The Time of Power, when Nature finally came to life, was filled with juice and will soon bear fruit.
They say different things about Walpurgis Night, which is on the eve of Beltane. Someone recalls how a magical ceremony of exorcising witches was held that night: bonfires were kindled, on which a straw effigy of a witch was sometimes burned, and they walked around the house with torches, rang church bells, etc. But, it seems, these are already Christian fairy tales, and from time immemorial fires were lit not against magic, but for it, because Nature is magic.
Yes, and the magic power felt very at ease at that time, it was not hiding too much - over there, witches with their devil lovers gathered on Bald Mountain. They were going to have fun, and not hide from fear.
In fact, Beltane is quite a witch's day. The day when Spirits and other magical creatures acquire special Power. If we look at the Wheel of the Year, we see: Beltane is mirrored to Samhain. In ancient times, these two days were divided in half by the process of pasturing livestock to the fields, when winter finally ended (late April-early May) and returning it to the stalls, when the summer was buried and ahead of the cold (late October-early November).
Beltane is a threshold festival that celebrates not only the change of seasons - the end of spring and the beginning of summer - but also the change of the dark half of the year, which began on Samhain, with its bright half.
In addition, on Beltane it was already possible - albeit modestly, but still - to boast of the first harvest: just fresh herbs that each housewife grew in the garden. And on Samhain, on the other hand, they gathered the last harvest of the season: berries caught in the frost, the last pumpkins and mushrooms.
Since the question of survival was associated with livestock and crops among the ancient people, these holidays were not endowed with such an important meaning. People called the welfare of the family, community, warmth to the house.
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Like Samhain, one of Beltane's symbols was large bonfires that were kindled around the village or on the high hills near the village.
In May, the union between the Sun God and the Nature Goddess was celebrated, which blossomed, at last, ready to receive and give, to love and give birth. As scientists say, by the way, one of the meanings of the word Beltine is a shining fire.
On the eve of Beltane (that same Walpurgis night!), The lights were extinguished in all the houses of the village.
All the magical Powers came out to the ground, wandered, had fun. It was here that the witches flocked to the Sabbaths, a small people appeared, water and mermaids crawled out of reservoirs, goblin left the forest. And then, having fun until you drop, we made our way to the houses, to see who is not waiting for the May Fire, who has forgotten about the holiday of Nature, who spends the May night chatting, and not preparing for Summer, who does not respect the Power of the Sun.
And just before dawn, the villagers left their homes and drove their livestock. The procession was led by druids, dressed in white cloaks. Having reached the place prepared for the fire, everyone stood in the moat around the fire and silently waited for dawn. When the east began to turn red, people especially respected in the village made fire for the fire (by rubbing two dry pieces of wood against each other). The fire was lit with the appearance of the first rays of the sun.
From the fire, torches were lit with which they went around the village, livestock, houses, and then lit new fires in the hearths. Ritual purifications were also carried out with the help of bonfires: the youth had fun and jumped over the fire. In order not to catch the clothes on fire from the fire, they jumped naked (it looks like Ivan Kupala, you must agree - in Russia, in ancient times, May day was not celebrated, since it got warmer here much later), dressing up only in wreaths of young flowers and leaves. Then the youth went to the forest and spent the whole night there…. than there just not doing!
And the festival promoted these games. After all, Beltane is Connection and Fertility. This means the time of Love. It is about love, about a new couple and children that should be asked on this day.
Everyone could make love
With her sweetheart, without feeling guilty.
When May built houses of leaves
And no one entered those houses under the trees
Except for two lovers.
But you don't have to play weddings at this time. It was believed that couples united in a hut of love under the starry May sky would not stay together for long, since this connection was accidental, there were many things ahead in the fields, there would be no time for new dates. Therefore, it was believed that weddings should be celebrated either in June (if after the May festivities it is clear that there will be offspring), or already in the fall, when the couple deliberately decided to stay together.
So it is right to ask for love, but you should not rush into a fast relationship in May - go through the summer together, work in the field (or better in the garden of your future mother-in-law or mother-in-law), then think about whether you can be together.
(A small digression: in ancient times, they were very free about innocence, believing that children born in the village are new workers, new members of the community, and who's whose … what's the difference. Couples also finally preferred to converge, having already recognized each other). It was a small digression into history. We continue about the holiday.
