June 17th, 2012

Our trip to Niagara was great! It lasted from the 14th to the 17th, and we got to see all sorts of things. The 14th was all driving; we left later in the day, and spent the night in Indiana. On the 15th, we drove the rest of the way, and got to our hotel in Cheektowaga, NY, just in time for supper. After we ate, we made it down to the falls to see one Nik Wellenda! It was completely by coincidence that our trip matched his crossing of the falls on tightrope, and honestly, I was glad we hadn't come all the way out just to see that. We didn't really have the greatest view, as there were so many people. Nevertheless, I could see the tightrope, shimmering through the mist. And once it started, I could just make out Wellenda working his way across.

The next day was more exciting, though. We took the Maid of the Mist out under the Horseshoe Falls. The mist was so thick, you couldn't even see the waterfall. You looked up from the tossing lake, thick with foam, to see a blanket of white filling the sky. We wore ponchos on the boat, so I got less wet than I'd anticipated, but Niagara was perfectly happy to change that later in the day. After we docked, we walked over to Goat Island to get a better view of Bridal Veil Falls. It was nice to look down them, but it was the Cave of the Winds tour that was truly magickal. It was a hike right in front of the Bridal Veil Falls, that takes you to where Hinum's cave once existed, before years of erosion washed it out.

The tour lets you view the vast population of gulls (including the last fluffy babies), as well as get a close-up of the water. A close-up as in water pouring down the inside of your poncho, making them completely irrelevant. One could literally stand mere feet in front of the falls. In spite of being surrounded by people, you can't hear anything except the roar of the water in your ears. We drove the 12 hours back home on the 17th, taking a detour through Pennsylvania to see some of the Allegheny Forest.

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