SECTION ONE - HOLIDAY LORE
Beltane - Ahneke Greystone
Beltane Recipes - Gathered and contributed by StormWing
Beltane Ode - Alma Fox
Beltane - Mike Nichols
Beltane
Ahneke Greystone
The Dance of Brilliant Light
She is our darling, she who under
the wheeling stars makes all
things blossom and bear fruit.
At her approach storms clear,
dark clouds dissolve to blue,
sweet earth and all the oceans
smile, and her light dances brilliant
through the flourishing world.
From the Homeric Hymns to Aphrodite
“Beltane” has been translated many ways, one translation being “Bel-fire” or “Bel’s
fire.” Bel, Beli, Belanos, Balar or Belinus is the ancient Celtic god of light and
fire. Bel has been translated as “bright” and has also been traced back to the Middle
Eastern Baal and translated as "Lord." The name may be a descriptive/honorific title
rather than the name of a specific god. Bel is additionally known as the Bright or
Shining One, and is sometimes seen as an aspect of Lugh.
Some believe the name derives from bel-dine, “dine” meaning cattle, because calves
were sacrificed on this day to Bel or Bial. Beltane corresponds to the modern Irish
Gaelic word Bealtaine, the name of the month of May, and to the Scottish Gaelic word
Bealtuinn meaning May Day.
The two great Celtic festivals are Beltane and Samhain – the beginning of Summer and
Winter. These date from a time when humanity was constantly in motion to match
seasonal migration. At Beltane we began hunting Summer animals; at Samhain we moved
again following Winter migration. As we settled geographically and began to work the
land, the festivals of Imbolc and Lughnasadh became additionally important, celebrating
planting and harvesting.
Beltane and Samhain were the precarious balance points of the year. A late Spring
could mean starvation, the remainder of Winter’s provisions depleted. In an
agricultural community, the crops were beginning to grow, and tender shoots were at
risk to late frost, snow and damaging storms. Once again at Samhain, we acknowledged
what we owed our gods, as an early Fall impacted our ability to survive Winter. At
such times of perilous existence, the veil between worlds was thin. We had cause to
celebrate, we had cause to fear, and we came together for festivals meant to thank and
placate our gods. We celebrated life and recognized the shadow of Death which was
such an intimate part of it.
War was often conducted over the Summer months. As permanent villages were established
, claims to land for raising animals and growing crops became the argument that may
have been the start of tribal politics. Beltane was an assembly time for communities
to plan the Summer's aggressions and defenses. It was a time to reestablish bonds and
renew friendships, to make pacts and alliances. At the opposite time of the year,
Samhain, it was a time to lay down weapons, to prepare for the Winter about to arrive.
These were days of peace, between which were the conflicts of Summer and the
life-threatening darkness of Winter.
History tells us of fires which were lit on hilltops throughout the ancient world, and
the memory of those fires and our connection to all who have danced in their warmth is
alive in modern Beltane fires. Traditionally, the hearth fire would be kept burning
all year until May Eve, when it was extinguished. On Beltane, a new fire was kindled
in the communal hearth. This fire burned all day and night; and as people returned to
their homes, they carried torches lit from it to rekindle their home fires.
Cattle were driven through the fire or between two fires to insure their health and
fertility. In Scottish and Irish Gaelic there is a saying, “caught between two
Bealtaine fires,” a metaphor for being in a place of indecision or hesitation.
People jumped through the flames (actually, over the embers) for good luck and for
resolution of problems.
There are comparative celebrations of fire, communal hearth and the extinguishing and
relighting of home hearths throughout many ancient cultures, and many survive into the
present day. Similar traditions are seen in Celtic, Russian, Swedish, Norwegian,
German, Scottish, Chinese and Welsh practices.
On May Eve, April 30, the focus to many modern pagans is very specifically celebrating
, at an instinctual level, the sense of balance, of promise and threat, light and
dark. It is a psychological journey which can be challenging and often frightening.
