Up: [[Wheel of the Year]] Related: [[Fire Rituals Related to Hestia]] Created: 2024-05-01 Updated: 2026-05-02 A fire festival at the midpoint between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice, marking the beginning of summer and celebrating its return. Beltane and [[Samhain]] are described by Julie Gibbons as the *primary hinges* of the [[Wheel of the Year]] or eight-fold year. Celebrating light and dark, they are two sides of the same coin. Beltane was observed in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. The word Beltane, or Beltaine, or in Gaelic — Bealltainn means *bright fire*. ‘Bel’ refers to the Celtic sun god, Belenus. ‘Tene’ means fire. ### Three Possible Dates There are three different dates when Beltane can be celebrated: - May 1 — moon is in its last quarter in the sign of Aquarius - May 4 — the actual cross-quarter date - May 7 — before calendars, Beltane was celebrated on the second new moon after the equinox. Beltane is celebrated in the United Kingdom beginning the night before May 1st. ### Intention Keywords: fire, cleanse, renewal, big sun, erotic, union, trickster Beltane celebrates rebirth and renewal — of nature and of people. The energy of Beltane is completely growth focused and very strong and assertive.There were three major happenings that were part of the celebration: #### Fire The tradition is that the fires in all of the hearths would be extinguished and villagers would walk together to a huge communal fire, a sacred and purifying ‘neid fire,’ that would have been lit. Each villager would take a flame from that fire and use it to reignite their hearth fires which were the source of both heat and cooking. There’s an echo here of [[Fire Rituals Related to Hestia]]. Cattle were also driven between the smoke of two sections of fire to cleanse and protect them, encouraging their growth and therefore the food needed for the villagers. #### May Day Plays and Games The tradition of a May King and Queen dancing around the maypole began in the later Middle Ages. There was a strong trickster energy to this celebration so there were also people in the community who took on the roles of Robin Hood, Little John, and the merry band of men who made *sport and jococities in the town*. Between these events and wild [Morris dancing](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1029342/), there was an Act of Parliament that tried to banish the May Games in 1555, but riots, protests, arrests and imprisonments followed. #### Sexuality The energy of renewal and new growth wasn’t just for birds and bees at spring time, but for humans as well. Apparently on festival days in the past, there was a lot of pairing off of people, marital status insignificant. ### Contemporary Versions There is a[ Beltane fire festival](https://beltane.org/about-beltane/) that has been taking place in Edinburgh every year since 1988 Modern Wiccans revived Beltane in the mid 20th century. Their practice, while called Beltane, often borrows from ancient German and Roman fertility festivals. Beltane in its contemporary form is also for honouring the Fae, the faeries that guard flora and fauna. You can do that with an offering of milk or something shiny or colourful that can be placed by any location that feels like a portal to their realm, such as a tree or a plant. [[Tarot Spread Ideas for Beltane]] or journal in response to questions such as, What needs to grow? and How can I protect and nurture new growth?