Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Beltane

We are approaching the pagan ritual day of Beltane, which has been co opted by the mainstream as May Day. The mainstream tradition of hanging "may baskets" on a sweetheart's door hearkens back to the time of year when Pagans prayed for fertility in their farms, the ecosystem around them, and in their own families. This was about survival of the species back when people lived closer to the land and closer to the fickle line between abudance and disaster.

Beltane is also a "cross-quarter" holiday on the Pagan calendar. It occurs at the mid-point between the beginning of Spring and Mid-Summer. It is the polar opposite of Samhain, commonly known as Halloween. While at Samhain the ritual focus is slaughtering/harvesting/storing, at Beltane it is about husbandry(in more ways than one!!)/planting/procreating. And just like Samhain, Beltane is a time of year where "the veil between worlds" is thought to be very thin. While Samhain and it's dark, autumnal character lean toward focusing of the ancestors and the spirits during this highly spiritually energized time, at Beltane it has been thought of as kind of sensual, magickal, communicate-with-the-Fey kind of thing.

Here are some ideas for celebrating Beltane:

Frolic
Flirt
Plant flowers
Begin your garden
Participate in "Earth Day" activities to assure the future fecundity of Mother Nature
Donate supplies to your local animal shelter to care for the creatures. Some shelters are in special need of bunny supplies this time of year!

and if you favor more Pagany persuits, check http://www.witchvox.com/ for a local ritual event. Blessed Be!

2 comments:

Gwen said...

YAY! I can't wait for Beltane!!

leslie joan linder said...

thanks, Elf! I love your film. blessed be!