5 reasons why Beltaine is not a pagan Valentines Day.

We’re approaching Beltaine in the Celtic wheel of the year, with its lusty maypole and crown-of-flowers symbolism and its traditional lore about couples getting together. Surely that all sounds a bit like a pagan calendar version of Valentine’s, but is it?

1) Meaning

The association with love, and with finding a partner, on St Valentine’s feast day may have been a Christianisation of the Roman festival of Lupercalia. According to Britannica.com, matchmaking and fertility rites were often part of Lupercalia merrymaking; the mid-February holiday also marked the arrival of spring.

However, some sources say that Valentine’s Day didn’t gain its romantic affiliations until around the 14th century. Similarly, whilst it’s often said that the festival’s origins are connected to the time of year that birds find a mate, the RSPB points out that some birds partner up between November and January. Others mate at any time during the year.

Nevertheless, Valentine’s focuses towards the saint’s patronages: new courtship and happy partnership. Beltaine, typically celebrated on 1st May (although sometimes at the May full moon, or when hawthorn blossom comes out), has stronger focus on fertility and sexuality. At Beltaine, many trees are in blossom and other flowers out; their pollen allows fertilisation and therefore fruit (and therefore food). Leaves have unfolded, filling the barren landscape we see through winter. Summer feel palpable, warmer and longer days enabling increased growth and strength. This gives opportunity for us to reflect on our personal growth. We might ask: how well am I working towards the goals and dreams I conceived at the winter solstice? What has the year given me that I am learning, gaining and experiencing spiritual self-growth from? What am I reveling in?

2) Symbolism

The iconic Valentines motifs of red hearts, red roses and pairs of birds are also well-known emblems of romance generally. However, the maypole – or staff – and its crown of flowers may have a longer history with Beltaine rites. Arguably, in temperate parts of the Northern Hemishpere, making floral decorations in May is more seasonal than gifting roses in February!

Although the staff and wreath carry strong sexual imagery, hearts and flowers do have their own, perhaps quieter, erotic connections. The maypole and crown are usually explained as phallic and yonic symbols, and some people might feel that this aspect of paganism isn’t very inclusive of the LGBTQ community. Historical bias towards straight sex, because of social taboos at that time, of course doesn’t justify any prejudice or exclusion today. And anyway, the incredible human anatomy offers more than one option for parts that can be represented by those symbols….

3) Fire

The name “Beltaine” itself roughly translates as “bright fire” and the festival has various traditions involving this element. For example, in older times on Beltaine Eve, cattle were thought to have been driven between two bonfires to ward off pests before being put out to pasture after winter. Household fires are said to have been extinguished, then relit from the community’s Beltaine fire. In some places, annual fire festivals on the night of April 30th are still vibrant events, such as the popular Edinburgh ceremony. It’s a reminder for us to tend to our “inner fire”: our passions, the things that really burn bright with importance and make us feel at our most alive. Perhaps it’s art, or activism, or gardening, or music. Whatever it is, a fire that’s well-tended will give warmth, light and cheer to all around it.

4) Fairies

Beltaine and Samhain have long been believed to be the pagan holidays when the veil between the spirit and human realms are at their thinnest. Where Samhain Eve (Hallowe’en) is famously the night of the dead, Beltaine is linked more to the fae and nature spirits. Folklore tells of fairies being more likely to cross the threshold into our world on Beltaine Eve, so the possibility of seeing (or being enchanted by) them is at its highest. This makes Beltaine a potent time for working magic, including perhaps leaving out little gifts for fey folk to thank them for help received and attributed to them, or to entice them to give assistance.

5) Big Time Sensuality

This part of spring in the Northern Hemisphere is such a delicately colourful time of year. Ballerina-skirt blossoms puff over the fruit tree branches, daisies and forget-me-nots embroider prettiness on the grass. Bluebells and lily-of-the-valley dangle like silent bells ringing in the warmer weather as tulips stretch to fill their cups with sunbeams. Walking through my garden is like going to a daily-changing beauty pageant, though I love them all too much to ever give any prize.

