Beltane

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Beltane

Colors

Red, Green, White, Dark Yellow

Other Names

Beltaine, May Day, Walpurgisnacht, Walpurgiseve, May Eve, Rudemas, Celtic Summer.

Symbols

Eggs, Flowers, Chalice, May Pole, Butterchurn, Flower Chaplet, May Baskets.

Deities

Marriage/Sexual Union of Deities, All Mother Goddesses.

Activities

Wrapping the May Pole, The Great Rite, Gathering Flowers.

Taboos

Giving away fire, and giving away food.

Animals

Goats, Rabbits, Honey Bees.

stones

Sapphire, Bloodstone.

Plants

Primrose, Cowslip, Hawthorn, Rose, Birch, Rosemary, Lilac.

Meaning

Union of God and Goddess, Sacred Marriage, All New Life, Fertility for ALL Living Things, End of Winter (Celtic).

Attunement Teas

(Individually or Blended)
Burdock, Damiana, Hibiscus, Rose Hips, Saffron.

Ritual Oils

Passion Flower, Rose, Tuber Rose, Vanilla.

Goddesses

All Virgin Mother Goddesses, All Goddesses of Song and Dance, All Flower Goddesses, All Goddesses of the Hunt, All Fertility Goddesses, Aima (Hebraic), Aphrodite (Greek), Ariel (English), Artmis (Greek), Baubo (Greek), Blodewedd (Welsh), Chuang-Mu (Chinese), Cupra (Etruscan), Cybele (Greek), Damara (English), Devana (Slavic), Diana (Greek), Erzulie (Voodun), Fand (Manx-Irish), Flidais (Irish), Flora (Roman), Freya (Norse), Hilaria (Greek), Ilamatecuhtli (Aztec), Kaikibani (Polynesian), Lofn (Norse), Meilikki (Finnish), Perchta (Slavic), Prithbi (Hindu), Rainbow Snake (Aboriginal), Rhea (Cretean), Rhiannon (Welsh), Sarbanda (Shiela-na-gig Irish), Skadi (Teutonic), Tuulikki (Finnish), Var (Norse), Venus (Roman), Xochiquetzal (Aztec) .

Gods

All Gods of the Hunt, All Fertility Gods, All Gods of Love, All Young Father Gods, Arthur, King (Welsh-Cornish), Baal (Phoenician), Bel/Belanos (Celtic), Beltene (Irish-Scottish), Cernunnons (Greco-Celtic), Chores (Slavic), Cupid/Eros (Greco-Roman), Faunus (Roman), Frey (Norse), Herne (Greek), The Great Horned God (European), Lono (Polynesian), Manawyddan (Welsh), Odin (Norse), Orion (Grec-Arabic), Pan (Greek), Puck (English), Robin Goodfellow (English), Telipinu (Hittite).

Lore

Weaving and plaiting are traditional arts at this time of year, for the joining together of two substances to form a third is in the spirit of Beltane.

Food

Foods traditionally come from the dairy, and dishes such as marigold custard and vanilla ice cream are fine. Oatmeal cakes are also appropriate.

Recipes

Beltane Cream Pie
(Makes 1 nine inch pie)

1 cup whole milk
1 cup rich cream
1/2 cup butter (NOT margarine)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
11/2 cups sugar
11/4 teaspoons vanilla
11/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 prepared pie crust, baked

Melt the butter in a wide pan over medium heat. In a seperate bowl slowly add the milk to the cornstarch, making sure it is fully dissolved and absorbed before adding more milk. When the cornstarch is fully blended, add this and all of the other ingredients, except the vanilla, to the cooking pan. Stir conastanly over medium heat until the mixture becomes thick. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the mixture into the waiting pie shell and sprinkle with nutmeg. The Pie may be eaten while it is still warm, as long as it has cooled enough to set. Or the pie may be chilled and eaten later.

Farls

3 cups real mashed potatoes
2 cups dry oats
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1/2 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of Rosemary (optional)

Soak the oats in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes until soft and slightly swollen. Mix them with all the other ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Knead until the mixture is like a thick dough. If it seems too thin or moist, add a teaspoon or two of flour. When it is thoroughly mixed, form small sections into round patties. Fry the patties in hot vegetable oil in a small skillet until lightly brown. Serve immediately.

Information was taken from
Edain McCoy's book "The Sabbats- A New Approach to Living the Old Ways"
and Scott Cunningham's book "Wicca- A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner".
If you are interested in buying these wonderful books, click here.