COME ALL YE LADS AND LASSIES JOIN IN THE FESTIVE SCENE COME DANCE AROUND THE MAYPOLE THAT STANDS UPON THE GREEN.

The festival of Beltaine , which means "Bels Fire" marks the beginning of the summer and the light half of the Celtic year. The land represented by the Goddess is now ripe and fertile...and the young God expresses his love for her. This is a time of joyous celebration as the first flowers of Summer are gathered in their honor.

An ancient version of the Maypole is the Witch Tree. It is my custom to leave flowers at my favorite tree to honor the Lord and Lady on Beltaine.

The Witch Tree

BEL FIRE

We gather round the Bel Fire to hear the tale of how at this time of year the Young King of Summer, slays the Old King of Winter to win the hand of his young wife, the Queen of May. She is our Earth Mother, young and fresh, but soon to swell with life and bestow a bountiful crop on the land.

We light fires and leap over them to show our joy and enthusiasm of the coming season. In Celtic agricultural societies May was the time to take the cattle to their summer grazing grounds, they  were driven between fires to purify them of any ailments or evil spirits of the harsh Winter.

MAY DEW

The dew of Beltaine gathered before dawn was considered majickal. People who were sprinkled with it were assured of health, happiness, and good fortune, and in the case of women, beauty. All over Scotland, young girls go out on May morning to bathe their faces in the May Dew.

Click Basket for link to instructions for children to make their May Baskets.

Beltaine is my most special Holiday because it is also my Wedding Anniversary. It is a most joyous celebration of love, and what ever your plans are to honor this season, Enjoy and may you be blessed with love and happiness.

CELEBRATE

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