Celebrating May Day doesn’t have to be complicated! Here are 5 quick 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.
A Beltane bonfire is a traditional way 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 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: Frolic.
This Beltane, 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, so laughing is extra credit.
Easy Beltane Idea #3: Make a faerie offering.
Beltane is a wonderful time to celebrate your interconnection to the web of all life, including the life of the fairy folk! 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 powerful time for purification, and doorways are very much in alignment with this expansive and transitional time. As such, try 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, mist it with a smudge spray. This will help clear away energetic blocks and open you up to your natural flow of blessings.
Easy Beltane Idea #5: Experience Sensual Pleasure.
Sensuality and pleasure are in Beltane’s domain, and taking even a short moment for it can reap wonderful, lasting benefits. For example, you might 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. And, of course, Beltane is possibly the best Sabbat for celebrating your sexuality.
What do you think of these Beltane ideas? Did you try any of them? Do you have your own to share?
You may also like these 4 Unique Ideas for Your Beltane Celebration.
Moonsparkle says
Great 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
YUM! Sounds delicious. Hope the rest of your day was magical too!
samantha says
can you be christian and still celebrate Beltane?
Tess Whitehurst says
Sure! Only you get to decide how your spirituality looks.
Roger says
I was taught that the Celtic cross – the Christian cross intertwined with vines – was the result of Joseph of Aremathea (the guy who gave his tomb to Jesus) meeting the Celts in Ireland with his tin trade. The Celtic leaders listened to him describe the teachings of Jesus and said something like “That is just what we believe.” They then created the cross symbol to show the joining of the two teachings.
Ash! says
Some people like to celebrate the astronomical cross-quarters, which would make Beltane May 5… it all depends on one's tradition, as stated!
Tess Whitehurst says
Cool, hope you enjoyed it and had a beautiful day. Blessings to you and the cat. 🙂