Celtic: Bealtaine

Bealtaine Celebrated during the first week of May. Some traditions celebrate on May 1st, some Celtic traditions celebrate on May 6th. Celebrated with the May Pole, flowers of lavender, red and white. Commitment through friendship or wedding rings. Purification with spring water and lighting purifying bonfires are also part of the holiday celebrations. Honoring the union of the Maiden Goddess and the God, creating the divine trinity. Some refer to the trinity as the Father, Mother, God; The God, Goddess, Divine Universe; or the Mind (the Maiden), Body (the God) and Spirit (the Divine Union).

Bealtaine History Let's start with the name. Beltane, Beltain or Bealtain are all correct spellings. In my tradition, the spelling is Bealtaine. Many historians however suggest the original spelling to be Beltane. In any case, the word consists of two parts. Bel (also Belenos, Beli, Belin or Belinus. Bel is associated with the Roman god Apollo), the patron God of this High Holy Day. Bel is recognized as the son of Light or the first Light of the Universe. He is also considered to be the deity of Therapy further aligning his energies with Apollo. The alternative spelling Beal is associated with a combination of pagan and Christian deities. Bel and Ba'al (meaning 'master') who is found in the Old Testament. His association as the son of light maybe the reason behind his secondary label as the divine Holly King who battles during the year with the wise Oak King.   The recurring theme in the legends of each name described here, is that Bel is the son of the Divine God, not THE God himself. This could be an example of the Holy Trinity that embodies many magikal and even Christian beliefs. The Divine Spirit at the top of the trinity is the whole or the union of the God (the son) and Goddess (the daughter). It's also another representation of his youth as the Holly King.   The second part 'tan', 'tine' or 'tain' meaning fire is associated with the God and the ceremony itself. Bealtaine is the last of the spring festivals, but it rings in the start of summer as well. On the eve of Bealtaine, large bon fires were (and still are today) to purify the land from the devastation of winter.   Bealtaine is also seen as the union of the God and the Goddess in matrimony. So how did that come about? According to the The Lebhar Gabhála Éireann, May 1st marks the anniversary that the first human beings set foot on Irish soil. Ireland was considered to be the Lady, the Mother of life giving gifts and sustenance. Some speculate that this event symbolizes the union of the people (The Sons of Mil Éspáine) with Maiden Ireland. The symbolism of this union is presented in the form of the God (the son of light, the sons of Mil Éspáine) with the Goddess (the maiden soil of Ireland).

The Purpose of Bealtaine As a spiritual holiday, Bealtain is the celebration of life, the land, the union of mankind with the mother earth and the purification and rebirth of all things. Ever wonder why there are so many weddings in May? In my opinion, we can point to this High Holy Day which is the festival of union and commitment.   On an individual basis, this is a holiday where you should commit yourself to a goal, a purpose or a plan for the remainder of the year. It could be goal to finally learn about holistic healing, or to fully commit yourself to your spiritual path.   On a larger scale, be it a commitment or recommitment between partners, or a commitment within a family or community, the acknowledgment and celebration of union is pretty much the same. If your family has gone through times of turmoil, Imbolg is the best Sabbat to forgive and let go. Followed by Bealtain to recommit support and compassion. For those looking to unite in handfasting, marriage or even starting a family, Bealtain is the Sabbat to celebrate and make that commitment. For a community struggling with every day life, dangers or "evils", Bealtain is a perfect time to take back the streets, clean up the neighborhood and commit to helping those less fortunate than yourself.   Being on a spiritual path of any kind is not a part time thing. It is a way of life, and that is an everyday thing. It is not enough to make a commitment to spirit if you don't carry that through all your thoughts and actions for the rest of the year. If you're going to 'love, honor and cherish' your partner today, then you need to carry that through when they forget to stop on the way home and pick up the dry cleaning too.