As the newly green world is vulnerable and sensitive, so our psyche’s are in that
place of tenderness. We risk much when we take a spiritual journey at this time of
year; but the reward, as with the delicate sapling which becomes the mighty oak, can
be great.
On the first of May that darkness has passed. It is a day to celebrate the more
modern tale of the marriage of our Lord and Lady. A time for delight. For carefree
abandon. Laughter, dance, song. And that most wonderful of human celebration ... our
sexuality. Yes, we are still aware of the journey our souls took the night before,
but that is all the more reason to celebrate the moment which is now, which is holy,
which is Divine Joy.
A variety of activities are common in celebration by modern pagans of this holiday.
The May Pole - The Maypole represents the male principle in the Divine Marriage
between God and Goddess. It is a powerful and awesome phallic symbol, with the wreath
of flowers which graces its point, symbolizing the womb of the Goddess, slowly
lowering as the dancers braid the ribbons. Traditionally, the ribbons were of red
and white, although today we see a rainbow of colors. The pattern which results
symbolizes the web of life, the interweaving and interdependence of each piece of the
whole. The balance of feminine and masculine Divine Energy. Earth and Spirit. Zoe
and bios. Concrete and ethereal.
Handfastings - The bonding of a couple or a group of lovers for a year and a day,
occurs at this time. In modern times, renewal of marriage vows are often a part of
these celebrations. Attesting to our love before our community, announcing to the
world our intentions and our happiness, is a statement of connection at multiple
levels.
Sexual Energy - The "reason for the season" is sex and sexuality. The joy of it. The
wonder of it. The sheer exultation of our divine bodies. For those of us who are
virgin or who are choosing abstinence, it is still about sexual energy. Fertility
and creativity. Living this day free of inhibitions ... being true to our individual
natures. Responding to the instinctual call within us. Doing exactly as we wish,
responding to the yearning within us.
Correspondences:
The Goddesses of Beltane are the Maidens of flowers, love, fertility, song, dance and
the hunt: Aphrodite, Asherah, Belili, Bloddeuwedd, Bona Dea, Brigid, Danu,
Freya,
Flora, Gwenhwyvar, Hina, Kwan Yin, Ishtar, Lada, Maia, Mary, Mawu, Oiwyn, Oshun,
Ostara, Rauni, Sappha, Spider Woman, Tonantzin, Vesta and Xochiquetzal
The Gods of Beltane are the gods of the hunt, fertility, love and the young Father
gods: Beltene, Cernunnous, Cupid/Eros, Manawyddan and Pan.
Foods of Beltane: Asparagus, barley, butter, cheese, cherries, goat, honey, ice
cream, May wine/May bowl, milk, oatmeal, rabbit and strawberries.
Flowers of Beltane: Bluebells, daisies, dogwood, daffodils, lilacs, marigolds,
primrose, snapdragon, rose and all yellow flowers.
Trees of Beltane: Apple, ash, birch, cedar, elder, grape vine, hawthorn, hemlock,
holly, rowan/mountain ash, thorn/blackthorn, willow and yew.
Herbs of Beltane: Allheal, almond, blessed thistle, broom, chamomile, coriander,
curry, jasmine, marjoram, meadowsweet, mint, musk, paprika, peach, rosemary, rue,
tansy, vanilla, woodruff, yarrow and ylang ylang.
Stones of Beltane: Beryl, bloodstones, Copper, emerald, garnet, gold, malachite, rose
quartz, saphires and tourmaline.
Incense of Beltane: Angelica, benzoin, frankincense, geranium, lavender, lilac,
myrrh, rose, vanilla.
Animals of Beltane: Cats, dove, goats, honey bees, leopard, lynx, pegasus, rabbits,
swallow and swan.
Colors of Beltane: Green, red, yellow and white.
