Beltane Blessings

What is Beltane?

Beltane is one of the annual turning points of the Pagan or Wiccan Wheel of the Year and falls on the 1st of May. It is the major fire festival and one of the Greater Sabbats which are essential reminders to humanity that we are all connected as one, not only to each other but to Mother Nature and the universe.

The festival has been handed down through generations and is a time to celebrate nature and fertility, and to look forward to the start of summer. To sow the seeds for the future harvest, and to honour life force energy. It is a great excuse to light fires and jump over them to purify and cleanse yourself.

Use this time to take time to heal, gather your strength and to work on what you and your body need. Start to exercise and adopt a healthy diet and routine. Summer is on its way and things are about to get busy busy busy!

Recognise that there is power in balance and get your yin and yang in order to honour your male and female energies.

Celebrate the Gods and Goddesses

The old Celtic name for May Day is Beltane, the fire of the Celtic god of light (Bel, Beli or Belinus). Many gods are honoured and celebrated at this time including Cernunnos the antlered pagan God of the wild hunt of the forest. People brought the energy of Cernunnos into their homes and life by dressing up as the Green Man or making an image or painting of him for their altars. It's all about bringing the outdoors and nature in and thinking green!

Pan, the Greek God of fertility is also celebrated. Pan was a great companion of nymphs, with horns of a goat and cloven hooves he was believed to hypnotise fair maidens with his sensual rustic music, luring them into the forests and ravishing them. The Goddess Eostre/Ostara is celebrated by dancing around and through the Birch Tree. She represents fertility, renewal and rebirth, and is the Maiden Goddess who is responsible for bringing spring. Hang ribbons loosely over the branches of the birch tree, setting your intentions and wishes within them so they will be carried away on the wind with your wishes upon them.

Green, the colour of the fertility of the land and red, the colour of passion, are the colours of Beltane. Woman braid their hair with flowers and ribbons in honour of her and to take on her energy.

Handfasting

Handfasting Beltane is the Great Wedding of the Goddess and the God, and is a popular time for pagan weddings or Handfastings, a traditional betrothal for 'a year and a day' after which the couple would either choose to stay together or part without recrimination

How to Celebrate Beltane

Beltane is a time to recognise that nature is vital to our survival and well-being. The Earth begins to burst forth its splendour and cover the trees and land in greenery. All over the country, celebrations begin on the eve of Beltane, the 30th of April, and run right through the whole of the 1st of May

Maypoles will be lifted and decorated in preparation and people will dance, and drummers will drum up the energy to fever pitch. There will be gatherings the length and breadth of the United Kingdom and further afield as the May Day celebrations get underway

While the dancers weave the ribbons intrinsically around the Maypole, Morris dancers perform, banishing the dark of winter and celebrating the fertility of summer, a wonderful sight to see. Swords and sticks clash in time to the music, and handkerchiefs are waved,

Crystals at Beltane Black Obsidian

Volcanic eruptions create this dynamic, powerfully grounding natural glass. Masculine by nature, strong and protective. Black obsidian brings great mental strength and forms a shield around the aura.

Carnelian

Perfect for Beltane, a high-energy, fiery stone that imparts courage and inner strength and promotes creativity. It stimulates the seat of our root chakra where creative self-expression lives. It enhances the flow of life force, passion and fertility.

Citrine

Citrine is a joyful crystal and possesses healing properties and the energies of the sun, great to celebrate the start of summer. It helps to manifest happiness, prosperity, success and abundance.

Green Aventurine

Green aventurine is one of the luckiest stones for manifesting prosperity, abundance and success for the year ahead. It helps to attract new opportunities and aids with fertility, growth, and an optimistic outlook.

Dragons Blood Jasper

Dragons blood jasper incorporates the energy and fire of the Kundalini captured from Dragons, according to ancient myths and legends. The blood and the scales of the dragon are evident in the markings—the balance of both male and female energies.

Rose Quartz

A perfect stone for this time of year, it helps to manifest joy and unconditional love to embrace the better days ahead.

Sunstone

Sunstone has an uplifting energy that aligns the mind, body, and spirit with its highest vibrations. It brings passion, joy and creativity back to our lives and harnesses the fire element, to boost vitality and joy.

Beltane Crystal Blessing Grid

Summer is on its way, and it’s time to rejoice. Laying out a Beltane crystal grid is a powerful way to bless your home, set your intentions, and show the universe your wishes, heart's desires and dreams for the year ahead, giving them the energy required to thrive.

A crystal grid focuses intent and gives your power to them to amplify that energy. The symbol that the crystals lie on calls the attention of the great spirits to your work. It sends a vibration to the universe, a calling card of your intent. This form of summoning the Gods has been used for centuries in every culture of the world in some shape or form.

Prepare your Altar.

Preparing an altar is a great way to set your intentions for your Beltane festivities. An altar can simply be a clean space within the home to place items that represent things of Symbolic meaning. It is a good idea to start this about a week or two before as there will be items that need to be prepared or made.

Make a Male and Female doll to represent the deities These can be made from things like twigs and straw from your garden, which are laid on the altar for the ceremony, blessed and embued with power and then returned to the earth.

They can also be made from materials or wool representing respect for Ostara and Cernunnos. Fill them with notes written with intentions, crystals or things that have meaning for you. As you have made them, they will be empowered with your energy, gratitude, love and desires.

Make a Mini Maypole A mini Maypole can be made from a birch twig and wound with red and green ribbon. Charms can be sewn or glued onto it- to empower it.

Seeds Seeds represent new growth, life, health and possibilities. You could make a seed cake or loaf to eat during your celebration and also plant seeds to go on the window ledge or in the greenhouse to nurture, reminding you every day to cherish yourself. Why not plant a new tree such as an oak, hawthorn, rowan or birch?

Make a Wish Tree Gather some twigs blown down from a Rowan or Birch tree. Position them, so they resemble a small tree with a trunk and expanding branches. Wrap the trunk with string pulled really tight. You could paint over the string with brown paint to resemble the original colour of the tree. Place it on your altar and decorate it green and red with ribbons and beads etc.

On the eve of the festival of Beltane, write on tiny pieces of parchment or paper your goals, wishes and dreams. One on each piece. Then roll them up and tie them with thread attaching them to your tree.

After performing your ceremony at Beltane, or maybe a day or two after, take your tree into your garden and safely away from danger, and set fire to it. Watch it burn and watch the flames, and imagine your intentions and wishes rising up through the air in the smoke, to the universe and sending them up and on their way.

Blessed Be