The month of May begins with the ancient fire festival, Beltane. This Celtic celebration marks the transition from Spring to Summer, encapsulating the rebirth and fertility of the earth. Though this festival can be traced back thousands of years, many traditions remain unchanged today.

The Celtic Origins of Beltane

Beltane is one of four Celtic fire festivals, and the name translates to “the fires of Bel”.

The festival is dedicated to the ancient Celtic god Belenus or Bel, a sun god and a healer.

In central and northern Europe, the festival is known as May Day, but many of the traditions and significations are the same. Some pagans celebrate Beltane on or around May 1st, while others look for the blooms of the May tree, or Hawthorn,  as their sign that Beltane has arrived. For many, the celebrations can last up to a week. 

The mythology surrounding Beltane is the marriage of the May Queen and the Green Man, signifying the start of the fertile season. Most cultures have some version of this story: a God and Goddess are joined together in marriage to welcome the warm growing season. Thus, fertility, sex, and sensuality are core themes of the festival, and matchmaking and marriages were common activities during Beltane. 

Fire is the most important element of Beltane. It represents passion and fertility and also serves as a means of purification. Farmers would have their livestock run between two bonfires to cleanse the livestock and ensure fertility. The same was done for individuals as well as couples, who would jump over the fires to receive the same benefits.  Another well-known Beltane ritual is dancing around a maypole or may tree with ribbons attached at the center. Communities would come together to perform these rituals alongside lavish feasts with plenty of music and dancing. At the end of the night, families would take home a flame from the Beltane bonfire and light their hearths at home.

Beltane in Modern Practice

Beltane continues to be a part of pagan traditions across the world. Beltane is one of the eight Wiccan sabbats and special rituals are performed at this time of year. Cities throughout Europe still hold public festivals for Beltane or May Day, one of the largest festivals being in Edinburgh, Scotland. Many of the ancient rituals are still performed in modern celebrations. 

Fire remains the central theme of this festival, so be sure to include this element in your rituals. Bonfires are best, but you can also light a hearth fire or use candles in your practice. Many choose to spend this day with a lover or connecting with their own sexuality. You can smoke cleanse yourself and your home as they did with the Beltane bonfires in ancient days. You may choose to spend the day in your garden, preparing for the hot and fertile summer months. Making a flower crown out of foraged flowers is another Beltane activity, and can be done as a solo practitioner or as part of a group ritual. 

Beltane is a celebration of the earth's life force, so naturally, we want to indulge and enjoy ourselves. Wear your best clothes, listen to your favorite music, and eat your favorite foods. Honor the life force inside and around you. Some foods to include in your feasts and offerings would be honey, almonds, and figs. Herbs to use in your spellcraft would include mugwort, daisy, and woodruff. In addition, the acorn is a significant symbol for Beltane and a good ingredient for any witchcraft practiced around this time. 

However you choose to celebrate Beltane, you can find all the supplies you need in our store. If you’re not sure where to begin, try our Beltane Sabbat Box, which includes a seasonal tea, incense, and other tools for your Beltane rituals. You can visit us online or in our brick-and-mortar store in Asheville.

Beltane is a Fire Festival celebrated on April 30-May 1.  The word 'Beltane' originates from the Celtic God 'Bel', meaning 'the bright one' and the Gaelic word 'teine' meaning fire. Traditionally all fires in the community were put out and a special fire was kindled for Beltane. People jumped the fire to purify, cleanse and to bring fertility. Couples jumped the fire together to pledge themselves to each other. Cattle and other animals were driven through the smoke as a protection from disease and to bring fertility. At the end of the evening, participants would take some of the Teineigen to start their home fires anew. (From Sacred Celebrations by Glennie Kindred)

Colors of the Season

Green for growth, fertility, health, abundance.

White for purity, power, protection.

Yellow for solar energies, happiness, communication.

Plants of the Season

Woodruff for protection, victory, and wealth.

Daisy for attraction, love, and youth.

Lily of the Valley for desire, peace, and protection.

Mugwort for lust, fertility, communication with spirits.

Violet for fertility, prophetic dreams, love.

Traditions and Symbols

Flowers for fertility, love, and joy.

The Maypole symbolizes fertility.

Green Man, Lord of the Wild Wood.

Earth Goddess associated with plants and animals.

Suggestions of ways to celebrate.

Light a Beltane fire – Light a fire in your garden to energize your plans and dreams by speaking to them aloud before tossing them into the fire. Invite friends and family to do the same. If you are in a relationship, Beltane is an excellent time to renew your intentions or vows to one another, and to leap the fire hand in hand. (Carefully of course)

Go camping – Being outside at this time of year is energizing and restorative. Lie on your back and gaze at the stars. Stay up and watch the sunrise.

