Merry Beltane!

Posted on May 1, 2016 by Green Dragon Artist — Leave a comment

Beltane evokes images of Maypole dancing and pagan delight. And well it should!

Beltaine, Beltane, or Lá Bealtaine in the Irish, is a Gaelic festival celebrating the halfway point between the spring equinox (March 21) and the summer solstice (June 21) (opposite for the southern hemisphere). It is one of four fire festivals of the ancient Celts, including Lughnasadh (Aug 1), Samhain (Nov 1), and Imbolc (Feb 1).

Traditionally, Beltaine is when cattle were taken to their summer feeding grounds or pastures. Cattle would pasture in the lower elevations during the winter, and the higher plains in the summer, to avoid over-grazing. Rituals were performed to protect cattle, the most important currency of the agricultural communities of the ancient Celts. Bonfires were lit, and the cattle driven through the smoke to cleanse, protect, and bless the livestock. All house fires would be re-lit from these fires to bring those blessings into the home.

A large feast would be laid for Beltaine, and May flowers draped everywhere. There are many customs and rituals for local celebrations for May Day or Beltaine. In Ireland, the sacred center of the island, the Hill of Uisneach, was the site of such ceremonies for millennia, as well as many other sacred places.

There is an ancient stone circle dedicated to Beltaine called Beltany Stone Circle, in County Donegal, Ireland. I was lucky enough to visit one year in November, and I had it all to myself, except for the sheep. Photos of that place are included in this post.

Standing stones were often seen as portals to the other world, full of magic and mystery. Even in modern times, novels such as Outlander by Diana Gabaldon use them as magical portals to the past.

For many pagans, Beltaine was a time that the Fair Folk, the sídhe, the Fairies, were particularly active, and it was a good idea to placate them. A saucer of milk or other offering was usually sufficient to keep their unwanted attention away.

Find a sacred place for yourself this Beltaine. Go find a well, make an offering to whichever god you hold in your heart. Ask for blessings and a fruitful season. Offer a prayer for your own bounty and others’. Honor the spirits of the land that keep us alive.

*****

I write historical fantasy novels, mostly set in Ireland, and a contemporary romance based on my parents’ 30-year search for true love. Don’t miss information on Celtic myth and history, as well as practical travel planning tips, and hidden places, in my travel books.

– Better To Have Loved – Contemporary romance based on the true story of my parents’ 30-year search for love

– Legacy of Hunger – Historical fantasy set in 1846 Ireland

– Legacy of Truth – Historical fantasy set around 1800 Ireland. Prequel to Legacy of Hunger, due out June 15, 2016!

– Stunning, Strange and Secret: A Guide to Hidden Scotland

– Mythical, Magical, Mystical: A Guide to Hidden Ireland

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About Green Dragon Artist

Celtic Fairies, Fables, and Folklore! Bestselling author (top #100 Amazon Canada, #1 in Paranormal Fantasy, Amazon Canada) Christy Nicholas, also known as Green Dragon, is an author, artist and accountant. After she failed to become an airline pilot, she quit her ceaseless pursuit of careers that begin with 'A', and decided to concentrate on her writing. Since she has Project Completion Disorder, she is one of the few authors with NO unfinished novels. Christy has her hands in many crafts, including digital art, beaded jewelry, writing, and photography. In real life, she's a CPA, but having grown up with art all around her (her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother are/were all artists), it sort of infected her, as it were. She wants to expose the incredible beauty in this world, hidden beneath the everyday grime of familiarity and habit, and share it with others. She uses characters out of time and places infused with magic and myth. Combine this love of beauty with a bit of financial sense and you get an art business. She does local art and craft shows, as well as sending her art to various science fiction conventions throughout the country and abroad. Facebook: www.facebook.com/greendragonauthor Homepage: www.greendragonartist.com Blog: www.greendragonartist.net Twitter: www.twitter.com/greendragon9

Tagged with: belief, believe, beltaine, beltane, beltany, celebrate, claire, county, day, donegal, druid, faerie, fairy, fraser, gabaldon, god, goddess, honor, ireland, irish, jamie, magic, may, maypole, outlander, pagan, photography, religion, religious, scotland, scottish, spring, summer, time, travel, wicca
Posted in History, pagan, Photography, Travel

Merry Beltane!

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