Beltane
Gaelic spring festival
Beltane is an ancient Celtic festival marking the beginning of summer, traditionally celebrated on May 1st.
Fires were lit on hilltops to welcome the season and protect livestock driven to summer pastures.
The festival survives in modern pagan and Wiccan practice, where it celebrates fertility, growth, and the peak of spring: We danced around the bonfire at Beltane.
Decorated post for dancing
- fertilityCapacity for reproduction
- greeneryCollective plant life
- flowersPlant reproductive structures
- hawthornThorny berry-bearing shrub
May Queen · coupling · handfasting · blessing · crops · livestock · abundance · renewal
Modern pagan witchcraft religion
- WiccanModern witchcraft adherent
- witchPractitioner of dark arts
- covenAssembly of witches
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
altar · pentacle · pentagram · witchcraft · neopagan · goddess · circle · chalice
Maypole
Decorated post for dancing
hawthorn · May Queen · coupling · handfasting · blessing · crops · livestock · abundance · renewal · sensuality
Wicca
Modern pagan witchcraft religion
ritual · altar · pentacle · pentagram · witchcraft · neopagan · goddess · circle · chalice
Celtic
Of Irish-Welsh descent
- druidAncient Celtic priest-scholar
- GaelicCeltic linguistic tradition
- paganNon-mainstream religion follower
ancient · Ireland · Scotland · Wales · Samhain · wheel of the year · seasonal · festival · bonfire · hilltop
bonfire
Large outdoor fire
hearth · smoke · embers · kindling · leaping · cattle · purification · hilltop · beacon · ritual fire