Natural Beltane Altar

Ahhh Beltane. A time when the young God ripens into a man. It's that blessed season when the world finally feels defrosted from winter, where the emerald leaves have returned to the trees, flowers are blooming with a myriad of colors, and bees are busy pollinating it all. Nature has truly awoken from its slumber, flourishing with life for both flora and fauna alike.

...unless you live in the desert. Then May is brown just like July is brown and December is brown. But I digress.

Anyway, back to birds chirping and shit.

Beltane is a lively time of year, marked with life and vitality. Spring vegetables are just beginning to pop up in the market (I HIGHLY recommend proscuitto-wrapped asparagus. Yum yum!), which makes them the perfect food for a Beltane feast. Dairy is also appropriate, given that many animals are birthing this time of year. Daisies and tulips make for a beautiful table decoration. Anything alive, really. 

For my personal altar, I incorporated live greenery with dried flowers (roses and lavender). While I would have preferred fresh, dried is what I had on hand. That's the wonderful thing about Paganism: it's versatile, which allows us to harness our creativity. And isn't that the point of the Penniless Pagan—to use what you have on hand? Of course I could have used a cactus, but something about sharp, piercing needles seemed less visually appealing than crimson rose petals. Green (God) is an obvious color for the season, as is yellow or pink (Goddess). Here I used red (Goddess) to balance the green of God.

Get creative with your altar! It's all about what feels right to you personally. If you're looking for inspiration, simply look outside! There's no need to complicate your altars or rituals, or to feel like you're doing it "wrong." Study nature. The answers are all right there.

Isn't that just another wonderful part of being Pagan? ;)

I'd love to see your interpretation of Beltane! Share your photos with me on Facebook or Twitter! Can't wait to hear from you!

Blessed Beltane, Everyone!

What's your favorite Beltane dish? Do you have a go-to Beltane tradition?

By using this site, you agree you have read the full DISCLAIMER.