Beltane Essay Beltane is the last of the three spring fertility festivals. Beltane is the second principal Celtic festival (the other being Samhain). Celebrated approximately halfway between spring equinox and the midsummer (Summer Solstice). Beltane traditionally marked the arrival if summer in ancient times. At Beltane the Pleiades star cluster rises just before sunrise on the morning horizon. The Pleiades is a cluster of seven closely placed stars, the seven sisters, in the constellation of
It is the celebration of life that is done symbolically using a chalice and Athame. It is part of the Beltane rituals. Symbolic version creation in the union of the maiden Goddess with her loving God. Beltane is a celebration of sexuality, purification and fertility. The planting of crops is finished, and many crops have grown to seedlings. Bees are very active pollinating flowers, and many creatures are in the height of their mating season. I would not use this in my practice this is not something
What is the “Great Rite”? It is an ancient Pagan ritual performed at Beltane; it was created by and for farmers. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is done on April 31st or May 1st; in the Southern Hemisphere, it is done on October 31st or November 1st. That is when it nearing the end of spring and a time when planting can begin; some areas, planting season may have already begun, however, but this is the general idea of the Great Rite. It is not about anything sexual, but about fertility and growth;
On this day, the God has finally matured into manhood, fallen in love with the Goddess and they have once again united, creating the next new God. Beltane is a holiday of Fertility, so the pagans celebrate her fertility in ritual. Rituals and festivals that are held on this day tend to include Maypoles, the performing of the Great Right, a ritual where two mates bond as the god and goddess do (Cunningham
powerful as doing the physical action. The purpose of the Great Rite was to promote fertility. This usually took place sometime around Beltane, April 30th or May 1st. If one was to perform the actual physical part of this, it is generally accepted that they do this in the privacy of their own home. In my personal practice, I unwittingly put the Great Rite into my Beltane ritual. I do not incorporate the sexual acts into my personal beliefs; I do not think that you should have sex in front of people.
The Great Rite The Great Rite, also seen as the Sacred Marriage(hieros gamos), is a highly controversial and misunderstood ritual practiced by modern day Pagans, mainly of the Wiccan tradition. The Great Rite is most commonly performed on Beltane, the third of the Celtic spring fertility festivals. While the Great Rite can be traced back to the teachings of Gerald Gardener, it holds it’s origins in ancient history, in a time when sex was to be celebrated rather than suppressed. During these times
goddess Beltane. As you might conclude, Yule is somewhat viewed as Santa Claus, but he surely is not. Though he’s represented with a white beard and a chunky face (like Santa Claus), but his beard is filled with leaves, berries, and pine cones. Yule is the face of winter and the holidays. While Ostara (or Eostre) is the face of what we view as Easter, and in many pictures, she is represented as a bunny or even goddess of the bunnies. She represents the beginning of spring, while Beltane represents
Hollywood, the name alone sparks the interest of the public and invokes dreams of being famous in even the most humble soul. It temps us, influences us and whether we would like to admit it or not plays a role in our way of thinking. It plays a key role in Pop Culture and through movies, TV, radio and the ever expanding wave of magazines, Pop Culture and its influence seems to flow over the world like a great wave of information. One of the strongest areas that seem to be affected by this undeniable
Irish mythology is a slew of history and myth, blurring the lines of understandable and reliable Irish history (Dersin, 16; Kinniburgh). This unique literature, demonstrates the Celtic peoples sense of the connection between the natural and supernatural realms (Dersin, 15). In Irish myth, the Tuatha de Danaan are the human like gods that reside in the Otherworld after being fought off by the first Irish people when they came from Spain (Dersin, 16). They are immortal beings with shape-shifting abilities
A Religion where spells are acceptable, the earth is celebrated and nature is a basic mold of the major concepts, paganism. The word "pagan" originates from the Latin term paganus which is defined as country dweller, at one point any person not being an active Christian was considered to be a pagan. Pagan followers have a different view on life, such as they believe in the natural forces of the earth, and consciously try to live with it. Another example illustrating how unique this religion is the
