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It’s that time of year! Let’s learn how to celebrate Beltane!
We celebrate Wiccan sabbats, or holidays, on eight occasions throughout the year. Beltane is a sabbat falling within the month of May. It occurs when day and night are equal and the harvest is mid-way.
Celebrate Beltane with rituals of love. Make love in this season of fertility and honor the sacred feminine. Decorate yourself and your home with flowers, dance around a maypole, and build bonfires. Celebrate new unions handfastings, and bless crops for the summer.
In this article we will explain more in depth about the Wiccan sabbats, in particular the sabbat of Beltane. We’ll discuss what it is and how to celebrate Beltane!
Wheel of the Year
Each sabbat represents a spoke in the Wheel of the Year
which is the Wiccan yearly cycle. Both the Wheel of the Year and its sabbats are rooted in storied pagan traditions.
Each sabbat falls on a seasonal marker based on the positions of the moon and sun.
To talk about the passing of time, Wiccans refer to the turning of the Wheel. The occurrence of sabbats, and the turning of the wheel, are used to stay in tune with the Earth’s natural rhythms.
They allow us to reflect on the cycle of life, and express gratitude to the God and Goddess.
The eight sabbats are Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, and Mabon.
Celebrating Sabbats
You can easily participate in these storied holidays and become at one with the Earth.
Sabbats can certainly be celebrated alone, especially if you are a solitary practitioner. There are many rituals which can be done by yourself, introspection you can perform, and ways you can adorn your altar at home.
Sabbats can also be celebrated as a group. This can your coven or with fellow witches. However it can also be celebrated with friends and family who are not Wiccan.
For example, if you’d like to celebrate the harvest by feasting and showing gratitude, what better way to do that then to assemble some close friends and family!
Even non-Wiccans like to feast regardless of the reason! So for those solitaries whose family doesn’t know that they’re Wiccan, this is a great way to avoid celebrating alone.
How to Celebrate Beltane
Beltane is a sabbat that occurs around May 1 and it is halfway between the spring equinox (Ostara) and summer solstice (Litha). It’s the halfway point between spring and summer.
Beltane is a joyful time and represents the marriage and union of the Goddess and God. It’s a time of fertility, believed to be the most sexually charged and fertile time of the year, given by greenery blooming and the start of the planting cycle.
A common symbol you may recognize of Beltane is the phallic maypole (double meaning intended!).
There are many ways to celebrate Beltane!
Flowers
Wear flower crowns, carry flower baskets, decorate with ribbons.
Bonfires
Build ceremonial bonfires. Jump over the flames (safely!) or walk between two bonfires.
Making Love
Make love in this season of fertility.
Romance and Love
Not just for fertility, engage in romance, love, sensuality, pleasure, and all forms of intimacy.
Maypole
Dance around a maypole.
Purification
Perform purification spells.
Unions and Handfastings
Celebrate unions by attending weddings and handfastings. Or be part of one yourself!
Bless Crops
Bless the coming harvest for the summer.
Celebrate The Female
Perform fertility rituals and honor the energy of the sacred feminine. Also celebrate female ancestors, family, and friends.
Beltane Correspondences
Color Correspondences
- Red
- White
Herbal Correspondences
- Daisy
- Linden
- Primrose
- Willow
- Lilac
- Rowan
- Honeysuckle
Crystal Correspondences
- Sapphire
- Heliotrope
Deity Correspondences
- Aphrodite
- Cupid
- Venus
- Diana
- Flora
- Eros
- Freya
- Cernunnos
- Faunus
- Pan
Animal Correspondences
- Rabbits
Magick Correspondences
- Fertility and rebirth
- Lust and sensuality
- Love and marriage
- Hedonism and pleasure
- Youth
Conclusion
I hope this has given you a good background on Wiccan sabbats, the sabbat of Beltane, what it means, and how to celebrate it! Click below to get more helpful information about other Wiccan sabbats.
And for a wider overview of Wiccan sabbats, visit our comprehensive guide to the Wheel of the Year.
