Beltane or May Day--May 1
Beltane is the final spring festival. It not only is the time of planting, but a time to celebrate youth, passion and marriage. Beltane is the bonding day between the Goddess and the God as they bring their energy together to create fertility in the land and in living beings. It is also the time of pasturing animals they are driven out to the fields and mountain grazing lands so they may grow strong and healthy. Although it is a time to celebrate the union between the Goddess and the God, it is said to be very bad luck to marry on this day. On a spiritual level, what is set in motion on this day is what will be harvested in the fall.
Also called May Day, it is a time to celebrate vitality, youth and rebirth. Traditionally, youths hung garlands of greens and flowers on the windows and doors of their prospective mate before the fires are lit Beltane night. Although there many variations, the jumping of the Beltane fire together generally symbolized a romantic or love connection. It is also a time to allow our passion free reign so it may find or create new possibilities; thinking outside the box is easier as old restrictive limits are swept away by the energy created by the intense passions and spiritual evolution.
Spiritually Beltane represents the integration of the male and female aspects of the self. By combining both aspects, a person becomes one with both their halves and achieves a closer connection to their own soul. This union if maintained not only creates a more balanced individual, but help in the ascension process.
Beltane Ritual
Whether it be prosperity, love, health, wisdom, etc, now is the time to plan the seeds of whatever you want to grow this summer. You need to find a symbol to represent what you want. A coin could represent prosperity. A love poem could represent romantic love. Be creative and think outside the box when coming up with ideas. However, as with all love spells or prayers you must be careful about targeting a specific person. If you usurp their free will, there will be consequences for practicing black magic. For the next two days focus on that you really want and the outcome. See it as already real. At the end of the two days, take your symbol to the nearest cross roads and say:
Hear my words as I pray,
Bring (prosperity, love, wisdom, etc) without delay.
With harm towards none and grace toward all,
bring (prosperity, love wisdom, etc) before this fall.
Leave the symbol as close to the center of the cross roads as you can safely get it and walk away. The magic has been released, but you work isn't done. For the next months, you have to find the courage to take the unchosen path. Meaning you have to try new things, meet new people, and release the old behaviors. As long as you continue to do the same old thing, the same old way, you will have the same results.
Secondly, sharing your love and blessings with others opens the door for others to do the same for you. Love shared without strings or expectations is a miracle created for all involved. You don't have to do grand gestures; sometimes a smile and a kind word can save the world.
