In the time of old, the tradition was to follow the seasons and the energy that each season brought forth. Those seasons created a natural system to follow, a calendar, known as the wheel of the year. To this day this calendar still exists and is followed throughout the world, just as the seasons still flow and change year to year. It’s the natural rhythm of the world we live upon.
Within the wheel of the year there are certain holy-days that are celebrated to mark seasonal rhythms that naturally occur every year at that time. These days are often aligned with the rhythm of the growing season and the elements of nature that are intertwined with that time of year.
One of those days in the wheel of the year is referred to as Beltane, which is an ancient fire festival that is celebrated by many traditions around the world every year on April 30th to May 1st. The word Beltane is a Gaelic word that comes from the Celtic God “Bel” which means “the bright one” and the Gaelic word “teine” meaning fire.
What is Beltane About?
As you can tell by the origins of the name, Beltane celebrates the sun and the element of fire and all that fire represents. Although it’s not summer in the Gregorian calendar sense, Beltane marks the beginning of summer in the wheel of the year calendar.
At this time of year the growing season has fully begun. The first flowers of spring have already bloomed and started to drop their petals. Trees have begun to blossom and color has begun to show itself in full abundance as you scan the landscape around you.
Everywhere you look is filled with a bright green hew from the new grass, new forming leaves, and even the new moss within the forest trees that glows a magnificence lime green radiance. Buds of the trees have burst open with peach blossoms, rhododendrons, and soon lilac and honeysuckle blossoms beckoning us with their heady scent.
Beyond celebrating the flowers that bloom all around us at this time and the joyousness that marks the new summer season, Beltane at it’s core is a fire festival and the element of fire is all about passion in every sense. It’s most often known as a time of physical passion and is often a time many marriages are commenced. In the Celtic way it’s actually a time of honoring the great marriage- the coming together of the Goddess and God, or the Earth and Universe. Through that marriage conception occurs allowing the fields to be fertile with abundance bringing prosperity to the lands for a good harvest.
Your Inner Passion
Passion isn’t solely about passion between two people and intimacy. You also have your own inner deep passion. It’s the force that fills you with desire and will to live life fully filled with joy and pleasure in whatever way that desire is for you.
Often, especially in the beginning of spring, passion can feel limited, and sometimes joy can feel like a galaxy away. As we awaken from winters slumber and shifted into the energy of spring where we start planning and begin living our intentions for the year, it can leave you feeling apprehensive or even a little lost. Combine that with worldly events and life stressors and you can feel downright gloomy and disconnected.
Many times when the world is blooming around you, you can feel like you’re supposed to blooming as well and an urgent sense of dread can arise as if you feel you’re not living or doing enough, or your stuck and not moving forward. If that’s you know you’re not alone. There’s been a lot of this feeling for many and it’s been a common theme lately.
Spring Cleansing for Your Spiritual Side
April can be a challenging time with all that new energy of life swirling around and it’s a great time to gently allow yourself to percolate and unfurl like a slow blooming flower, rather than racing forward without letting go of any hesitations and loose ends lingering from winter. Working with flower essences and/or spending time with the spring flowers and eating spring greens as mentioned in previous weeks is a great way to help align yourself with the energy of the season and cleanse the physical and emotional parts of you.
When it comes to a spring cleansing for the spiritual part of you, working with the energy of Beltane can help you to release whatever lingering energy you may have that you don’t want. It’s also a great time to help shift out of the gloom and doom state and bring in more passion and lust for life into your world.
Tapping Into the Passionate Energy of Beltane
So how can you tap into the energy of Beltane to support tending your own fires of passion within you? There are many ways you can do this but with Beltane being a fire holiday it’s important to honor that aspect in some way as it helps ignite the fire within you as well. Any form of working with the element of fire connects you to that element and the simpler it is the better as it never has to be anything elaborate. Here are some examples though to get you started:
- Have a bonfire to connect with the element of fire- a small gathering around a fire tends to bring in a bit extra merriment for the soul.
- Light candles around your home
- Eat dinner by candlelight
- Burn a stick of incense you love the smell of
- Soak up some sun rays- you can simply spend some time outside in the afternoon to allow your body to capture some rays of sunshine to warm up your spirits.
- Do something you already feel passionate about
They are all forms of fire energy and all will help you connect in with that energy of fire to support your own fire within. Don’t disregard the simplicity as energy follows intention. So even if you don’t feel anything you’re still setting that intention and sparking your fire whether you’re aware of it or not.
May Day Tree Ribbon Ritual
Below is a custom my family likes to do on Beltane (also known as May Day) as a way to bring in wishes for the upcoming summer season. It’s a great way to also work on bringing passion in general as well… or whatever it is you truly desire and it incorporates a simple connection with the fire element for assistance.
You will need:
- Ribbons (various colors)
- Scissors
- Fire- whatever form you choose (see above)
Grab some ribbons of your choosing. They can be string or any material you have on hand or can find, but the more natural the fiber the better. It’s good to have a variety of colors on hand to choose from. Once you gathered some ribbons cut them into sections about a foot long (the size isn’t specific just a range).
Light the form of fire you choose. After you light the flame (or sit and absorb some sun rays) take a few slow deep breaths in and out and try to fill your belly with your breath as you breath in and allow it to deflate as you breath out (otherwise known as belly breathing). Do this for a few breaths and allow your mind to focus on your belly. This is the area where your desire is stored within your body and the area where your gut instincts reside.
Having the element of fire burning and then breathing into your belly (away from the fire as you clearly don’t want to burn yourself) helps fuel your belly with some energetic warmth helping to increase your desire. Again, if you don’t notice anything don’t worry… energy follows intention so it’s still happening whether you notice it or not.
After you stoked your own internal fire a little, grab a ribbon that calls to you… pick whatever color you feel drawn to and think about something you wish for. Maybe it’s simply more inner passion. Maybe there’s something new you want to focus on or something you hope to do or achieve. Maybe you need more support with something like health. Whatever it is think of your wish (desire) and then tie that ribbon on a tree in your yard (making sure it’s not too tight so you don’t harm the tree as it grows). You can then repeat with however many ribbons you feel you want to use.
It’s nice to use a tree that you will pass by often so you can see you’re wishes dangling in the wind. As the winds hit your wishes the air will carry your wishes to fruition a little more each time. This is actually part of a very old tradition done in many cultures throughout the world and is a fun practice to do with kids as they love to hang their wishes. You can skip the breathing part with them if you want and go right to the fun wish creating 😉
I hope this Beltane brings you everything you desire. ❤️
Many Beltane Blessings!
