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Intro to the Sabbats – Beltane
May 1st
After the long dark winter months, it is time to
relinquish the Earth to nature once more. This is when you see grass really
starting to grow, flowers and trees have begun to show their wonder, and you
tend to notice birds singing their songs of excitement. So with all of this
going on, it is small wonder that we choose to celebrate Beltane as a fertility
sabbat.
Cultural Lore
Beltane, is the sabbat that falls directly
opposite Samhain and was recognized as one of the two most important sabbats of
the Celtic calendar. Samhain and Beltane marked the beginning and the end of the
two seasons that they acknowledged. It is a fertility sabbat but it also is one
that allows us to celebrate the sanctity of life in all areas. One popular
school of thought believes that the name for the sabbat was derived from the
words “bale fire”. Indeed this may be true, and even to this day bale fires
are lit in Ireland and Britain on May eve. The royal family is even said to
observe this tradition to ensure the continuance of the family line.
Part of the Scottish tradition is for these bale
fires to be lit from the “need fire”, otherwise known as tein-eigin, which
was in turn created by using a wheel to create friction. Why this source fire
was called “need” was due to the fact that it was only used to cook with,
and was the sole type of fire that was allowed to burn on the sabbat, apart from
ritual fires. It is an old Swedish custom for the bale fire to be lit by two
individuals striking two flints together, in a symbolic act of the sexual union
of the God and Goddess. Still another piece of lore is that just prior to
sundown, Slavic men travel between households collecting items for fueling the
fire. It is not uncommon for wreaths to be included, as those who wished for
healing used them. This sabbat fire is not just for that day’s celebration –
you might see some taking a smoldering piece of it home to light the first cook
fires of the season, and this small portion of the fire was considered to bring
blessings to your home.
Faeries
Faeries are a large part of this celebration, and
it is interesting to note that even Arthurian legend mentions this. It is said
that Queen Guinevere rode out on May Day (Beltane) to collect white hawthorn for
protection from mischievous faeries. Another method of protecting someone that
you thought was particularly susceptible to the antics of a faerie (or faeries)
is to have them wear a daisy chain, and even livestock was given fresh dillweed
to eat to curtail and happenings that might come their way. It was also
customary to include a hot coal in the butter churn to avoid the fresh butter
from turning (I don’t know what is involved in churning butter, but it would
seem that the coal might have the opposite effect - Athena). This is not to say
that the faeries that are prevalent at this time are bad – but being a part of
nature, they too are feeling the excitement of life springing anew and perhaps
this is how they expressed themselves.
If you do have faeries that try to derail your
celebrations, one of the best-known ways to discourage them is to use bells.
Bells are typically a part of various altar set ups, but for Beltane, they were
worn on ribbons that were tied around the ankles of the Morris Dancers. These
Morris Dances were fertility dances that were traditionally performed around the
Maypole (more on what exactly that is in a little bit). It is not difficult to
construct your own Beltane bell anklets – simply string some jingle bells
(several for each foot) on two three-foot lengths of ribbon (traditionally red
and white ribbon are used). String these bells to the center of each ribbon and
wrap each ribbon and bell set up around your ankles and tie in a bow.
Primrose flowers were also believed to repel
faeries and in Ireland it was tradition to have primrose blossoms strewn over
the front porch of the house to prevent their entrance. However most lore states
that faeries are attracted to this flower, so perhaps they are attracted to it,
but due to their love of primroses, they never get beyond the front porch
because they are enjoying them so.
Other Traditions
In other places this sabbat was not celebrated as
it is today. It was used to honor the deities that held a special place in their
hearts. For instance, Floralia the ancient Roman holiday to honor the goddess
Flora (Goddess of flowers) and Bacchanalia, to pay homage to the God of Frolic
and Wine (Bacchus). In one particular region of Italy, Floralia is celebrated
with festivals, games, dancing, singing, and the consumption of a particular
sweet potent wine made from the flowers and plants that were picked during the
previous years’ May Day. It is believed that all of the old wine must be
consumed prior to midnight of May 1st, and also have all of the blooms gathered
for the next year’s batch.
Wine is not the only place you see the usage of
fresh flowers though. They are the primary decoration at these festivals, and
the young single women in particular find them useful in this way. In fact, any
young man wishing to express his “regard” for one of the single women may
seek to obtain the elusive Edelweiss flower by braving the alpine slopes to
collect this delicate white flower. If a man brings it back to the festival and
presents it to his beloved and she accepts this gift, then they are considered
as good as engaged. A good example of this type of festival (if you are unable
to go to the Italian Alps) is to rent the movie, “The Bride Wore Red”.
In Germanic lands, the sabbat was referred to as
Walpurgisnacht, after the name of a christianized Teutonic goddess named
Walpurga who was thought to be married to the God on sabbat night & at Yule
become impregnated with her son/lover.
The Great Rite & other Fertility
Traditions
This is often the most misunderstood ritual in
pagan tradition, but is one of the elements that make up Beltane celebrations.
This rite shows the symbolic union of the God and Goddess, who are the origin of
all creation. It can be performed by one male and one female who symbolize the
male/female aspects of deity. One method is to place a knife (symbolic of the
male – phallic symbol) into a cup or chalice (symbolic of female – the womb)
to show the sexual unity of the two. However it is up to the participants as to
whether this portion is symbolic, as mentioned in the sentence before, or an
actual sexual re-enactment. In some traditions all participants leave the circle
save the two performing the ritual, but the choice is yours. This symbolic union
of the God and Goddess is appropriate at this time to invoke the power of
creation and fertility for the crops, livestock, continuance of the family line.
