Programs
After planting the Seed or laying the Egg, we welcome you to Beltane (Beltaine, or Beltene) is the season of unification, and fertilization. Beltane comes from the world “bright fire” where Belenus (or Bel), is a Celtic God of light and sun, known as “The Bright One”, and “tene” means “fire” in Irish.
May 1st, Beltane, is the fire festival, one of the eight Sabbats in the Celtic wheel of the year, and a cross-quarter day between Spring Equinox (Ostara) and Summer Solstice (Midsummer). It is at this time that we are in the energy of fertilization and gestation, before giving birth. It is when the fire and desires of life come alive and rebirth through spring's fertile soil.
Beltane is a special day, as it marks the beginning of the Celtic summer. It is said that during this time the portal between the spirit and fairy world and the human world opens up, allowing spirits and fairies to come and play — this is a time where the communication between the human and the spirit realms is stronger. This portal opens up twice in the year. During Beltane, May 1st and Samhain, Oct 31st. These two dates are flipped if you are in the Southern hemisphere. This years Beltane portal open on the New Moon (April 30th) and completes on Solar Beltane (May 5th) when the Sun is at 15 degrees Taurus.
What makes Beltane unique, is it celebrates the union between the divine masculine and divine feminine, allowing for the fertilization of the egg that was laid at Spring Equinox. With this union, we start to see the growth of our egg, project, or desire. In ancient times sacred marriage, or Heiros Gamos, between the Goddess (earth) and the God (sky) occurred at this time.
Traditionally, the King of the land represented the human realm (the God), and the high priestess, the Otherworld (the Goddess), would come together in sacred marriage on the eve of Beltane. The fertility ritual was created in order to restore and maintain balance and recommitment to the human world and nature, and the Otherworld. It was a way of honoring the land, as well as the feminine. Without this union, it was believed that the King may not have fertile lands for his kingdom in the year ahead.
Other traditions during Beltane include: lighting a fire on the eve of May 1st to purify, creating a Maypole with ribbons out of a birch tree, as well as collecting, washing with, or rolling in the morning dew. It was said to maintain one's beauty all year round.
Beltane invites us to take time to appreciate the union between our own inner Divine Feminine and Masculine. It is from this place that we can co-create within ourselves what we truly desire.
A beautiful exercise for this day is to write a love letter to yourself. To take the time and express what you appreciate about yourself, to share your strength in both your feminine and masculine aspects you have within you.
Once you have written your love letter, you can jump over the Beltane fire, and burn the letter. If you use a candle instead of fire, it is great to use an ethically sourced beeswax candle. Jumping over the fire as a symbol of your commitment to your love and burning the letter is a way of spreading your love and sharing it with the spirit world.
Enjoy this fertile time of year as you bask in its energies to create what it is that you feel most connected to manifesting out in the world - whether that be your work, your healing, your family, anything!
Blessed be!
