Also known as Floralia, The May Pole Festival, Bran's Festival, May Day, Lady Day, Feast of Bel, Feast of the Holly & Oak, Beltaine Eve, Bel-Fire, Walpurgisnacht, Bealtaine, Belotenia, Walburg's Eve. Time of honouring the fertile Horned God of the wood & the Lady of the Greenwood, we also honour our household guardians at this time. May was the time of handfastings, sexual fun & games, feasting & drunkenness, throughout Europe until the Reformation. This was the time of Boonfires or bonfires on every hill & high place.

At this rite generally two bonfires are lit & coveners run a weaving dance between them, forming an infinity symbol. The fire is honoured with an offering of mead / ale, The 9 herbs, The 9 woods & spices connected with sexual fertility. The Image of Winter is offered to the fire, when it is at its peak & every one jumps both fires when it has died down some what, this is done for fertility, healing & health. If a stream is nearby then this is also jumped for fertility, growth & cleaning. A running hose can be used instead.

Coveners normally do a foot-stomping dance in a one-two-three rhythm, striking the Earth 3 times with their staffs, while wearing hawthorn crowns. This is done 3 times, at dawn, mid-day & again before the Evenings dancing begins. May pole dancing is also a part of the Beltain Rite but these are usually done during the day. On this day the May Queen & King are chosen by lots.

NORTHERN: May 1st
SOUTHERN: November 1st
Music: Pipes & drums, Celtic traditional.
Altar cloth: Green.
God / Goddess candles: Green.
Incense: Pine, Patchouli Oil; patchouli, Pine.
Greenery: All flowers. Willow, Elder, Hawthorn, Holly, Oak, Rosemary & other herbs. [ N B Hawthorn is not picked at any other time than at Beltane.]
Image: Wild Boar, May pole & other fertility symbols.
Tarot card: Hierophant / High Priest 5.
Dress: Green / Black.
Drinks: Mead, Ale, beer, Fruity wine punch, Fruit brandy, Fruit drinks & cold herb teas.
Food: Traditionally the time of a wild boar roast, today pork is used instead, in the form of pork pies, roasted pork & sausages.
All vegetables, salad greens & fruit in season.
Pudding: Fruit salad & cream / ice cream.
Cakes: Almond cakes, milk tarts, cheese cakes & chocolate.
Trees are normally decorated with coloured streamers & flowers are left at the base of each non flowering tree in the ritual area.

Go out on Beltane morning & ask Mother Elder for 3 leaves for your home, in honour of the Lord & Lady. Thank Her & leave an offering.

Once home tie the 3 leaves with red yarn or ribbon & say:

"Elder leaves come with me
Magic is in the number 3
[walk to your front door & hang]
Elder over doorway,
Protection & fortune over threshold
Blessed be the Law of Three.

BIRCH = Goddess.
OAK = God
FIR = Birth
WILLOW = Death
VINE = Joy
HAZEL = Wisdom
APPLE = Love
HAWTHORN = Purity
ROWAN = Magic.

Vine or willow, dressed with flowers, oak leaves & herbs, tie with colourful ribbons. [green, red & white is traditional]

St John's wort
Rue
Vervain
Mistletoe
Lavender
Feverfew
Meadowsweet
Heartsease
Trefoil

These herbs are thrown on the fire as an offering. If you do not have these herbs in your area substitute herbs of your choice.

The May pole represents the male principle of the divine marriage.

The May pole at Beltane & the witches Besom at Samhaine stands across the Wheel of the year from one another, the one symbolising the male fertilising symbol in the Divine marriage & the principle of death in life, the other the principle of life in death.

For these reasons the erecting of the May Pole should be carried out with ceremony & reverence.

Once a tree has been selected it is told of its fate & marked, an offering is given & the dryad is given 24 hours to with draw from the tree.

The next day the young unmarried men return to chop it down, then all the branches are removed & a second offering is given at the site. The tree is then carried as in a procession to the chosen clearing & ritual site. Next a hole must be dug for the pole, measure the pole, remember that one third of its length must be buried or it may topple on the dancers. When the hole is ready, pour an offering of cider into the hole while saying these words:

"Earth Mother, may this offering, prepare you to receive this symbol of Your consort, our Green Lord."

Drink a toast to the Mother, the turn your attention back to the pole, which is now anointed with blessed oil. A solar wheel is then cut or painted on & these words are said.: " Blessed be this tree, the vehicle of our Lord, which shall soon enter our Mother Earth, Blessed be the fruitful Mother"

Now attach greens & flowers to the top of the pole & attach the red & white ribbons. Then the May pole is erected with cheers from all & after the base has been well trodden, the women decorate it with spring flowers & drinks are served all round, a hearty supper is now served & all retire for the night leaving the young unmarried men guard it till morning. At first light of the Festival day the first rite of the day begins.

Modern Pagans no longer cut down Pine trees for this rite, a pine wood or metal pole is bought & if possible left up & oiled each year before the rite. If it is not possible for you to have a May Pole a miniature may be made for your altar or a standing stone can be planted in your yard.

BLESSED BE