Danu's Cauldron: Wisewoman's Ways, and Wild Fey Magic

Living in a sacred landscape, walking between the worlds in the veil of Avalon Glastonbury. Where the old gods roam the hills, and the sidhe dance beneath the moon...wander into the mists with me and let us see what we may find...

  • Home
    Home This is where you can find all the blog posts throughout the site.
  • Tags
    Tags Displays a list of tags that have been used in the blog.
  • Bloggers
    Bloggers Search for your favorite blogger from this site.
  • Login
    Login Login form

Beltane Magic

The 1st of May marks the ancient Celtic fire festival of Beltane, once honoured on the 5th of May, or the nearest full moon when the hawthorn is in blossom. The Beltane season is traditionally a time of lovers and the sensual, erotic lure of nature as new life bursts forth all around us and the promise of summer unfolding ahead of us raises both our spirits and our life force. Ancient festivities for Beltane included leaping the Beltane fire to receive the blessing of the sun god Bel to mark this rise in our vigour. But this is also a time traditionally related to the sacred marriage, the union of the god and the goddess of the land to bring us all fertility for the coming year- partaking in the 'rites of May'- heading off into the woods and the wild to spend the night with your lover at this time was in many ways an established custom all across Europe for hundreds of years, and is mentioned in Shakespeare's 'A midsummer night's dream' as an explanation for the lovers disarray when they are discovered.   

Beltane and May Day lore always involves some kind of dissolution into our primal selves, where every man and woman may embody the divine for a while and partake of this sacred marriage within our own souls as well as with sexual partners. Traditions from adorning and worshipping at the phallic maypole, and crowning a May Queen to represent the old pagan fertility goddesses remain a fixed feature of many May Day celebrations in the modern era, but stranger ones such as the Cornish Padstow Obby Oss have also survived and seen a passionate revival in modern times, reminding us of the inherent chaos and wildness of the season- beneath all the May Day fairs and village cake competitions there is still a suggestion of something strange afoot- this is a spirit time, when forces beyond our everyday world may still make themselves felt.

Faery rades or 'rides' - when the spirits of the Celtic Otherworlds as well as the spirits of nature; trees and rivers and storms, and the ancient ancestors, were all said to be able to roam freely at this time. Like its dark sister, Samhain or Halloween at the opposite point of the year, Beltane is a time when in our folktales and oral lore fate seems to make itself known, and can divert us from our preconceived plans and ideas, leaving the trace of spirit across our consciousness and changing us forever, forcing us into new growth with the blossoms on the bough. 

Here are some ways to embrace the season

Choose this time to honour the divinity within yourself- male or female, remember your primal infinite self and honour your own soul. What do you really want from your life? Who are you beyond your every day obligations? This may be tricky to answer, but playing with your self image and pre-conceived ideas about how you feel you should behave in your life can open up new possibilities.

Take some time out in nature, and be silent, just breathing in the air. What can you see? What can you hear? Look for signs of new life all around you and get your bare feet on some earth to draw in the special life force present in nature at this time. Walking barefoot on grass is excellent for our health and psychic well being, but a barefoot walk in the woods as a sacred act is even better. Earthing and rejuvenating it also teaches us mindfulness and how to be fully present in the moment, as well as revealing how capable we are in our own bodies when we pay attention to our surroundings.

You may wish to make a Beltane altar, with two candles to represent the goddess and the god, the May Queen and Jack in the Green, Robin Hood and Maid Marian- the names for this divine couple are endless so visualise them in a way which suits your tastes and inner promptings. Decorate your altar with fresh flowers, blossom  and budding branches, and spend some time in meditation in front of it, asking in your own words for the blessings of the season to come to your home and your life.

For a simple love spell, take a green or pink candle, anoint it with rose oil and inscribe a heart upon it. Light it at dusk on Beltane eve, and recite the following

' Lover I call you to me, whoever you may be. You who could know and honour my heart, you who I could love and honour in return, with it harming none, I call you to me, and blessed be.'  Leave the candle somewhere safe. As the candle burns and is transformed into light, so the magic will shine out into the world and draw your lover to you.

However you mark Beltane this year, let it be a time to rediscover something natural and magical within your everyday life, and discover the beauty of the divine within you.

Blessed Be!         

©danuforest 2016

www.danuforest.co.uk

a1sx2_Thumbnail1_1112_original_20160429-212127_1.jpga1sx2_Thumbnail1_61KITc3R9L.__20150330-173517_1.jpga1sx2_Thumbnail1_druid-shaman-cover.jpg

 

a1sx2_Thumbnail1_download-18.jpga1sx2_Thumbnail1_1112_original.jpga1sx2_Thumbnail5_Magical-Year-Ebooks_Autumn.jpga1sx2_Thumbnail1_Magical-Year-Ebooks_Winter.jpga1sx2_Thumbnail1_Magical-Year-Ebooks_Spring.jpg

 

 

Last modified on
Danu Forest is a wisewoman in the Celtic Bean Feasa tradition of her Irish ancestors. You could call her many things- witch, seer, walker between the worlds, healer, druid, priestess, teacher, writer, gardener, herbwife, stargazer, faery friend, tree planter, poet, and wild woman. Danu lives in a cottage near Glastonbury Tor in the midst of the Avalon lakes, in the southwest of England. Exploring the Celtic mysteries for over 25 years, and noted for her quality research, practical experience, as well as her deep love of the land, Danu writes for numerous national and international magazines and is the author of several books including Wild Magic, The Druid Shaman, Celtic Tree Magic, Gwyn ap Nudd and The Magical Year'. She teaches regular workshops and online courses and is available for consultations, including healings readings and other ceremonies.

Comments

Additional information