IMay has arrived, busy witches! You know what that means. It’s Beltane time. Maybe you’re wondering, what is beltane? Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place.
In today’s post, we’ll look at all the basics and correspondences of Beltane. When you’re done reading, you’ll be able to build your own magical Beltane celebration based on the themes that most strongly speak to you.
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Early pagans (and also just early humans, really) relied completely on the cycles of the seasons for survival. They had to know when the growing seasons started, peaked, and finished in order to grow enough food to make it through winter. Different cultures observed these cyclical changes in varying ways, but most ancient cultures did observe them in some form.
In modern times, most of us don’t worry about growing food for survival anymore, so we’ve become detached from the cycles of nature. Luckily, all us modern witches and pagans can still tap into these cycles by observing the Wheel of the Year – the eight Sabbats.
What are the origins of the Wheel of the Year?
The Wheel of the Year is Wicca’s answer to modern witches seeking communion with the cycles of nature. These festivals were created by Gerald Gardner, regarded as the founder of modern Wicca. I believe these are modern festivals, but he’ll tell you they’re rooted in ancient tradition. Far be it from me to argue with Gardner. I don’t personally think it matters whether they are ancient or modern.
What does matter to me, though, is knowing the origins of these celebrations. The 4 greater Sabbats (Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas/Lughnasadh, Samhain) are based in Celtic and western European origins, while the other 4 lesser Sabbats (Yule, Ostara, Litha, Mabon) mark the transitional times between the greater Sabbats.
Why is this important? Well, Britain and western Europe have a very specific annual cycle based on their climate. Spring often starts to peek its head out in February, and the growing season is done by the first of November. Winter is cold and snowy, and summer is one big, long growing season.
What If I Don't Live in Europe?
If you live in Texas, Northern Canada, Mexico, the entire Southern Hemisphere, or any number of other places in the world, your annual cycles look different. Your winter might start late like mine. You might not have a winter at all. Maybe you have growing dead zones in December and July. You might even need to observe those changes in the opposite order!
While the Wheel of the Year is well established as a tradition, your input as a witch matters. The best way to celebrate the Sabbats is to learn about them and modify them to be specific to your area. Trust your intuition, and trust your environment when determining what traditions are important to you and which ones you will leave behind. The Wheel of the Year, after all, is meant to help you connect to the cycles of nature.
But I'm Not Wiccan. Can I Still Celebrate?
I’ve never met a Wiccan who will tell you no, though I’m sure they exist. Pretty much everyone I’ve ever spoken to or read information from agrees that the Wheel of the Year is accessible to all of us. Even those of us who are not Wiccan. Modern witchcraft is so variable. There’s no rule book, and you get to make it your own. These celebrations bring us all together even when we are so different. What is witchcraft? Learn more here.
The Wheel of the Year includes associated deity, and the history centers on stories about the god and goddess. However, it’s up to you to decide if that speaks to you.
For many of us, myself included, The Wheel of the Year is simply a great way to reconnect with our environment and the natural cycles of all living things. For others, each Sabbat is a piece of the story that tells their faith.
I feel that as long as we all respect each other, the 8 Sabbats can totally serve both purposes!
The Wheel of the Year begins on November first and ends on October 31. The festivals alternate between solar observances and earth centered observances. Each Sabbat comes with its own themes, correspondences, and traditions that infuse your whole year with magic rooted in the shifts of your climate and seasonal patterns.
What is Beltane? The History
Beltane is a cross-quarter festival, meaning it falls between solstices and equinoxes. This celtic cross quarter festival falls squarely between the spring equinox and summer solstice, or Ostara and Litha. In the Northern Hemisphere, people observe Beltane between April 30 – May 1, coinciding with May Day festivals. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, Beltane falls between October 31 – November 1. Beltane gets its name from the gaelic word for “bright fire” and is also one of the major sabbats in the Wheel of the Year.
For ancient Celts, this fire festival signified the official start of summer. The world outside our front door is in full bloom, and you can probably feel it both in spirit and in the pollen count! All around us, growth and life can be observed. The days are growing longer as we swiftly approach the longest day and shortest night of the year in a few short weeks.
Many believe that an invisible, membrane-like veil exists between the world of the living and the dead. During this time, much like with Samhain, that veil is especially thin. While Samhain opens up the veil for communication with our ancestors, Beltane opens up the veil for communication with nature spirits such as fairies.
