With Winter fully past and Spring's first blush fading, the trees begin to garb themselves in their summer foliage, and all the world in Earth's Northern hemisphere is blooming. They say that in the springtime, "the young folks' fancies lightly turn to thoughts of love." At the approach of Summer, one might say that those thoughts of love begin to turn to the more mature thoughts of marriage and the consummation thereof, as the year itself begins to blossom into maturity.

Beltane is the sister festival to Samhain, the festival honoring death in the fall. By contrast, Beltane is a festival celebrating life in all its vivid forms. Many of its symbols and activities are familiar to us - the maypole, May flowers, wreaths, fire, and so on. This joyous festival has a child-like quality about it, in the sense that, as children are creatures of spontaneity and the whimsical, so are the celebrants of Beltane. This sometimes raucous festival takes place on May 1st, between Ostara, the vernal equinox, and Midsummer, the summer solstice. Beltane represents a return to life, the burgeoning fertility of the earth, the hope of a good growing season, and a renewal of the human spirit, which endured another winter. The name Beltane means "Bel's Fire", or "bright fire" or "bale-fire", where bale or bael is English or Anglo-Saxon for "white" or "bright", and "tine" is English or Anglo-Saxon for fire.

Flowers are a very important part of Beltane, not only because of their abundance, but because they symbolize the defeat of Winter and also the sensual nature of the festival itself, not to mention being powerful symbols of fertility. Flowers bear seeds that will perpetuate the blossoms into the next year. Flowers such as apple blossoms also mature into fruit that will sustain life and produce seeds as well.

On May-eve, April 30, it is a Beltane tradition for young men and women, especially those unmarried, to go "a-maying" in the forests and fields, just before Beltane dawn. They are to return with garlands of flowers and leafy boughs to be used as decorations for the festival. While "a-maying", the young folk might indulge in sensuous encounters of sorts, or simply revel in the seeking of one another in the pre-dawn darkness. A sense of magic persists throughout Beltane Eve. As at Samhain, the veil between worlds is very thin at this time, and it is said that the Queen of Faery rides through the darkness, seeking a mortal who will return with her to her kingdom. If you avert your eyes, she will pass you by, but if you dare meet her gaze, she may choose you as her companion. Other members of the faery kingdom roam the countryside playing mischievous tricks on mortals who cross their path.

The crowds return from their forest revels laden with boughs and blossoms to find the Maypole, beribboned and beflowered, in the village center. The Maypole symbolizes several things in the context of Beltane. It is a symbol phallic in nature, imparting fertility to the earth in which it is afixed and to those who weave the Beltane ribbons around it. The Maypole also symbolizes the connection between the gods and goddesses and the earthly people, reaching up into the sky, drawing gazes upward and the gods' notice downward. Unmarried men and women take hold of the ends of the Beltane ribbons and dance in vivacious patterns around the pole, weaving in and out of one another as the Beltane pattern is woven round the Maypole.

As at Samhain, celebrants commemorate the Beltane festival with fire. This time, the fire is a sign of the sun's power and virility. Beltane fires are cleansing in nature, burning away the dark spirits of winter and renewing the earth for planting time. Newly handfasted couples or even those who are married might test their union by leaping over a Beltane fire hand in hand. If they clear the fire with hands still clasped, then their present or future marriage will be strong and successful. If they clear the fire but hands are broken, the relationship will last but the two will not be content with one another. If either or both fail to make the entire leap over the flames - well, you can conclude what this must mean!

For all its emphasis on fertility and union, May is not considered a propitious time for marriage. Many engagements, or handfastings, take place at this time, but marriages taking place on or around Beltane are considered to be ill-omened, as the year is not yet ripe, so neither can a newly formed relationship ripen and succeed if begun at this time. Also, this is viewed as the day of the God and Goddess' handfasting, and all the honors of the day go to the Goddess - a bride who tries to outshine her would probably attract ill-luck.

Whatever the religion or faith or spiritual path, everyone can appreciate the beauty of spring maturing into summer. All people have felt the quickening in their blood as the year blooms out into its most fragrant and colorful appearance. So whether you celebrate Beltane or not, remember to step outside and take a deep breath and rejoice in the turning of the seasons.

Thank You to Jenny M. Heidewald for her contribution of the picture "Beltane Dance".

"Guinivere's Maying" by John Collier from Pre-Raphaelite Women: Brotherhood Gallery

Source Sites:
Beltaine Story at WitchVox