| There are eight
main festivals - part of earth's natural calendar, the
cycles of Nature - recognised by Pagans and Wiccans as
sabbats : |
Samhain,
Midwinter Solstice or Yule, Imbolc, Spring/Vernal
Equinox, Beltane, Midsummer solstice, Lammas and
the Autumn
Equinox
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| Marking
the changing seasons and the festivals can reflect our
lives - birth, maturity and old age. Many feel a connection
with nature when celebrating the cycles, a sense of being
part of the bigger picture of life, gaining energy and
spiritual knowledge. |
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30th
April / 1st May
The
beginning of Summer - Summer is a comin in !
Beltane
was an important festival in the Celtic calendar. The
name originates from the Celtic god, Bel -
the 'bright one', and the Gaelic word 'teine' meaning
fire, giving the name 'bealttainn', meaning 'bright fire'.
This is the beginning of the 'lighted half' of the year when the Sun begins
to set later in the evening and
the hawthorn blossoms. To
our ancestors Beltane was the coming of summer and fertility. Nature
is in bloom and the earth is full of fecundity and life.
The Triple
Goddess - worshipped by the Ancient Britons - at Beltane
is now in her aspect of the
Maiden : The May Queen, May Bride, Goddess of Spring,
Flower Bride, Queen of the Fairies - a
symbol of purity, growth and renewal.
The Crone turns
to stone on Beltane Eve.
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May blossom symbolises female fertility,
with its creamy/ white, fragrant flowers. Hawthorn blossom
was worn during Beltane celebrations, especially
by the May Queen. It is believed to be a potent magical
plant and it is considered unlucky to bring the blossom
inside
the house, apart from on May eve.
Flower
Language |
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Samhain
is one of the four Celtic fire festivals marking the
quarter points in the year - feasts were held and bonfires
were lit throughout the countryside. Fire was believed
to have purifying qualities - it cleansed and rejuvenated
both
the
land and the people.
The
ritual welcoming of the sun and the lighting of the
fires was also believed to ensure fertility of the
land and the people.
Animals were transfered from winter pens
to summer pastures, and were driven between the Beltane
fires to cleanse them of evil spirits and to bring
fertility and a good milk yield. The Celts leapt over Beltane
fires - for fertility and purification.
Young
men would circle the Beltaine fires holding Rowan branches
to bring protection against evil - its bright berries
suggested fire - malign powers were considered particularly
active at the year's turning-point.
It was considered
unlucky to allow anyone to take fire from one's house
on May Eve or May Day, as they would gain power over
the inhabitants.
A Beltane fire festival is held annually in Edinburgh, at Calton Hill on
30th April - a May Queen and Green
Man, representing Beltane fertility and renewal
lead the celebrations on the hillside. |
May
Day - Beltane Traditions |
Beltane
is a time of partnerships and fertility. New couples
proclaim their love for each other on this day. It
is also the perfect time to begin new projects.
The maypole - a phallic pole planted deep in the earth representing the potency
and fecundity of the God, its unwinding ribbons symbolized the unwinding of the
spiral of life and the union of male and female - the Goddess and God. It is
usually topped by a ring of flowers to represent the fertile Goddess.
Paganhill, near Shroud has one of the tallest maypoles. The Puritans banned maypoles
during the 17th Century. |
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It
was a Celtic tradition to fell a birch tree on May
day and to bring it into the community. Crosses of
birch and rowan twigs were hung over doors on the
May
morning, and left until next May day.
Beltane
cakes or bannocks - oatcakes coated with a baked on
custard made of cream, eggs and butter - were cooked
over open fires and anyone who chose a misshapen piece
or a piece with a black spot was likely to suffer bad
luck in the coming months. They were also offered to
the spirits who protect the livestock, by facing the
Beltane fire and casting them over their shoulders. |
Beltane
Celebrations and Rituals |
At
Sheen do Boaldyne, in the Isle of Man, twigs of Rowan are hung
above doorways as protection - the
opening of Summer was regarded as a time when fairies
and spirits were especially active, as at Samhain and the opening
of Winter.
The 'Obby 'Oss, at Padstow, Cornwall - wearing of animal skins
was believed to be
a relic of a Pagan sacred marriage between earth and sky, and
the dance enacts the fertility god
sacrificed
for
the good of his people.
The May Queen
- Maid Marion/the Maiden consorts with Robin/ the
Green
Man in Celtic celebrations of May day.
Going
'A-Maying' meant staying out all night to gather flowering hawthorn,
watching the sunrise and making love in the woods
- a 'greenwood marriage'.
The dew on the May day morning is believed to have a magical potency
- wash your face and body in it and remain fair all year, and guarantee
your youth and beauty continues - men who wash their hands in it
will be good at tying knots and
nets - useful if you're a fisherman! |
This ancient Pagan and Celtic ceremony
marked the taking of a partner - this involves a commitment to
perform an annual review of relationship. The
couple's hands are ritually bound together to symbolize their
union. Some people choose to use a ribbon that they have both
signed. Between Beltane and the Summer Solstice is the most popular
time for handfastings.
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