What is Beltane?
Beltane is the Celtic holiday that celebrates the fertility of spring through the coming together of the God and Goddess.
Bees are buzzing, birds are singing, and flowers are blooming. Spring is in full swing and love is in the air on Beltane. Beltane celebrations begin at sunset on April 30th until sunset on May 1st. It’s also celebrated by some on it's astrological date when the sun is at 15 degrees in Taurus. Across the northern hemisphere, early May was a historically significant time to celebrate the fertility of the land. And it's no wonder! The world has burst into beautiful, lush growth and the weather is finally consistently warm. Its a perfect time for a celebration of life and love.
Beltane is one of the four cross quarter holidays, the holidays that fall between the solstices and equinoxes and were especially sacred in the ancient Celtic religion. These days are also considered fire festivals, and Beltane is the fieriest of them all. The word Beltane is Celtic for “blazing fire”, and this day is traditionally celebrated with bonfires to purify and bless. Livestock were lead between two bonfires to protect them through the summer months and people leaped over the fires for good fortune in the coming year. In neo-paganism and ancient cultures, this is when the Goddess and the God reach young adulthood and they come together in sexual union to promote the fertility of the land. Once they come together, their passion and union flows through all creation.
Want to learn how to connect with this holiday on a deeper personal level? Read to the end to find out about my Beltane Celebration Bundle and how to join me in circle.
Playlist for Beltane
Enjoy this Beltane playlist on YouTube! Most songs are SFW and fine for little ears except #19 First of May. It has some explicit language (but is oh so humorously perfect for Beltane!)
Below is a Beltane Ecstatic Dance Playlist that I created for a ritual a couple years ago hosted on Spotify.
Beltane Decorations
Fertility Symbols (Maypole, Chalice, Athame or Wand)
Ribbons
Flowers
Birds and Bees
Activities
Love and Fertility Magic
This is the perfect holiday to do magic for love and fertility. If you’re looking for love, I recommend making a Dream List with all the qualities you’re looking for in a potential partner. On Beltane Eve, anoint the candle with sensual oils like rose and ylang-ylang and light it saying:
Let this candle light the way
And bring my love to me this May
If you’re looking to reignite your passion with a lover, Beltane is the perfect night for it! Block off the evening and plan to spend it together. Get some sensual food and drink (strawberries, chocolate, May Wine), light some candles and take your time. Honor each other as the embodiment of the Divine Feminine and Masculine in physical form. If you have access to a secluded natural setting, consider taking things outside. A playful chase is also a fun way to get things going, helping the Masculine feel like the strong hunter and the Feminine feel desired and pursued. Gender need not apply to who holds which role.
If you’re trying to conceive, this is a great night for a ritual! Historically, babies conceived at Beltane were considered blessings and it happened so much they earned the term Beltane Babe or Merry Begot. Even if you’re not fertile during this period, you can still anoint candles or imbue stones with your intention to use when you ovulate next. Take time to honor and anoint each other with a blend of rose, frankincense or sandalwood in a carrier oil (such as jojoba, coconut, sweet almond or grape seed oil). Have the partner who is not conceiving gently apply the oil to the hopeful mother in a clockwise spiral from her sacral chakra a few inches below her bellybutton. Together repeat this chant at least 3 times, but as long as you would like.
With this oil we bless your/my womb
From which new life will soon bloom
And don’t forget to bless what creates the spark of life, the fire that quickens, the seed that blooms aka your partner’s testicles. Gently apply the oil to him, honoring the power of creation they hold and say:
Full of life and virility
Bless us with your fertility
After setting your intention and anointing each other, have fun! (The oil is safe for vaginal exposure, just don’t apply directly and liberally).
Fertility doesn’t have to be about making a literal baby. This is a great time to bless your creative projects or anything else you’re birthing into creation. Plan a date night with you and your passion project. Make it a sensual experience with good food and drink, lovely smells, good lighting and comfortable clothing. Make it a memorable evening of creation, celebrating what you love about your project.
Great Rite
Whether you’re intending to have a child or not, sex is definitely a theme of Beltane. The God and Goddess have reached adulthood and celebrate their love by coming together in ecstatic union. And as imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, why not follow suit? This can be done symbolically or literally, alone or with a partner. For more details on the Great Rite and using it for the personal alchemy of blending our Divine Masculine and Feminine within, check out my Beltane Celebration Bundle.
Dance the Maypole
Continuing the fertility trend, the Maypole itself, a tall pole inserted into a hole in the earth that people adorn with flowers and dance around with ribbons, is a giant symbolic penis penetrating Mother Earth. This aspect has been played down as Christianity came in and tamed the holiday, but the Maypole somehow survived and is still seen at May Day celebrations across Europe. When you get into the rhythm of the dance, it’s like a moving meditation and I often get intuitive messages. To read more about constructing a Maypole and dancing around it, check out this very simple article. You need at least 4 people to make it work well (though theoretically it could work with two), so it might not be the best activity during social-isolation.
Feel Pretty
This is a holiday to show off your Beltane Best. Men will sometimes wear leafy crowns with horns to symbolize the Green Man or Cernunnos. Women will put on their favorite pretty spring dress and put flowers in their hair or wear a flower crown. An old tradition is to wash your face with dew on Beltane morning to be blessed with beauty the rest of the year. Especially during this time of quarantine, why not dress up for yourself, your partner, and the Gods?
