Bonus Beltane Pictures

These ended up on Facebook today, and I figured I'd share a few more pictures from SIPA's Beltane ritual, seeing as I was dancing around the maypole and couldn't simultaneously get pictures of people dancing.

SIPA Beltane 2016

SIPA hosted their Beltane ritual this afternoon, which I was fortunately able to attend! I missed it last year because of a build day for an architecture group I'm in, and this year I was concerned it would overlap with set strike, but fortunately the times worked out. It was also supposed to storm today, but the weather turned out to be beautiful! All in all, we couldn't have had a nicer set-up for a ritual.

Today's ritual was at a shelter in Giant City, which has a lovely creek running past it. The shelter was smaller than the ones we've been at before, but since it was so nice out, it didn't matter.

Me before ritual, all dressed up with robes, a cape, Quartz necklace, and the flower crown I bought at Fairy Fest last summer.

The maypole; SIPA uses theirs three years consecutively and then burns it at Samhain. This is this maypole's second year.

Elemental banners around the Circle.

There were several dogs at today's ritual, including this little lady, Serenity.

Blowing bubbles and grilling bratwurst.

Dogs!

West side of the creek

East side of the creek, with Zeppelin the dog.

One of many red ochre rocks in the stream bed. I looked for fossils, but didn't spot any.

Waterfall into the creek.

SIPA's banner, which was incredibly difficult to hang. The gentleman on the left had to give me a leg up to tie the grommet to a nail in the wood, and then he climbed on the other guy's back to staple up the other corner.

Tying this year's ribbons to the maypole.

Our drummer getting in a good stretch so he's ready to go.

So many ribbons! Mine was a dark blue, to match my outfit.

Erecting the maypole (not my photo, I didn't have my phone during ritual).

Everyone getting ready to dance (also not my photo; that's me in the foreground). We wove in thoughts and intentions of things we wanted to grow this year. It was super fast-paced and a little chaotic, but...

...it turned out great! Our maypole, all braided up!

We had a potluck afterwards with a ton of food, and I was completely stuffed. I got back to campus around 4:00, which left me plenty of time to get ready for set strike at 4:30. I am very tired now, but it was a good day!

May 1st, 2016

A very happy Beltane to everyone! I have a lot going on today, including practicing some presentations and set strike for the last performance of the season, but I'm also going to spend part of my afternoon at a Beltane ritual! It takes me back to the first public ritual I ever attended, which must have been Beltane of 2011. I went with Hazelnut and Raincloud, and we didn't quite know what to expect, but we had a blast. Today I'll be out with SIPA, and might even get to dance my first maypole.

I hope all your festivities go wonderfully!

May 4th, 2015

I ended up not doing much on Beltane for Beltane, but I was very busy this weekend with other creative and manifestive pursuits, so I still got to tap into some of that energy regardless. On Saturday, I helped one of my friends paint the nursery in her new house, and on Sunday, I worked some more on an accessible dog park with my architecture group. (Friday night I spent seeing a production of Godspell instead of actually doing a ritual. Oops.)

Tonight, though, was amazing! I just learned that there's a Pagan alliance in my region, and they do open rituals every so often. They did an Esbat tonight, over in the labyrinth circle behind the Gaia House, and I was able to make it. I don't have any pictures at the moment, although one of the guys there did take a bunch, so I'll keep you all updated.

We started off by going around the circle, smudging each other with sage smoke. Then we drew down lunar energy and used it to charge a bowl of moonflower seeds. We all got to take little peat pots, fill them with dirt, and then plant several seeds to take home! I've always wanted moonflowers, so I was very excited. Everyone was really friendly, and it was absolutely gorgeous weather. Plus we had a few little bats dart around overhead.

I'll be going back home for the summer, but in the fall I'd really love to check out their Mabon ritual or something! Great group, for sure, and I'm excited to go back.

April 22nd, 2015

In honor of Earth Day, some students yesterday were giving out native plants to take home and put in one's garden. I got these lovely Butterfly Weed plants:

I'm planning to have my mom take them home to plant when she comes to visit on Sunday.

Butterfly Weed is a great garden choice for anyone living in midwestern America. The red and orange flowers are pretty and fragrant, and the leaves are a vital food source for native butterflies, Monarchs in particular.

Those working with fairies may like to include some of these plants in a fairy garden, as those flowers favored by butterflies also tend to be favored by the fey.

On the altar, the bright orange flowers could be used to symbolize the fire element, and would be great for spring and summer rituals, like Beltane and Litha.

