Origin (possibilities)

1. possible connections to the Roman festival of Floralia
2. named for Irish fire-god Belenus

Meaning

1. May Day
2. Bright fire
3. Sacred fire
4. Bel-fire
5. Feast of the god Bel

Date

1. April 30th (May eve)
2. May 1st
3. April 28th – May 2nd
4. first full moon after May 1st
5. when the sun reaches 15 degrees of the zodiac sign (Taurus)

Name

1. Beltane
2. Beltaine
3. Bealtaine
4. Bealltainn
5. Roodmass
6. Walpurgisnacht

Traditions

1. lighting the Beltain fire
2. hanging May Boughs on doors and windows
3. giving May Baskets of flowers
4. driving cattle between two fires
5. walking between, or jumping over, the fires
6. gathering flowers as a (romantic) couple
7. sacred orgies to bring fertility to the land
8. honoring love, lust & fertility deities
9. feasting
10. dancing the maypole
11. drinking May wine (white wine, lemon slices, sweet woodruff)
12. love & lust spells
13. a “Great Rite,” or sexual act done in a scared space
14. selecting a May King & May Queen
15. joining a chalice & blade to symbolize the Great Rite of the Lord & Lady
16. planting something
17. burying a magickally charged crystal
18. making a “may gad,” a mini maypole made from a branch and wrapped with ribbons symbolizing wishes
19. pouring milk onto the ground
20. dancing

Powers

1. fertility
2. luck
3. abundant milk
4. new growth
5. purification
6. transition
7. protection from spirits
8. abundance
9. sexual desire

Flowers

1. roses
2. tulips
3. daisies
4. lavender
5. hibiscus
6. violets
7. columbines
8. hyacinths
9. jasmine
10. orchids
11. pansies

Herbs

1. patchouli
2. rosemary
3. thyme
4. sweet basil
5. cinnamon sticks
6. juniper
7. lady’s mantle
8. peppermint
9. willow
10. yarrow
11. dill
12. lemongrass

Deities

1. Aphrodite
2. Astarte
3. Belenus
4. Cernunnos
5. Flora
6. Freya
7. Pan
8. Venus

The above lists are not meant to be all inclusive by any means. I can not even imagine the time and research needed for such a project, especially when this small article took me more than 5 hours! Plus, I doubt it could have be fully complete. In any event, ths should give you enough info, and plenty of possible ideas, for your own uses. May you have a blessed Beltane!

~Anyanka

Information for this article was collected from, and checked against, the following sources: Llewellyn’s Sabbats Almanac, A Witches’ Bible by Janet and StewartFarrar, The Encyclopedia of Wicca and Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi, Witchvox article by Peg Aloi, Wikipedia.com, and (as always!) personal knowledge. You can purchase copies of these and other related books, plus a variety of sabbat tools, by visiting our web store.

I found two especially divine quotes in Llewellyn’s Sabbats 2009/2010 Almanac:
“When lovers come together in passion, the energy between them builds and builds, and becomes a tangible force that is much greater than the sum of its two (or more!) parts. Sexuality is sacred to Pagans because it honors and celebrates life and love, and in doing so, serves the life force.” ~Thuri Calafia
and
“Family covens should look around and in nature seek the reassurance of the God and Goddess. If together through their sacred marriage the Divine Couple can provide enough for the entire planet at this time of year, then surely the representations of the God and Goddess in a family coven can find a way to provide for their own charges.” ~ Lydia M. Crabtree

The Witches Cupboard

Related posts:

1. Ostara 2010 – History and Rituals

A wonderful way to celebrate the potent energies of this time, is with cleansing, clearing and planting. Both literally and spiritually. Clean your house, car, office, wherever you spend your time. Freeing these places of clutter and unnecessary items does wonders for one’s psyche, allowing you to reclaim the energy being diverted to these areas. This will help you with your more personal cleansing. Next, clear your spaces of negative energy. Use a smudge stick or incense if possible. In the case of an office you may not be comfortable smudging, so do your best to mentally bag the bad energies and toss them out a window! Next, make yourself a cleansing ritual bath. While bathing, envision yourself expelling all negative energy, bad habits and repelling energy zapping people (AKA psychic vampires.) Fill yourself with a white-gold light, relax into it, hold this vision until you know it has served its purpose.

Planting can also be literal or figurative. Plant a garden, pot a plant, or even plant a single seed. On a personal level, plant the mental seeds for goals you wish to accomplish, and dreams you wish to fulfill, over the coming months. Start a journal, or even just make a list. Check things off, and even add or refine items, as the year progresses. The time of rest that winter brought has drawn to a close, time to get cracking!

Activities:

• Have an Ostara egg hunt!
• Plant a seed.
• Eat an egg imbibed with a desire.
• Clean out your house/car/office/etc.
• Smudge your living areas to clear negative energy.
• Make hot cross buns.
• Make a feast of in season local foods.
• Start a goal journal for the upcoming season.

Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments section. Bright Blessings to one and all, and Happy Ostara!

~Anyanka

Make your Ostara list, then head on over to The Witches Cupboard store to stock up on needed supplies!

Related posts:

1. Beltane – History & Rituals
2. Author Isaac Bonewits passes over to the Summerlands (1949 – 2010)