Dance – around the Maypole if you have one or just put some music on and have a dance. Find some open spaces and let the kids run wild. Jump up and down, laugh out loud, and chase one another about.

Create something - Beltane is a festival of fertility. Plant a garden, write a story, make honey cakes, and may wine to celebrate the magic of the season.

Beltane Floral Crown 

Flowers are prominent in Beltane traditions as symbols of fertility, beauty, and love. The Roman Goddess Flora is frequently depicted wearing a ring of flowers around her head, as are the May Queens in European May Day celebrations. Creating a floral crown adds a festive flair to your celebration and doubles as a wreath for your door or altar. The wreath included in your box will get you started. You can add fresh flowers found growing around your home or from a local florist, vines, ribbons while inviting energies of beauty and creativity to enter your wreath.

 Invocation to Flora

Lovely Flora, pretty lady, you whose beauty is brighter than the stars,

Shiner than the seas, more glorious than the moon itself.

Lovely Flora, pretty lady, grace me, embrace me, enter me, amaze me!

May your spirit come into my heart!

May your love flow through me!

May your beauty and bliss embrace me!

You are the Queen of the Flowers.

You are the beautiful blossoming earth.

You are the sprout that pushes through the flat field to reach the sun!

All the flowers of the earth reflect your love.

All the beauty of the earth is but your song.

You are the rose that opens and closes.

You are the love that is only its own.

Lovely Flora, pretty lady, come into my heart!

I am a flower awaiting your presence, a blossom that is ready to bloom.

Come into my heart, lovely Flora, enter into me, grace me, amaze me!

Embrace me and cause me to bloom! 

Beltane: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for May Day (Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials Book 2) by Melanie Marquis

Walpurgisnacht: Tracing Traditions Across Northern Europe

On April 30th, the convergence of pagan and Christian traditions unfolds in the celebration of Walpurgisnacht. This holiday, dedicated to the Christian Saint Walpurga, takes numerous forms across Northern Europe. From ancient pagan origins to modern interpretations, Walpurgisnacht marks the transition into May and the triumphant arrival of springtime.

What are the origins of Walpurgisnacht?

Translated from German, Walpurgisnacht means “Walpurgis Night”, and was named after the Christian Saint Walpurga. Born in Anglo-Saxon England, Walpurga traveled to Germany to evangelize to pagans, and she was celebrated as a figure who warded off plague, pestilence, and witchcraft. She was canonized as a Saint on May 1st although her feast day is traditionally celebrated on the evening of April 30th into the early morning of May 1st. 

Pagans in these areas already celebrated May Day or Beltane around this time, so Walpurga’s feast day naturally took on many of the aspects of these more ancient pagan rituals. Christians celebrated Walpurgisnacht by lighting bonfires, which were thought to keep the evil spirits away and usher in the warmth of Spring. In Bavaria, the night is called “Hexennacht” or literally “Witch’s Night”. It is believed that on this night, witches travel to the Brocken mountain and commune with the Devil at midnight. 

What happens on Walpurgisnacht?

Different regions have varying ways of celebrating Walpurgisnacht or Hexennacht. Taking place six months after Halloween, it is thought that this night is the Devil’s last chance for mischief before the light of Spring comes to clear away the darkness. In almost all regions, bonfires are lit as part of the celebrations. In parts of Northern Europe, the townspeople dress up as witches, dance, and sing into the early morning hours. It is thought that making such a raucous in the town will ward off any evil spirits that wish to cause harm. Practical jokes and general mischief are also a big part of the celebrations.

On the more spiritual side, individuals will hang blessed sprigs of foliage in their barns and homes for protection. They will also leave out pieces of bread and honey, called ankenschnitt, for phantom hounds that haunt gates and crossroads while the veil is thin. 

How can you celebrate Walpurgisnacht or Hexennacht? 

At the heart of this holiday is fire, fertility, and the welcoming of the light half of the year. 

If you are a Christian witch, you may choose to celebrate the feast day of Saint Walpurgis, who protects her patrons from evil spirits. Pagan witches may choose to celebrate “Hexennacht” as they do in Bavaria. For many modern witches, this night is about celebrating our power and the witchcraft tradition as a whole. This is an excellent time to gather with your fellow witches and embrace the changing seasons. Dress up in your finest garb and sing and dance into the early hours of May 1st. If bonfires are not possible where you live, light a hearth fire, or even consider practicing some candle magic. Walpurgisnacht or Hexennacht is the perfect holiday to kick off your Beltane celebrations, which we will discuss in our next blog post. In the meantime, you can gather all your Walpurgisnact supplies from our online store or visit us in person at our brick-and-mortar in Asheville. 