This is the time of the year to feel at the deepest level. To use our senses to be
aware of all that surrounds us. It is a time of passion and creativity; of desire
and vitality. It is a time to step outside the mundane; to experience this moment of
peace which is a true jewel shining amongst the burdens and responsibilities of our
daily lives. It is a moment set aside. A safe haven between life’s storms.
It is a time to acknowledge we are not alone. As the God has chosen marriage,
forsaking his wildwood days, so we renew our commitment to family and community. We
understand the importance of our presence in the circle, our uniqueness, the
brightness of our own particular flowering. But we also understand that a garden is
filled with a myriad of blooms. Together we become a great and glorious riot of
life. We cannot exist separate from the web.
We light the torches of our souls from the community of Joy which gathers in the
Spring sunshine. When we depart for our homes and reflect on the day, we are aware
that a spark of that brilliance lives on within us. The warmth exists to be shared.
In the sharing we flourish.
Bright Blessings of the Lady who is Mother and her Shepherd Lord!
Beltane Recipes
Gathered and contributed by StormWing
Beltane Bread
Recipe by Ann Moura (Aoumiel)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and combine:
4 cups sifted flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
2 cups sugar
1 tube almond paste
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
5 eggs
When dough is worked to medium soft, shape into flattened balls and place on ungreased
cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool, ice with white Solar
Cross. You could try this as a single loaf. I also like to make an almond biscuit with
biscuit mix, almond extract, sugar, cinnamon, and eggs, but in smaller proportions.
(A lot of my cooking is unmeasured, which doesn't help for making recipes.)
(The above recipe for "Beltane Bread" is directly quoted from Ann Moura
(Aoumiel)'s
book "Green Witchcraft: Folk Magic, Fairy Lore & Herb Craft", page 218, Llewellyn
Publications, 1996.)
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Short-Cut Meade (Pan-Celtic)
Recipe by Edain McCoy
This rich ale known as meade is a very old Celtic creation which was used for sacred
rituals. It was thought to be a gift of the deities and was used to honor them,
especially at Beltane. Many recipes exist, and most are jealously guarded. This
short-cut method ignores the lengthy fermentation process.
1/2 gallon water
1-1/2 cups raw honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice, rounded
1/2 cup Everclear (R)
Slowly heat all ingredients together --- except the alcohol --- in a large stock pot.
As the honey melts, an oily crust will form on the top of the meade. You can leave it
there, for some feel this adds to the full-bodied texture of the meade, while others
will tell you to skim it off. Do not allow the meade to come to a roiling boil. When
it is well blended, remove from the heat, stirring occasionally until it settles. When
it has cooled, add the Everclear (R) and serve.
(The above recipe for "Short-Cut Meade (Pan-Celtic)" is directly quoted from Edain
McCoy's book "Celtic Myth & Magick: Harnessing the Power of the Gods and
Goddesses", page 390, Llewellyn Publications, 1995)
***********************************************
Beltaine Cream Pie
Recipe by Edain McCoy
Prepare and pre-bake a pie shell and have it ready in the pie dish. The pie filling
will be warmed but not baked.
1 cup whole milk
1 cup rich cream
1/2 cup or one stick of butter (don't use margarine)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/14 teaspoon vanilla
ground nutmeg
Melt the butter in a wide cooking pan. (The mixture heats more evenly in this than in
a taller more narrow pan Traditionalists will use a heavy cast iron pan.)
In a separate bowl slowly add the milk to the cornstarch making sure it is fully
dissolved and absorbed before adding more milk. When the cornstarch is fully blended
add this and all the other ingredients, except the vanilla, to the cooking pan.
Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture becomes thick like a pudding.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour the mixture into the waiting pie shell and sprinkle with nutmeg. the pie may be
eaten while it is still warm as long as it has cooled just enough to set. Or the pie
may be chilled and eaten later.
