beltane blessings
Working with the moon cycles these last few years, attuning myself more to the rhythms of nature, has led me a bit down a rabbit hole of learning more about earth-centered spiritual traditions.
And I have to say ... I’m still learning, but I’m pretty smitten. The everyday magic, the rituals that can be as simple or complex as you want to make them, the bid for presence, the intentionality, it all speaks right to me.
In the wheel of the year, in addition to celebrating the solstices and equinoxes, the cross-quarter days are also honored. And one of those, Beltane, is right around the corner on May 1.
in the wheel of the year,
the cross-quarter day that marks the mid-point
between the spring equinox and the summer solstice
the time when the earth is greening once again,
a celebration of fertility and new life,
a time to welcome the abundance of the earth
to ensure a successful growing season
celebrated by gaelic celts,
pagans, and other earth-centered
spiritual traditions
If dancing in a group around a maypole isn't quite your jam (it isn't mine), there are still plenty of beautiful ways of honoring Beltane.
1. Create a Beltane altar.
Using the colors of nature’s current season, verdant greens and tender spring hues, adorn your altar in cloth, candles, and ribbons. Consider including symbols of fertility - seeds, sticks, acorns, a wreath, or a ring. Bring life to your altar with fresh spring flowers or fruit. A celebration often marked with fire, candles add transformational magic to your Beltane altar.
2. Offer up a prayer or blessing.
A moment of presence + gratitude to the earth mother, gods of the forest, nature’s wisdom, or abundance itself.
3. Adorn yourself in flowers.
Celebrate the beauty + abundance of the season by adorning yourself, your altar, your home in nature's bounty.
View the Beltane Blessings mini collection.
4. Plant something.
Cultivate abundance. Feel the dirt in your fingers. Be present with the energy + power + potentiality of the elements.
5. Light something on fire.
Whether it's a simple lighting of a candle or an outdoor bonfire in the company of your people, celebrate Beltane with the transformational magic of fire.
6. Make a wish box.
As you visualize your wish, write it down on a piece of paper. Place it in a small cardboard box. Be sure to poke some holes in the box to help your wish grow. You may also choose to decorate the box. Along with your wish, fill your box with seeds and earth and a physical object that serves as a symbol of your wish. Plant your wish box in the earth, scattering any leftover seeds on top. As you cover your wish box with soil, imagine your wish growing strong and tall, toward the sky. Water it with love, and trust that magic is happening.
Wishing you a blessed Beltane, magical people.