Beltane Celebrations

As a solitary witch I enjoy my meditation practice and my solo circle casting but at feast celebrations like Beltane I like to step it up a bit. This year I invited another "witchy"friend over and we celebrated together. For the evening I came up with a series of rituals and activities that we could participate in. We also included my partner, who is not a Wiccan but I wanted to share this with him.

Not being tied to any particular tradition, I developed my own ideas based on research and suggestions from other online witches. I built my altar on my circular dining room table with Mary (my main Goddess) at the centre. More to come on Mary in future blogs. I bought two bouquets of flowers and set out a circle of candles with a few green candles for growth and healing in larger holders. We started the evening by baking Beltane cookies that are meant to awaken your passions after the long winter. The recipe for Beltane Passion Cookies was found on the web and I highly suggest them. When I make them again I will add more crystallized ginger and stir it well so that it is evenly distributed.

We then coloured eggs with crayons and dyed them in food colouring. I haven't done this type of activity since I was a kid for Easter . . . but it was so much more liberating to draw pentacles and the sign of the Goddess on them! We did this all while listening to some brilliant Pagan/Wiccan music that I downloaded of iTunes. Then we planted sunflower and chive seeds. You can't do Beltane without getting your hands dirty in the soil.

To end our ritual we wrote our intentions and wishes for this new season on paper and burned them in the cauldron in front of the Goddess. We hope She helps us find new inspirations in this blooming new season! The evening ended with some fresh fruit, wine, and tarot card reading.

Having grown up with very prescribed Christian traditions, I must say that developing your own Wiccan rituals and activities based on the intentions of the season is more meaningful and satisfying to the soul.