Happy Beltaine!

[RegularJackass]

Beltaine Eve lands on April 30, and Beltaine Day lands on April 1. Beltaine is an interesting holiday. It's exactly opposite the Wheel of the Year to Samhain, aka Halloween. In the same way that Halloween marks the beginning of winter, Beltaine marks the beginning of summer. Also like Samhain, it is neither a Quarter day (Equinox or Solstice) nor does it mark the actual sowing or harvesting of crops. It falls at a time when farmers don't need to do much and have extra time on their hands. It is an equally appropriate time to dress up in costume. It is a love and fertility festival, with the emphasis squarely on joy and pleasure. Fertility doesn't have to literally mean procreation; it also can mean creativity and luxury. (Actually, whenever Beltaine rolls around I always wind up looking at artwork and appreciating art for some reason. Dunno why.) In short Beltaine is supposed to be all about happiness. In the United States and Great Britain, people used to set up Maypoles to dance around. The Maypole was made of birch or ash, and brightly colored ribbons tied at the top of it. It was decorated with hawthorn blossoms, and people would grab one end of a ribbon and dance around the Maypole, weaving the ribbons together in an intricate dance. I've actually never seen that done. Once April 30 was celebrated with a bonfire, and cattle were driven between the split bonfire to drive off illness. May 1 was once celebrated with a parade, with the May Queen leading it atop a horse - a teenaged girl dressed in white, symbolizing purity and youth. So Led Zeppelin wasn't making it up. Many years ago, lore says that people would steal away to the woods with their lover on Beltaine Eve and come back in the morning with flowers and greenery to garland the village with. Vestiges of this custom remain in the form of the May Basket, a craft that elders in the United States might know about from their childhoods. May Baskets these days, however, are beautiful small baskets of flowers and small gifts put on a friend's porch. Then you're supposed to knock on the door and run away before they see you. Side note: May 1 is when the first Batman comic was released.

Traditional activities of Beltaine: Exploring nature, getting piercings and tattoos, body painting, wearing costumes, washing your face and hands in the morning dew, waking before the sunrise to watch it rise, getting divorced, committing to a partner for a year and a day, honoring the Green Man (the God of vegetation and nature), making garlands and wreaths of flowers, wearing flowers, making art, decorating living trees with bright ribbons and bells, having a festival, flirting, hooking up, decorating the home with flowers and greenery gathered from the fields, making May baskets, offering festival foods to the Faeries, picnicking, hosting outdoor parties. Another traditional activity is to light a bonfire but I personally NEVER do that, as I feel that nature spirits greatly dislike fires lit outdoors on Beltaine.
Crystals of Beltaine: Emerald, sapphire, bloodstone, rose quartz, orange carnelian
Colors of Beltaine: All bright colors, pink, green, red, white, sky blue
Herbs of Beltaine: Almond blossoms, blossoming trees, all flowers, hawthorn, lilac, honeysuckle, rose, birch, primrose, cowslip, lily of the valley, birch, willow, nettles, ferns, bluebells
Ritual oils of Beltaine: Frankincense, rose, vanilla, tuberose
Incense of Beltaine: Frankincense, musk, peach, vanilla, rose, strawberry, myrrh
Foods of Beltaine: Oats and oatmeal, bread, dairy products, butter, honey, red fruits, herbal salads, strawberries, cherries, may wine, honey cakes
Symbols of Beltaine: Flowers, well, chalice, may pole, the Green Man, snakes, May baskets

Beltaine is a good time to cast spells for clean air on this planet. Credit for this idea goes to Laurie Cabot.

Helpful links:
http://www.pookapages.com/Beltain_Crafts.htm
https://wicca.com/celtic/akasha/beltane.htm
http://pentacle.swankivy.com/beltane.html
http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/angelline/beltaine.htm