I’m not going to lie, writing this post has been harder than I thought it would, considering how much I love Beltane. With the symbolism, history, flowers, and fresh feeling in the air, it’s typically a wonderful time for me.  

Whilst I have still enjoyed those things, there has been a bit of melancholy with it this year. Taylor and I lost our maternal grandmother this past week on her birthday, and every time I went to write anything at all I felt as if nothing good would come of it, So I couldn’t bring myself to do it.  

Instead, I have spent the last several days going on walks, working on crafts, and sitting in sunny patches at parks trying to remind myself that I do still love the Universe and there’s good things in it. Which is, ironically, in a weird twist of fate, something I try to do at Beltane anyways. Albeit for a different reason. It just seemed fitting though. I needed to be outside, and my grandma loved flowers. 

In another coincidence, our Paternal Grandmother’s Birthday is actually on Beltane, so this was usually a time the I already spent reflecting somewhat on loved ones I missed, the ache just a little less raw with time.  

The more I reflected on the last few days, the more I felt better about Beltane this year. We even finally got some sunshine this weekend, it was the first truly clear sky and warm day I think we’ve had in months. And that is something I think they both would have appreciated. So, I decided to dedicate Beltane this year to my grandmas. 

To Esther and Norma; the nurturing and wonderful women that they were.  

Beltane is an old Holiday, dating back to pre-Christian era Ireland and Scotland. Our earliest records of Beltane date back to 908 AD, which suggest even then that the holiday was an old and significant one. Like many people of the time, Ireland and Scotland divided the year into two parts: Winter and Summer. Winter began at Samhain (Nov 1) and Summer began at Beltane (May 1).  

This was a time the veil between our realm and the faerie realm was thinner. On May Eve, both witches and fae would run loose and extra precautions had to be taken against their enchantments. It was a time to bless homes, light bonfires, dance around maypoles, feast, and invoke ancient practices that promote fertility.  

The word Beltane originates from the Celtic word for Baal or bel, meaning ‘Bright One’ also known as Firefall, Calan Mai or May Day. Beltane had a heavy focus on sexuality and fertility. Children conceived during Beltane (and hence born at Imbolc) were believed to belong to the Goddess and were often referred to as ‘merry-be-gots’. These Children supposedly have a closer connection to the faerie realm and were believed to be able to see things that others could not. Whilst the veil was thinner between worlds on Beltane, it was a common superstition that the spirits of Beltane were thought to be looking for reincarnation or sexual intercourse and you may not truly know if who you met in the woods that day was who you truly thought it was.     

My favorite ways to celebrate Beltane include: 

1. Refreshing your Altar

For Beltane, think flowers and greenery, especially yellow flowers. Floral Candles, or candles in yellows and pinks are good additions.  Good colors to incorporate are Reds, Greens, Yellows and golds especially. set and refresh your alter with specific intentions. If you are looking for stones to incorporate- turn to bloodstone, emerald, orange carnelian, and Rose Quartz. common symbols are goats, rabbits, baskets, bees, and cows. 

2. Host a bonfire

This can be done solo in your own home or hearth if you are an introvert, but it was traditionally a major feast day that was about bounty and harvest and planting. I would encourage you to get a group of friends or family together and enjoy your evening bonfire, maybe roast some marshmallows. If you want to go the whole nine traditional yards, you can try leaping over the embers once they have burned down (I would of course suggest this with the greatest of caution, and don’t do anything stupid or dangerous).  

3. Go flower picking, arrange bouquets, make flower crowns

Fill your home with spring blooms and greenery, and make sure to give thanks to mother nature for her beauty.  

4. Have a Maypole Celebration

Some towns still host these, if not- be the person to bring them back. This was traditionally done as part of the community feast, dancing and playing music. It’s a fun past time and great for building community.  

5. Perform a meditative Ritual

At Beltane this typically focuses on the female energy (this does not exclude you menfolk). Light a candle and sit quietly with your eyes closed. let the light fill you up and focus during your meditation on those more feminine aspects of yourself; Your gentler, more nurturing side. your instinct to grow and care for others. your sometimes wrathful side. What of those aspects help you in your day to day? Which parts of that bring you strength during your day? Which parts would you like to maybe work on or strengthen? Spend a few minutes writing down your affirmations for the upcoming season. Things you want to focus on but also things that are currently positive in your life. Close your ceremony by burning the paper to seal your intentions.  

