Ideas for Bealltainn

* Take an early morning walk, greet the animals and plants, look for Faeries.
* Wake early to gather morning dew to bathe for face-one could also gather some from a stream or spring for the same purpose.
* Collect water from the above sources for use in scrying or blessing for magickal workings.
* Pick Spring flowers to braid into your hair or make into crowns or wreaths-add some tiny fairy bells!.
* Make a Maypole and dance around it!
* For the truly uninhibited go a-May-ing: Make love with your partner in your garden to insure a good harvest. ;) Or in the woods to celebrate Beltane and the union of the God and Goddess.
* Make May Baskets.
* Sit out and look for glimpses of Faeries!
* Leave nuts and berries as a gift to wild animals and the fae folk.
* Commune with Nature, listen to the sweet sounds, smell the fresh Spring air, enjoy that gentle breeze (hopefully!)and the Sun shining down warming the Earth.
* Leave a bowl of milk and some bread or cake for the Faeries.
* Beltane is a popular time for handfastings! Handfasting Cake recipes, Handfasting Oil, Handfasting Poem and Prayer.
* Make a wish and jump the bonfire !(aka balefire, needfire made up of nine sacred woods-choose from apple, ash, birch, cedar, elder,hawthorn, hemlock, holly, oak, rowan, willow, yew)--a candle will work in it's place.
* Set offerings of flowers or wreath into a pond, lake, river, etc.

For the wee witchlings:





May Pole Candles
Author Unknown

You will need:
Lots of pretty ribbons
Tall white or green pillar candle
Silver or brass "Craft Bells"
Candle holder (stand)

Cut lengths of ribbon around 18 inches each, in pretty Springtime colors. (pastels) Tie a craft bell to each end of ribbon (a tooth pick helps this process). Tie ribbons starting at 3/4 way down the pillar candle, knot three times don't tie bows, you need lots of length on the ribbons. Tie as many as you like snaking your way up the candle, but leave at least 1/4 candle bare. Place in a candle stand that will raise the candle about 6 - 8 inches, so the ribbons can "drape" Swirl the bundle of ribbons so they face East, ready to greet the dawn. Light candle and cheer the Spring time blessings to come.

Pressed Flowers Crafts

With dried pressed flowers you can make placemats, note cards, bookmarks and more!
various spring blooms and greenery, dry and pressed*
heavy card stock,poster board
contact paper
glue
scissors
markers
glitter, paint, other doodads for decorating

For the placemat: Cut posterboard to average placemat size (about 12"X 16"), glue flowers to poster board if you want (helps to keep them in place for later),let dry. decorate as desired. Cut 2 equal lengths of contact paper that are slightly larger than the posterboard (so it overlaps about an inch on each side). Carefully unpeel a section of contact paper and with the help of a friend or parent, carefully center over the top and press onto decorated posterboard. Press out all airbubbles. then apply the second sheet to the back. Press out all air bubbles and seal the edges. Trim if needed.

For bookmark, follow the directions for placemat only cut your card stock or poster board bookmark sized (about 2"x 5").

To Make Notecards, directions are found here

To press flowers, be sure they are rid of any excess water. lay between the pages of old phone books and cover with heavier books (or if you have big heavy books use two sheets of paper on each side of the flowers to prevent any damage to the book's pages. Make sure the book is covered with a few more books for added weight. Let sit untouched for two weeks, if flowers are not completely dry then let sit another week. For more crafts visit here


The Beltane Chase
Traditional

Ladies:
I shall go as a wren in spring
With sorrow and sighing on silent wing
And I shall go in our Lady's name Aye, till I come home again.

Men:
And we shall follow as falcons grey
And hunt thee cruelly as our prey
And we shall go in our Master's name
Aye, to fetch thee home again.

Ladies:
Then I shall go as a mouse in May
In the fields by night and cellars by day
And I shall go in our Lady's name
Aye, till I come home again.

Men:
But we shall follow as fat tom cats
And chase thee through the corn and vats
And we shall go in our Master's name
Aye, to fetch thee home again.

Ladies:
Then I shall go as an Autumn hare
With sorrow and sighing and mickle care
And I shall go in our Lady's name
Aye, till I come home again.

Men:
But we shall follow as swift grey hounds
And dog thy tracks by leaps and bounds
And we shall go in our Master's name
Aye, to fetch thee home again.

