Beltane

Beltane sits opposite Samhain on the Wheel of the Year, and in many respects, is its opposite. Where Samhain ushers in the dark season - time for reflection and inner work - Beltane is a harbinger of summer and a time for celebration of the Life Force, of youth and sexuality and sensuality and boundless energy.

Traditionally, Beltane was a time of purification, when hearth fires were extinguished and bonfires were lit on hilltops. The community gathered to celebrate the return of the growing season and the return of the animals to their pasture lands for the summer. Festivities included dancing around a May Pole, weaving patterns of color and energy for fertility and physical wellbeing. Couples would jump the Beltane fire and commit to a year-and-a-day together, a sort of "trial" marriage. When the community festivities were over, a piece of the Beltane fire would be taken home to relight the hearth.

Although Beltane is typically a celebration of action, there are still some possibilities for reflection. Here are some thoughts to consider during this season:

Where do you get your energy? How do you recharge?
What do you have to celebrate?
Where do you need to put your energy at this time?
Are you comfortable with your sexuality? sensuality?
What are you willing to commit to for the next year-and-a-day?

Happy Beltane!!!!