Beltane activities 2013

I’m loving this beautiful spring weather. Taking my dog on regular walks along the river offers ample opportunity to be around nature and enjoy the scent, sights, and sounds of Life.

The meetup group gathers at my house tomorrow (or rather tonight being its so late with typing this up), and we’re celebrating Beltane. Technically, the date is May 1st, but some members couldn’t join at that time. I’m pretty flexible, and I think its more important to accommodate a group than to recognize a specific date.

Beltane, which means Brilliant Fire, celebrates when the herds are moved to their summer pastures. It also marks the season of fertility where sex is prominent, when the god and goddess form a union to bring Life into the world.

Some prominent activities include dancing a May Pole (which represents the phallus), and jumping over or between fires to make wishes and be purified/protected.

I like this idea from cyberwitch.com;

Cakes played a major role in many Beltane customs. A popular one was called the ‘knobby cake’. A cake was baked with nine lumps or ‘knobs’ on it, each one dedicated to a Deity, or Supernatural Being, or to an animal which threatened livestock. Each participant broke off a knob and threw it over the left shoulder, into the fire, saying, for example: "This is for you, gnomes, don’t steal my milk," or "This is for you, fox, spare thou my lambs."

This is fun to do even now. Since we (most of us) don’t live in an agrarian society, we might say something like: "This is for you, (name of employer), spare me my job!" Just remember, when you re-create an old custom, it should have valid meaning today.

Other activities to consider;

Feasting- I love potlucks with friends. Its fun to be surprised with meal choices, and eating food with others provokes its own kind of magick. Mead, sparkling cider or juices, fruit, dairy foods and Irish dishes (being Beltane is an Irish holiday), and anything that makes the day special.

Crafts- Popular crafts for Beltane include May baskets, floral head wreaths, masks, build fairy houses, ribbon wands, dance ribbons, make an altar sized maypole (video), and other May activities (video.

Frolicking- This is a whimsical, magical holiday. Dance in the woods, be playful, join in games, a hike, a picnic, but most important- have fun.

What fun traditions do you enjoy at Beltane? Post in comments

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Follow up on Beltane

Last Saturday, my group celebrated Beltane with a potluck and mask making event.

My space is limited, having to cast circle in a smallish dining room where you can barely walk the perimeter. We made due.

The meal was delicious- Chicken Skewers, fresh salad, rice pilaf, homemade lasagna, a veggie tray with spinach dip, and more.

Mask making proved a bit challenging. The full face masks cost too much, so we opted for the less-than-a-dollar option of the half-face masks you can buy at the craft store. We then painted and glued our self-made designs. These will be used for midsummer.

Instead of a Maypole (no room, remember?), we used a very long gold and white rope ribbon. Each member bound their own ribbon (picked for color and design) to the main ribbon, where we all grasped it together and infused with our energy. Each member wished for something to come true in the next moon cycle.

Cakes and ale include sparkling pomegranate and blueberry juice with a variety of chocolate, including a fancy coconut-white-chocolate.

As we put out offerings beneath a bush in the front yard, we stood a while to enjoy the full moon in all her brilliant glory.

My camera couldn’t pick up on the details of the moon, unfortunately, but I felt, overall, the ritual went pretty well.

My biggest regret was a few members were unable to attend at the last minute.

How did you celebrate? Add in your own blog and comment (leave a link) below. I’d love to read it.

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Supermoon!

This weekend, my group celebrates Beltane on the full moon so I’m excited we may see a ‘supermoon’.

Some things to do on a supermoon;

• Set out rainwater in glass jars to infuse with the power of the moon.
• Set out tools or ritual items such as candles or crystals to cleanse and charge beneath the moon’s light.
• Meditate beneath the moon with ‘empty mind’. Sit and ‘listen’ for guidance for your troubles and questions.
• Harvest herbs, pick flowers or gather items for magical workings on the full moon.
• Set spells for this full moon and compare results to past spells on full moon to see if you sense a difference in power.

Post in comments more ideas if you’d like to share them.

About the supermoon-

Source SPACE.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration

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Beltane fun and frolic

Here are some ideas to have fun on Beltane. Celebrating traditionally on May 1st, it celebrates the union between the God and the Goddess.

Some Beltane Activities:

Mask Making- I could write an entire post on the elements of mask making, how a mask can reflect our most innermost self, or illustrate a totem or spirit guide, but the symbolism is endless. We’re making masks so we’ll have them for Midsummer, using this as an activity to consider that innermost Self and what donning a mask means to each of us.

Beltane mask-making- a neat page that shows some lovely masks created.

Mask making with plaster tape

Easy mask making with foil and tape.

Weaving ribbon- Beltane is the traditional holiday you find Maypoles. These represent the phallus of the harvest god, entwined with ribbons as life and rebirth, as well as the sexual, life-affirming energies of the God. Some solitaries may create an altar Maypole, which will sit on the altar each Beltane. You could also make ribbon

My group doesn’t the room for a Maypole or for dancing, so we’re opting for a new tradition of weaving ribbons amid the members in rituals.

