Beltane 2017 -Simple Ritual and Infographic

Happy Beltane 2017! This Monday (May 1st) the magical bookend to Samhain arrives. As I said last year (in much the same words), there are a bazillion sites out on the interwebz with information on the holiday, so I’m going to keep things simple. Once again, I decided to put together a graphic, and include a brief blurb from an excellent resource for all things witchy – The Witch’s Voice (aka Witchvox).

Speaking of excellent witchy things, that reminds me – May 1st is also the birthday of one of my personal favorite witchy people, Elizbeth (aka The Smart Witch). Be sure to visit her Facebook page and wish her a happy one!

Now, on to the Witchvox blurb –

Beltane — Holiday Details and History

Beltane, like Samhain, is a time of “no time” when the veils between the two worlds are at their thinnest. No time is when the two worlds intermingle and unite and the magic abounds! It is the time when the Faeries return from their winter respite, carefree and full of faery mischief and faery delight. On the night before Beltane, in times past, folks would place rowan branches at their windows and doors for protection, many otherworldly occurrences could transpire during this time of “no time”. Traditionally on the Isle of Man, the youngest member of the family gathers primroses on the eve before Beltane and throws the flowers at the door of the home for protection. In Ireland it is believed that food left over from May Eve must not be eaten, but rather buried or left as an offering to the faery instead. Much like the tradition of leaving of whatever is not harvested from the fields on Samhain, food on the time of no time is treated with great care.

Two years ago, one of the lovely admins over at the Smart Witch Facebook Group (*waves hello to Melody* – be sure to click on her name and check out her gorgeous jewelry!) posted a link to a blog post called, 5 Ways to Celebrate Beltane in 5 Minutes or Less by Tess Whitehurst. I’m including the first simple ritual below, but I highly recommend clicking the link and reading the rest.

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.

One more thing. Because I had to look up the term, “Bel Fire” when making my graphic, I wanted to add this little descriptor about Bel Fire/Bale Fire from one of Patti Wigington‘s always informative articles over at the About.com‘s Paganism/Wicca section –

One of the hallmarks of any Beltane celebration is the bonfire, or the Bale Fire (this can be spelled a number of ways, including Beal Fire and Bel Fire). This tradition has its roots in early Ireland. According to legend, each year at Beltane, the tribal leaders would send a representative to the hill of Uisneach, where a great bonfire was lit. These representatives would each light a torch, and carry it back to their home villages.

Once the fire reached the village, everyone would light a torch to take into their houses and use to light their hearths. This way, the fire of Ireland was spread from one central source throughout the entire country.

Now, for the graphic. Bright Beltane blessings to all!

Beltane 2017. Beltane. May 1, 2017. Beltane, like Samhain, is a time when the veil between worlds is thinnest. The two Sabbats are Yin (shady) and Yang (sunny) to each other – Beltane honors life, and Samhain honors death. Colors – Green, White, Yellow, Red. Symbols – May poles, bees, flower wreaths, Bel Fire/Bale Fire, water wells. Ritual work – Fertility, purification by water and fire, creativity, prosperity. First, this is not a passive voice. Next, I am writing in an active voice. Therefore, my SEO will stop telling me how to write. Furthermore, these sentences are also shorter than twenty words. Rather, stop being so controlling. Especially since most of the sentences in this post are not mine. I will keep going while until you turn green. Beltane 2017. I can’t believe this is still orange. Finally, it has turned. Success! First, this is not a passive voice. Next, I am writing in an active voice. Therefore, my SEO will stop telling me how to write. Furthermore, these sentences are also shorter than twenty words. Rather, stop being so controlling. Beltane 2017. Especially since most of the sentences in this post are not mine. I will keep going while until you turn green. I can’t believe this is still orange. Finally, it has turned. Success! Beltane 2017.