Beltane 1st May
At this time the coronation of the sun god Bel is celebrated with a feast. For everyone the feasts held at Beltane (which means “Fire of Bel”) were occasions of unabashed sexuality and promiscuity when the custom was that trial marriages of a year and a day could be undertaken when couple would spend the entire night in the woods. Even married couples felt free to behave without restraint and fear of censure. The Maypole was a symbol of this rampant sexuality, and the weaving of the ribbons as people danced represented the sacred marriage of the God & Goddess.
Any ritual performed at Beltane takes on the symbolism of a marriage feast and all the merry- taking that goes with it. Breads, cereals and dairy foods are considered at this appropriate time. This is the time for youth and vitality.
This following ritual celebrates the union of the God & Goddess. By now the Goddess is moving into her Mother aspect and her life energies are becoming more abundant.
You will need.
1 of each White & Red Ribbon
Flowers (preferably white ones with 5 petals).
Optional: Your Cauldron (you can fill your cauldron with flowers if you wish)
White Altar cloth and usual tools (you will also need to include the pentacle for this ritual).
Method
Face east and kneel before the altar (you can wear a flower garland if you wish), Put the ribbons on the pentacle with the end of the white ribbon covering the end of the red one and say
“Oh my father and mother Goddess, it is time of the union through your happy joining so shall happiness spread to all. Through your abundance, so shall nature be abundant.”
Start to plait the ribbons, thus is creating a simple maypole symbol. Concentrate hard and say.
Praise to you ancient God & Goddess. You are our creators and from your own union shall all beings rise and awaken. Sacred art thou.
Afterwards, do want you, want with the ribbons, perhaps hanging them by your mirror as a reminder of the union of masculine and feminine, positive and negative and follow up the ritual with some sort of spring blessing or activity, such as a walk in the woods to gather fresh twigs for your altar.
Have a blessed Beltane everyone.