(inspired by the Beltane Season of 2017)
The Beltane Season is upon us!
At Beltane, we welcome the Lover and Beloved, the Creator and Creatrix, the God and Goddess. Come along on a journey across the veils into a realm of high creativity and imagination.
Beltane is a Celtic High Holy Day at the height of Spring, gateway into the hot sultry summer months, at the midway point between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice (and opposite Samhain). It is one of eight High Holy Days that mark points of power around the Wheel of the Year. It is a celebration of passion, life, beauty and sensuality. The Earth is quickening. Power is stirring. Magic is afoot.
We celebrate Calendar Beltane on May 1, Solar Beltane when the Sun stations at 15 degrees Taurus, and Lunar Beltane when the Sun is in Taurus and the Full Moon is in Scorpio. As the Moon reaches fullness, she is exactly opposite the Sun, reflecting its radiance. Taurus is a sign of earthy sensuality, pleasure, patience, attentive listening and waiting. Scorpio, on the other hand, is watery, dark, and secretive; interested in sex, death, money and power - all the taboo subjects! We are invited to play in this dynamic at Beltane.
As a fire festival, Beltane is traditionally honored by lighting bonfires in joyous ceremony. People would gather around the fire and dance themselves into ecstasy. Couples would leap over the fire hand-in-hand before frolicking off into the woods to make love through the night. This was seen as a form of sympathetic magic to encourage the fecundity of the land and animals! All would be intoxicated by the promise of warm golden days, sultry nights and fruitful harvests.
Celebrating in this way is uplifting for the human spirit, especially after a long dark winter (metaphorically and actually). There are times in life when we give up on our passions, and the great bonfires of desire cool to embers. It is here in the space between darkness and light, sleeping and waking, that we can tap into the inner wisdom of our dreams, and begin the journey of embodying them once more. Through this shift of attention, we become lovers of the inner and outer worlds, bridges between them, in touch with the full spectrum of ecstasy from grief to praise.
Through love, we become more vulnerable, powerful and compassionate in our thoughts and actions. Through love, we become vessels of creativity and Truth. Through love, we become conscious warriors because we know deep in our heart the value of life, from birth to death. Through love, we become.
Who is the Lover for you?
Who is the Beloved for you?
How do you embody the Lover and Beloved?
What does it mean to be a Lover of the World?
How can we truly, deeply come to love ourselves and each other?
May we all remember.
So, let’s gather around the fire and share our heart’s desires. Let’s come together and welcome the rapture and passion of love that brings in new life. Let’s celebrate all that is Beauty, Love & Magic above and below, within and without. Through our radiance, we bless the world.
In this Beltane season, we turn towards the light half of the year, the fruitful time. We reclaim the alchemical power of Eros and Sacred Union; we dream and awaken to our creative and life-enhancing powers as embodied beings. May we honor the thriving of future generations and remember the Great Mother Earth, Gaia, Pachamama, our home. We are in this together, and no one can be free unless everyone is free. This is it, Beloveds. Enjoy.
Blessed Beltane,
Jennifer
* It is in devotion to the Great Mystery that I share a taste of Beltane Magic. This musing is part of a Beltane Booklet (available when you subscribe to receive newsletters/updates on www.beautyloveandmagic.com) and gives homage to the Beauty, Love & Magic inherent in this powerful time of the year.
* The Guided Meditation this week is a Beltane Blessing. You can find it and become a patron of Beauty Love & Magic on www.patreon.com/beautyloveandmagic