Spring Equinox, also referred to as Ostara, is celebrated on or about March 20-21. Equinoxes are a point of balance on the journey through the Wheel of the Year. Spring Equinox is the time when natural world is awakening with new life, the Sun is gaining in strength and the days gradually become longer and warmer. The hopes of Imbolc are found in the growing fertility of the Earth at Spring Equinox. It is a time of hope, action, and new growth.

Colors of the Season

Bright green for abundance, prosperity, new growth, and new beginnings

Yellow for the sun, vitality, attraction, creativity, and joy.

Purple for healing, self-improvement, and intuition.

Plants of the Season

All spring flowers.

Daffodils for honoring the gods and goddesses of spring.

Primroses for attraction and love.

Violets for love, luck, peace, healing, wishes.

Tulips for love, happiness, purification.

Crocuses for joy, hopefulness, and cheer.

Traditions and Symbols

Rabbits for fertility.

Colored eggs for fertility and creation.

Seeds for fertility and new beginnings.

All foliage that is sprouting into leaf for beginnings and growth of new ideas.

Activities for Celebration

Seed and Garden Blessings.

Seed starting and Garden preparations.

All the egg activities coloring, hunting, racing, there is even egg dancing.

Spring Cleaning and Home Blessing.

Community Service. 

An Egg Blessing Ritual for Spring Equinox

Decorate your altar with the colors and symbols of the season.

For this ritual you will need to gather a few items.

The egg included in your box and the tools to decorate to your choosing. During the ritual you are going to do an egg blessing for yourself or to give to someone. You might want to choose herbs, colors and symbols that reflect the blessing. (Temporary tattoos are a favorite at the shop to transfer symbols onto the egg)

The incense, candles, and oil in your box as well as a fireproof container, charcoal tablets and a lighter.

Place the burner on your altar and the two candles to either side to represent balance.

Ground.

Anoint yourself and candles with the oil.

Light your tablet and place in dish sprinkle with incense.

Light your candles.

Cast your circle and call upon your chosen deities.

Comfortably position yourself and begin decorating your egg.

Let the act of decorating the egg fill it with the blessing.

When you are finished place the egg on your altar and ask the deities you have chosen to fill the egg with your blessing. You may want to leave the egg on your altar where you will be reminded of the blessing or plant it in your garden space.

Release your circle and enjoy a cup of Spring Tonic tea.

Spring is finally here! Blessed Ostara! 

References

Ostara: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for the Spring Equinox (Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials, 1) Paperback – January 8, 2015 by Kerri Connor. Pages 48-51.

Ostara: Customs, Spells & Rituals for the Rites of Spring (Holiday Series) Paperback – February 8, 2002 by Edain McCoy.

Seasons of Witchery: Celebrating the Sabbats with the Garden Witch Paperback – June 8, 2012 by Ellen Dugan.

Reviving Lupercalia: Wolves, Romance, and Rituals of a Forgotten Festival. 

Said to be the Roman origin of Valentine’s Day, Lupercalia is a festival dedicated to cleansing the spirit and promoting fertility. Literature lovers may know it as the setting for Act One of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. This ancient feriae, or festival, was celebrated by Romans from the very birth of the city until it was outlawed by Pope Gelasius I in 494 CE. Centuries after its erasure, modern pagans and witches are bringing back this ancient celebration. 

Roman Origins
To understand the origins of Lupercalia, you must first understand the legend of the founding of Rome. It is believed that two twins, Romulus and Remus, who were abandoned by their parents, sought refuge in the Lupercal Cave on Palatine Hill. There they were suckled by a she-wolf, called lupa in Latin. One of the twins, Romulus would later become the founder of Rome, but not after many battles with his twin brother. A festival was created to celebrate the story of the twins and the founding of Rome, and this became known as Lupercalia.  

Some sources name February 15th as the official festival day, while others say that it took place over several days, usually February 13th-15th. During Lupercalia, Sodales Luperci, a “priestly college” made mostly of aristocrats, would perform a purification ritual for the entire city. Since March is considered the New Year on the Roman calendar, the month of February was dedicated to purification in preparation for the coming year. The priests would sacrifice two animals at the Lupercal Cave, typically a goat, a symbol of fertility and abundance, and a dog, said to be the enemy of the wolf. The priests would ritually smear the blood across their foreheads before taking part in a large feast. Once they had plenty of food and wine, the Luperci would run through the city, usually naked, with makeshift whips made from the hide of the animal sacrifices. They would playfully strike anyone they met with their whips, and women were encouraged to bear their backs for the strikes to ensure fertility in the coming year.  