As this was the time that final spring planting
took place, this was one method of ensuring that the new shoots/sprouts would
grow into adulthood. Besoms were ridden over the fields and pastures by the
women as another means to draw the energy necessary to have that successful
growing season. In fact, menstruating women were considered very desirable for
this act, as they believed that their menstrual blood was sacred simply because
this was the source of how all life is made. In some cases, a cow about to give
birth was taken out into the fields to do so, as it also reinforced the type of
energy that they wished to be drawn. Still another tradition is taking chalices
filled with sheep’s blood and milk and pouring them out over the crops to
encourage strong growth.
Ashes from the balefire were scattered over the
fields as a protection and sacred blessing, and it is interesting to note that
ashes are high in nitrogen content, which is well known for its benefits in
agriculture.
The May Pole
One of the most well known customs is that of the
maypole. It might surprise you when you take a look at your own childhood
celebrations – many communities still have May day celebrations and still
utilize the use of the may pole, although I am sure that the meaning has been
long forgotten by most.
Traditionally, the pole was made from a pine tree
– in fact in many cases the same tree that was part of the Yule celebrations.
All but the top branches were stripped off and eight red and white streamers
were attached to the top. It was also not uncommon to see a decorative wreath
hanging from the top of the pole also. It was then that eight dancers – 4 male
and 4 female- would each take a streamer (men take the red, women the white) and
proceed around the pole, weaving under the other dancers’ arms until the
streamers are woven almost completely around the pole.
The pole is another phallic symbol;
representative of the God, and it is thought that the red and white streamers
are woven together in a representation of the Goddess’ womb from which the God
is birthed. Also note that red=male/God and white=female/Goddess. In another
school of thought, the red stands for the mother aspect and the white for the
Virgin Goddess. They are woven together to show the transition of the Virgin
Goddess into motherhood, by way of the impregnation by the phallus (the pole).
Flowers
While seasonal flowers and plants are part of any
sabbat celebration, during Beltane the fresh flowers & plants gathered can
be used to make wreaths (also called chaplets). The wreath is an incarnation of
the crown, and in the Celtic tradition was worn by the elders of the clan or
town. You can easily make one today from artificial flowers and this ensures
that your wreath will be available for as long as you wish it to be. In Rome,
the cult of Flora focused on the meaning of various flowers. This information
was nearly lost until it re-emerged during the Victorian era.
May Basket
This is another powerful fertility symbol used in
this sabbat. The basket is symbolic as the Goddess’ womb and of the sacred
marriage. It was filled with plants and flowers, and would seem that life “sprung
forth” from it.
Correspondences
Other Names:
Bealtaine,
May Day, Walpurgisnacht, Walpurgis Eve, May Eve, Rudemas, Celtic Summer,
Floralia, The Great Rite, Giamonios, Bhealtainm
Symbols: Eggs, Flowers,
Chalice, May Pole, Butterchurn, Flower Chaplet, May Baskets, crossroads
Colors: Red, Green,
White, Dark Yellow
Deities:
Marriage/Sexual union of deities, all Mother Goddesses
Goddesses: all
Virgin-Mother Goddesses, all Goddesses of Song and Dance, all Flower Goddesses,
all Goddesses of the Hunt, all Fertility Goddesses, Aima, Aphrodite, Ariel,
Artemis, Baubo, Blodewedd, Chuang-Mu, Cupra, Cybele, Damara, Devana, Diana,
Erzulie, Fand, Flidais, Flora, Freya, Hilaria, Ilamatecuhtli, Kaikibani, Lofn,
Mielikki, Perchta, Prithvi, Rainbow Snake, Rhea, Rhiannon, Sarbanda, Shiela-na-gig,
Skadi, Tuulikki, Var, Venus, Xochiquetzal
Gods: all Gods of the
Hunt, all Fertility Gods, all Gods of Love, all Young Father Gods, Arthur (King,
Welsh/Cornish), Baal, Bel/Belanos, Beltene, Cernunnons, Chors, Cupid/Eros,
Faunus, Frey, Herne, The Great Horned God, Lono, Manawyddan, Odin, Orion, Pan,
Puck, Robin Goodfellow, Telipinu
Activities: Wrapping
the May Pole, The Great Rite, Gathering Flowers
Taboos: Giving away
fire, Giving away food
Animals: Goats,
Rabbits, Honey Bees
Stones: Sapphire,
Bloodstone
Foods: Dairy Foods,
Sweets, Honey, Oats
Plants: Primrose,
Cowslip, Hawthorn, Rose, Birch, Rosemary
Sabbat Meaning: Union
of God and Goddess, Sacred Marriage, All New Life, Fertility for All Living
Things, End of Winter (Celtic)
Attunement Teas:
Burdock, Damiana, Hibiscus, Rose Hips, Saffron
Ritual Oils: Passion
Flower, Rose, Tuberose, Vanilla
Mythical Creatures:
Faeries, Pegasus, Satyrs, Giants
Key Actions: Take
Action
Sources -
"Ancient Ways" and "Wheel of the
Year" by Pauline and Dan Campinelli
"Sabbats" by Edain McCoy
"Wicca Handbook" by Eileen Holland
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