beltane predates modern organised religion, and in our, hopefully, more tolerant society, we can celebrate the symbols of fertility, rebirth, the union of masculine and feminine energies and unabashed abundance that this festival has to offer whatever our religious beliefs.
Modern Beltane may also be known as May Day. The dark, barren days where we feasted on our Winter stores are behind us and the world is coming into bloom. We come at it from a position of gratitude. Let us remember that, in modern times, whilst there will always be something to cause us to shrink back in fear if we let it – nature is not worried. Nature marches out on a bright May morning, catkins swaying and birds singing. It is wonderful to see the Spring at last!
Old Beltane traditions that have survived well into the modern world include lighting fires, collecting flowers and maypole dancing.
Other rituals include decorating a May tree or bush, feasting, dancing, celebration of the union of Mother Earth with the Green Man and visiting holy wells.
Try this:
Put down your phone, turn off all media, open your windows wide or step outside.
Leave all worries about the past or future behind.
Remember that the only power you will ever have for making changes lies here in this very moment.
Take a deep breath of fresh Spring air.
Exhale.
‘Ask yourself:
Is there a problem right now?
If the answer is ‘yes,’ can anything be done about it right now?
If ‘yes’ again, then do it now.
If ‘no’ then graciously accept things exactly as they are’ – Eckhart Tolle
Now:
Wake up your five senses to Spring.
What can you see?
Green shoots? Mad bunnies or frolicking lambs?
What can you hear?
Birdsong? Motorcycle engines?
What can you smell?
Blossom? Freshly mown grass?
What can you feel?
Cool breezes? The sun on your skin?
What can you taste?
Fresh outdoor food? Coffee on the terrace?
Give yourself permission to be joyful.
The world is a beautiful and abundant place. Sometimes we need to be reminded of that.
Blessed Beltane!
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