Finding Modern Meaning

As the Catholic Church took over Roman life, the festival was forced into a more “modest” expression. The Luperci started wearing clothing and the whips became more painful and mean-spirited. Eventually, the festival was outlawed entirely for its impure associations. Even so, the holiday is making its comeback with modern pagans and witches. Many celebrate Lupercalia in place of the secular Valentine’s Day, which maintains much of the symbolic aspects of the ancient festival. Today, pagans use this festival to purify their homes and workplaces as well as practice sex magic with their partners or themselves.  

As fertility was a large theme of Lupercalia, those trying to conceive may take advantage of this time to perform a fertility bath or candle ritual. However, fertility magic was not only used for human fertility; the ancient Romans would also perform rituals for agricultural fertility around Lupercalia. If you have a garden, you may spend time ritually cleaning it up and blessing it to ensure an abundant
harvest this year. Many Roman gods were associated with Lupercalia, making it a great holiday to connect with a deity of your choice. The most common figure is Faunus, but ancient texts also suggest Mars, Juno, Pan, Lupercus, and Bacchus were all celebrated during this time. The festival of Lupercalia is an excellent reason to host a lavish feast and perform group rituals in honor of these gods. Some good ingredients for any Lupercalia rituals would include goat’s milk, red wine, basil, rose petals, and red raspberry leaf. You can gather all ritual supplies from our pagan supply store: visit us online or in our Asheville. NC brick and mortar store.

Imbolc Celebrations: Honoring Brigid's Presence

Concluding our deity series, we turn our focus to Brigid, the Celtic goddess revered in Irish traditions for her associations with healing, poetry, and smithcraft. This blog post is also the first in a series about pagan celebrations and holidays. We celebrate Brigid during Imbolc,  marked by the Sun's return and the gradual thawing of the Earth in the Northern hemisphere.

The Celtic Sun Goddess

For centuries, Brigid has held a significant place in Ireland's religious history and mythology. She also appears in other cultures with Celtic origins, bearing the same aspects as the Irish deity. Witches, druids, and pagans recognize her as Brigid, Brighid, or Briggidda. A Sun goddess governing healing, smithcraft, and poetry, she also carries associations with fertility. Intriguingly, Brigid's aspects bear similarities to Saint Brigid of Kildare, Ireland's patron saint. Although researchers dispute whether or not they are the same entity, evidence shows that many attributes of Brigid were assimilated into the Catholic saint's narrative. Her iconic Brigid Cross is used by both pagans and Christians around this time of year. Usually made of rushes or grass, devotees hang the cross above the doorways of homes or businesses. Brigid is closely associated with the dawn in historically Celtic regions, and the cow and the ewe are common symbols of her. 

Brigid in Connection with Imbolc

Imbolc, an ancient Celtic fire festival observed annually on February 1st, stands as the third sabbat on the Wiccan wheel of the year. Marking the halfway point of winter, Imbolc rejoices in the imminent return of the Sun: it is this time of year when the days are getting noticeably longer, and the first of the spring flowers start to poke through the ground. Imbolc has long been intertwined with Brigid.
For an agrarian society such as ancient Ireland, Imbolc is the dawn of the new farming year and a sign that the cold, barren winter is ending. Brigid, believed to facilitate the healing of the earth and usher in the light, holds a central role during Imbolc.

Observing Imbolc and Honoring Brigid

If you would like to take part in this ancient tradition, there are many ways to get started. You can start with a simple offering of milk or cheese to Brigid, or you can use our Brigid Offering & Spell Kit to make your own offering. You can also fashion a Brigid Cross for yourself and hang it over the doorway of your home to ward off evil and to welcome in the light. Ingredients to use in your spell craft might include blackberry leaves, chamomile, dandelion, and acorns. As Imbolc is a fire festival, take this opportunity to light a hearth fire, or simply use a candle if that is what is available to you. You can also go outside and harvest decorations for your altar such as snowdrops, crocus, or other seasonal flowers. Explore our Imbolc Sabbat Box for further inspiration, which you can get through our online store or at our brick-and-mortar location in Asheville. Join us in honoring Brigid and embracing the magic of Imbolc.