Beltane Blessings. If you are reading this in the Northern Hemisphere, Beltane is celebrated on the 1st of May, in the Southern Hemisphere this will be on the 1st of November.
This is an ancient festival of Gaelic origin which was celebrated in various guises in most Celtic counties. It was said to be a magical time when the gulf between the different planes of existence is more permeable, rather like Halloween.
This was also seen as being the first day of summer and it was celebrated by large bonfires, a tradition which continues in Limerick to this day: recently, it has also been mooted that such a fire should be lit once more on the Hill of Tara. Traditionally, torches lit from the large communal fire are taken to light the fires of domestic hearths – although where this occurs it is likely to be the result of reviving the custom rather than a practise reaching directly back into history.
However, there is evidence that the Druids drove cattle between bonfires to purify them and ensure a fertile harvest. Today, in some parts of Scotland people also walk between two fires as a means of purification.
In Ireland boughs of may or hawthorn were hung on the doors and windows of the house, an act which is seldom seen now. Nevertheless, you can’t keep a good festival down and many modern pagans have special celebrations as this time; some try and reconstruct the rites of past generations, whereas others celebrate on the same date and use the word “Beltane” but have created new ceremonies to celebrate the changing season.
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