Beltane

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 1^st 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.

 If witch romance is your thing then River’s Heart is just the beginning of The Shadow Coven series, and if you enjoyed reading this article then you can read more like it on this blog.

 

 

Spring Equinox

 

March is the month of the Spring Equinox, an important sabbat in the witch's calendar, and the first day of spring. 

Sabbats are celebrations for a witch to mark the passing of the year. They coincide with the seasons and rhythms of the earth, and when we celebrate them, we follow the footsteps of our ancestors. We connect to the energy of the sun and moon. 

I'm not just a writer of paranormal witch romance. I also celebrate the sabbats, so let's take a look at the spring equinox. 

What is Spring Equinox?

Equinox is a time of equal day and night, and after the spring equinox, the days get longer. For witches spring equinox is also known as Ostara - named after the Germanic lunar goddess, the embodiment of the great goddess, who gave birth to the sun god at winter solstice. 

Throughout spring equinox we get early sunrises and late sunsets, and spring is a time of rebirth, of renewal, and of balance. Honour and ruminate on everything you've achieved since winter solstice. Think of what you would like to achieve over the season, and what you hope will bloom.

Decorate Your Altar

Setting up and decorating your altar doesn't have to be difficult. Cover your altar with a cloth of your choosing, and items that represent the elements. When it comes to choosing flowers look outside at which are in bloom. 

Decorate with nature-themed items, like painted eggs, fallen feathers, flowering bulbs and earthenware with a handful of soil to represent the planting season. Include water to symbolise spring rain and don't forget candles in pastel colours. 

Non Ritual

You don't have to do a full ritual to honour the sabbat. You can do that in your daily living. Immerse yourself in nature by taking a walk outside in whatever weather you can. As a British writer, rain is almost a given for me. 

Another way, is to spring clean and donate clothing to charity. Or you can even just go into your own garden and plant flowers. Don't have a garden? Then plant pots works too. It's about your intent. Your focus. Your honour of this world and its energy. 

A Wiccan Romance Writer

There are so many ways you can celebrate the spring equinox that doesn't have to make you feel witchy if you're not. But if you are, then you can go all the way and honour spring with a ritual. 

Maybe you don't have time on the exact day, maybe your busy life makes taking time out for a ritual challenging, but that's okay too. There are no strict rules when it comes to sabbats, but it's worth taking a little time for yourself and welcoming nature into your life. 

I'm a wiccan writer with a day job, which doesn't give me much spare time, but there are always simple ways to be a part of nature and this world. 

If you liked reading about this then take a look around my blog and read some of the other wiccan posts, including a free short story set after the events of River's Heart. 

Winter Solstice

 Winter Solstice, or Yule as it’s also known, is one of the oldest winter celebrations and has been celebrated for thousands of years, all around the world, in a wide variety of traditions and rituals.

The Norsemen saw the sun as a wheel that changed the seasons, and in mid-winter they would light bonfires, tell stories and drink sweet ale. Now, the wheel represents the year of sabbats for wiccans, and Yule is deeply rooted in that cycle.

Throughout history, bonfires have been an integral part of the Winter Solstice celebrations as many believed bonfires would work at protecting by keeping dark spirits away. Others thought that firelight would guide the sun back to the sky.

In many traditions, Yule kicks of the wiccan new year. It falls on the shortest day, and during Winter Solstice, darkness reaches its peak, giving the longest night. It usually occurs on the 21^st of December, but it varies depending on location, and on the daily rotation of the Earth. This year it falls on the 21^st at, I think, about 3.58pm in the UK. It’s the sabbat where the Goddess gives birth to the Sun King and this fire festival is strongly linked with fertility and the continuation of life. It’s the time to reflect on the past year, and to think about what you hope for the next. It’s a fresh start. A chance to begin again. Cleansing your home will dust away the negativity of the previous year.

Oaks have been seen as sacred and the mistletoe is a symbol of life. Yule logs were set alight at one end, and it was believed by the Norse that each spark represented a piglet or calf to be born during the next year. Fire festivals, celebrating the rebirth of the Sun, held on the Winter's Solstice can be found throughout the ancient world. In fact, many pagan customs are still followed today, and are used in the Christian celebrations of Christmas.