by Susan Hurley

Created on: February 06, 2011

     Beltane (Beltaine, Belltaine, Bealtaine, Beltain, Beltine, Bealteine, Bealtuinn, Boaldyn) is usually held on April 30 or May 1. Some say that Beltane means 'bright fire' or 'lucky fire', and others say that it means 'fire of Bel' (refering to Belinos, the Celtic Sun God). Other names for this Sabbat include Roodmas (the Church's name), Cetsamhain ('opposite Samhain'), Walpurgisnacht (Germany), and May Day.

     Beltane is not just a Celtic Holiday. Beltane has been celebrated by others for many centuries. The Romans spent the first day of May paying tribute to the Lares (the gods) of their households. The Romans were also known for celebrating Floralia (the Festival of Flowers) at this time of the year. The Norse celebrate the day of Eyvind Kelve (a pagan who was tortured and killed because he refused to give up his pagan beliefs) on May 6. Plynteria was celebrated by the Greeks to honor Athena in May, which included the cleansing of Athena's statue and feasting and prayers in the Parthenon.

     Beltane has always been a time to celebrate life and rebirth. It marks the passage into the growing season. This is when we see flowers blooming, trees are once again green, crops are sprouting, and when we can see all of the life around us springing forth.

     Beltane marks the handfasting, or wedding, of the Goddess and the God. In the Beltane Rituals, this is a time when the union between the Great Mother and her Young Consort are celebrated. Their coupling brings us fresh new life on Earth. On a physical level, this represents the Earth and Sun coming together again and bringing with them the fruitfulness of the growing season. On a spiritual level, this is when the Divine Masculine and the Divine Feminine come together and provide us with consciousness.

     There are many activities that are associated with this Greater Sabbat. All fires were extinguished, and then were lit again with the fire from the Need Fire. Cattle and other animals were driven between two balefires (created by the nine sacred woods: Birch, Hawthorn, Hazel, Oak, Rowan, Fir, Apple,Vine, and Willow) for protection, healing, purification, and luck. Men and women dancing around a maypole to encourage the fertility of Mother Earth. Washing your face with the dew at sunrise on Beltane is said to bring beauty to you in the coming year. This was also a time when lovers would pledge themselves to each other (engagement) for a year and a day. This was also a time when lovers would spend the night in the woods “A-Maying”. It is also said that this is an excellent time to commune with the faeries.

     Pagans and Wiccans today celebrate this Sabbat with Rituals that pertain to fertility (including the Maypole dance), that honor the union of the Goddess and her Consort, communing with the faeries, and a time for planting and sowing of seeds. This time of year reminds us of the endless cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth that we see in nature.

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