May 2nd, 2013

I'd like to take a moment to commemorate all those who fell at the May 2nd, 1998 Battle of Hogwarts... Oh wait, this isn't that kind of blog, is it? Nuts.

All joking aside, I discovered more fully yesterday the extent to which childhood (and even teenage) fantasies and my love of magical books correlated to my connection with Paganism.
In youth, I had an imaginary friend. Actually, that's an understatement: I had many imaginary friends. Part of this was likely as not due to my lack of actual friends, but the individual of which I will specifically write today went quite a bit beyond a simple psychological need for company.
Envision, if you will, a blonde-haired girl wearing all blue - a blue dress, cape, gloves, mask, etc. She also happens to wear boots emblazoned with a lightning bolt. This is Polaris, named for the North Star, and she was, in many ways, more real to me in childhood than my family or classmates. I recall a six-year-old me describing her as "a superhero who can do anything", though she has a certain affinity for lightning, and she flew around the universe in a small red spaceship rescuing the innocent from less wholesome alien creatures. Now hold that thought.
Flash forward about ten years, and take a look at my sketchbooks - Polaris is
gone, but not gone, just morphed: now she is an older girl, still blonde, and still in a blue dress, only she's lost the mask, the gloves, and the boots. Her name is Aurora, and her powers are somewhat more limited than Polaris', dealing solely with the elements, lightning still being her favorite. Was this intentional on my part? Not in the slightest. Only yesterday, in the middle of the meditation I was doing for my Beltane ritual, did this occur to me.
This was, by itself, an intriguing personal insight into my psychology, but perhaps more significant was the realization that came immediately after this: Polaris was the manifestation of Goddess in my life as a little one. Think about it - an all-powerful Maiden who uses her magical powers for the benefit of others. I know for a fact that I connected more with my imaginary friend than I did with the vague, unknowable god that was discussed at church. It's hard to describe the emotional impact of this insight in words, but as I was meditating and realized this, I was physically stunned. To think that even as a tiny little girl, the Lady was reaching out to me? I mean, that's just incredible.
As for Aurora, I created her after my introduction to Paganism, so perhaps it's less surprising that her character is elementally inclined and whatnot, but still it was interesting to examine because I found she was sort of the personification of the way that I see Goddess in myself. After all, I see all people as having some piece of the Divine in them, and Aurora, I suppose, is how I might draw that energy appearing.
Has anyone else had an experience like that? I'd love to hear about it!

May 1st, 2013

A very blessed Beltane to everyone! I just finished up the most empowering ritual I've done in some time - it was wonderful! My youngest brother went out giving May baskets, which I think is hilarious, since it's a total Pagan tradition, and between the fresh air wafting through my window and some great music, I was getting really into it.
How is everyone else enjoying the sabbat?

April 29th, 2013

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.

April 24th, 2013

At long last, spring seems to be getting settled. We had clear skies today and relatively warm weather, the daffodils are blooming, and Hazelnut's cat, Gypsy, just had kittens! I can't wait to see pictures!

Due to big standardized tests today and yesterday, our school was let out at 12:40 instead of 2:55, so I have a little more free time today than I usually do, especially now that I have my homework all done. I think I'll use some of that time to set up my Beltane altar, and then... I don't know. It's such a novel experience to not have things to do!

This picture is from a few days ago - we don't have snow anymore!

Celtic Tree Month: Birch

The Celtic name for this month is "Beth", pronounced "beh", and celebrates the Birch tree. Birch is a broad-leafed hardwood of the genus Betula, and is in the same family as Alder, Hazel, and Hornbeam (the first two of which are other sacred trees to the Celts). Birch trees and shrubs tend to be of a medium size, with small samara fruit. They are typically found in well-drained, often acidic, soils, and are considered a pioneer species, meaning that they are often the first trees to return after a fire or other disaster.
Folklore surrounding the Birch is plentiful. In Gaelic legend, the Birch is closely associated with Tir na Nog, the Otherworld of the faeries and the Sidhe. To the Celts, brooms, or besoms, made of birch had a purifying quality and were used to drive away evil spirits. During handfasting rituals, the couple would jump over a broom made of Birch; for a long time, the "besom wedding" was legal. Birch were also used in Beltane celebrations as a living maypole - as one of the first trees to grow leaves in the spring, the Birch is an obvious symbol of fertility. The spring goddess Eostre, from whose name comes both "Easter" and "Ostara", was associated with the Birch, as was Frigga, Thor, and Freya from the Norse pantheon. Siberian shamans make their own use of the Birch, notching a Birch twig nine times during an initiation rite to represent the nine steps to heaven. In North America, some Native Americans prized Birch for its practicality in canoe and paper making, and also used the bark to ritually wrap their dead.
Magickally speaking, many cues can be taken from the Birch tree's mythological background - today, wood and leaves from the tree can still be used to make besoms, to ward negativity, and for aid in love. Birch can be burned at Samhain, Beltane, and Yule, and can form the traditional Yule log and Maypole. The wood can likewise be used in dealings with faeries and nature spirits, whether to call the friendly ones or banish the not-so-friendly ones.
Both the leaves and the inner bark of the tree are edible; either can be eaten raw. The inner bark can be added to soup, or can be ground and used as a flour. Made into a tea, it is diuretic, can help cure other minor illnesses, like fever, and makes a good antiseptic. The leaves have similar properties. Birch sap is also edible, and though it is infrequently tapped (it's less sweet than maple sap), it can be turned into a molasses-like syrup or be fermented into beer or vinegar.

