Beltane Fire Festival

Beltane is a fire and fertility festival in which we welcome summer and coax it to join us. Since this festival was first celebrated by the Celts – and they figured days from sundown to sundown – this celebration begins at sunset on April 30th and continues through sunset on May 1st. The word Beltane comes from the Welsh words tan (meaning fire) and Bel (the name of the Welsh Sky God). Combined, the words mean “fire in the sky,” creating a wonderfully appropriate name for invoking the spirit of summer.

Traditionally, two babies – one of each sex – were selected annually to be trained for the roles of the Stag Lord and the May Queen. Their time came at the age of fourteen, and the boy, in his role of the Stag Lord, ran with the deer. At some point, the dormant buck, or Great Stage, of the herd would sense the intruder, and it was up to the Stag Lord to overcome him. Returning victorious and undamaged, the Stage Lord then mated with the May Queen in symbolic consummation of their marriage between the God and the Goddess, bringing fertility to all of the lands around them.

Although this ritual was of major importance to the celebration of Beltane, it by no means was the only custom with which the festival was associated. The celebrants danced around the Maypole in a clockwise motion – the direction of the Sun’s journey across the face of the Earth – while weaving the flowers and vines tightly to its surface. The pole maintained it’s reign in the center of the village until it was replaced the following year, at which time it was split into logs to fuel the new Beltane fire.

The Beltane fire burned throughout the entire celebration as a symbol of the Sun’s lengthening reign in the sky. Livestock was driven between two bonfires during the festival, as a measure to protect them from disease in the coming year. The frail and sick also passed between the fire to obtain the Sun’s healing blessings. This procedure was very important, for sick people are seldom fruitful, and to ancient people, fertility was a matter of life and death. Abundance of the land and livestock ensured a plentiful food supply, and fertility of the people meant that the procreation of humankind would continue without fail.

Although an ancient festival, Beltane is still celebrated today the world over, by Pagans and Christians alike. The Dance of the Maypole is still a common practices the spirit of summer is “conjured” in, and people everywhere adorn themselves with floral delights and brightly colored clothes. There are games for the children, and it is a common practice for couples to jump over the bonfire for fertility and general good luck. Gardens are blessed and may baskets are delivered to the elderly with cheer and good tidings. It is still a day of frivolity, sensuality, and delight – but it is also a good day to reflect upon our ancestors and give thanks to the Lord and Lady for our good fortune.

Dorothy Morrison – The Craft