Spiritually, this is considered the time when the Horned god has become a fiery young man and is looking to make a little love connection with the maiden Triple Goddess. Sex and sexuality are major themes of this time of year.
Beltane Themes and Symbols
When I ask myself, “What is Beltane?”, the first place I go for inspiration is the themes of the season. This determines all my altar decor and many of my favorite celebrations. Consider what is going on in nature where you live. Then use these themes to figure out what kind of Samhain celebrations you want to have.
For example, this is the time of year where you’re doing a lot of hunting or freezer stocking, the theme of sacrifice might speak to you. If so, consider what you might sacrifice to help you make the best of your time and energy this season. If you are really feeling the theme of honoring home, family, and ancestors, choose activities and correspondences that help you connect to family, both living and dead.
Themes of Beltane
These are some of the common themes of Beltane, but don’t feel confined by this list. First and foremost, you should always listen to your intuition and defer to the cycle of the seasons in your area to honor these changes. May in England is very different from May in North Texas where I live. For this reason, I pay careful attention to seasonal cycles relevant to North Texas when trying to determine, just what is Beltane?
- abundance, growth, and fertility – The world outside is in full bloom. Magically, this time of year aligns with the growth and fertility of the world around us.
- creation and creativity – The Beltane season is one of creativity. All that sexual energy and growth means we’re primed up for creative flow, not just creating babies.
- love and lust – All that sexual energy floating around us means it’s a great time for workings of love and lust.
- protection – As we prepare to spend more time outdoors and move toward storm season, make sure your family and your home are protected.
- sexuality and union– Beltane is all about fertility, growth, and blooming. It makes sense that sexual energy and passion would align with that.
- transformation and transition – The thinning veil makes this a transitional time. We are in between seasons as well as being in between the living and spirit worlds. We’re also moving into winter. Consider how you will change and move forward.
Symbols of the Season
Think about the symbols of May Day, and you’re on the right track. The symbols of Beltane and May Day have a lot in common. Think rich, vibrant colors and lush, blooming plants.
- bees – fertility, creation, romance, abundance.
- butterflies – transformation, creation, fairies.
- cattle – abundance, nurturing, fertility.
- cauldrons – feminine energy, sexuality, transformation.
- circles of flowers/greenery – symbols of life, growth, and feminine sexual energy.
- fire – solar and sexual energy, whether through candles on bonfires, this fire festival is all about the cleansing and transformative power of flame.
- frogs – fertility, luck, transformation, beginnings.
- phallic shapes – symbols of masculine energy and sexuality.
- ribbons – the themes of unity and weaving your fate fun deep at Beltane, and ribbons are the common tool used to represent this.
- shells – associated with water, the ocean, life, and the divine feminine.
- snakes – symbols of power, grace, protection, and transformation. Allows us to “shed our skin” and step into our next level of being.
- wands – symbols of magic and phallic representations.
- wells and sacred waters – sexuality, life, and creative energy (especially ocean water)
Beltane Colors, Herbs, and Crystals
You can use these correspondences to bring Beltane flair to your decorations, foods, altar, and spellwork.
Did you know the Busy Witchy Mama has an Etsy shop? One of my favorite creations is my Sabbat garden flags! Grab your Beltane garden flag today, and add some witchy flair to your garden our outdoor ritual space!
Beltane Colors
When choosing Beltane colors, look to nature for inspiration. Consider which plants and flowers are in bloom and the color scheme of the world outside your door. Think bright flowers and plants in full bloom! Here are some of the most common colors of the season.
- red – blood, passion, lust.
- orange – hearth fire and warmth, solar energy, transformation.
- dark green – growth, abundance, greenery, wealth, prosperity
- pink – beauty, self love, contentment, romance
- brown – nature, the Earth, soil, roots, decay.
- gold – solar energy, the god
- rich, bright vibrant colors like red, blue, purple, yellow, and green. Look to the flowers for inspiration!
Herbs, Plants, and Oils of Beltane
These seasonal herbs, plants, and oils can be infused into your spells, meals, and even decor to add some herbal inspiration to your Beltane season. I am not a master herbalist or doctor. As with all medicines, treat carefully, and do your research. Don’t take unnecessary risks.
