Any way, we put together a really amazing ritual for Beltane, and our covens celebrated as one group. It was truly powerful. I won't bore you with the details of the weekend, but here are the fruits of my Beltane research:
BELTANE BY THE HEARTH
As a hearth witch, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the most obvious connection between hearthcraft and Beltane: Spring Cleaning.
In the past, when people kept their homes shut up tight against the cold winter weather, heated them with coal and oil, and lit them with candles, the coming of spring offered them a chance to freshen up their surroundings. The windows could be thrown open, letting a fresh breeze blow through the rooms, removing the stale air of winter. All of the furnishings and household possessions could be removed to the yard, and the house could be thoroughly cleaned while the possessions aired out in the warm breezes and sunlight. Today, we do not suffer as much in the winter months. While many people still heat their houses with oil, it is contained away from the living environment. If we burn candles any more, it is mostly for aesthetic or ritual purposes. Electricity and other modern conveniences might tempt you to think that spring cleaning, like coal fires and candle light are a thing of the past, but I would urge you to reconsider.
Our houses are even more air tight today than they were in the past. They are filled with chemicals that our ancestors never knew, and our hectic lifestyles have the potential to prevent us from doing routine maintenance, which means that clutter and junk have a tendency to pile up. While it is not the necessity that it once was, spring cleaning is still a very good idea.
Beltane & the Fairies
Personally, my Beltane celebrations invited the fairies to party with us, and we didn't suffer any as a result. Truth be told, I have no interest in keeping the fairies away. In fact, I personally believe that the witch and the fairies are wonderful allies as long as some healthy boundaries are put in place. Most importantly: build the relationship with respect. Give it and expect it. Be open to different customs and different manners. The fairies have their own set of rules to live by. Do not expect them to adopt modern day values and inhibitions simply because everyone else you deal with seems to have same value system. If you treat your fairy encounters with basic courtesy (like you would with a stranger from another country here on the material plane), half the battle is already won. Do not assume that all fairies are alike. They may all share some basic similarities, but they have distinct personalities; they have preferences, and they have individual habits that are worth getting to know. With that, I will leave you to explore your own relationship with them. Trust your intuition. It will lead you in the right direction.
Beltane in History
Traditionally, we tend to think of Beltane as a fertility sabbat, where we celebrate life and love, but some scholars believe the holiday takes its name from the Irish god of death, Beltene. Some people claim that this festival is named for Beli, the sacred tree in the Celtic mythology. Still others believe it is named for the Celtic fire god, Belanus. One of the most popular beliefs among the Neo-Pagan community is that Beltane gets its name from the "balefire," which is often lit during this sabbat. Even today, balefires are lit all over Celtic countries, just as they were throughout history. In ancient times, it was illegal to light a balefire until the High King of Ireland had lit the one positioned on top of Tara. Regardless of where this sabbat gets its name, it is filled with power and bliss.
For our ancestors (who lived much closer to the land than we do), Beltane was deeply tied to agriculture. It was a time to finish up the spring planting. In order to ensure healthy and productive crops, fertility spells were cast in an attempt to combat the worst of Mother Nature. Besoms (or brooms) were ridden over fields and pastures by women in a symbolic act of fertility. If the women were menstruating, so much the better. They might have taken a pregnant cow out into the field to birth her calf, imparting the successful fertility energies onto the field. Ashes from the Beltane fire were scattered over the fields to bless and protect them.
Today, we take it for granted that the spring returns. At most, we itch to get out of the classroom or office sooner. We get antsy to leave responsibilites for the joy of enjoying our free time in our own ways. However, to our ancestors, this was a significant shift, something to be honored and celebrated. Modern convinences, such as electricity and refrigeration, remove us from the natural cycles so thoroughly that it is hard for us to fathom what they must have gone through. Their food stores were running low. What they did have to eat was probably the same exact thing they had been eating every other day that winter. Even today people suffer from Seasonal Affected Disorder (or S.A.D.) during the winter months in harsher climates. Imagine what our ancestors went through. Their night started around 4:30 in the afternoon. Perhaps they lit candles (if they could afford them) for a few hours, but they were in bed much earlier than we are today for the simple fact that there was nothing else to do. Without light, you couldn't read, work on your sewing, or do much of anything else. The coming of spring and the extending of day-light hours was just a pleasant shift from the way things had been all winter long. It was genuinely a re-birth. They stayed up later. They were truly more productive. They could get outside their houses and visit. They had time to relax and be social with the rest of the community.
Modern Beltane in the Pagan Community
Next to Samhain, Beltane is the most important sabbat on the Wheel of the Year. Together, they mark the beginning and end of the two recognized seasons.
For us, today, the agricultural associations are largely symbolic, having more to do with productivity, sowing the right opportunities so that we can reap the rewards later, and focusing in on relaxing a bit from our hectic, modern lives. Our lives and our activities are not dictated to us by the elements as much as they once were. Regardless of what time the sun sets and darkness blankets the land, most of us have a standardized bedtime. We go to bed when the clock strikes a certain hour, not when the natural cycle tells us to rest. Regardless of the amount of natural light, we continue to do our work well into the night, sometimes we even extend our productivity into the wee hours of the morning. After all, we can produce exactly the amount of light we need through artificial means. Regardless of the season we are currently experiencing, we do not have to do without. We import exotic foods from all over the globe to fill our cabinets and refrigerators. We can get strawberries in February or lettuce in August.
However, we still have need of the energies associated with Beltane. Our career-focused mindsets and our overcrowded schedules remind us constantly that we are never as productive as we want to be. There is always more paper work. Taxes need to be filed. The boss needs that report yesterday. Your kids need you to pick them up at practice. Well, you get the idea.
While you certainly won't be able to produce a 25th hour in your day or an 8th day to your week, you can take some of the pressure off of yourself by attuning to the energies of this sabbat. Modern Pagans take time out to slow down, smell the flowers, enjoy the sense of community and joy that come with this holiday. We understand that if you let go of your cares for just a little while, when you return to your work refreshed, you are more productive, more creative, and more resilient.
The Maypole!
It is impossible to think of Beltane without also thinking of the Maypole. Traditionally, the Maypole was a fir tree that had been stripped of all of its branches (or all but the uppermost branches). Often it was the trunk of the Yule Tree that was saved and used as the Maypole. However, in modern times, the Maypole can be nearly any type of wood. Some traditions use oak, others pine. In a pinch, you can make due with whatever is available. Some people have even used a flag pole for their Maypole. The size of the Maypole can also vary. It can be a few feet tall or as tall as you desire.
Regardless of the size or the make-up of the Maypole, it always packs a whallop. Perhaps this is because the Maypole represents the divine union of the God and Goddess. The pole, itself, represents the Male principle, and the wreath that sits atop symbolizes the Female principle. The ribbons represent the sexual union of both together.
Traditionally, the May dance is done by 4 couples with the women holding white ribbons and the men holding red ribbons hopping, skipping, running around the pole weaving their ribbons in and out of each other. The joy builds as the couples laugh and interact with each other figuring out who is supposed to go over and who goes under at each turn. Regardless of how well you have it planned out, someone always manages to throw the order off, yet it always seems to work out for the best, making the finished ribbon-wrapped pole look vibrant and full of power.