Ladies:
Then I shall go as a Winter trout
With sorrow sighing and mickle doubt
And I shall go in our Lady's name
Aye, till I come home again.

Men:
But we shall follow as otter's swift
And snare thee faster thou can'st shift
And we shall go in our Master's name
Aye, to fetch thee home again.

Ladies:
Aye, and I'll come home again.



May Day, Beltane, Bealltainn, Bealtinne, Bealtuinn, Beltain-and various other spellings, falls on May 1st (or Sun down April 30), astrologically on May 5th, or 15deg Taurus-the cross quarter between the Spring Equinox and Midsummer. Some argue that this is the true Lady Day and not Spring Equinox/Ostara. This is a time to celebrate the burgeoning warmth, growth and fertility of Nature around us. For those of us in the New England area this is a time to prepare our gardens for the bulk of our planting (which will follow the Full Moon closest to the end of May). This day we celebrate the union of the Goddess (in her maiden aspect) and the God which is made obvious by the greening of the plants and earth around us and the burst of new life in Nature. Celebrate life, love and yourself. If you cannot get back to Nature then spend a day being pampered.



For your Altar: Drape in a green altar cloth, adorn with ribbons, spring flowers and/or herbs.-my cauldron is filled with flowers or a potted flowering plant to honor the Goddess.
Incense: Rose, jasmine, lilac, ylang ylang, musk, or vanilla.
Magical work: Fertility, Prosperity, Growth, Love, Prosperity-bless seeds if you have not prepared them for your garden, New Beginnings.
Gem & Stones: Amber, Emerald, Malachite, Orange Carnelian, Rose Quartz & Sapphire
Herbs&Flowers: elder leaves, blessed thistle,snapdragon, broom, daffodils, coriander, dragon's blood, fern, nettle, flaxseed, hawthorn, marjoram, paprika, radish, rue, mushroom, meadowsweet, rose, woodruff, tansy, lilac & honeysuckle-all Spring flowers.
Colors: Green, Red , White, Yellow...aw heck, all colors! Celebrate vitality!
Decorations & Symbols: Phallic symbols of any kind-maypole is the favorite even today; eggs, baby animals, fire, May Baskets, ribbons, Spring flowers, faery.

Beltane Recipes: Oil and Incense




For your Bealltainn feast: Recipes including oats, cakes, custards, cream cakes, honey, eggs, dandelion, Spring greens, shellfish, edible Spring flowers, it is common to include phallic symbols in the form of eclairs(God) or jam filled tarts (Goddess). Dairy, any foods known for their aphrodisiac properties. Fried Honey Cakes are another Bealltainn favorite, just plug it into any search engine and up will pop hundreds of sites with the same recipe.

Appetizers

Shrimp or Crab Puffs
Snow Peas with Herb Cheese
Spinach Filled Stuffed Eggs
Broiled Camembert with Apples
Fried Dandelion Blossoms
Asparagus Rolatina
Oyster Puffs

Beverages

A Lusty Brew
Beltane Fruit Smoothie
May Cup for May Day
Maiwein
Maiwein-2
Loving Cup
Strawberry Wine Punch

Breads

Pitcaithy Bannock
Honey Oatmeal Bread
Honey Bread
Strawberry Bread
Filled Strawberry Bread
Sides & Salads

Dandelions & Potatoes
Sauteed Dandelions
Asparagus & Sugar Snap Peas
Early Spring Salad With Creamy Lemon Dressing
Strawberry Romaine Salad
Healthy Spring Salad
Strawberry Spinach Salad

Main Dishes

Asparagus Casserole
Basic Aphrodisiac Mussels
Crispy Oysters with Greens and Red Onion Vinaigrette
Goce or Capon Farced-Stuffed Goose or Capon
Poullaille farcie -Stuffed Chicken
Dingle Pies
Gyros

Cakes

Cream Cake with Citrus Glaze
Orange Cream Cake
Savannah Cream Cake
Angel Food Cake
Cherry Cream Cake (Kirsebærkremkake)
Chocolate-Cherry Cheesecake

Desserts

Deep-Fried Buns With Custard Paste
Easy Chocolate Cherry Cream Pie
Cranachan
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Chocolate Covered Cherries
Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake
Easy Mousse au Chocolat
Strawberry and Mascarpone Crepes