Bealtaine Celebration A Bealtaine festival can begin at sunset on April 30th and last a week till midnight on May 6th. The Sabbat usually begins on the night before your date for celebrating Bealtaine. For Deboreans, it begins on May 5th and lasts until midnight May 6th.   Decorations are as colorful as spring, with an emphasis on reds and whites. From shades of pink to cream, you can decorate your alter, festival table and general surrounds to mark the occasion. And don't forget the flowers! Lots and lots of flowers.   Being a fertility festival, symbols of the God and Goddess can be used as decorations. The MayPole as a symbol of May day is a representation of fertility that survived Christian opposition over various attempts to end it's practice. The concept of a central tree or pole as the center point of the cosmos is widely found in many cultures. Representing the masculine energy of the universe (a phallic symbol), the pole is decorated with brilliant colored ribbons representing the Goddess. Dancing around the pole with the ribbons represent the flowing energy of the cosmos or the waters of the world which bring life to the frozen land.   Here's an example of our Bealtaine festival. Gather the tools to dig a hole and decorate the May pole before sunset. At sunset, light a large bonfire (please keep it safe) and open your festival with a statement of intent, a prayer to honor the God and Goddess, and a blessing for those who gathered for the evening. Once your circle is open, the men prepare to stake the pole, the women and children cut the ribbons and fasten them to the pole. This is especially fun when your work is lit by a raging bonfire.   We like to divide the work, allowing the oldest member of our group to tell stories of past Sabbats, or to recant the tales of the The Lebhar Gabhála Éireann. The younger children make sa'mores, which can also be viewed as a symbol of the festival. Never thought of it that way? The toasted marshmallow represents the goddess, the chocolate bar (the god) melts into the marshmallow while it's still warm representing the union of life, and all this is held together by the spirit, represented by the graham cracker. Yum. ;-)   Once the pole is in place, everyone gets a ribbon. If you have more people than space or ribbon, simply divide your circle into smaller groups. At times we've used music to dance by, other times we've sung Celtic folk songs, or rhymed a chant. We like to paint a gold circle around the pole, about a little more than halfway down from the top. As the ribbons swirl around the pole, one ribbon will effortless reach the gold circle first. We declare that ribbon a winner and they are given a small gift. Usually a small magikal tool such as an athame, arrow or horn.   The evening is usually concluded with a small feast of fruits and freshly baked breads. Accompanied with a few stories from myth, legend or newly created. In our circle the stories can be anything as long as they have elements of magik and union. We close the circle, douse the fire and leave the Maypole for further games the next day.   On Bealtaine, we gather at 3pm, once again to symbolize the divine trinity, and reopen a circle. The bonfire is lit and will be tended to all day and into the night. For those that wish to commit to a partner we conduct three rituals. The first is for those who wish to be joined through a Handfasting (an engagement). The second for those who are about to be or just have been married. In some cases this ceremony has been used as the official wedding, but it does not have to be. As long as the wedding took place or will take place during this calendar year, these people are invited into this group. The last ritual is for those who wish to recommit themselves to their union. This group consists of partners who are already married.   Once these rituals are concluded, we open the floor so to speak to anyone who wishes to make a brief statement of a personal commitment. For instance, a few years ago, a newly retired woman made a commitment that she would return to college to finally acquire her bachelors degree (she did by the way).   The remainder of the day is celebrated with food, songs and games. The festival takes on a renaissance picnic atmosphere. We share food, usually light courses, baked bread, fruits, garden vegetables and so on. People read poems, storytellers share tales, musicians share songs and a fun time is had by all. In the late afternoon, usually around 6:30 to 7pm, we prepare for a formal feast. Complete with a change of cloths to mark the formality of the event. One of the things that mark this event as extra special for me are the people who dress in what many would call period costumes. From renaissance to the gilded ages, the guests are as decorated as the table.   During the evening hours you can continue the festival with a formal holiday ritual. There are as many ways and suggestions for conducting such a ceremony as there are people on this planet. But if you need a detailed example you have two places on our network to look. For a simple Celtic Ritual or Ceremony Outline or I invite you to visit our Wiccan section and review the Bealtaine Sabbat Ritual.   End your evening in private reflection. It is important for anyone practicing a spiritual life to reflect on his or her actions. Record your thoughts, your emotions and your experiences. This is the true value of your book of shadows. And there is no better time to take stock of yourself and your life than during a High Holy Day.

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