Wheel of the Year: Beltane

The changing skies of April are past us, and May is bursting forth all around. Planting season is in full swing as the Wheel of the Year turns joyfully from spring toward summer. It’s Beltane once more, and abundance greets us from every direction.

Beltane is a cross-quarter pagan holiday, celebrated on May 1 to mark the beginning of the summer season. Derived from a Gaelic word meaning “bright fire,” this sabbat overflows with life energy, symbolically celebrating the sacred union between the God and Goddess of Celtic lore.

Modern celebrations of May Day tend to skirt the issue where symbolism is concerned, but the old rituals were unashamed of purpose: Beltane is a fertility holiday, and as such, is focused on procreation among everything in nature - including sexual union between humans.

• The Maypole can still be seen at modern rituals, May Day festivals, and even Renaissance faires - a ring of colorful, trailing ribbons is set atop a tall pole, as celebrants weave in and out in a dance. The ribbons, ring, and pole symbolize the spiral of life, the fertility of the Goddess, and the virility of the God.
• With the focus on union, Beltane was commonly a day for handfastings, a traditional betrothal ceremony. At this time, couples were bonded for a year and a day to determine if they were ready for marriage. Once the year had passed, each couple was free to remain together and be married, or to go their separate ways peacefully.
• Modern and ancient celebrants alike build bonfires to honor the Sun and ask for its nourishment of crops. Livestock were herded near the smoke for protection; couples jumped the holy fire to seal their union; individuals would leap over it for cleansing and purification. In antiquity - and sometimes even today - the fire festival ended as couples wandered away to make love.

Despite this distinctly mature focus, there’s room for people of all ages to celebrate Beltane. It’s a wonderful time to gather early fruits and vegetables, bring in fresh flowers, and enjoy the company of loved ones around a fire pit…or even a grill. Beltane is filled with life’s beginnings and brings the promise of a beautiful harvest to come.

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