6. Prepare a May Basket

In older days, people would put together baskets of flowers, treats, home good products they made themselves within their community and hang them on the doors of neighbors or friends to share their bounty. Plus, it’s fun to give.  

7. Prepare your Beltane Feast

This one is self-explanatory- but food is my love language so I’m going to explain anyways. Beltane was one of the major feast days. The easiest, most important thing you can do this Beltane is cook a meal with family or friends and share it with them. dairy, eggs, grains and foods of the harvest are great. Wild foraged foods are equally excellent for this. Honey, Oats, and Mead are also very traditional. You can always cook inside but given the nature of the fire festival I always encourage people to cook over an open flame, either with a fire pit (see bonfire) or even on a grill if that’s what you have to work with. Be intentional with your thoughts and actions while you cook. Take your time sharing your meal, don’t rush. Focus on connections and spending time with those you care about. Make good memories to enter the new season with.  

8. Make ribbon wishes

Another old Beltane tradition is to write your wishes for the season on a little piece of ribbon and tie it to the branch of a tree (Hawthorne, Ash, and Sycamore are traditional- but any healthy growing tree will do).  

9. Take action on a project you have been working on

Beltane is a time to focus on growth and prosperity during the wheel of the year. If you set intentions at Imbolc and planted those seeds at Ostara, then Beltane is the time to grow and take action. Starting a business, writing a book, learning a skill…. Whatever your goal was- now is the time to act and put your intentions to work.   

10. Tend to your garden

Whether the last frost is just passing in your region and its now time to plant, or its already wonderfully warm and you have seedlings sprouting. Today is a good day to spend some time with your hands in the dirt. Walk your garden. Talk to your plants, set your intentions for them. help them grow. Manifest the Earth Mother today.  

As always, have fun, enjoy the journey. Be safe and share your celebrations!  

All the best,  

Mikaela  

What is Ostara?

Not to be confused with the Christian Holiday of Easter, Ostara is the festival of growth, new beginnings and the dawning of a new season of life. It is traditionally the celebration of the vernal equinox, a sign that truly warmer days are ahead. A time to plan the upcoming season of hard work.  

While there are some symbolic overlaps in the celebrating of Easter and Ostara, they take place several weeks apart and celebrate two very different things. For those that follow the Christian Faith, Easter celebrates the rebirth of Christ. The spring Equinox has been known by many names: Ostara (Germanic), Eostre (Saxon), No Ruz (Persian) etc. Ostara has been celebrated in one form or another for hundreds of years, evolving and changing as civilizations grew and moved. 

Through the evolution of language, and the migration of beliefs many people came to celebrate Ostara and Eostre as one in the same: a time to rejoice, to honor Eostre: the goddess of the dawn, spring and fertility. Some religious studies even suggest that whilst the Easter holiday celebrates something entirely different, the Christian church adopted a similar name during their attempt to convert pagans to Christianity.  

There is even overlap in the symbolism behind the Painted eggs, and the Easter Bunny, but we’ll get to that in a later post because the evolution of legends and beliefs is one of my favorite topics, and the Easter Bunny is a fascinating tale.  

Celebrating at home is easy and doesn’t have to be a massive production. We’ve included some of our favorite ideas below, some are even things you can do in groups or with family, while others are more suited for those of you that want solitude. 

Ways to Celebrate:  

Painting Eggs

This is an old tradition, one with a lot of overlap to Easter and many of the Slavic nations. Grandma never had time to paint her own eggs but both her and mom had a knack for collecting intricately designed or carved decorative eggs that we always loved when we were kids. Still, hand painting or even using a dye kit can be a fun family exercise or a crafting challenge if you are more detail oriented like my sister. If you get really into it, it can also be a great way to meditate and use the power of intention setting.  

Arranging Flowers & Your ‘Hearth Space’

This is another amazing intention setting tool. Taking the time to select the flowers that represent the things you want to manifest, speaking positivity and energy into them while you arrange them, allowing color and new life into your home. 

Prep Your Garden, Spend Time With Your Plants (setting intentions while you do so)

Are you noticing a theme here? A large portion of my home practices rely strongly on mindfulness and intentionality.  Finding the magic in every day processes gives you a never-ending pool of energy to pull from. Spring is a great time to refresh your soil, nudge awake your perennial friends and plant your annual guests. I find this to be a quiet, peaceful, and reflective time. Relaxing instrumental music and some fresh air help clear my mind and setting my intentions with my plants gives me a great way to channel and manifest growth. A fun exercise is assigning a purpose or focus to each plant in my garden. If I want to grow in a personal relationship, I spend a little more time with that plant. If I want to grow my focus, I spend a bit more time with that plant. 