Beltane

Beltane is one of the four fire-festivals, celebrated on May 1st. It is named for the god Bel, meaning "fire". In Ireland, the same god went by the name Beli, possibly making the name of the sabbat "tree-fire". One of Beltane's other names is Cetsamhain, or "first Samhain", and it is opposite Samhain on the Pagan calendar. Unlike Samhain, however, which honors the spirits of the dead, Beltane focuses on all that is alive. Along with Ostara, and, to an extent, Imbolc, Beltane is a fertility sabbat. In Pagan mythos, Beltane marks the point where the God is first unioned with the Goddess, bringing her into her phase as the Mother. From their union, then, springs the life that now flourishes. Also, as it is a fire-festival, the element plays a major role in the celebration of the holiday.
According to tradition, on Beltane Eve, all fires are extinguished. Then, on the day of, "need-fires" are kindled using the nine woods sacred to the Celts, and all other home fires are relit from these. Then people would run through the smoke of the need-fires to purify themselves, and their cattle were driven through the smoke for the same purpose. On the same day, the cattle were moved to their summer pastures. Another well known tradition, even to non-Pagans, is the dancing of the Maypole. The pole itself is symbolic of the God's fertility, and the ribbons, once wrapped around said pole, signify the Goddess. The dancing is said to bring abundance and good fortune, and receives relative popularity to this day.
Personally, I am a decorator, so one of my favorite things to do for each sabbat is get my altar set up. At Beltane, any symbol of spring is appropriate, but more commonly one sees flowers, miniature maypoles, candles (it is a fire-festival, after all), chalices/cauldrons, swords/athames, wreaths of flowers, antlers or other horns, and any other fertility symbols. Goats, rabbits, bees, faeries, pegasi, and satyrs are all associated with Beltane, so pictures or other representations of the creatures are appropriate. In particular, Beltane has a strong connection with faeries, so if you follow a tradition honoring them in any way, now is a great time to do so, either by including faerie statues or pictures, or by leaving them offerings.
This lovely little recipe is one I found on the 'net here, and can be left as an offering to your faerie friends, or enjoyed by your family as Beltane fare.

Fried Honeycakes

1/2 cup sweet white wine
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1 cup honey
2/3 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Oil for frying
1/8 teaspoon salt
Beat the wine and egg in a medium bowl. Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt and sugar in a small bowl. Stir into the egg mixture. Let stand 30 minutes. Combine the honey and nutmeg in a small bowl. Heat 1/2-inch of the oil in a frying pan until hot, but not smoking. Drop the batter into the oil 1 tablespoon at a time; fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Dip into the honey.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen

February 20th, 2012

Today, I checked out (among other things) a book called Rupert's Tales from the library. It is a precious story about Rupert the rabbit who

"...sets out to discover how and why people leave their homes to celebrate seasonal holidays in the forest where he lives."

The book is by a woman who goes by Kyrja, and essentially explains the meaning behind Beltane, Litha, Lammas, and Mabon through the eyes of a rabbit. It is aimed at younger readers, but even I, as a high-schooler, was enchanted simply by the novelty of finding a Pagan picture book. I haven't finished it yet (it's quite long for a picture book!), but the Beltane story was simply adorable, and... I don't know... is magick in its own right. Somehow you can't not feel warm and fuzzy reading it, even if you are familiar with the meaning behind the Sabbats. I'd highly recommend it to anyone and everyone, but particularly if you have Pagan children!