(The above recipe for "Beltaine Cream Pie" is directly quoted from Edain McCoy's book
"Witta: An Irish Pagan Tradition", page 187, Llewellyn Publications, 1993/1994)
******************************************************
Beltane Marigold Custard
Recipe by Scott Cunningham
2 cups milk
1 cup unsprayed marigold petals
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 to 2-inch piece vanilla bean
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. rose water
whipped cream
Using a clean mortar and pestle reserved for cooking purposes, pound marigold petals.
Or, crush with a spoon. Mix the salt, sugar and spices together. Scald milk with the
marigolds and the vanilla bean. Remove the vanilla bean and add the slightly beaten
yolks and dry ingredients. Cook on low heat. When the mixture coats the spoon, add
rose water and cool.
Top with whipped cream, garnish with fresh marigold petals.
{The above recipe for "Beltane Marigold Custard" is quoted directly from Scott
Cunningham's book "Wicca: A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner", page 153, Llewellyn
Publications, 1988/1990.)
*******************************************************
Wiccan Handfasting Cake
Recipe by Gerina Dunwich
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
5 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
2-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon rose water
pinch of basil
6 fresh rose geranium leaves
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and light. Add the
honey and mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Gradually add the flour and blend thoroughly with a large wooden spoon after each
addition. Stir in the lemon rind, lemon juice, rose water and a pinch of basil --- the
herb of love. Line the bottom of a greased nine-by-five-by-three-inch loaf pan with
the rose geranium leaves and then pour in the batter. Bake the cake in a preheated
350 degree oven for one hour and fifteen minutes. Remove from oven when done and let
stand on a rack for twenty minutes before unmolding. Spread icing or sprinkle sugar
on top of the handfasting Cake just before serving.
(The above recipe for "Wiccan Handfasting Cake" is quoted directly from Gerina
Dunwich's book "Wicca Craft: The Modern Witch's Book of Herbs, Magick, and Dreams",
page 147, A Citadel Press Book, Carol Publishing Group, 1991/1995)
*************************************************************
Beltane Ritual Potpourri
Recipe by Gerina Dunwich
45 drops frankincense oil
1 cup oak moss
1 cup dried bluebells
1 cup dried lilac
1 cup dried marigold
1 cup dried meadowsweet
1 cup dried rosebuds and petals
1 cup dried yellow cowslips
Mix the frankincense oil with the oak moss and then add the remaining ingredients.
Stir the potpourri well and store in a tightly covered ceramic or glass container.
(The above recipe for "Beltane Ritual Potpourri" is quoted directly from Gerina
Dunwich's book "The Wicca Spellbook: A Witch's Collection of Wiccan Spells, Potions
and Recipes", page 162, A Citadel Press Book, Carol Publishing Group, 1994/1995)
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Beltane Incense
Recipe by Scott Cunningham
3 parts Frankincense
2 parts Sandal wood
1 part Woodruff
1 part Rose petals
a few drops Jasmine oil
a few drops Neroli oil
Burn during Wiccan rituals on Beltane (April 30th) or on May Day for fortune and
favors and to attune with the changing of the seasons.
(The above recipe for "Beltane Incense" is quoted directly from Scott Cunningham's
book "The Complete Book of Incenses, Oils & Brews", page 60, Llewellyn
Publications, 1989/1992.)
Beltane Ode
By Alma Fox
Welcome the night that welcomes the May,
A flower-strewn, ribbon-decked holiday;
Honor the season with offering divine,
With kisses from lips stained with berries and wine.
The South is already green
In the sign of the Bull, when Rome
Hailed Flora, and twined the wreaths
That they gave to the gods of the home.
Germans sang Walpurgis verse
Cultivating Spring-tide truth
(That Gaius Julius found uncouth
and their sons¹ son Goethe made perverse).
When Highland bonfires roared,
And malt libation poured,
The North hailed return of light
Dancing with garland and sword
Completing the reign of night.
Beltane fires burn
Won back from smothering time
New song- and nature-lovers learn
To celebrate the seasons¹ turn
In fresh May-frolic, dance and rhyme.