As with other festivals, meal was essential at Beltane. And traditionally it corresponded to the time of year, which means that in Beltane food was rather modest, more often generally lean. The main dish was oat cakes or coarse flour, they were also the main ritual dish. The flatbreads were baked on hot coals (a house is also possible in a frying pan!), But after baking, the flatbreads were immediately given to hands - they were not put on a plate or table. And it was very important to keep the hot bread so that with its heat the heat and heat of the Sun would enter the body (physiotherapy of antiquity).
Prepared dishes from herbs. Green salads, green cabbage soup, eggs and dairy products go well. For example, young cheese or cottage cheese with herbs. Dried mushroom dishes - soups, pies. Sorrel, nettle and dandelion salads. Milk with honey.
In general, a very useful holiday. Promotes love and conception!
Of alcohol, only beer or a herbal and berry tincture that was infused over the winter is put on Beltane.
On this day, at home among your family and friends, you can play an ancient game:
Half of the largest - the first - May Day cake was coated with black coal, then the cake was broken into as many pieces as there were people at the table. And each, without looking, chose a piece from the eldest in the house. Whoever got the bright part will live that year joyfully, happily and richly. Those who chose the black part will face difficulties. To protect yourself from them, you must perform a feat or redeem your happiness from the dark forces. The one who does not redeem himself must be thrown into the fire and sacrificed to the Sun and the magical forces, and the young earth must be fertilized with his ashes. Hehe! We urgently all perform feats !!!
The feat should show the daring and courage of a person: I do not recommend jumping over a fire in the middle of the apartment, but it is quite possible to sit down or push up twenty times (Beltane, I remind you, was a holiday of youth, when tournaments, comic fights and outdoor games were held).
The ransom could be flowers and sweets, money, ribbons, and other decorations. They were brought to the Spirits on the altar, placed on the threshold, so that the small folk, witches and sorcerers would not enter the house, but they took the gifts and left with gratitude to the one who presented them.
In addition, they gave these gifts to children and young beautiful girls, decorated the Maypole with ribbons, garlands, colored scarves and beads.
The Maypole, the Maypole, is another Beltane tradition. They made it in different traditions in different ways: somewhere it was a tree growing in the center of the village, somewhere they put a special pole, which they painted for the holiday, and then decorated (like a Christmas tree!). The tree (pillar) was a kind of symbol of the masculine principle (phallic symbol), and the wreath at its top and the bouquets around it became the symbol of the Woman.
The tree, by the way, was a birch. May huts (those same huts of love), by the way, were also built in a birch grove or from birch branches. Birch became a symbol of love and new prosperity.
Let me not dwell on the Maypole in detail, since this tradition is very different for different peoples, but the general meaning is clear. I will not talk about the May Queen and the King at all - these are selected figures during festivities, which are now not everywhere and not always held.
I will only say about another ritual that you can easily create yourself in Beltane:
To begin with, we find a birch log (maybe a small one) and decorate it in every possible way, call into it the Power of the Sun, Love and Nature. You can sing for him or dance around, having previously installed it in your home (on a table or stool, for example), invoking love, harmony, joy, health and all that is good. Single women can ask the Symbol of a Man for a man for herself. The size of the log you choose may well symbolize … hmm …
In general, choose by request. At the same time, decorating the Pillar, you can ask him about the qualities of a man: hang a gold chain on him or attach a money, as a sign that a man has funds, a blue ribbon - as a sign of his masculinity, a white ribbon - as a sign of loyalty to Love, pink - so that he was tender, there was love in him, green - so that he was healthy. And so on according to the values of the colors.
You can ask for all this for your family, or even for yourself, then we decorate the Pillar with the appropriate wishes. You can decorate a young birch growing in the forest or in the country, and then ask her for leaves, juice or twigs. Only 1. ask! 2. be sure to cover up the cut site so as not to destroy the tree. In the old days, they cut without the help of steel - the small people do not like iron. But this is if you live in a territory where there are fairies - Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, etc.
Leaves and twigs can be brought home, used in a bath broom, or simply dried in the house so that such a "bouquet" brings the feeling of a holiday and Spring into the house throughout the year. By the way, you can throw the leaves from the Maypole to a man or woman you like, asking for Love to the God of the Sun and the Goddess of Nature - an easy painless love spell. Or you can brew them for the bath to be filled with health and attractiveness yourself. Moreover, the attraction will not be nanoscale, but one that comes from your nature. She will show the good that is in you in reality.
