Happy almost Beltane to all! Beltane is a time to rejoice in the comforts of Spring by dawning a flower crown, dancing around a maypole, and/or burning an awesome bonfire. Beltane is always celebrated on May 1st, unlike Ostara which is celebrated at the time of the autumnal equinox meaning it is celebrated on different solar days.
Some folklore about Beltane are as follows.
The God has:
Reached full maturity, comes together in union with the Goddess
Almost reached height of his power
The Goddess has:
Reached full maturity, comes together in union with the God
Begins the Mother aspect
Folklore from around the world:
Celtic
Celtics honored the fertility of the gods with gifts and offerings
Sometimes including animal or human sacrifice
Cattle were driven through the smoke of the balefires, and blessed with health and fertility for the coming year
In Ireland, the fires of Tara were the first ones lit every year at Beltane, and all other fires were lit with a flame from Tara.
Greek
Greeks celebrated “Plynteria” in honor of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and battle, and the patroness of the city of Athens (which was named after her)
Lasted two to three days
Beginning around May 25
Temples were closed to the general public
The Plynteria includes the ritual cleansing of Athena’s statue, along with feasting and prayers in the Parthenon
In the temple of Athena, only women performed the task of cleansing the statue, which was hidden behind a large cloth so that no one could see it during this sacred time
Roman
Romans spent the first day of May paying tribute to their Lares, the gods of their household
They also celebrated “Floralia”, or festival of flowers
Consisted of three days of unbridled sexual activity
Participants wore flowers in their hair, and there were plays, songs, and dances
At the end of the festivities, animals were set loose inside the Circus Maximus, and beans were scattered around to ensure fertility
Some ways to celebrate are as follows.
Altar Ideas
Foraged items
Flowers
Herbs
Candles
Cauldrons
Mini maypole
Sticks
Seeds
Antlers
Baskets
Wreathes
Love notes
Activities
Make magickal tools
Protection magick
Love spells
Fertility rituals
Handfasting
Creativity spells
Art magick
Fire magick
Candle spells
Sex magick
Prosperity rituals
Self-love baths
Recipes
Lemon custard
Berries with cream
Honey yogurt
Vanilla cinnamon iced coffee
Portobello mushroom burgers
Rosemary and garlic-roasted asparagus
Rainbow pasta salad
Sun cakes
Lemonade
May wine
Crafts
Priapic wand
Floral crown
Maypole
Maypole centerpiece
Decorate with flowers, wreaths, and garland
Make a flower crown
Wash your face with the dew of dawn
Light a balefire (bonfire)
Create a ritual to honor the Sacred Feminine
Fertility magick
Subtle Rituals
Decorate your space with local Spring flowers
Light a red, orange, or yellow candle to represent a balefire
Cook your seasonal foods for a feast
Plant bulbs and flowers
Take a ritual bath using Spring flowers
Have a picnic outside in your favorite nature spot
Some correspondences are as follows.
Intentions
Agriculture
Creativity
Fertility
Lust
Marriage
The otherworld/underworld
Pleasure
Psychic ability
Purification
Sensuality
Sex/uality
Visions
Warmth
youth
Archetypes
Male
Dying and resurrecting gods
Gods associated with fire, plants, animals
Green Man
Horned God
Lord of the wild wood
The lusty young god getting ready to fertilize the goddess earth with his seed
Sun gods
Female
Earth Goddess
Goddesses associated with water, plants, animals
The Lover preparing to lie with her Beloved
Maiden Goddess
Mother Goddess
Gods
Apollo
Baldur
Beal/Bel/Belenos
Cernunnos
Chung K’uei
Horned God
Odin
Pan
Pluto
Ra
Wotan
Goddesses
Aphrodite
Artemis
Astarte
Bona Dea
Chin-hua-fu-jen
Danu
Diana
Flora
Freya
Horae
Maia
Prosperina
Rauni
Sarasvati
Venus
Colors
Brown: Animals, earth energies, family, protection, wealth
Green: Abundance, fertility, growth, health, life, prosperity, vegetation, wealth
Pink: Beauty, cooperation, contentment, friendship, love, nurture, romance
White: Lunar energies, purity, power, protection
Yellow: Communication, dream work, happiness, solar energies
Herbs
Lemon: Energy, joy, love, prophetic dreams, purification
Mint: Energy, healing, love, prosperity, protection, purification, renewal, vitality
Mugwort: Communication with spirits, divination, fertility, lust, protection
Woodruff: Protection, victory, wealth
Trees
Birch: Fertility, protection, purification
Hawthorn: Faery magick, fertility, defense, happiness, luck, protection
Oak: Courage, energy, fertility, luck, magick, protection, security, strength
Pine: Abundance, energy, fertility, prosperity, purification
Willow: Communication with spirits, healing, love, lunar energies, prophetic dreams, protection
Flowers
Daisy: Attraction, elf and faery magick, love, youth
Ivy: Divination, friendship, love, luck, marriage, rebirth, security
Lily of the Valley: Desire, healing, love, peace, protection
Rose: Blessings, clairvoyance, friendship, love, protection
Violet: Calming, fertility, love, protection, prophetic dreams
Crystals & Stones
Bloodstone: Abundance, courage, healing, love, passion, wealth
Emerald: Luck, love, prosperity, protection, wealth
Rose Quartz: Friendship, love, nurture, union
Copper: Energy, love, prosperity, well-being
Gold: Health, love, magick, protection, strength, solar energies, success, wealth
Silver: Love, lunar energies, magick, prophetic dreams, psychic ability
Animals
Bees: Energy, karma, romance, prosperity
Cow: Abundance, fertility, nurture, wealth
Dove: Fertility, happiness, life, peace, rebirth
Frog: Abundance, beginnings, fertility, luck, transformation
Rabbit: Abundance, fertility, intuition, love
Scents
Frankincense
Jasmine
Lemon
Mint
Pine
Rose
Woodruff
Ylang-ylang
Symbols & Tools
Flowers: Fertility, love, joy
Maypole: Fertility, male phallus
The priapic (pinecone-tipped wand): fertility, sexuality
Tarot
The Emperor
The Empress
The High Priestess
The Magician
Food & Drink
Honey
Light cakes
Lemonade
May wine
White wine
Lemon slices
Woodruff milk
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