Just as flowers’ bright colours attract the pollinators that will continue their species, humans often tend to their appearance when wanting to catch the attention of a prospective partner. Customs to wash your face in fresh dew on May Day morning, and of taking a late-spring bath in times when people may have done so less often, follow a theme of investing in trying to look and feel our physical best. Body care and beautification are, of course, completely justified regardless of your actual or desired relationship status. Not everyone finds body positivity an easy thing to embrace, but taking a little time for something that makes your body feel good – be it some yoga, a good long walk, a massage or a home facial – can be a little step towards it. And if you continue taking little steps regularly, then you’re starting to walk.

Be it the merry hues of the flowers and Maypole ribbons, the pulse of music and dance, the coolness of dew on face or bare feet, the smell of a bonfire or sensual touch, Beltaine is a time to appreciate sensory pleasure. Perhaps it could be said that Valentines focuses more on the emotional side of romance, Beltaine on the physical.

Spinning my circle bright:

Mind – I bought Faeriecraft by Alicien and Neil Geddes-Ward many years ago but have been dipping back into it this week. Not all of it’s for me, but I’m very much mulling over the idea of an outdoor fairy altar. I’ve always shied away from creating a garden altar, but one that could pass as a cute fairy garden might offer more discretion….

Body – Beltaine’s a great excuse ideal seasonal timing for a little skin witchery. If you missed my last post, click back, or scroll below, to learn how to make a simple sugar scrub that you can easily mix a little magic into. As you stir the ingredients together, picture your skin glowing and at its best. As you use the scrub, you can visualise it sloughing off wintry dullness, sluggishness or other ways that you just don’t feel your brightest self. Afterwards, tune in to the zing of your refreshed face and/or body drinking up the scrub’s lovely oils.

Although skincare from the outside can give noticeable benefits, beauty also comes from good hydration and nutrition within. Dandelion leaves, hawthorn leaves, chickweed, sticky-weed (or cleavers or goose-grass) and nettles have long been brewed into teas, or eaten, for gentle detox and a great vitamin kick. Forage them safely and you’ve got super-foods for free! And don’t forget Road Dahl’s words on how inner beauty always shines through.

Heart –  nourish your heart by feasting your eyes on the abundant beauty in the gardens, woods and hedgerows right now. Or on the myriad art that it clearly inspires. Fallen petals are perfect for mandala-making.

Spirit – I like to spend time in quiet woodland at Beltaine, preferably a wood with anciently knarled, moss-clad trees, fairy-hat bluebells and a feeling of wild mysticism. Who knows what whispers you might hear and what forms you might see?

Sharing – as well as the Edinburgh Beltane Fire Festival, other events keep the community spirit of Beltaine dancing strong and merry. A few to mention are: Bristol Jack in the Green festival, Helston Flora Day, Hastings Jack in the Green May Day festival, the Kin Coven Beltane Ceremony in Leeds, or the Beltane Goddess Celebration Day at the Uffington white horse

First and fourth images by me, and show in the background art by Wendy Andrews (“Flora is Radiant”, goddess wheel, love goddess – just the bottom of the pic is visible), Poppy Palin (small red picture), Cicely Mary Barker (sweet pea fairy), (maypole picture).

Second image by Monika Schroeder, third by 113eye, sixth by extremis, all from Pixabay. Beltane artwork (fifth image) available as a card from The Goddess and The Green Man.

Big Time Sensuality is an awesome Bjork song.

May. And pixie dust.

Many with an earth-centred spirituality believe that, at Beltane and Samhain, the veil between our world and spirit worlds is at its thinnest. In recent years I’ve noticed that I tend to feel this closeness for pretty much all of May – perhaps starting in late April. This is a reason, among others, that I don’t get too hung up on my Beltane celebrations taking place on Beltane Eve/Day.

The spirit worlds I feel are close at Samhain are those where the ancestors who have passed on walk. They sometimes bring me gifts of a little inner wisdom – if open myself to it – and reassurance. I offer them rememberence, reverence and thanks.

The worlds that seem close to me at this time of year are the realms of the fae; the pixies, the gnomes, the sprites, elves and other beings often confined to childrens’ books and legends such as those from my native English West Country. (Brian Froud is one of my favourite authorities on fairies). In May, I get this feeling that they’re fully awake and out to play. The gifts that I attribute to their generosity are the interesting forms in nature that I usually find more of at this time, as well as the general vibe of sparkle, benign mischief and giggling enchantment that seems sprinkled over this month. The pixie-dust month, with its bluebell pixie-hats, dainty skirt-like hawthorn flowers and pretty cowslip bells.

