Beautiful Beltane - this is a time of year when flowers and blossoms are in full colour and the energies of the land surge with life-force as we tip over from Spring in to Summer. Driving around the countryside at the moment I am having to be very careful as I am totally intoxicated by the beauty of the land!  | | Morris Dancers |
Also known as May Day, Beltane is the second of the 'Earth' festivals on our Wheel of the Year and is the holiday that celebrates the sacred union of the Goddess and the God. Myths say that at this time, the young God (sun/son) who was re-born at the Winter Solstice has blossomed into manhood and he and the Goddess become lovers. Through their union and fertility, all life begins again on the earth. The ancients believed that the Wheel of the Year would not keep turning without their help so, like the other festivals, Beltane has long been celebrated with feasts and rituals. One of these is dancing around the Maypole and, here in Wiltshire, it would have been traditional to see this on many village greens. The May pole symbolises the God, the soft colourful ribbons that entwine around the pole represent the feminine and the dance is their blissful union. How gorgeous! Read more abut the Ansty maypole - see links in righthand box. During these celebrations our ancestors would also act out the human version of this union by spending a night making love in the fields to ensure the fertility of the land. Children conceived at this time were considered especially blessed and were known as Merry-be-Gots.  | | Fire to invoke the sun god |
On Beltane eve they would also build two large fires known as Bel fires to invoke the sun god, Bel, and his blessings and protection. The tribe's herds were driven between these fires to purify them and ensure their fertility before taking them to the summer grazing lands. Young couples might also jump over the Bel fires to declare their intention to handfast (marry) at the summer solstice. What the early church made of all this one can only imagine but, yes, they too wanted to make their mark on this time of year. The Christian ceremony at the beginning of May is known as Roodmas (Mass of the Cross), rood being a Middle English word for cross. It seems strange that the Church should want to associate this life-giving time of the year with an instrument of crucifixion but, I feel, the deeper meaning of this mass is about Christ's resurrection and that would tie in with the energies of Beltane. In Wiltshire, on May 3rd in 1998, a crop circle formation appeared in oilseed rape next to Silbury Hill and was called The Beltane Wheel. This is an ancient symbol used at Celtic festivals in May and is made up of 33 tongues of flame, maybe like the fires of Bel. As you can see, beautiful Beltane is a time that welcomes the return of vitality, passion and fertility. But this is not just about the physical - it includes the fertility of the imagination and how you express your creativity in life. How might you want to be creative today? Add your comment Phenomena
beltane is a celebration of fertility and should be celebrated in the old ways John
Happy Beltane 2006. Take time to look at our native trees in all theitr vibrance and verdant finery. A truely magical time of year. Blessed be ! emie
have a great beltane everyone any one clebrating it @ avebury stones? Shannon
I love this stuff! Lovingly described and so very interesting. Happy Beltane!! Paul Gavin Druett
Hello, as an expat moonraker I was intreeged with your comments.
I live in Norway at present with my Norwegian family, so the "net" is a good source of information. Keep up the good work,
best regards Paul G Druett. ray
great article
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