BELTANE RITUAL With Fairies
 

 

Ritual Needs:  drums, smudge stick and feather, anointing oil, windchimes, sparkler, bubbles, flower petals, Sacred Flame candle, flowers, tree of life, garland of flowers, ring for tree of life, basket of ribbons, chalices, Cakes and Ale, wand

 

Ritual Cast: HP, HPs, Maiden, (4)Quarter Callers, Fairies, (2)Gatekeepers 

 

Seasonal Reenactment Cast: The (B) Bard, the (Y) young girl, the (W) Wise Woman and the (M) Maiden Goddess of Spring.

 

[Ritual]

 

Bell Rings

Gatekeepers take their place and anoint the HP and Maiden.

 

HP: Drums to summon the participants.

 

Gatekeepers: Smudge and anoint participants as they enter the circle

 

Maiden: Hands everyone a flower

 

HP:(stops drumming, stands in front of altar and raises hands)  

Just as we have done before, in many incarnations, 

we gather on this blessed day to celebrate Beltane.  

The fertile summer season is here.  

We come to give blessings to the bountiful Goddess and her God consort 

who unite today in sacred marriage. 

(holds hand out to HPs) 

Come to me my Lady. 

For it is in the joining of male and female 

that all life and this rite begins.

 

HPS enters and takes the hand of HP. 

 

HP and HPs bow to each other. Namaste

 

HPS: (CASTS CIRCLE)

As a family, we have come together once again to cast circle.

This circle is cast, from hand to hand, heart to heart. 

 

CHANT: 

We are a circle

Within a circle

With no beginning

And never ending.

 

HPS:

Gather in the morning dew, 

For potions to make dreams come true.

Fairies now may come to play,

As we greet the first of May.                  

 

HP:

‘Round and round we dance this night

so God and Goddess will unite.

And earth and beast and home shall be

Blessed with fertility.

 

HPS:

Beltane is also the time of fairies. 

Allow yourself to be a child at heart and open yourself to the wonder of the fairies. 

Let us call them now!

 

(Quarter Callers: Say your words up and into the Circle with your arms raised.  When you are finished, turn to your direction and perform your action.

Fairies: Come in dancing)

 

EAST:

Children of the Air, fairies of joy and delight, we ask you to join us in this Beltane rite! 

 

Hail and welcome! 

 

All: Hail and welcome!

 

(ring bell)

 

SOUTH:

Children of the Fire, fairies of passion and laughter, we ask you to join us in this Beltane rite!

  

Hail and welcome!

 

All: Hail and welcome!

 

(light sparkler)

 

WEST:

Children of the water, fairies of love and compassion, we ask you to join us in this Beltane rite!

 

Hail and welcome!

 

All: Hail and welcome!

 

(blow bubbles)

 

NORTH:

Children of the Earth, fairies of fertility and grounding, we ask you to join us in this Beltane rite!

 

Hail and welcome!

 

All: Hail and welcome!

 

(throw rose petals)

 

HP:  

Lord and Lady, we ask you this night, to join us in this Beltane rite. 

 

Surround us with your joyous light and loving comfort. Show us what it is like to be playful and joyous this coming summer. 

 

Hail and welcome!

 

All: Hail and welcome!

 

HP and HPS light red candle (Sacred Flame)

 

HP:

Beltane is an ancient fire festival. And as a representation if this, we have a sacred flame. As the sacred flame comes to you, receive its blessing of passion and energy. Remind yourself of the sacred flame that we each posses within us.

 

Pass flame around the circle.

 

Chant: Sacred Flame Chant

 

HP:

Children of the Lord and Lady, 

we have created sacred space.  

We have called on the fairies to create here a magical realm.  

We have invited the Lord and the Lady 

to preside over these rites. 

We have been blessed by the sacred flame.  

Watch and listen now, 

as we retell the story of Beltane. 

 

[SEASONAL ENACTMENT    “How the Maypole Came to Be”]

 

BARD READS:

 

B: Gather around and I’ll tell you a story about how the Maypole 

came to be.

 

Circle Sits

 

B: Once upon a time, a long time ago—–or maybe in a time not yet come—–there was a springtime when no flowers bloomed.  It was the Grand Sabbat of Beltane and all had gathered to celebrate. Yet the plum trees and cherry trees showed no delicate blossoms.  No daffodils pushed up from the cold ground; no buds formed on the roses.  No lilacs perfumed the air, and no poppies opened their bright petals to the wind.  Everyone stood in silence wondering how to proceed.  They all recognized that something was wrong, but no one was exactly sure just what it was.

