Beltaine is truly one of the most amazing times of the
year. Time to converse to Fae, improve beauty, health and attain longevity ,
pursue magickal gifts, and make new friends.
It’s a second Principal
Celtic holiday, the other being Samhaine, it’s direct opponent and
counterpart. It celebrates the Sun’s
release of winter and dark bondage, it’s rulership of the light part of the year, and life and regeneration in general. In old European culture it used to signify the
begging of the summer .
Get some Beltane's morning dew , for it's a powerful magick |
Elderberry Fairy |
And Beltane is indeed, the most favorable
part of the year to work with Fae, and I
have written of Beltaine and Fae magick before on here ,
If You happen to be interested in this
particular aspect of the holiday.
It was once, in European
countries, associated with a sacrifices
also. In fact, if the preceeding year was “barren” a young male, was to be
sacrificed, though he had to volunteer,
to be sacrificed, knowingly. By the time
of Druidism, this sacrifice was substituted by Wicker-man ( a giant human-
resembling doll made of wood and straw ) , and whit the early Christian
influences the sacrifice was replaced by reenacting the same, and the “victim”
was chosen by drawing pieces of cake from the bag. The one that would draw
the piece of the cake with the cross,
would play the “victim” which was to be sacrificed [2]
In Germany the Walpurgis night,
that is the night before the first May
is said to be the time when witches gather at mount. Brocken ( the highest peak of Northern Germany, Harz mountain range ) and perform
rituals and dance welcoming the May. In urban areas, and particularly among young people, the symbolism and spiritual
contents are mainly lost, and the celebration deducts to pranks and leg-pulling.
Bonfires are still lit in some parts,
though due to Christianization often called
“Osterfeurer” ,aka Easter Fires.
In Estonia and Finland,
some kind of carnival festivities are held, much like dressing up and trick or
treating during Halloween in West.
Symbolical burning of the
witches, or rather ragged or straw effigies is appropriated in the Czech republic, and the holiday is referred
to as “charodejnice” which means “the
witches”. [3]
And the 1st may,
coming after the Walpurgis night, other than it’s spiritual traits and
symbolism discussed above, is also day for parades ( so called May parades )
and an International labour day, also known as International worker’s day
[4], and technically speaking, Your employer
should not be able to force You
to work on this day, but alas, in this world we described as civilized, occur so many things that are all
but. People frequently go on picnics or field trips on 1st of May,
usually with family of very close
friends
Nevertheless, as I stated
in the title of the post, If practicing,
You should by all mean “seize the day” and the energies it offers. For the day it’s ideal for fertility and
abundance in any form , on any plan, for increasing personal power, health and
beauty, promoting longevity. When I wrote on snow and Ice magick before, I
mentioned some ice magick rituals that are really best suited to be done on Beltaine. It’s also by far the best time to build friendly ties
with nature spirits of all kind, and thus gain
powerful and hospitable
allies in Your spiritual workings. It’s
also day associated with agricultural magick, and gaining money or pursuing
carrier success, which are forms of fertility and abundance.
Plants and incenses
correspondent to the Beltane are : Almond, Cowslip, Ash ( the plant, Fraxinus
spp. ), Angelica, Marigolds (
Calendulas ), Hawthorn, Rowan ( both used in enabling to see and protecting
from the Fae folk, Fairies ), Nettles, Rose, Thyme, Bluebells and Elder ( Sambucus spp. ) and
Hyacinth
The candles lit are mostly
of Red, Silver, Green and sometimes Gold ( or Yellow ) color.
Anyhow, without any further
ado here are some ideas in how to “seize the day” the best way;Examples of folklore and spells associated with Beltane ;
·
“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.” [5]
·
Spending May night (
Beltane ) under an Elder tree, with Thyme in one’s hands, shall enable one to
see and converse with Fae, though one
must be cautions, for the Fae may be mischievous or even malevolent. Similarly, wearing an “crown” made from Elder twig during Walpurgis night
and 1st of May, should enable the same.
·
“The first May Day butter, that is, the first butter made
from the milk of May Day, was held to be the best of all bases for salves and
ointments. And, it was firmly believed that any herb picked at random before
sunrise on May Day was a sure cure for warts. Also, if you wanted to keep the
rheumatics away for a year, the custom was to eat nettle soup three times
during the month, beginning on May 1st.”[6]
·
Hoops made of Rowan and/or Hawthorn before the sunrise on
May First, will enable one to see the
Fairies and Spirits, through them
·
The first water taken from the well on May Day was variously
known as 'the top of the well' or 'the luck of the well'. In evil hands this
water could do great harm; but in the hands of the rightful owner, it brought
luck, protection and healing. [7]
·
Fresh Nettles picked in the morning, preferably very early,
with the rising Sun, were cooked and eaten in copper containers while the incantations for health were spoken, to
ensure that no illness will befall on those that consume it, or to heal the existing conditions. This is
commonly done in Balkan Peninsula, I observed and later done the ritual myself,
and is done on Beltane, St George’s day and
sometimes on Spring Equinox as well. In Ireland, it’s customary to make a soup out of the Nettles, and consume it on
Beltane ( according to other some
accounts on Beltane and two consecutive days ) in order to both cure and prevent
rheumatism.
·
Leave a bouquet made
of Cowslips , Thyme and Bluebells, along with piece of cake or some honey , and
some vine, near some Hawthorn bush to treat the Fairies and possibly gain their
sympathies. You should state aloud that it’s for “little folk”, “good
folk” or “brothers and sisters fairies”
·
Collect the morning dew, and wash Your face with it on
Beltane, for the beauty, and preserving
youth in the upcoming year. Water with
freshly picked Basil leafs, and Rose, blessed with a suiting incantation on Beltane morning will have the similar
effect. Obviously, once could combine
the two.
I hope You’ve gotten some ideas on how to take
advantage of the lavish energies of
Beltane, how to tap on to the powers of the day, and use them constructively.
Here are more good
resources for You on:
Beltane folklore
Enjoy, and have a great Mayday J Abundance of Blessings from Shadow
NOTES: This article was
written and composed by myself, If You wish to use any part of it elsewhere online, feel free, as long as You provide credits;
Shadow of Shadows magick place, Shadow-333@hotmail.com , or a direct link to this post
CREDITS AND REFERENCE S:
[1] Retrieved from http://www.bartleby.com/40/15.html
where the whole poem can be found, If You are interested
[2]
Reference; adopted from: Cass Eason’s
“Encyclopedia of magic and ancient wisdom”
[4]
You can find out more about it
here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers'_Day
[5] Retrieved from: http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usma&c=holidays&id=2765 , for informational and educative purposes, without ill will
[6] Retrieved from : http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/Beltane.html , for informational and educative purposes, without any ill will
[7] as under [6]
IMEAGE
CREDITS: Morning dew photo used for illustrative
purposes here is from wallpaperskd.com
Elderberry fairy vintage style illustration Is from: http://www.antiquaprintgallery.com/ekmps/shops/richben90/images/flower-fairies-elderberry.cicely-barker.old-print.c1930-wdjb--130280-p.jpg used for illustrative purposes without any
ill will
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