Due to a musical festival going on at my school this afternoon, we were released early, and I got home at 11:30! I was struck while walking back from the bus stop by just how nice today's weather is. In my little corner of the world, it's a balmy 70 degrees with a gentle breeze, birds singing, trees budding, and dozens of perky dandelions popping up to see what's going on. I get grumpy during the winter, being cooped up inside all day, and now that we're getting deep into spring I just feel like opening all the windows and drinking in the fresh air.
In thinking of all things Pagan, it occurred to me just now that Beltane is this Wednesday! It looks like the good weather hit just in time for the sabbat, folks. I won't be doing a big Maypole dance or anything (non-Pagan parents and all), but I have a miniature version I crafted last year that's both cute and simple.
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To make an altar-sized Maypole, you will need:
- One wooden dowel
- Two ribbons
- One red, one white, and both double the length of the dowel
- A thumb tack
- Any desired paints or decorations
If you wish to do so, decorate the dowel with paints, glitter, stickers, and any
other desired mediums. This is an easy projects for kids, so feel free to get the little ones involved. Hold the finished dowel firmly in place. If you have a narrow vase you can put it in, or a ball of play-doh in which to stick the end, that works too (1). Lay the middle of the two ribbons over the end of the dowel, crossing each other, so that the halves of each ribbon hang down the sides in equal length (2). It should look like you have four shorter ribbons attached to the pole's top. Then secure the ribbons in place by driving the thumb tack all the way into the dowel through the ribbons (3). Depending on your dowel size, it looks something like a little cap on the rod's end.
That's all there is to it - in ritual or at another desired time, braid the ribbons around the dowel as you would a larger Maypole. I only used the two long ribbons because four shorter ones were all I could handle alone. If you plan to use your altar Maypole with a friend or two, add more ribbons as desired.
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