 

Y: As the people stood there in circle, the small voice of a young girl rang out from the crowd.  “Where have all the flowers gone?” she said in dismay.

 

B: No one seemed to know the answer to that question.  No one felt much like celebrating either, when there were no visible signs of spring.

 

B: Now the Wise Woman of the village had also come to the gathering. She was well respected for her vast knowledge of many subjects including the cycles of life.  The people looked to her for healing and comfort in times of need.  The Wise Woman stepped forward and put her hands on the young girl’s shoulder.

 

W: She said kindly, “Some kind of love has gone out of the world, so the earth spirits are sick and the flowers have disappeared, but with the right kind of love you can call them back again.”

 

Y: “What is the right kind of love?” asked the girl.

 

W: “Let us see if we can call it in,” said the Wise Woman. “Let us all hold hands.”

 

B: So all the people held hands and each in turn called out some form of love.  The librarian said, “I love to read.” A young boy said, “I love my dog.”  The woodsman said, “I love the trees”, and on it went around the circle each one in turn mentioning one kind of love.  Will each of you hear, please go around the circle and call out something you love. (All those present will add what they love.)

 

Y: When the circle of voices was complete, the young girl asked again, “do you think we have found the right kind of love?”

 

B: The Wise Woman held up her magick wand as if to invoke a spirit.

 

M: At that moment another voice could be heard.  “There really is no right kind of love.  The Goddess blesses all forms of love, just so long as it harms no one.  Whenever you join together in a circle with love and trust, you call me.”

 

B: Appearing in the circle was a beautiful young woman gowned in white.  Her hair was crowned with all the flowers of spring.

 

Y: “Who are you, my lady?” asked the young girl.

 

M: “I am the Goddess of Spring. You and the Wise Woman have called me back from the Otherworld with your circle of love. “

 

Y: “Then please tell us Lady, how do we bring the flowers back?”

 

M: “Here is what you must do.  My tree of Life is but a dead stick, but you can bring it to life again.  You must take a ring and place it on top of my tree.  This is the Circle of Rebirth.  Here are the ribbons of love that I bring you.  Tie them all to the circle for they represent the many forms of love that exist in the world.  Then you must take hold of my ribbons and dance around the tree.  You must wrap the tree of life in love and then the flowers will bloom again.”

 

(Maiden Goddess carries flowers to the Quarter Altars.)

 

B: And so the people built the Maypole as the Goddess had instructed and they danced all through the day.  As they danced, delicate blossoms appeared on the trees.  Daffodils pushed up from the ground, and buds formed on the roses.  Lilacs perfumed the air, and poppies opened their bright petals to the wind.

 

M: When the dance was over the Goddess said, “I must leave you now but the flowers will remain to remind you to honor all forms of love.  And every year when you dance the Maypole, I will be with you, whether you can see me or not, for in that way, I am just like love.” 

 

(Maiden Goddess leaves)

 

B: Now the flowers remained through the whole summer.  And ever after that, when the spring came, the people danced the Maypole with bright ribbons in honor of the flowers and all the colors of love.

 

And that is the G-rated version, of how the maypole came to be. 

 

Clapping is allowed as the circle stands. 

 

[End of Ritual]

 

CAKES AND ALE  

 

(HP announces Cakes & Ale. Cue the drummers.)

 

(Chalices are raised)

 

HPs:

Mother goddess, Queen of the night and of the Earth;
O Father God, King of the day and of the forest,
we celebrate Your union as nature rejoices in a riotous
blaze of color and life. Accept my gift, Mother Goddess
and Father god, in honor of Your union.

 

HP:  

May we ever be aware of our compassion and gratitude for our fellow man. May we ever be aware of our love for those around us. May we ever we aware of the gifts Mother Goddess and Father God have honored us with. 

 

HP:

Eat and drink. Share and be happy.

Aho!

 

All: Aho!

 

HPs: 

As we close the ritual, we’d like to thank that God and Goddess for joining us this eve. Go if you must, stay if you will. 

Hail and Farewell!

 

All: Hail and Farewell!

 

HP: We would also like to thank the directions and fairies for joining us this eve. Go if you must, stay if you will.

Hail and Farewell!

 

All: Hail and Farewell!

 

HPs: 

The circle is open, but unbroken

Merry Meet, Merry Part and Merry Meet Again! Aho!!