This makes May a usually-happy time of inspiration and imagination for me – if I’m open to it. Combined with the reminder from nature to remember – and be true to – my passions, May holds excitement about harvests to (hopefully) come. Harvests of personal projects and goals, harvest from the land. I feel excited when I look at the flowers on our blueberry bushes (above) and think of the juicy fruit that we hope they’ll become. I feel excited when our seedlings push their little green shoots above the soil, then add leaves and more leaves and more. Year after year I witness this magic take place, but still it amazes me. I hope it always does. ♥

Crocuses

I love dainty, cheery crocuses. As Cicely Mary Barker so beautifully described:

         “…Like a cup of light, –

Hundreds of them are smiling up,

Each with a flame in its shining cup,

By the touch of the warm and welcome sun

Opened suddenly. Spring’s begun!…”

From “The Song of the Crocus Fairies” by Cicely Mary Barker.

I recently bought myself  my son “Flower Fairies of the Spring”: a sweet little collection of some of her works. Whilst we as a family are familiar with the more commonly-known flowers, like crocuses, I’m hoping that this pretty book can serve as a guide to help us learn others, as well as to celebrate the beauty of this season. (And to indulge my near-obsession with fae!). ♥

What the tree said

Many people associate Early May – Beltaine-tide – with fairies and nature spirits, believing this to be one of the two magical points in the year when the veil between our world and others is at its very thinnest. The other time is Samhain (Hallowe’en), which sits opposite Beltaine on the wheel of the year.

I certainly find that, at this time, I see a lot of shapes, faces and figures in nature – in trees in particular. On a family picnic last week we walked and played in a little wild area by a stream where these tree roots made me think of fairy arms reaching out from the bank –

– whilst one tree in particular displayed forms that seemed very in keeping with the Beltaine theme of sexuality and sensuality:

Or mother goddess forms:

 

I’m quite aware that one explanation for me perceiving these representations in an old tree’s lumps and bumps is perhaps found in the fact that more than one of my old school reports state: “Morwenna has a vivid imagination”. Some people may suggest a residual effect from past chemical recreational pursuits. My own explanation is that these are a medium through which nature speaks to us. Nature, who has in recent months awoken from sleep and started to stretch out and get to work. Nature who, right about now, is looking beautiful and luscious. The message that I hear from these forms is one reminding me of my own creativity and fertility; am I nurturing it as I need to? Is it blooming in the ways that it could? I also hear a call to connect with my body, with my femininity, with my sexuality. I hear a reminder of the approaching time of the maiden-mother transition as the goddess’ pregnant belly gets fuller and rounder.

It’s my personal belief that there are spirits who reside in trees, rivers, caves and wild places. I feel that these spirits may deliver the messages that Nature wants to remind us of – after all, we are all part of Nature; we are Nature. I believe those spirits show themselves to us through forms and faces like those in the photos above, they may appear as fairies or phantoms or they may whisper and sing to us if we listen closely to the wind and the waves. I feel that, at Samhain, Nature and the spirit world encourage us to turn inward to listen to and learn from our inner selves, to reflect and to study. At Beltaine, the invitation I receive is one to hear and see messages from outside. Not that I don’t reflect or study at all, but that the emphasis is on conscious activity, on my physical senses being open wide and on receiving external wisdom and inspiration.

And of course this beautiful tree with all its many sturdy branches very, very clearly invited us to come connect with it through the medium of climbing!

Wishing you days of sunshine and inspiration! ♥ ♥

Beltaine

Beltaine-tide….. some will have celebrated yesterday whilst others will do so/will have done so when they see certain signs in nature. I’ll be doing my celebrating at the weekend, to coincide with the full moon and the anniversary of when I met my husband. In May is also the anniversary of when we married.

For me, it’s a celebration of passion, nurturing, the faery world, fantasy, sexuality, partnership, beauty, and gestation (so an apt time to have met my soulmate!) The reported tradition of driving cattle between 2 fires at this time gives it a theme of protection too. It’s a time to reflect on those goals conceived at Yule and assess if/how they are blooming, and how to nurture them further if they are to survive. The colours I associate with Beltaine are pink and green, the foods asparagus and garlic and the scents vanilla, geranium and cinnamon. The symbols and themes for me are the maypole and crown of flowers, the yoni and the lingam, hawthorn, faeries, blossoms,the pregnant belly …and hearts!! ♥♥♥