Beltane

     This Friday, May 1st is Beltane....a sabbat in the Pagan Wheel of the Year. ‘The flowers are blooming and plants have begun sprouting in the fields. Beltane is named for the god Baal or Bel, sometimes called, “the bright one.” In Scottish Gaelic, the word ‘bealtainn’ means “fire of Belos” and refers to the bonfires Pagans light on this sabbat. This ancient holiday has been adopted as May Day and some of Beltane’s rituals are still enacted today.’

’The second fertility holiday in the Wheel of the Year, Beltane coincides with a period of fruitfulness. To ancient and modern Pagans alike, this holiday honors the Earth and all of nature. In early agrarian cultures, farmers built fires on Beltane and led livestock between the flames to increase their fertility. The tradition of the Beltane fires survived in Wales until the 1840; in Ireland, the practice continued into the mid twentieth century and in Scotland to this very day, the Beltane Fire Society holds an annual bonfire.’

    So whether you go all out and light your own bonfire or just simply stop and smell the beautiful flowers and bounty nature has provided us, maybe take some time on Friday to thank Mama Gaia for all she gives to us 🌎

*Excerpt via ‘The Modern Guide to Witchcraft’ by Skye Alexander