Welcome the night that welcomes the May,
A flower-strewn, ribbon-decked holiday;
Bless the renewal with offering divine,
And wash away darkness with frolic and wine.
Beltane
By Mike Nichols
There are four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year and the modern Witch's
calendar, as well. The two greatest of these are Halloween (the beginning of winter)
and May Day (the beginning of summer). Being opposite each other on the wheel of
the year, they separate the year into halves. Halloween (also called Samhain) is the
Celtic New Year and is generally considered the more important of the two, though May
Day runs a close second. Indeed, in some areas -- notably Wales -- it is considered
the great holiday.
May Day ushers in the fifth month of the modern calendar year, the month of May. This
month is named in honor of the goddess Maia, originally a Greek mountain nymph, later
identified as the most beautiful of the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades. By Zeus, she
is also the mother of Hermes, god of magic. Maia's parents were Atlas and
Pleione, a
sea nymph.
The old Celtic name for May Day is Beltane (in its most popular Anglicized form),
which is derived from the Irish Gaelic 'Bealtaine' or the Scottish Gaelic
'Bealtuinn',
meaning 'Bel-fire', the fire of the Celtic god of light (Bel, Beli or Belinus). He, in
turn, may be traced to the Middle Eastern god Baal.
Other names for May Day include: Cetsamhain ('opposite Samhain'), Walpurgisnacht (in
Germany), and Roodmas (the medieval Church's name). This last came from Church Fathers
who were hoping to shift the common people's allegiance from the Maypole (Pagan
lingham - symbol of life) to the Holy Rood (the Cross - Roman instrument of death).
Incidentally, there is no historical justification for calling May 1st 'Lady Day'. For
hundreds of years, that title has been proper to the Vernal Equinox (approx. March
21st), another holiday sacred to the Great Goddess. The nontraditional use of 'Lady
Day' for May 1st is quite recent (within the last 15 years), and seems to be confined
to America, where it has gained widespread acceptance among certain segments of the
Craft population. This rather startling departure from tradition would seem to
indicate an unfamiliarity with European calendar customs, as well as a lax attitude
toward scholarship among too many Pagans. A simple glance at a dictionary ('Webster's
3rd' or O.E.D.), encyclopedia ('Benet's'), or standard mythology reference (Jobe's
'Dictionary of Mythology, Folklore & Symbols') would confirm the correct date for
Lady Day as the Vernal Equinox.
By Celtic reckoning, the actual Beltane celebration begins on sundown of the preceding
day, April 30, because the Celts always figured their days from sundown to sundown.
And sundown was the proper time for Druids to kindle the great Bel-fires on the tops
of the nearest beacon hill (such as Tara Hill, Co. Meath, in Ireland). These 'need-
fires' had healing properties, and sky-clad Witches would jump through the flames to
ensure protection.
Frequently, cattle would be driven between two such bon-fires (oak wood was the
favorite fuel for them) and, on the morrow, they would be taken to their summer
pastures.
Other May Day customs include: walking the circuit of one's property ('beating the
bounds'), repairing fences and boundary markers, processions of chimney-sweeps and
milk maids, archery tournaments, morris dances, sword dances, feasting, music,
drinking, and maidens bathing their faces in the dew of May morning to retain their
youthful beauty.
In the words of Witchcraft writers Janet and Stewart Farrar, the Beltane celebration
was principly a time of '...unashamed human sexuality and fertility.' Such
associations include the obvious phallic symbolism of the Maypole and riding the hobby
horse. Even a seemingly innocent children's nursery rhyme, 'Ride a cock horse to
Banburry Cross...' retains such memories. And the next line '...to see a fine Lady on
a white horse' is a reference to the annual ride of 'Lady Godiva' though Coventry.
Every year for nearly three centuries, a sky-clad village maiden (elected Queen of the
May) enacted this Pagan rite, until the Puritans put an end to the custom.