Herb Wreathes & Floral Wreathes

I have several grapevine wreathes hung in entry ways and doorways around the house. I switch out the flowers and herbs tucked into them from time to time to refresh the flow of energy and reflect the current season. It gives me a chance to use my creative side and adds a personalized welcoming touch to our space. I believe homes should be a representation of the people that live there, and I want the people that come to visit us to know that we put thought into welcoming them into our space. 

Alter Updates

Spring flowers (avoid lilies if you have a cat that likes to chew on plants), painted eggs, or decorative eggs, carvings or figures of rabbits and hares. The goddess Eostre was considered a guardian of portals, often depicted with keys hanging from her belt, old skeleton keys make great decorations for your Alter. Focus on whites, Yellows and Greens in your candles. Moonstone, Amethyst and Quartz make great energy focuses this month. If you like to include plants or spices look to primroses, clover, dogwood, daffodils, and tulips. Incense commonly include rosewood, vervain, violet, myrrh, geranium and jasmine. 

Pack Away Cold Weather Clothing

This is an easy mild way to do some spring cleaning. It also opens up your mind to the changing of the seasons and helps remove clutter and mess and focus down your needs. I am an advocate for as little clutter as possible. Clutter makes me feel overwhelmed. This is the part of the year to emerge from winter hibernation, shed your unnecessary layers and simplify. Tucking away heavy, bulky clothing you won’t need until next winter season is a good way to facilitate that mentality shift.  

Take a Floral Milk Bath

Self Care is important, and while self-care is not always bubble baths and face masks, taking a quiet evening for yourself- even if its just an hour to soak is a great way to refresh yourself. Keep your eye out for the post I’ll be making about a fun spring milk bath recipe you can try. This is really much easier than it sounds. It’s a lot of fun, and again, a great way to bring mindfulness into your life. 

Smudge & Cleanse

This is a time to renew and energize. That includes your home and your sacred space as well. You can make your own smudge or buy one from a reputable vendor, words are not necessary, but you can also set the boundaries and intentions of your home this way. I start at the heart of my home and work my way outward to each room, finishing with all the exterior points of entry into the house. Starting at the center for me is symbolic of renewing the heart of my home or my ‘hearth center’ and pushing all the negativity outward. My favorite invocation to use for this (once the smudge is lit) is ‘Smoke of Fire, and Water, and Earth cleanse this home and cleanse this hearth. Drive away All hate and fear; only good may enter here.’ I repeat this as I move from room to room. Its meditative and helps focus your intentions and energy.  

Dawn Ceremony

On the morning of Ostara wake up early (before the sun rises). Put on a pot of coffee or tea (I prefer a floral tea for this occasion). Find a quiet place to sit and meditate while you watch the Eastern horizon, again I prefer to do this outside in the quiet, but a nice large window will do. Sit, enjoy the sunrise, greet the day, and set your intentions. 

Ostara Baking

I am, at the end of the day, a house witch, and I work best with food. You can put a lot of emotion and intention into food when you cook. It is my way of nurturing those I love and showing them I care. I find peace in it, and to me a welcome home is always warm and smells of bread. An Ostara favorite of mine is Sourdough Rosemary Buns- again, I plan on sharing this recipe soon; but any form of seasonal cooking will do. Think about your goals for the upcoming season as you prepare your Ostara meal. I have included our menu this year as an example.  

Our Ostara Feast: 

• Berry and mixed greens salad 
• Hard boiled- painted eggs 
• Kielbasa 
• Pierogi 
• Sourdough rolls 
• Vanilla Bavarian cream filled Packzki 

Remember…

Spirituality is a personal journey. It is your journey and nobody else’s. How you choose to experience it is up to you. These are just ideas, here to help you if you are new and feeling overwhelmed by the possibilities. Go with what resonates with you, you could pick one, you could pick ten. You could use none of these, but let it spark something else.  

We always love to see how you make something your own. So Celebrate! We also welcome you to chime in- suggest the things you love to do.  

All the best, Always, 

Mikaela.