Beltane paper very rough draft

                                                                                                          Sonja 

                                                                                                          Humanities

                                                                                                          11.00-11.50

I will be discussing Beltane, a Celtic fertility festival, held on 1 May. Beltane literally means, Bright Flame.  It is a Sabbat to honour  Beli, the Celtic god of the Sun, the father, protector and husband of the Mother Goddess, Belisama  

 Beltane is a cross quarter day, meaning that the Sun is midway between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. It is also a sabbat honouring Life (as opposed to Samhain, which is honouring the deaths of those who have gone before us), and is when the Sun is released from his winter sleep and is able to rule over the Summer and life once again.

Maypoles are danced around as an obvious symbol of fertility and bonfires are started the night of 30 April. The main bonfire started is called the Fires of Tara and all other fires are lit from it. In the past the ancient Celts would drive cattle into the fires as a sacrifice, but now we use the smoke to cleanse ourselves before preforming the rites.

This cross quarter day goes back to ancient times when the Celtic peoples were honouring their Gods and goddesses in the hope of having a fertile summer. Crops and animals as well as the Celts themselves were praying that the land would yield plenty of food to get them through the winter as well as to increase their own population. 

The four ways of knowing (sensing, intuition, thinking and feeling) are seen in the celebration of Beltane by:

The Celts sensed and thought that through their beliefs and worship, the gods would be pleased that they honoured them, and so they would grant the requests of the people by allowing them to have plentiful harvest and many children.  The Fires of Bel gave them a way to purify themselves for the Gods and ready themselves for the gifts that the Gods would give them. The ancients believed (thinking and sensing) that the Wheel of Life would not turn without their intervention, which took form in sacrifice and prayers to the Gods. They believed that they could to encourage the Sun and his growth, so fire was an important component of the ritual (feeling and intuition).

The Celts were using synergy by using prayer, bonfires and sacrifices as well as dancing to gain the attention of and amuse their Gods and Goddesses. Synergy is the interaction of elements that when combined produce atotal effect that is greater than the sum of the individualelements, contributions,.  They came together as a culture to persuade the Gods to give them the gifts of life. In 44 BCE the Romans began invading lands held by the Celtic peoples, by 305 AD they had conquered all but the Highlands of Scotland (incidentally these are the people that I am from which I descended) and Ireland. The Romans adopted much of the Celtic religion, but renamed the Sabbats and the Gods and Goddesses. Even though the Romans renamed everything, the values and the rites were pretty much the same.

I chose this project because it coincides with when it is due, this Sabbat is held on 1 May, as well as because I am a Celt and I too celebrate the Celtic Sabbats and follow most of the ritual myself.  It has a high level of value for me as it is a part of my own faith to honour not only my Celtic roots, but my faith as well. Every time I perform the rites I learn more about the deities as well as myself as a Celt. I would most definitely do this project again and learned more in detail about where the maypole ritual came from (the Germans) as well as which deities are being celebrated and why we have the bonfires.


A Beltane ritual is beautiful and rather simple. First a circle is cast ( to contain the magick and energy that is raised during the ritual). Then the large Beltane candle is lit and Beli and Belisama are called to the circle (this can be changed to honour whichever deities one honours). Purpose of the rite is stated, remebering that this is the observation of the marriage between the God and Goddess and is also for fertility and life. The sybolism of the deities is shown in the chalice (the Goddess) and the dagger (the God) and they are united.  Multi-coloured ribbons are then tied to a tree with a wish being given to each ribbon, the ribbons are braided together after being passed through the smoke rising off the Beltane candle. Each wish is meditated on before going to the next. Food and drink is enjoyed in the circle with prayers and meditations. When the individual or group feels that the rite is complete, the candle is extinguished and the circle is closed.

http://www.joellessacredgrove.com/Celtic/deitiesb.html

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/synergy?s=t
http://www.ehow.com/how_2317966_perform-beltane-ritual.html

My best friends: Margarita Thompson and Cathy Mills