May Day, the May Tree, the May Pole, hawthorn blossom, owls and flowers and Blodeuwedd, jumping through fires. All of these have been part of Beltane for me since childhood. The May Pole itself is a symbol of the wedding of the goddess with the god, the plaiting of the ribbons in both directions around the central pole of the World Tree. Hawthorn, the may tree, is the world tree for us at this season. It has come through the winter and the sometimes-hard frosts of spring, holding us together with
How Is Wicca a religion and not all just Hocus Pocus? Although some refuse to acknowledge that Wicca is a religion, it is one because it meets what we generally accept to be the major characteristics of a religion. There are groups of people who believe it is a religion, there are those who do not. Wicca is thought to be from the old English Wicca meaning Wise One. The definition meaning a “religion influenced by pre-Christian beliefs and practices of western Europe that supports the existence of
belief system (Basic Principles and Concepts of Wicca). Wiccan’s are known for celebrating Sabbaths and performing rites and rituals, as is custom in almost all religions. The eight holy Sabbaths witches celebrate are: Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, and Mabon. Samhain means "End of Summer", and is the third and final Harvest, it is usually celebrated on October thirty-first because the Veil between worlds is lifted. Yule is also known as the winter solstice, the dates vary from
Wicca is a nature worshipping religion based upon beliefs and rites that are believed to rooted in ancient practices. Wicca, like most Neo-Pagan spiritualities worships the sacred as immanent in nature, and draws much of it's inspiration from both pre-Christian and non-Christian religions of Euroupe. It is not an ancient religion, but in fact Wicca was invented by Gerald Gardener in the 1950's and was based on older religions. It is a gentle nature based religion and Wiccans worship the Goddess,
Many religions that believe in spirits and magic are downplayed and not seen as legitimate religions, but members that practice the Pagan religion are slowly working to change that and teach people about their religion. At college campuses, Paganism is making a comeback and is being recognized as a faith not only for members of the said faith but also by other students. At Arizona State University, students created a club with the name, Sun Devils Are Better Together, that brings together like-minded
"Religion is about creation, and for that reason religion should be about the earth." - Laurie Cabot. One might see hundreds of faces from different races, gender, and pop cultures. But behind each face is a brain, with spirit and personal beliefs, like religion. When many Americans believe that everyone is Christian or Catholic, some people practice an ancient religion. This religion, commonly known as the umbrella-term “Paganism” is back on the move with a contemporary feel. Paganism is an earth-based
When the wind blows from the East, expect the new and set the feast. 14. Nine woods in the cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow. 15. Elder be the Lady's tree, burn it not or cursed you'll be. 16. When the Wheel begins to turn, let the Beltane fires burn. 17. When the Wheel has turned to Yule, light the log and the Horned One rules. 18. Heed ye Flower, Bush and Tree, by the Lady, blessed be. 19. Where the rippling waters go, cast a stone and truth you'll know. 20. When ye have a true need
eternal life. In record, most of the leaders were males. It wasn't known whether female Druids were considered of equal part. Two festivals were of great importance to the Druids. The first festival took place in the beginning of May and was called Beltane or "Fire of God". A large fire was heated on an elevated spot, in honor of the sun, whose returning beneficence they then welcomed after the winter time. The second festiva... ... middle of paper ... ... Druidism itself was destroyed or continued
just sashes to identify dancers from spectators(Tradamis 3). The Maypole is used to celebrate may day. For the Druids of the British Isles, May 1 was the second most important holiday of the year(Holiday spot 1). Because, it was when the festival of Beltane held(Holiday spot). It was thought that the day divides the year into half. The other half was to be ended with the Samhain on November 1(Holiday spot 1). The Maypoles were of all sizes(Holiday spot 1). And one village would vie with another to show
Wicca Imagine you are walking through the woods, it’s chilly and from a distance you hear a chanting floating across the wind. The sound has an eerie lulling sound, urging you to follow the new melody. Your curiosity gets the best of you so you follow the noise. You enter a clearing and witness a group of individuals around a fire, chanting and dancing. What is your first impression? Have you stumbled upon a satanic cult? Or maybe are you witnessing a vibrant, misunderstood religion. Wicca, is a