My first book River’s Heart is the first of The Shadow Coven series. It’s series about a cursed coven who have finally found the goddesses forgiveness and now they’re finding their mates.
Wicca and magic is a major theme of the series and with Beltane
upon us, let’s take a look at exactly what it is.
What is Beltane?
There are eight sabbats in the Wiccan religion and Beltane
is one of four fire festivals throughout the year. The others are Imbolc,
Lammas, and Samhain.
Given that Beltane and Samhain are opposites of each other, with
Beltane celebrating life when Samhain honours death, you might be surprised to
know that they actually have some things in common. It’s during these two
holidays where the veil between life and death are thinnest, and both mark a
change in the year.
Beltane, however, takes us from a long winter and into a blooming
summer.
We get longer and brighter days and the earth flourishes
with blossoms, leaves and natural magic. We see the start of the summer farming
season. We celebrate purity and protection. We find new life.
More interesting to an erotic romance writer, though, is this
season of fertility and passion. Hell, it’s the season of lust.
You’ll probably be invited to more weddings as we enter this
time of year, or if you have Wiccan friends, handfastings. It’s a sabbat full
of sensuality and sexual energy.
In fact, some people will encourage you to have a little sexy time in your garden. Just try not to shock the neighbours.
When is Beltane?
Beltane takes place between the
spring equinox and the summer solstice, It’s traditionally held on the 1st
of May.
Decorate Your Altar.
When it comes to decorating your altar, think about the
colours of spring. Greens, yellows and blues. You want lush colours. Colours of
the flowers, of the grass and of the sky, and you can use them for your altar
cloth or your candles.
Frankincense and rose are good choices for your oils or incense,
and when choosing gemstones, consider rose quartz, fire agate or aventurine.
You can add a bouquet of spring flowers to your altar. Daffodils,
daisies, tulips, dandelions, lavender. Include peppermint and rosemary too.
Beltane is one of the four fire festivals, but it might not
be easy for you to include a bonfire in your ritual. An alternative is to
represent the element on your altar. You can do this with candles, with a small
caldron filled with yellow and orange items to imitate flames. Even paper will work
for this. Another option is to simply use images of fires. Whatever works for
you.
Other symbols for your ritual include May baskets, floral crowns, chalices, antlers, honey and oats, and fruits like cherries and pomegranate.
How to Celebrate.
Dance around a bonfire, weave around a maypole: there are
many ways to celebrate this festival.
Easiest methods are to make May baskets, or you can wash your face in the morning dew, decorate your garden bush with ribbons, The most simple and natural way to show your appreciation for Beltane is to go outside. Spend some time outdoors. It’s as easy as that.
A Fertile Earth
In wiccan mythology, Beltane is the time of the year when
the goddess and god came together to fertilise the earth, and because of this,
the world bursts with new life. Celebrate by sharing mead and cake with your
family. Make the most of this time of love and passion.
