Beltane Blessings

By Steven D. Farmer Ph.D.

May, 2004

Here I am with my wife, Doreen, in Glastonbury, England, a magical, mystical land, where legends and lore abound. We're here for a few days on a break from our tour of the U.K., and also to celebrate her birthday. There's a crystal shop on nearly every corner, vegetarian cafes sprinkled here and there, and other shops filled with artifacts to fulfill various new age tastes. Or should I say old age, as many of the metaphysical arts that are supported and honored here are ancient traditions drawn from ancestral times, when the Celts and Anglo-Saxons roamed this land.

Some of the people here dress as they might have several centuries ago, or as if there were one continuous Renaissance Faire going on. Throughout the week there are drumming circles, goddess events, meditation circles, and a few yoga classes, some with unpronounceable brand names. Nearby is the Chalice Well, a sacred spot where two types of water run, one clear and the other slightly red. It's said that the waters of this well are healing, and people come from all over the world to partake of its therapeutic properties.

Next to Chalice Well is the Tor, a conical shaped hill where people have been coming for over 10,000 years. At the pinnacle is St. Michael's Church, a stone spire that can be seen for miles around. It's a bit of trek to climb, 531 feet to be specific, but well worth it. The top can be reached by a concrete walk or by a rather elaborate labyrinth that winds its way back and forth, eventually finding its way to the summit. From there you overlook rolling hills and grassy valleys that stretch as far as the eye can see, with sheep and cows scattered amongst the surrounding farms, the animals all looking quite healthy and happy to have considerable acreage on which to roam and to munch.

May 1 is a traditional Celtic holiday called Beltane (what most of us think of as May Day), officially marking the true beginning of summer, June 21 being considered mid-summer in the temperate zones of the northern hemisphere. The following is what I had written about Beltane in Sacred Ceremony:

Beltane / May Day (May 1-2)

The flowers are in full bloom, passions are running high, the heavenly energy descends, and the earthly energy rises. All around is abundant life, as the light gets brighter and the days get warmer and longer. Spring is melting into summer and the name Beltane, which means "brilliant fire," accurately describes the increasing presence of the light. The nights are shorter, so you'll typically be sleeping less and spending more time awake during the longer days. If you're not already doing so, make it a point to spend some time outdoors each and every day.

It's the season of Mother's Day and the sacred marriage of the May King and the May Queen. The fertility of the King and Queen is reflected in the land, crops, animals and people. It's also another one of those quarter days where the early peoples lit a bonfire, which served the purpose not only for cooking the feasts and providing light and warmth, but also for blessings, healings, fertility, and preventing diseases. A Celtic tradition was to "leap the Beltane fires," which was for good luck and the fulfillment of wishes. It was also to heat up one's loins and carnal desires, since this was also an intensely erotic time.
It's the season for the Maypole and for May baskets. The dance around the Maypole honors the life-giving fertility of the Earth. In days gone by men and women would dance in a spiral while holding colorful ribbons, moving ever closer to the middle, where not only the ribbons intertwined, but their bodies would mingle as well. This rite was also an elaborate form of foreplay during this season where lusty passion was unabashedly expressed.

Although we were scheduled to return to London on April 30, when we learned that there was to be a Beltane celebration at Chalice Wells, including a chance to jump the Beltane fires, we arranged to stay an extra day to join with others in the festivities at 5AM on May 1. Doreen and I picked out some appropriate ceremonial dress as a means of preparing for this ancient and time-honored ceremony, one that not only connects us with the cycle of seasons, but also with our ancestral heritage.

On Beltane Eve we joined with several others at the local Goddess Temple to participate in a ceremony to honor the goddess Rhiannon, who in Celtic lore was the one who could transverse the three worlds: the underworld, middle world, and the upper world. It was a festive and lively event, with the room being decorated with various symbols of the goddess, and in the middle a maypole. We were invited to share a strawberry with whoever was there that we loved, whether lover or friend. The only rule was that we had to publicly declare our love as we passed a single strawberry to the loved one, and the loved one could not touch it except with their mouth. In some instances, it was mouth to mouth, a very sensuous gesture that was reflective and symbolic of this very sensual holy-day. I was eager to participate, so after the first couple of people declared out loud their love for another, I took a strawberry from one of the bowls, pulled out the stem, turned to Doreen and proclaimed, "I declare my love for you, Doreen!" With the strawberry between my teeth, I gave her a "strawberry kiss," and we shared in a delightful morsel of these fruits of nature.

Following this we sang and danced around the maypole, which further enhanced the celebratory nature of the ceremony. Then we gathered in the courtyard, and here was the first opportunity to leap the Beltane fire, as the sponsors had established a fire in a small metal cistern. Couples were invited to jump the fire together as a way of consecrating their relationship for another year, which Doreen and I did with gusto.

A short nights sleep and up at 3:30AM (!!) to first walk up the Tor, then join the ceremony at Chalice Well at 5AM. We'd heard that there was to be ceremony at the top of the Tor around 4AM, and although we couldn't confirm it, we took our chances and thought that at least we'd get some exercise! Two people told us that the local Druids ran ceremony from sunset to sunrise, so we wanted to get there before the sun came up and check it out.

Even though this day, May 1, was the actual first day of summer, the weather certainly didn't act like it. We'd heard it described as typical English weather-gray and misty-although as we began our trek, I was grateful that it wasn't raining as it had been the past three days. The first part of the ascent was under a canopy of trees, and as the sun hadn't risen, it was very dark there. A figure loomed ahead. Was it a druid? A mugger? My instinct told me there was no real threat, and turned out to be accurate, as we passed a fellow who had paused for a rest while climbing the Tor.

Once we neared the top, we could hear others at the base of the tower, but could only make out elusive shapes. There they were! As we approached, we could see that it was a circle of about six people doing their own variation of ritual by passing some sort of lit cigarette around the group. We greeted them, then made our way to the leeward side of the church, out of the biting cold wind. Another figure was lying there, apparently in a sleeping bag. Doreen commented that she heard a didgeridoo, and for a moment perhaps we were listening in on some other ceremony that someone was doing nearby. On second listen, we realized it was the fellow in the sleeping bag snoring! A few more minutes passed and no druids and no other ceremonies, so we made our way down to Chalice Well and joined about 200 others in celebration there.

It was a precious ceremony, starting with each of us placing a lit candle in the pools of the Vessica Piscis (two intersecting circles of stone) to symbolize the merging of fire and water, then moving to an area called simply the Meadow. Here we welcomed the sun with our arms out as one of the facilitators offered a blessing prayer, then moved our bodies to a drumbeat that grounded the light in our bodies and in the earth.

From here we moved to Cress Field, where the wood for the bonfire and a smaller fire were ready to be lit. All of us were told that the smaller fire was for jumping rather than the larger one. Another blessing was offered, the fires were lit, and once the smaller one had settled somewhat, people began jumping. Some leapt the fires individually, and others with their partners or family. Doreen and I once again took part, sealing our vows still further.

As the fires were being ignited, I looked around, not knowing what year it was, feeling absorbed in a timeless dimension. Everyone around me felt like my friend, as if we had all gathered here before. Many of the men wore colorful capes, and the women flowing linen gowns and headdresses. Perhaps we all had done this together, lifetimes ago.

Not only did I feel a profound connection to the earth, but also an intense bond and deep respect for my ancestors, who I knew had done this same type of ceremony over hundreds of years. It's the type of seasonal and communal celebration that our souls yearn for, and here I was with my lifemate, welcoming the increasing warmth of the sun, the fullness of the light, and the flourishing of Mother Nature.

In this timeless space, all is well and right with the world.
And Summer has arrived.