Beltane

May 1

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Beltane, (BEL-teyn, -tin), also known as Bealtinne (Caledonii), Festival of Tana (Strega), Walpurgisnacht (Teutonic), Roodmas (ROOD-mass) and May Day, begins sundown on April 31st and continues to sundown May 1st. Astrologically speaking, Beltane begins when the Sun enters 15 degrees Taurus which is in fact closer to May 5th. Some traditions celebrate on this date, calling it “Old Beltane”. Beltane marks the end of the planting season, and the beginning of pastoral summer. Beltane is celebrated by modern pagans as one of four fire festivals representing the waxing, light half of the Year.

The great central bonfire known as the “Balefire” was an integral part of this holiday. Often complex patterns were formed with the layout of the bonfire, special magickal symbols being used to help bind the magick to the land and ensure that the Years harvest would be a good one. The Balefire was also used to purify and consecrate. One custom involved herding all cattle in a procession through the smoke of the balefire to purify and bless them with fertility and health for the coming season. Newlyweds would jump over the balefire for luck and to consecrate and seal their vows. The next day, coals were taken from the remains of the fire and carried home to light hearth fires, thereby bringing the magick of the fire to bless their homes.

Another tradition of Beltane, one that has survived to this day, is the Maypole Dance. Believed to be originally a fertility rite intended to bless the land with a prosperous growing season, the dance involved the erection of a long wooden pole with varicolored ribbons tied to the top. Celebrants would then dance around the pole with ribbon in hand, winding and weaving the ribbons together. The resulting weaving was kept as a talisman until Samhain, at which time it was ritually burned.

Beltane was also a time to celebrate love, both physical and marital. Though full year and a day handfastings were quite common at this time of the year, marital vows were relaxed during Beltane. In addition to traditional handfastings, one night “Greenwood Marriages” were common during which couples would sneak off during the feasting, dancing, and singing of the festival to spend the night together under the stars and trees. Then next day, they would gather the dew that had formed during the night. It was believed that the dew of the first morning of May was magickal, and anyone who bathed their face in it would be blessed with beauty for the rest of the year.

The memory of winter has faded, and the air is warm and thick with pollen. Birds of the sky and beasts of the land begin the ecstatic mating ballet. The now mature God and Goddess consummate their sacred marriage, taking love and comfort with each other and in doing so bringing love and fertility to the world.

Friday May 9

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Join Kathryn as she introduces you to chants that will connect you with the elements of life and the Gods of old! Since ancient times, the people of the Earth have connected with deity through movement and dance. Come prepared to dance and sing as we raise our voices in celebration! Drums and or Rattles welcome

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Wednesday May 14

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Class II: Signs and Planets
Next we introduce ourselves to the signs as if they were creatures come alive. There's a myth behind each of the twelve signs, and myth means story, which means drama, which means, on the deep-dish apple pie level, soul work, your work, these creatures are you. So expect storytime--where you are the teller. We will employ active imagination--a "meaningful pretending" that introduces you to the idea that astrological information is guide, not judge. To the extent you can "talk to your animals," you will take control of a destiny that depends on you to invent.

The planets are funnels for the archetypal energies of the signs. We start with the most important first: our inner dynamic duo, the sun and moon. These are the central "lights" of our lives, and as you can verify for yourself, easily picked out of a background of planets that we might not know from stars or spilled salt. Then it's on to the other eight planets, introduced as they are placed in your own unique configurations; active imagination again joins us on this exploratory journey.

Newcomers to astrology often learn its fundamentals in a mathematical "this equals this" sequence starting with signs, then moving on to planets, aspects, houses and the myriad other things that can too easily convince the student that reading one's own natal horoscope (birth chart) is about as easy as tying one's shoes while bungee jumping.

In this workshop, we instead activate our own intuition to read the stories of the stars as they're elicited from the unique patterns of the natal chart. Like snowflakes, no two charts are alike, and with this foundation--and as it relates directly to your own life--we will learn the elements of astrology.

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Friday May 16

Handcrafting
Your Own Magickal Journal

with Carol "Joysprite" Holaday

7pm $15

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What better way to add energy to all of your Craft activities than to put all of those sacred thoughts and favorite rituals and recipes into a Magical Journal that you made with your very own hands? When you attend this workshop you will leave with your very own hand crafted Magical Journal with a cover decorated in your own way, an attractive fly leaf, and plenty of pages for you to fill. Plus, you will be able to add even more pages, yourself, as you need them. Come join us for a fun evening of crafting and creating.

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