Beltane is a Celtic fire festival and heralds the beginning of
summer and abundance. A fertility festival and a time when animals and birds
are breeding, blossom and spring flowers are all around and we are at our most
creative.
Our ancestors celebrated on the 30 April at moonrise when the
young men and women would spend the night in the woods re-enacting the
greenwood marriage between the God and Goddess. On the next morning, 1st May,
all the villagers celebrated by decorating and dancing around the maypole and
feasting afterwards.
So for this Meditation, find yourself a quiet place where you
won't be disturbed. Get yourself comfortable and light a fresh candle.
Now just imagine it is the first of May and you are walking in
the countryside along a path with trees overhanging; you can feel the sun warming you and a gentle breeze; you hear the
birds singing and you are feeling warm and relaxed. You reach the end of the
path and come into a clearing where many people are gathered, men , women and children. You hear the sounds of laughter and feel the
sun's warmth on your skin.
You walk further into the clearing and see a large table
decorated with hawthorn blossom, food and drink. There is also a Maypole
decorated with ribbons and a bonfire being tended. You can smell the smoke from
the bonfire and the sweet blossom and flowers.
Then all the people move into a circle around the bonfire and
you see a small table decorated with hawthorn blossom, spring flowers, oak leaves, pink, blue and
green candles. You also see a chalice and athame and on the ground in front is
a large cauldron with floating candles.
A woman walks into the centre and then she sees you and asks
you to join them. In front of you several women move over to make room for you
and they smile a welcoming smile. You take your place in the circle.
The Woman raises the athame and casts a circle around the
group and then calls the God, the Lord of the Greenwood and the Goddess, Lady
of flowers, to join the rite.
Candles are lit and in turn everyone jumps over the bonfire
calling out what they want to let go of and jump back calling out their wishes.
It is now your turn and you jump over the bonfire calling out what you need to
let go of, you then jump back over the fire calling your wish.
When everyone has had a turn the Woman raises the chalice and
dips the athame into it to represent the union of the God and Goddess. The
chalice is then passed around the circle and everyone takes a sip. It is your
turn and you raise the chalice and take a sip of sweet apple juice and then
pass it to the next person.
The God and Goddess are then thanked for joining the rite and
the Woman uncasts the circle. She walks up to you and invites you to join in
the maypole dancing. You take a coloured ribbon and start dancing, weaving in and out with the others. It is a
riotous dance and at the end you feel thirsty.
You then walk over to the large table and take a cup of apple
juice and a piece of cake and join a group and listen to their excited chatter.
They are hoping for an abundant summer with good crops and fertile animals.
You spend some time soaking up the atmosphere and then it is
time to leave; you thank the Woman for allowing you to join their Beltane
celebrations and start to make your way out of the clearing back along the path
knowing you can always walk this way again.
Now it is time to put your attention back on your physical
body and come back into this reality.
It is a good idea to ground yourself with some food or drink after the Meditation.
Wishing you a magical Beltane.