- all edible flowers – fertility, growth, abundance.
- angelica – strength, inner calm, protection, promotes self confidence.
- birch – fertility, protection.
- cinnamon – brings abundance and prosperity, promotes fertility and good health, swiftness and action, shielding adds fire and speed to any working.
- daisy – fairy magic, love, youth, joy, divination.
- Hawthorne – ancestor and fairy magic.
- ivy – persistence, friendship, marriage, safety, and security.
- jasmine – romance, love, sexual energy, prosperity.
- lavender – peace, calming, beauty, a wonderful treat yo-self herb.
- lemon – purification, cleansing, solar energy.
- Lily of the Valley – healing.
- mint– abundance.
- moss – growth, strength, and just screams fairy energy.
- mugwort – scrying, divination, supports lucid dreaming, astral projection, psychic ability, lust, fertility. (Hallucinogenic. Poisonous in large quantities. Proceed with caution. Burn in a well ventilated area)
- oak – fertility, luck, protection, strength.
- pine – prosperity, good health, fertility, supports persistence.
- red roses – healing, love.
- rose – love, passion, romance, healing.
- thyme – strength, magical power.
- willow – spirit communication, love.
- woodruff – protection, wealth.
- ylang ylang – peace, relaxation, joy, sexuality and sexual desire, erotic energy.
Beltane Crystals and Stones
These crystals and stones are perfect for home and altar decor. They’re also great for infusing your spell work and your day with the energy of Beltane. I don’t recommend putting any crystals directly in water. If you choose to use crystals in baths or elixers, I suggest using an indirect infusion method. Please do your research.
- aragonite – improves energy and self confidence, pushes you toward your goals.
- bloodstone – healing, supports ancestral connection.
- carnelian – healing, protection, creative potential, sexual energy.
- copper – prosperity, well being.
- emerald – Earth energy, birth, creation, renewal, equally stimulating and calming.
- garnet – brings balance, courage, and psychic protection, passion and love, prosperity, abundance.
- gold – wealth, success, abundance, solar energy, strength.
- iron – protects from fairies.
- malachite – emotional stability, protection, inner peace, abundance, opens the heart chakra.
- moss agate – abundance, growth, prosperity, fertility, new beginnings, improves self esteem and positive personal energy.
- rhodonite -compassion, emotional balance, heals trauma, brings nurturing, compassion, and love.
- rose quartz – friendship, self love, nurturing.
- ruby – protection, helps with goal setting, supports dream magic, helps you see that nothing is as it seems at surface level, a great support stone for shadow work.
- smoky quartz – protection, supports transformation, helps you stay open to messages from the universe.
- tree agate – peace, calming, tranquility, self confidence, self examination, forest vibes.
Flavors of Beltane
Any seasonal foods and drinks this time of year make the perfect addition to your Beltane celebration. These are some of the most common suggestions as well as a few of my favorites.
- beef – cattle are sacred to this time and were the center of protective magic at Beltane.
- bone broth – a great use of those meat bones and sooo good for your gut.
- cakes and sweet baked goods – Beltane is all about joy. What better way to feel the love than with sweets? Bonus points for baking with honey, milk, and flowers.
- cherries – love, lust, sexuality.
- chocolate – decadence, sexuality, passion, health.
- fresh seasonal fruits – Readily abundant this time of year. Choose what’s ready for harvest in your area!
- honey – associated with decadence, bees, and fairies.
- milk – represents fertility and a favorite offering for fairies.
- oats and grains – symbols of abundance and fertility.
- oysters – sexuality, passion, feminine energy.
- red and pink wines – passion and joy.
- strawberries – love, lust, and sexuality.
- vanilla – love, romance, passion, peace, comfort.
- watermelon – sexuality, passion, fertility.
What is Beltane? Activities to Bring Magic to Your Samhain Season
Mundane Ways to Celebrate Beltane
Maybe you’re short of time or looking to get skeptical family members involved in Beltane. Perhaps you’re just not super into the witchy aesthetic, or spiritual stuff makes you uncomfortable. These fun activities are just the ticket for helping you reconnect with the cycles of the season without the pressure to include actual spell work.
