Celebrating May Day doesn’t have to be complicated! Here are 5 quick and awesome ways you can celebrate the ancient holiday of Beltane.
Beltane is upon us, and the fairies are out in full force! Indeed, this is the point on the Wheel of the Year when the veil between the human realm and the realm of the fae is as thin as it gets.
Beltane – which falls on May 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and is also known as May Day – is a a time of fun, fertility, abundance, sensuality, romance, celebration, and purification. And while you can certainly build a bonfire and drum or dance the night away if you so desire, even a brief ritual of magic or devotion can have a powerful resonance, and can transport your consciousness into the realm of the sacred. With that in mind, here are five Beltane ritual and celebration ideas that you can fit into even the busiest schedule.
Easy Beltane Idea #1: Make a candle bonfire.
Beltane bonfires are traditional ways to purify by burning away the last remnants of winter and turning stuck energy into vibrant power and life. To perform the same energetic action in miniature, place a red pillar candle on a plate and arrange naturally shed twigs and fresh blossoms around its base. Light the candle, breathe deeply, and send your consciousness into the center of the flame, feeling/seeing/sensing the fire burn away all old unnecessary conditions and stuck energy into beautiful, radiant light.
Easy Beltane Idea #2: Dance wildly.
Find a song that fills you with equal parts joy, wildness, and sensuality. Then blare it loudly and dance, being as silly and free as possible. Make sure hip shaking and pelvis grinding is involved. And fairies love laughter, making it perfect for Beltane, so if you make yourself laugh in the process, that’s extra credit.
Easy Beltane Idea #3: Make a faerie offering.
This Beltane, celebrate your interconnection to the web of all life, including the life of the fairy folk, also known as the aliveness and consciousness within all of nature. A handful of birdseed can be an excellent offering to the fae, as can tumbled or faceted crystals, shiny coins, and beer, ale, or champagne in walnut shells. Also check out these 9 Delightful Things You Can Leave as Fairy Offerings.
Easy Beltane Idea #4: Purify your threshold.
Beltane is a particularly powerful time for purification, and doorways are also very much in alignment with this expansive and transitional time. As such, smudging your front door with white sage, desert sage, or palo santo, washing it with warm water into which you’ve added essential oils like spearmint or cedar, or misting it with a smudge spray, can be an excellent way to purify your life and attract beautiful blessings and opportunities.
Easy Beltane Idea #5: Engage in a pleasure ritual.
Sensuality and pleasure are in Beltane’s domain, and taking even a short moment for it can reap wonderful, lasting benefits. Mindfully eat a delicious chocolate bar, revel in walking barefoot across a lawn, or anoint yourself with a romantic essential oil blend and lose yourself in its scent.
What do you think of these ideas? Did you try any of them? Do you have your own to share?
Anonymous says
atBeautiful idea's, and so easy too. I consider myself very much beginner, and the suggestions you've offered are fantastic, thanks so much.
Tess Whitehurst says
atOh so glad you like them! Thank you for reading and connecting. 🙂
me me me says
atBeltane is April 30th – not May 1st.
Lynn says
atIt’s in between April 30th and May 1st…. 🙂
Karin Newsome says
atTrue Beltane is the cross quarter day when the Sun reaches 15 degrees Taurus. So it actually can be on different calendar days. It is simply more convenient for modern people to pick May 1st and celebrate it then.
Anonymous says
atthank you for these. I am solitary for now and I work 3rd shift and I can do these before work.
looking forward to your book
sheila
Tess Whitehurst says
atWishing you a happy and magical day, whenever you celebrate! 🙂
Tess Whitehurst says
atSo glad they resonate! Thank you for connecting and for sharing my excitement about the book, and brightest Beltane blessings to you.
Nyx Myst says
atIt depends on which Pagan tradition you follow whether Beltane is celebrated April 30th or May 1st. For some, the celebration begins in the evening of April 30th. For others, it is literally May Day. Neither is wrong.
Traci York says
atThese ideas are awesome! I love them so much that I edited my own Beltane blog post to include this! I quoted the first suggestion, but if you'd rather I just linked to this, please shout out. Thanks for giving my Beltane celebration some much needed inspiration!
http://www.traciyork.com/ww-beltane-blessings/
Anonymous says
atDoing the first one. While I was picking up twigs, a little straight cat that has been showing up at my house, kept following me and jumping on every twig he could find. Too funny.
Vika says
atCertainly helpful cat haha! Blessed be!
Tess Whitehurst says
atHi Traci! Awesome – so glad you liked them. Thank you for sharing them on your blog too. Hope your Beltane was magical!
Tess Whitehurst says
atCool, hope you enjoyed it and had a beautiful day. Blessings to you and the cat. 🙂
Ash! says
atSome people like to celebrate the astronomical cross-quarters, which would make Beltane May 5… it all depends on one's tradition, as stated!
Moonsparkle says
atGreat post! I enjoyed this year’s too with the video about celebrating Beltane. 🙂 My fave on the list is No 5, love chocolate! lol. I still have a Cadbury Easter egg I hadn’t opened yet, so I ate some of that mindfully.
Tess Whitehurst says
atYUM! Sounds delicious. Hope the rest of your day was magical too!
Sacer Diaguts says
atFeliz Beltane irmãos amados!!!