A Non-Witchy Guide to Beltane | Reclaiming Rituals Series
And Reclaiming Rituals of Sexuality Without Shame
On Wednesday, in the Northern Hemisphere we move on the wheel of the year to the next seasonal mile marker, knows as Beltane, or “May Day”.
And I wanted to take a moment to pause here and talk about it as part of my Reclaiming Rituals series about the high holy holidays and finding my way back to my own sense of groundedness and sacredness after leaving organized religion behind.
No, Beltane doesn’t correlate with a religious holiday, but…
I’ve found that paying attention to these seasonal shifts, researching what the symbols of their celebration were meant to communicate, and then interpreting them into my modern life has been healing and a wonderful way of finding my own rhythm in the impermanence of life.
The fun thing about Beltane… is that it was a giant party. Think… summer bonfire, debauchery, phallic symbols, feasting, drinking, dancing, and sex.
How I’ve reclaimed Beltane is as a reminder of sensuality without shame, of indulgence without shame, of the audacity of blooming publicly. A reminder that it’s all a part of me, of us, and it’s good.
But first let’s go back-
The Beltane Backstory:
Beltane was a festival dedicated to the beginning of summer. Depending on where you lived in the northern hemisphere, it was either the height of spring or it was already feeling like summer. As we chart the earth and sun, it’s the official midway point between the spring equinox (Ostara) and the Summer Solstice (Litha). It was known as a cross quarter festival. And it floats opposite Samhain on the wheel of the year. Meaning, that in the southern hemisphere people would be celebrating Samhain, the midway point between the fall equinox and the winter solstice. Check the graphic above if you need a visual. Once the rhythm of these celebrations starts to click for you, it becomes the most beautiful roadmap for the passing of time.
As the halfway mark between seasons, just like Samhain, Beltane was believed to be a time when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was thinner. Connections to the ancestors was thought to be easier at these times of year.
Historically, Beltane was an ancient Gaelic festival dating back to the 10th century. But similar seasonal celebrations were done by indigenous people groups all over. And I’m sure there’s deeper roots than even my research has uncovered.
Later on the holiday became known as “may day” and was celebrated on May 1st each year with big bonfires and jubilant celebrations. Think: flower crowns, feasting on grilled meats, and maidens dancing with ribbons around a maypole.
Everything about Beltane was in celebration of the goddess coming together at the height of her fertility with the god. (Think mother nature blooming at the height of spring.) The land was fertile. The animals were having their babies. The gardens were beginning to bloom and starting to produce. For people so dependent on nature, this was a moment of massive celebration full of symbols of sex.
Love and fertility rituals were common. The maidens with brightly colored ribbons danced around a giant maypole (basically a giant wooden beam from a felled tree) weaving the colors in a beautiful braid around the beam to represent the coming together of the feminine (the ribbons and maidens) and the masculine (the, ahem, phallic beam). I think it’s actually quite a beautiful way to symbolize it. Our Puritanical roots in America make it hard for us to think of anything being phallic or representative of sex as lovely but these people were free of that sort of religious induced shame.
In fact, to go “a maying” which meant collecting flowers in the woods also at that time meant having casual sex during this seasonal celebration time and was celebrated without shame. Babies conceived during this time were born during imbolc (feb) the following year and were thought to be blessed. I even read an article saying that babies conceived during Beltane come the following February and there were records of an increase in births during that time which makes me giggle.
So while I might not celebrate Beltane in a way like I celebrate Easter (Ostara) or Christmas (Yule), I use it as a bit of a mental check-in with myself.
A reminder to get outside, to pay attention to the blooming both within and without.
Nature is Slooty:
My husband and I use a silly word to talk about brazen sexuality. We call it being “slooty” with is like a silly reclamation of the word “slutty”. It’s all in a lighthearted way. And I have no way to describe nature right now other than… slooty.
My garden is getting really lush and the bees are buzzing. Gardens are extremely sexual, the whole thing. And they are completely brazen about it. Plants throwing out blooms, wide open, inviting pollinators which hop from plant to plant impregnanting them so they can produce… well… produce. Did I just ruin gardening for you? HAHAHA. Seriously though just look at an orchid and tell me nature isn’t a celebration of sex. Look at a piece of fruit cut in half…
Look at a mushroom!
I’m just saying… *innocent shrug*
So for me, Beltane is a celebration not only of what is blooming, of the fertility of life, of my dreams, of my healing journey, of the proof of life after a dark and cold winter, but it’s also a very brazen reminder that the full expression of that life is GOOD.
Modern Day Ways To Celebrate This Seasonal Shift
Okay, let’s talk about ways to celebrate should you want to mark this seasonal shift.
And why not right? The world is on fire, let’s spark some joy when we can. I plan on making a mini feast for dinner on Wednesday and then celebrating (clears throat) with my husband after the kids go to bed. *wink*
Beltane historic symbols: goats, cows, flowers, honey, bees, daisies, lavender
My Menu: roasted chicken with rosemary and mushrooms, roasted potatoes, hot cross buns, lavender lemonade for the kids, elderflower cocktail for the grown ups, smores over an open fire for dessert!
Your turn! Here’s some ideas for your celebration:
Have a bonfire party with friends and family
Get a little crazy ;)
Make flower crowns or wildflower bouquets
Set aside time for self care or care for whatever intentions you set that have been growing and developing since Feb 1 (Imbolc)
Decorate your space with multicolored ribbons/garlands, flowers, candles, and greenery
Have a Beltane feast: traditional foods/flavors include: dairy, lamb, rosemary, lavender, lemon, mushrooms, hot cross buns, grilled meats like burgers or kabobs, mead, honey, wine, foods cooked over an outdoor fire, (modern idea: smores), mint.
Have sex ;)
Banish shame in your sexuality, maybe try something new or indulgent. indulge without shame in general. (Dare I suggest some orgasm manifestion?!)
Make a fairy garden (respecting the fae and leaving them tokens to keep them from coming in and causing chaos was a part of ancient Beltane celebrations)
Not in a party mood? Wanna celebrate more inwardly? That’s great too! Take stock of the intentions you set around Imbolc (Feb 1st) and take farther action on them. As you’ve been watching those seeds of intention sprout, now is the time to fertilize them, so to speak. Make the pitch, take action on the project, reach out for collaborators, etc. Fertility doesn’t necessarily mean human babies, it can mean book babies, business babies, or project babies. Extend the idea of fertility to whatever you are hoping to grow this year.
Okay, but what about kids? I get it. I’m reclaiming rituals not only for myself but attempting to pass on this sense of deep connection to the earth and it’s rhythms to my kids. So how do you celebrate Beltane in a PG way? Here’s some ideas…
Make a bonfire in the backyard and make smores
Make pink lemonade
Go camping
Have a feast for dinner (let kids help prep/cook)
Decorate the table with greens/herbs/flowers
Make flower crowns
Decorate a tree or stick with ribbons reminiscent of the maypole dance
Do you celebrate these seasonal mile markers? Do you celebrate Beltane? If so, what is your celebration like? If you haven’t yet, what are you excited to incorporate from what I shared above? Happy May! xo-B
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