- Go on a nature walk. If you’ve got kids, let them pick up sticks, leaves, flowers, and acorns. You can bring them home and set up a simple science investigation to help your little witchlings learn about the changing season. My oldest loves looking at everything under a magnifying glass, while the baby loves crunching and squishing whatever she can get her hands on!
- Wear the colors of the season. Go simple with painted nails or a tie. Alternately, go full out with a head to toe Samhain inspired outfit.
- Attend a May Day festival in your community.
- Take a hike through your local woodland areas, and explore all that nature has to offer.
- Spruce up your space and shake off those final lingering traces of winter.
- Host a bonfire to celebrate spring.
- Get creative. Tap into the fertility and abundance of springtime by spending some time working on a creative project that brings you joy.
- Weave ribbons or flowers into your hair for a bit of Beltane flair.
- Go on a picnic with friends or family. Bonus points if you can find a nice spot in your local woods or near a natural body of water.
- Make flower crowns from the abundance of wildflowers available. Make it extra witchy by weaving intentions into the crown.
- Let in the light! Throw open the curtains, doors, and windows to let in the sun, fresh air, and (hopefully) warmth of the season.
- Have a romantic date night with your partner.
- Tend your garden – Look into natural, Earth friendly methods of pest control to keep your blooming garden healthy as we move toward summer harvest.
- Treat yo’ self – Whatever feels decadent, passionate, fiery, joyful, or a little bit extra, now is the time. Beltane is a festival of love and passion, and that includes loving yourself and doing what makes you feel best.
Witchy Ways to Celebrate Beltane
If you want to infuse some magic into your season, these activities are perfect for all you witches at heart.
- Set up your Beltane altar. Include the colors, foods and symbols you have learned about here!
- Host a bonfire. Tap into ancient tradition by lighting up a bonfire or fire pit for Beltane. There are many ways you can use this flame!
- Walk through the smoke of your Beltane fire. This act is considered to be cleansing and protective. In ancient times, cattle and herd animals were often run between two bonfires for protection.
- Jump the Balefire to ensure protection in the coming year. No bonfire? No problem! Light a candle and (carefully!) jump over the flame. Envision the flame protecting and cleansing you from all unwanted energies as we approach summer.
- Bring the Beltane flame inside your home on the night of Beltane. You can do this by extinguishing all flame and light inside your home, and bringing in a flame from your Beltane bonfire to relight your fireplace, or simply turn out all the lights, light a red or orange candle outside, and bring the lit candle inside before turning your lights back on for the night.
- Gather Beltane morning dew from the grass. Use this magical water to annoint your skin and face to bring beauty and sexual attractiveness. You can also do like the Druids did and go roll around in some fresh Beltane morning dew to bring health and happiness, though the neighbors might stare!
- If you have well water, bless your properties well and gather some water first thing in the morning to use in healing magic. Be sure to leave your well spirits an offering!
- Leave offerings to the Fae. The thinning veil means that nature spirits such as fairies are more active at Beltane. Honor this energy by finding a natural spot in your community and leaving offerings of milk, honey, broken crystals, and shiny objects. Alternately, you can offer up an act of service by cleaning up trash from a spot that needs some love. Don’t leave fairies anything with iron in it or anything that pollutes their environment!
- Have your own May bush celebration. Find a tree or bush (ideally on your property if possible). Decorate your May bush with shells and flowers. Tie ribbons loosely to the branches and attach a wish or affirmation to each ribbon. Please take care of your environment! Try to use plant and animal safe materials like paper ribbons or strings made from natural fibers. This way, if they blow away or you forget to take them down, they will naturally biodegrade. Consider it a form of Earth magic!
- Dance around a May Pole. This one is a bit harder to do in your own backyard unless you have a tall tree or flagpole, but it’s definitely a big part of Beltane celebrations. You might be able to find a May Day festival in your community that raises a May pole.
- Partake in some amorous entertainment! Beltane is a celebration of sexuality and fertility, so it’s an idea time to practice sex magic if you feel so inclined. You can partake with or without a partner. If you’re not sexually active, you can still participate in the themes of Beltane with a symbolic act. Plunging a wand into the earth or lighting a candle that’s placed into a cauldron are both symbolic representations of that sexual energy which is so abundant at this time. Exercise caution! There’s a reason that Imbolc is the season of birth.