The Puritans, in fact, reacted with pious horror to most of the May Day rites, even
making Maypoles illegal in 1644. They especially attempted to suppress the 'greenwood
marriages' of young men and women who spent the entire night in the forest, staying
out to greet the May sunrise, and bringing back boughs of flowers and garlands to
decorate the village the next morning. One angry Puritan wrote that men 'doe use
commonly to runne into woodes in the night time, amongst maidens, to set bowes, in so
muche, as I have hearde of tenne maidens whiche went to set May, and nine of them came
home with childe.' And another Puritan complained that, of the girls who go into the
woods, 'not the least one of them comes home again a virgin.'
Long after the Christian form of marriage (with its insistence on sexual monogamy) had
replaced the older Pagan handfasting, the rules of strict fidelity were always relaxed
for the May Eve rites. Names such as Robin Hood, Maid Marian, and Little John played
an important part in May Day folklore, often used as titles for the dramatis personae
of the celebrations. And modern surnames such as Robinson, Hodson, Johnson, and Godkin
may attest to some distant May Eve spent in the woods.
These wildwood antics have inspired writers such as Kipling:
"Oh, do not tell the Priest our plight, Or he would call it a sin;
But we have been out in the woods all night, A-conjuring
Summer in!"
And Lerner and Lowe:
"It's May! It's May! The lusty month of May!... Those dreary vows
that ev'ryone takes, Ev'ryone breaks. Ev'ryone makes
divine mistakes! The lusty month of May!"
It is certainly no accident that Queen Guinevere's 'abduction' by Meliagrance occurs
on May 1st when she and the court have gone a-Maying, or that the usually efficient
Queen's Guard, on this occasion, rode unarmed.
Some of these customs seem virtually identical to the old Roman feast of flowers, the
Floriala, three days of unrestrained sexuality which began at sundown April 28th and
reached a crescendo on May 1st.
There are other, even older, associations with May 1st in Celtic mythology. According
to the ancient Irish 'Book of Invasions', the first settler of Ireland,
Partholan,
arrived on May 1st; and it was on May 1st that the plague came which destroyed his
people. Years later, the Tuatha De Danann were conquered by the Milesians on May Day.
In Welsh myth, the perennial battle between Gwythur and Gwyn for the love of Creudylad
took place each May Day; and it was on May Eve that Teirnyon lost his colts and found
Pryderi. May Eve was also the occasion of a fearful scream that was heard each year
throughout Wales, one of the three curses of the Coranians lifted by the skill of
Lludd and Llevelys.
By the way, due to various calendrical changes down through the centuries, the
traditional date of Beltane is not the same as its astrological date. This date, like
all astronomically determined dates, may vary by a day or two depending on the year.
However, it may be calculated easily enough by determining the date on which the sun
is at 15 degrees Taurus (usually around May 5th). British Witches often refer to this
date as Old Beltane, and folklorists call it Beltane O.S. ('Old Style'). Some Covens
prefer to celebrate on the old date and, at the very least, it gives one options. If
a Coven is operating on 'Pagan Standard Time' and misses May 1st altogether, it can
still throw a viable Beltane bash as long as it's before May 5th. This may also be a
consideration for Covens that need to organize activities around the week-end.
This date has long been considered a 'power point' of the Zodiac, and is symbolized by
the Bull, one of the 'tetramorph' figures featured on the Tarot cards, the World and
the Wheel of Fortune. (The other three symbols are the Lion, the Eagle, and the
Spirit.) Astrologers know these four figures as the symbols of the four 'fixed' signs
of the Zodiac (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius), and these naturally align with
the four Great Sabbats of Witchcraft. Christians have adopted the same iconography
to represent the four gospel-writers.
But for most, it is May 1st that is the great holiday of flowers, Maypoles, and
greenwood frivolity. It is no wonder that, as recently as 1977, Ian Anderson could pen
the following lyrics for Jethro Tull:
"For the May Day is the great day, Sung along the old straight
track. And those who ancient lines did ley Will heed this
song that calls them back."
