Spring is here, my friends! Can you feel it? The warmth on your skin. The melodic twitter of birds. The lush grass beneath your feet. The hay fever clogging your nose.
Worth it, I say. Totally worth it for tulips and daisies and lilacs, oh my!
With spring comes Beltane, the sabbat of fertility and promise. The Goddess is fertile, the God is ripening into a man, and the birds and the bees are gearing up to knock boots.
Very small boots. I mean, it's a bee. Do they even have feet?
Celebrated on May 1st, Beltane is the celebration of fertility and vitality. But one can only *ahem* celebrate their fertility so many times in a day, am I right? Here are five cost-free, Astroglide-free ways to celebrate May Day!
...And lose the Astroglide, kiddies. This isn't the 80's. Coconut oil, my friends. You're welcome! ;)
Ribbon Wish Tree
We've all seen the pictures of Maypoles with maidens dancing in circles, weaving colorful ribbons in jubilant celebration. This is a tribute to the God, honoring his strengthening masculinity.
A ribbon wish tree is a similar concept with out all the hassle of erecting a pole. *ba dum tss* Using long lengths of ribbon or even strips of recycled cloth, decorate a tree in your yard, making one wish per ribbon. When you're done, dance and frolic beneath the tree, invoking all the cheery delight of a Tampax commercial.
Flower Braids
If you long for the beauty of a flower crown but don't have floral tape on hand, I've got your covered! Well, if you have long-ish hair I have you covered.
Honor the maiden Goddess by weaving your hair into braid pigtails just like you did as a child. Or like you did last week if you're a witch who refuses to give up this hairstyle.
Hey! Don't judge me. It's convenient and adorable. I will not be braid shamed! =P
Once braided, pick wildflowers and add them to your braids, weaving them into the folds for added security. Viola! You're now selfie ready, you beautiful goddess!
For all four men that read this blog, feel free to tuck a daisy behind your ear, you Casanova, because I'm guessing braids aren't an option. Sorry. We get the silky locks; you get to pee standing up. *shrugs*
Listen to the Flowers
Take a stroll through your yard or favorite path and take note of any flowers. Pick them if you wish or simply spend quiet time observing their beauty individually. What impressions do you get? What feelings does that bud inspire? Does a tulip feel different from a dandelion? What magickal properties does each flower convey?
Keep a journal of your discoveries and notate any magickal correspondences you intuit, whether through mental sight, feeling, scent, etc. Then cross reference these impressions to a magickal correspondence encyclopedia. I recommend this one or this one. You may find what you sensed didn't correlate to the book. That's okay! Remember, magick is a very personal thing. Trust your instincts and listen to the flowers!
Absorb Vitality
Beltane is about life. Creating it. Celebrating it. Enjoying it! Take some quiet time to absorb all of that thriving energy. Practice a simple grounding meditation in the grass by getting your bare tootsies in the soil, breathing deeply, and envisioning roots growing out of your feet and deep into the ground. Then imagine the energies of the Earth rising through the roots into your body, invoking vibrant, vital energy into your cells. This calming practice can be done any day of the year but is especially replenishing during the spring.
Balance Your Heart Chakra ( aka Where's the Love?)
Beltane is a sabbat of love, which means it's the perfect time for some heart chakra (pronounced: shak-ra) work. Chakras are energy points in the body, and if one is imbalanced it can affect you in many ways, including emotionally and physically. Living in our crazy, screwed-up world it's not uncommon for this important energy center to get a bit closed off. Take this sabbat of love to do a little tidying up in the ol' heart space. ;) Try a quick meditation or even some heart-opening yoga!
Please note: if you caught the Hanson reference in the title, we should be friends. And if you caught the Miranda Lambert reference just then, we should definitely be friends. =P
So, my dear compadres, go out and enjoy that fresh spring air! Breathe vitality into your lungs, savor the grass beneath your feet, and celebrate this gift of life!
Blessed Beltane!
What's your favorite way to celebrate Beltane?
Looking for more witchy goodness? Check out By the Light of the Moon: 13 Simple & Affordable Pagan Spells & Rituals for a Year of Full Moon Celebrations! Every purchase helps support the blog, so thank you! ♥
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