How to make an altar Maypole (Video)

Ribbon Dancing (video w/ belly dance)

How to make ribbon wands

The idea is simple:

Get two lengths of ribbons(two colors) that is enough to encompass the perimeter of the assembled people. Twine the two together, letting each member take part at their part of the ribbon, while weaving their own ribbon into the length. This symbolizes not just the God and the Goddess’ union, but our own Spirits as being manifestations of their union. Each member should bring their own ribbon or select a ribbon of color, texture, etc. that represents them.

Potluck- Always a fun tradition at holiday, where you either pick traditional foods served that time of the season, or simply enjoy the camaraderie of eating food as a group. I think it’s a fun idea to have members bring copies of recipes, in case someone wants a copy, or add that to your BOS to serve next year.

Celebrate creativity! This is a fun activity for groups so members can do a show-and-tell of things they make (or create). Creativity is, after all, a source of the Divine inspiration. I’ve been in rituals where people brought arts and crafts, songs, dance, and even stories.

Share in comments your own favorite traditions for Beltane, or better yet- post in your blog and add a link in comments here.

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Belated Beltane

Beltane this year was a small, quiet affair but nevertheless enjoyable. I had four members of my Wiccan meetup join me. These members  bothered to show up at the previous meeting to help plan and organize, so I felt it fitting that they be the ones who gather for the ritual.

I’m not a huge fan of open circles, and I will tell you why; Open circles also opens the group to the whims of members who may not be on the same wavelength as others. Trying to plan a group of people for a celebration and ritual compares to a juggling act. I’ve been to ritual where people brought unexpected guests as well as members who just didn’t show up- even ones who meant to bring integral parts of the ritual such as the Mead or specific candles or ritual items.

Close circles allows for trust for the members who do show up.

Here in Maryland, the weather proves unreliable. As much as I’d love to do circle in my backyard (my husband got me a firepit last Christmas), it decided to rain. We had dinner first due to time constraints, and cast circle indoors afterwards around the dining room table instead. One member is new to this, so I explained the symbolism used to create sacred space. (if interested, I will post at a later date).

For our focus to celebrate Beltane, we assembled windcatchers made from embroidery hoops and ribbon. Just sitting and chatting while putting these together was fun for me. It gave me a chance to talk to my fellow pagans, and just enjoy their company. Once we finished, we infused them with some scented oils, and what we wished to bring into our lives. We then would take them home to blow our wishes in the wind.

With this sort of craft, you can select any number of colors to represent the things you want in your life. I choose green for prosperity and growth, white for protection, and a pretty blue for empowerment. I also used Sandalwood, which often releases stress for me just by the light whiff of scent.

We then talked about our hopes and wishes, how magick works, what sort of things empowers us, and what we’ll be doing for the full moon ritual. Circle closed, and the new member admitted he really enjoyed the atmosphere and symbolism the religion offers.

Before everyone left, i challenged them to find a rock that will represent the thing they said holds them back; fear, jealousy, worry, etc, and carry it on their person until the next full moon. We’ll do ritual and release that trait as well as replacing it with something that will help overcome that trait. I challenge you, dear reader, to try it as well.

By carrying the rock on your person will illustrate how this fear, worry, anger, etc can impede your growth. Its a burden. It stands in the way of evolving and free movement (physically and spiritually). At the full moon, name this rock and throw it off a cliff or in a river (I’m conveniently located near a river).

I’ll post the ritual once we’ve done it.

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Solitary Sabbats

  Being I’ve circled as both Solitary and as a coven member, Sabbat seem awfully quiet for me now. Where I looked forward to large potluck feasts, group songs, dance, and fun coven games at the pagan holidays, I find it difficult to muster holiday cheer to even cast circle for myself.

Sabbats become contemplative holidays, to do certain practices with mindfulness, and rarely do I cast circle.

This Beltane, however, I’m gathering members of my Wiccan meetup to celebrate Beltane with a dinner and ritual. I prefer unorthodox circles, promoting laughter and the true spirit of celebration. Venues to cast circle are few and far between, but we’ll manage something in my house. I also have a firepit so we can burn a small wicker figure with our intentions for the season of growth.

Some ideas we planned:

A feast to share in the bounty of spring. You can also form a picnic, cookout, or something unusual like a tea or marshmallow roost. I’m not a traditionalist myself, and I’ve read one person’s idea on Yahoo Answers to use spicy foods to celebrate this ‘fire’ festival. Get it? Fire = spicy? I thought it was a cool, thinking-outside-the-box idea.

Windcatchers infused with an oil of your choice and your intentions, offers a lovely decor for your porch. Every time the wind blows, your intentions gets carried on the breeze.

Make a mini-maypole. What’s so funny with full sized maypoles is that I’ve never once seem a maypole dance run smoothly. I think it serves to remind everyone of the Chaos that is spring. The maypole also reminds us of the male aspect of life, the spark, and masculine divine.

Make birdfeeders or other offerings for wild animals. Imbue with your wishes and leave them out for your forest friends to find. Pinecone birdfeeder, or easy cereal-based feeder are easy to make and great for people of all ages.

Build fairy houses. Beltane, like Samhain (October 31) is a time when the Veil between the worlds of mortals and the spirits is thinnest.

Use your imagination and embrace the spirit of Spring celebration. Plant seeds, do spring cleaning, cleanse altar items, or form any number of new Beltane traditions.

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