We Honour the Flower Maiden
We honour the Flower Maiden,
who blesses the blooms
Who is made of meadowsweet,
oak-blossom and broom
We are the ones who dance
with the Blooming Bride
Ancient and modern rites
to celebrate May-tide
We gather here, to witness your wedding
Where two sacred fires aid winter’s fading
She who dances in the springtime dew
We welcome you here,
to help the land renew
Flower Maiden dance with us,
here on this May Eve!
Beltaine Photos
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- Juniper and the Oak King
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- Hobby Horse and Besom Race
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- Jumping the Belfire
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- The Boar Hunt
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- The May King, winner of the Baor Hunt
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- The May Queen, winner of the Hobby Horse Race
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- The Oak King Rules!
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- Cheating at the Hobby Horse Race (carrot and stick)
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- Myself, hunting boar
Took a while to get around to posting these, being on dial-up is a pain.
Beltaine FAQ
Beltaine
Fire festival
Date: April 30th – May 1st, or first Full Moon in Taurus. The Scottish tradition of PectiWita celebrates their Sabbat on May 15th. The astronomical date for Old Beltane is usually May 5.
Pronunciation: “BELL-tayn”, “bell-tan”, “BELL-tain”, but also can be “BEEL-teen”, “BEEL-tawn-uh”, or “B’YAL-tinn”.
Etymology: Beltane derives from the Irish Beáltaine or Scottish Gaelic Bealtuinn; both from Old Irish Beltene “bright fire” from belo-te(p)niâ), where belo- is allied to the English word bale (as in bale-fire), the Anglo-Saxon bael, and also the Lithuanian baltas, meaning “white” or “shining” from which the Baltic takes its name. “The bright fire” is known in Welsh as “Calan Mai”, the “Calends of May”. Beltane or Bealtaine (Irish language), Bealltainn (Scottish Gaelic). Mí na Bealtaine “month of the Bealtaine festival” is the name for the month of May in modern Irish. It was formerly spelt “Bealtuinn” in Scottish Gaelic. The name of the month is often abreviated to Bealtaine but this strictly speaking only refers to the first day of summer (May 1) and the festival associated with that day.
Symbolism: Sacred marriage, new life, and the fertility for all living things. As Samhain is about honoring Death, Beltaine, its counter… Continue reading
Beltaine Ritual
(Leader script, not the abberviated version for particpants. Without proper formatting because converting to make WordPress happy is a pain and I’m tired)
Processional In
Building the Belfires
Brooms Stand Guard
Fire Blessing & Fire Dance
Meditation
Inviting Guardians
Sacred Landscape
Planting the World Tree
Parting the Veil
Lady at the Cross Roads
Lord of the Gates
Ancestors Join Us
Flower Maiden & Greenman
Beltaine Poems: Flower Maiden & Oak King
Seed Blessing
Honouring Danu & Bile
Offerings
Housle
Open Floor to Group
Oracle
Farewell Summer Queen & Greenman
Farewell Ancestors
Closing the Veil
Lowering the World Tree
Sacred Landscape
Meditation
Removing Brooms
Processional Out
Building the Belfires
v The group enters the grove to see the ritual area set up and the (bon) belfire burning, Solaren tending it.
v Juniper leads group to the south altar (where Solaren’s oil lamp is burning) and places her candle on it and continues to circle around the grove. Solaren will tend the two fires and aid the group.
v The group follows suit, filling the altar with candles (lanterns etc) and then forming a ring around the ritual space.
(Allow time for everyone to get settled and tuck away offerings etc)… Continue reading
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