Play with Fire
Bonfires are a big part of Beltane. In the past, cattle were led between two giant bonfires to bless and purify them on Beltane before going out to pasture for the summer. To this day, people will leap over the fire on Beltane for good luck in the year ahead and couples will jump together for fertility. If you have access to a fire pit, do it up! Dance around the fire, enjoy some food and drink, and if it’s private enough, some canoodling!
Can’t have a bonfire? That’s okay, candles work too! Anoint candles on Beltane to aid in love, fertility, creativity, and protection. Light them to set the mood and bring warmth to your celebration!
Fertilize your Growing Goals
If you planted seeds of intention at Ostara, now is the time to nurture them. Ostara is a great time to start a new project under the passionate, innovative Aries sun, but Aries isn’t known for it’s ability to see things through. Now that we’re in Taurus, the stable bull has the focus and stubbornness to do the work that needs to be done to make your goals reality. This is the time to flesh out details, get materials, make a plan of action and a good schedule. You can also set new intentions especially around prosperity, fertility, love and creativity, all themes where Taurus shines.
Enjoy Sensual Pleasure
This is one of my favorite ways to begin a Beltane celebration whether alone, with a partner or in a group. Find ways to pleasurably stimulate all five senses. Immerse yourself in delicious, juicy, fresh flavors, intoxicating fragrances, beautiful sounds, stimulating art and luscious fabrics. Try experiencing these things blindfolded to really settle into your senses and into your body. Treat yourself like the Goddess or God that you are. This is a great way to set the tone for a ritual or you can spread it out and enjoy the sensations all day.
May Baskets
Another old Beltane tradition is for the men to go out on Beltane morning to pick flowers and fill a basket with sweets for each woman in the home. This can also be extended to people in your community that may be in need of a kind gesture. If you have neighbors that don’t get outside a lot, why not bring them some May blossoms so they can bring the spring inside. Get kids involved and let them decorate a card and deliver the baskets.
Connect with the Fairies
Beltane is opposite Samhain on the Wheel of the Year, and as Samhain is the sabbat for honoring death, Beltane is about celebrating life. The veil between the worlds is also thin at this time. While at Samhain we can connect with the dead, at Beltane it’s believed we can connect to the fairy world. People that work with the fae will leave out offerings for them on Beltane Eve, such as milk and honey, oatcakes, fruit and nuts. Fairies are conceptualized in many ways, but I see them as the nature spirits of a specific place, and you can connect with them by leaving offering and attracting them with beautiful nature, sparkly things and plenty of flower such as snapdragon, meadowsweet, foxglove and hawthorn. You can even make a special fairy garden for Beltane.
It’s said that if you twist a rowan sprig into a ring and look through it at dusk on Beltane Eve, you can see the fairies. As fairies are also known for mischief, sometimes people want to protect their home from them. If you want to do that, use salt and iron or hang a branch of rowan tied with red thread above your bedroom door.
Beltane Food and Drink
Traditional foods for Beltane are seasonal fruits and veggies, sweet treats, and picnic food. While May Wine and Bannock have a long connection with Beltane, chocolate would not have been in a tradition Beltane ritual, because it’s from the Americas. Since chocolate is an aphrodisiac and definitely sensual, it seems fitting as a fun non-alcoholic option for something to sip around a Beltane bonfire. Add Beltane herbs such as rose, cinnamon, damiana, passion flower and ginger to elevate it even more.
Sensual Warm Cocoa
Ingredients
1 (14.5-oz.) can full-fat coconut milk heat
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
3 Tbsp honey, maple syrup or other sweetener
Pinch of kosher salt
Any variety of the following herbs: 4 Tbsp dried rose petals, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 Tbsp passion flower, 1 Tbsp damiana, and/or 3 smashed cardamom pods
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Heat coconut milk, cocoa powder, sweetener, salt, herbs, and 2 cups water in a pot over medium heat, whisking constantly, until cocoa powder is dissolved, about 5 minutes. As soon as it starts bubbling, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors have infused, about 10 minutes. Stir in vanilla.
Strain cocoa through a fine-mesh sieve into 2 large mugs. Serve topped with more rose petals.
Inspiration: www.epicurious.com
May Wine
White wine, mead, or white grape juice and ginger ale
Sliced strawberries
Fresh sweet woodruff leaves (optional but traditional)
Place all ingredients in a large glass carafe, cover and chill for several hours
Oat Bannock Bread
This is so simple and hearty. And its naturally gluten-free and easily vegan! This is traditionally made on Beltane morning and some is left as an offering for the fairies and nature spirits. It’s delicious with some butter and strawberry or violet jam.
Ingredients
1/4 cup milk (plant based works) or water
2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup coarsely ground rolled oats or pearl barley, plus additional for rolling
Instructions
Combine the milk, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts.
Add the hot liquid to the ground oats or barley in a large bowl and stir to form a slightly sticky dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
On a lightly floured counter, with lightly floured hands, roll the dough out to an 8-inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick.
Heat a cast-iron pan over medium-low for 5 minutes. Cut the dough into quarters and cook in the pan until golden, about 5 minutes per side.
Source: www.outlanderkitchen.com
Join me for Beltane
Have you felt the call to connect to the seasons, but need some guidance?
Want to learn more about how to celebrate Beltane and inner alchemy through sex magic?
Do you have a desire to explore your innate Divine Masculine and Feminine and the union between them?
Join me in circle with my Beltane Celebration Bundle and you’ll get:
Guided Meditation
Journal Worksheet exploring your Divine Masculinity and Femininity
List of Beltane Correspondences (with details on why each thing relates)
Information on Sex Magic, The Great Rite and Personal Alchemy
Get access to this bundle here.