
Today we welcome the month of May and with it Beltane or May Day as it is often called. Beltane is one of the Great Sabbats and fire festivals standing between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice on the Great Wheel of the Year. In the earliest Wica teachings, as well as what Sybil Leek herself taught early on, there were four Great Sabbats that had to be kept and Beltane was one of them. It has a long and rich history with it’s varied customs and ways of celebrating this time always deeply tied to the fertility and vitality of the Land, livestock and even people. We see at this time Spring at it’s zenith as we move forward into Summer as the Wheel turns. At this time nature is alive with growth and renewal and it is this which we celebrate now more so than the older customs our ancestors may have kept at this time to ensure the health and well being of livestock and crops, we also do not place the emphasis on human fertility and sexuality that was also a part of some older rites focused on the coming together of the May Queen and Forest Lord. There were many customs that touched upon this aspect of sexuality and fertility but time moves forward even as the Great Wheel turns and with that comes nuances of understanding about how we celebrate and resonate with these old festivals in more modern times. We still however honor and keep the enduring symbols of this sacred time and balefires are still lit in some areas to honor this Great Sabbat, even as candles are lit upon the altar or fires in the hearth to harken back to the older practices. We may no longer drive livestock and cattle between two great balefires to purify them and help ward off illness but we do kindle flames upon our altars to honor that quickening of life and vitality that this seasonal tide carries so deeply within in. We may no longer go “maying” in the forest to ensure fertility to the village or tribe but we do still dance around the maypole and honor the early and much deeper symbolism that carries with it, that too is still a part of the Catta May Day celebrations as passed down to us by Shawnus and Lady Alsace. Beltane is a joyous time of year as Spring reigns triumphant, and however we each keep this Great Sabbat in our own ways and to our own traditions hopefully it will be a Blessed one for All. BB, Aren