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 →