To be on the safe side, Beltane's colors are gold, green, pink (red) and white. So these colors must be present in the decorations of the house and the May Tree, as well as among the candles that you light on this day. But it is better to wear white on this day, but not red and not green, so that the Spirits do not confuse you with their relatives and take you away with them.
We remember that we have a time of revelry of magical powers? Or is everyone already carried away by the table and love games?
So there you go! Spirits and witches continue to walk the fields! If you still fed them, did not give them drink, did not present gifts, then various troubles await you. Urgently turn around you, do you have any hungry Power nearby? Witch, Spirit, imp ….
A werewolf fox is fine too.
If you find something like that, feed quickly, give a gift and…. send away. So that you do not sit at home. The Magic Power has a lot of worries ahead - walking in the fields, stealing cattle, luring lonely travelers into warm forests and waters, intoxicating girls, substituting children, seducing young men. Let him go away from your house.
In ancient times, flowers of primrose, marigolds, early roses, lilacs, mountain ash, elderberry were laid out on the doorstep of the house to protect against evil forces and sorcerers. Elder - a magical tree, it is present provides the blessing of the fairies. In some traditions, hawthorns are torn into the house. In others, on the contrary - no one should cut and pluck a hawthorn on this day, because this will bring misfortune and love failure. I prefer not to touch it, leave it until autumn, when it gives delicious and healing fruits.
Rowan and elderberry branches, bouquets were also exchanged between people - as a sign of fertility and wealth. Don't forget to decorate your home with young greenery in Beltane.
But apart from flowers and small gifts for children and representatives of the Force, nothing is given or given on this day. You cannot give money on May Day, borrow and lend, donate property, lend salt, fire, coal, feed generously from your table. Guests are entitled to only those same cakes.
Why? Yes, because the warmth has just begun: to squander what was left of winter now, when work has just begun in the field, only the cattle have been released to graze, means not respecting the Spirit of Nature. We will show generosity after the harvest - on Samhain - show. Then, in the fall, we will count the chickens.
What else is possible at Beltane? To clean your home and yourself, of course. Throw away everything old, unnecessary, broken, which is definitely no longer useful, which has outlived itself over the winter. This applies to things, people, relationships, kilograms, diseases … We clean everything, everything! You can go to the bathhouse! Tidy up the house, throw out the old shoes. Part with unnecessary illusions. Declare your love or have already parted completely.
Light the fires, ask for Love, Good, Joy, Good, Health for yourself. And read a prayer to the Sun and Nature.
For example, this one. You can compose your own. As I said, Beltane candles should be white, green, pink, red, or gold.
Great Sun, Great Father, I greet you!
Great Mother, Mother Nature, I greet you!
Light the Beltane lights, the fire of summer, light my path with rays, light the flame in my heart, warm my body, let the heat into my blood. Fill my life with light and joy, so that my soul soars up, welcoming the Sun.
Heal the Earth, heal me (and your family members by name, if you ask not only for yourself), bless the year and its harvest.
May my fire connect with Beltane fires throughout the world, may the flame rise, may it connect with the Great Sun and remain blazing in my heart.
Rise the Great Sun, blossom Mother Nature, bring me love, harvest, strength and joy!
It is best to do this at dawn. And the candles should burn out. May the sun be favorable to you.
Have a nice holiday! And all the best!
Your Cherry Lee
PS
Hear - this is the song of spring streams.
You hear - this is the joy of the revived water.
You hear - these are the flashes of ancient fires.
You hear - it's a reflection of a distant star.
You hear - it's time to believe unfulfilled dreams.
You hear - sleeping shadows come to life.
Do you hear - spring comes to Inis Eirin, So Beltain's insane bonfire will soon break out!
Do you remember how hands met in a dance, hearts squeezed.
And how the taste of hot lips was intoxicating juicy berry.
And as time is woven into a ring, and there is no end in sight, And the fires fluttered on the wings of the laughing night.
Do you remember, the heavenly witch-moon teased with a smile, And as the song flew triumphantly after the wind, And as spring burst into the blood like an intoxicating potion, And like sparks flew into the bottomless blue sky.
You hear - these are rustles in the crowns of oak forests.
You hear - this is the music of the forest spirits.
You hear - the calling song of herbs.
You hear - wonderful dreams come to life.
Hear it - it's a song in the depths of the hill.
You hear - silent thin shadows.
Do you hear - spring comes to Inis Eirin, So Beltain's mad bonfire will soon break out.
© Sbitnev Yaroslav