- Celebrate your love with a hand fasting. If you’re planning a witchy or pagan wedding, consider a hand fasting. In many paces, these rituals can be legally observed marriages. In other areas, they add a nice symbolic touch to the ceremony.
- Get crafty and make lavender wands or priapic wands with pinecone tips.
- Lay protections along the borders of your property to keep your home safe and honor the themes of boundaries and in-between spaces present at Beltane.
- Gather and burn the 9 sacred woods. Check out this poem to learn about the 9 woods and their functions.
- Nine woods in the cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow.Birch into the fire goes, to represent what the Lady knows.Oak gives the forest might, in the fire brings the Goddess insight.Rowan is the tree of power, causing life and magic to flower.Willows at the waterside stand, to aid the journey to the Summerland.Hawthorn is burned to purify, and draw fairy to your eye.Hazel, the tree of wisdom and learning, adds its strength to the bright fire burning.White are the flowers of the apple tree, that brings us the fruits of fertility.Grapes that grow upon the vine, giving us both joy and wine.Fir does mark the evergreen, to represent immortality unseen.Elder is the Lady’s tree, burn it not, or cursed you’ll be.
Divination for the Season
Just like with Samhain, at Beltane, the veil is once again paper thin. That makes this time of year ideal for all forms of spirit communication. Simply choose your favorite! Here are a few forms of divination that I find especially powerful this time of year.
- Pull out your favorite tarot or oracle deck. If you have a fairy themed deck, now is the time to use it!
- Cast runes made of wood.
- Try your hand at fire scrying. You can do this with candles or your Beltane bonfire.
- Ogham rods
- Flower divination – You know, the old “he loves me, he loves me knot” flower petal game from our childhoods? Totally rooted in witchcraft.
Beltane Spell Ideas for Seasonal Magic
Whether you have loads of time for an elaborate ritual, or you’re a busy witch with no spare time, you’ll find spell ideas here to perfectly suit your needs and bring in the themes of Beltane.
- Fertility Spells
- Healing Magic
- Fire Spells
- Self Care and self love Rituals
- Protection Magic
- Cleansing Magic
- Home Protection Spells
- Sex Magic
- Knot magic
- Cord magic
- Weaving spells
- Love spells
- Seed paper spells
- Love and healing potions
- Scripting and vision board manifestation
- Creative or artistic spellwork (Casting through art, music, and dance)
Spirits and Deities of Beltane
Samhain is the time of year for maiden goddesses and lusty gods of fertility. Here are a few examples to guide your research if deity work interests you. This list is NOT exhaustive and really only scratches the surface.
Goddesses
- Artemis – Greek goddess of the moon, the hunt, and the forest.
- Bestet – Egyptian goddess of fertility.
- Chloris – Green goddess of flowers.
- Flora – Celtic goddess of flowers, vegetation, and fertility.
- Hera – Greek goddess of marriage and conception.
- Juno – Roman goddess of marriage
- Maia – Greek goddess of spring and growth.
- Xochiquetzal – Aztec goddess of spring and fertility, patron goddess of prostitutes and craftsmen.
Gods
- Apollo – Roman god of the sun
- Belanus – Celtic god of fountains, health, and pastures
- Bes – Egyptian home protector god
- Cernunnos – ancient Celtic god of nature, flora, fauna, and fertility, often represented with antlers or horns similar to the Horned God.
- The Horned God – the male deity in Wiccan traditions who dies and goes to the underworld during this time
- Janus – the Roman god of beginnings and endings
- Kokopelli – Hopi fertility god of spring.
- The Fae. That paper thin veil means you might have an easier time connecting with fairy energy.
- The Sidhe – mischievous fairy-like spirits said to come out during this time and wreak havoc on people’s dairy cattle.
- The Green Man – symbol of growth, fertility, abundance, and rebirth
- The Oak King – In Wiccan tradition, the Oak King rules of the light half of the year and succumbs to the Holly King at the summer solstice.
- Sheela-na-Gig – representation of a believed pre-Christian goddess of sex and fertility.
How Do You Celebrate Beltane?
As you can see, Beltane can mean so many different things to each of us. You have a lot of options to make your Beltane magical! It all just depends on what rings true and what lines up with our surroundings.
What is your favorite way to celebrate Beltane? Do you have any traditions I didn’t mention here? I’d love to hear about them!
So, what is Beltane to you?
