No matter what’s going on in the world, it can never extinguish the fire of life. In fact, tough times can bring out the best in us if we’re up for the challenge. Beltane, the Celtic fire festival honoring life and the peak of spring, is on May 1. It reminds us that growth is all around us and that we are growing. It may not look or feel like what we’re used to, but the inner fire in each of us is awakening in a new way. And outside, nature is blooming without any hesitation. I named this blog “5 Ways to Celebrate Beltane – The Inextinguishable Fire” because the creative life spark in each of us is indestructible. The form does change, but there is no question we go on.
Beltane is one of my favorite holidays because it’s SEXY! It’s wildly hedonistic and overflowing with passion, creativity, and fun. All the symbols of Beltane are sexy, right down to the ritual way the Beltane fire is lit – by striking two pieces of wood together, rubbing until the sparks fly. This is a celebration of fertility, abundance, sex, and everything beautiful on Earth. Above all else, it celebrates Life. Beltane embodies nature’s oldest love story – the sacred union of God and Goddess; Masculine and Feminine; Earth and Sky. According to ancient lore, the two have been separated all winter long, and their reunion on Beltane is celebrated with food, drink, and multi-colored maypoles, which symbolize the feminine wrapping itself around the masculine. The world comes alive in color to acknowledge their love.
Yes, Beltane is about sex and our sexual nature, but that’s just one expression of our ability to birth life. Beltane stands for all the ways we ignite our inner fire to manifest creative forms. It symbolizes conception and its energy supports and encourages bringing your ideas, hopes, and dreams into action. Like Samhain, Imbolc, and Lammas, Beltane is also a cross-quarter festival – a time when the veil between the realms is thin. This is also a good time to communicate with the spirit world, especially nature spirits.
Celebrations of all kinds are taking on new forms these days, but it’s not stopping us from connecting with each other and carrying our traditions forward. Beltane is all about creativity anyway, and just like sex, the same position gets boring. No doubt you know what suits you best, but here are some ideas to get you inspired. I hope you’ll find new ways to celebrate Beltane and the precious gift of life, not just today but every day.
5 Ways to Celebrate Beltane
1. Build a sacred fire and dance around it. There are lots of ways to work with fire. In the old days, Beltane celebrations included bonfires, but that’s not practical or legal in most cases. So, this is the perfect time for candle magic. You might sing, get playful, even lose some (or all) of your clothing. Beltane is fiery and earthy which means a little indulgence can really get you in the mood. The whole point is to get “turned on,” whatever that means and looks like for you.
2. Write a Beltane blessing for yourself, your partner, family, or friends. Words carry our thoughts, ideas, feelings, and intentions. What words would you choose to describe the beauty of nature, the amazing way your body can move and respond to touch, and the joy of creating a life with those you love? If you like to draw, add images or symbols to your words for even more magic. If you’re part of a creative community, you might create a blessing together – each person contributing a line or image. Co-creation is super powerful!
3. Decorate your space or create an altar in vibrant, living color. We’re surrounded by the beauty and bounty of Mother Earth. Go on a nature walk and collect leaves, rocks, and blossoms. Use roses and flowers in every shade imaginable. Bring out your gems and minerals in all their colors and shapes. Carnelian is a wonderful choice for enhancing creativity and passion. Craft your own mini sacred maypole using found wood, rainbow ribbons, and top it with a quartz point or another beautiful gem from your collection. Place this on your altar to represent the eternal dance of Divine Masculine and Feminine. Remember, Beltane is a celebration of life. When you arrange your things with intention, they become more alive and awaken new life in you.
4. Love up the Earth. Beltane is earthy and sensual. It invites you to enjoy nature, and getting outside is the best way to do it. Something magical happens when you’re standing or sitting on the Earth. You naturally engage in an energetic exchange with our planet. For you, it releases tension and burdens and restores your spirit. For the planet, it brings more peace and healing as you shift into a more grounded and positive vibration. If you do this consciously, it’s exponentially beneficial. So, get out there and lean against a tree, reach your arms to the sky, smell a flower, listen to the birds.
5. Bring your inner garden into the world. Ask yourself, and your guides, what it would look like for the garden of your soul to burst fully into bloom here on Earth. Imagine a thousand of your dreams like flowers springing up everywhere you look. What would it be like to let your soul fire lead the way, guiding you like a torch through any darkness? Visualize your inner fire and blooming garden in as much detail as possible and then get to work on making those visualizations come to life. Hold these abundant images in your mind and heart and affirm how good you feel in your garden – how good it feels to be in alignment with yourself. You are powerful beyond your imagination. If you desire it, it shall be.
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