Celebrating Beltane

[Yorin]

Re: Celebrating Beltane

If anyone was going to make the honey cakes and you haven't yet, they turned out really great. I kinda made them like funnel cakes, and used a bit more oil than it called for, and let them rise up. Smaller cakes seemed to cook better than larger ones. For the sweet wine, I'd recommend a Reisling. Woodbridge puts out a nice one, and the bottle was only $7 and it super complimented them. <3 Figured I'd share for those playing with that recipe and watching

[thalassa]

Re: Celebrating Beltane

Beltane for One, no props:
A Beltane Meditation

Beltane for One, with props:

http://thewiccalife.blogspot.com/2011/01/solitary-beltane-ritual.html

http://www.globalgoddess.org/oracle/beltane_2009/ritual

http://herbalmusings.com/beltane.htm

So...here's the deal with candles and matches and stuff... I was Pagan while I was in college, and no candles/incense/etc was a huge dorm rule. Glow sicks, glitter, flashlights, heck...I've even used a light saber...work fine, and are actually sort of fun. My first ritual, (other than one with a friend when we tried to DIY Mayan ritual and we sacrificed a tomato and recreating The Egypt Game as a kid), was a self-dedication ritual done at 13, done with what I had on hand--which was acrylic paints, glow in the dark stars, birthday streamers and a balloon. You are only limited by your imagination.

What I would do, if I were in your situation, and this was one of my first sabbats to really celebrate, is forget all the fertility stuff. Beltane is a celebration of spring. Of Beginning. Its a celebration of starting a journey, of being refreshed and ready for the work ahead. Take a ritual bath (if you have any neighborhood roses in bloom, see if you can get a few, and add some milk (and honey if you have it) and the roses to your bath. Since I'm assuming you are younger and not in your own space, an option is to do your entire ritual time in the bathroom--no one will bother you too much there. If you have a laptop or ipod with speakers and can make a playlist to take in with you, or have a good mood setting CD (which you can usually pick up at the dollar store for a dollar, along with those little battery operated candles and glow sticks), it helps with background noise and filtering out distractions. Try the meditation up there, or whatever parts of the rituals (or google solitary Beltane rituals, Beltane meditations, Beltane prayers, etc) appeal to you. Think about what/how you want this day to signify as the start of your journey, and then thank whatever deities, forces, energies, entities, etc you feel like thanking, and get out and have a cupcake (or whatever, cupcakes just make me think of spring) as a mini-celebration. Leave a few pieces of whatever you enjoy on a small dish outside somewhere, where it won't be disturbed (or just sprinkle it under a tree or something) to share with whatever little nature spirits or begins might be in your neck of the woods (or suburbs, or city).

It depends on your path...I'm not sure what aspect of Paganism appeals to you, but if its Druidry (and certain types of witchcraft), IMO, you need to start with where you live and what you have and know them inside and out. What plants are native to you, what animals, what are your wild places, where does your water come from, what is the history of your town, who lived their first, what did they worship, what was their world view, what is the natural history of you ecosystem, what elements are at work, what is your growing season, what is the first flower to bloom, the first tree to leaf, the first bird to hatch, where does your weather come from? And then...what does that mean for you place amongst them. Find a place that is easy for you to get to, a place accessible with enough nature to call to you, and watch it over the course of a year--clean it up if there is trash on the ground, see what birds and plants and other animals make it home. Write about what you see and what you do and how you feel. Talk to the trees and lay in the flowers, watch the clouds roll by...whatever...but the point is to make an intimate connection with the land. Start there, and see what follows.

[Yorin]

Re: Celebrating Beltane

Doing anything that would celebrate life would be ideal in your situation. Fire was used as a blessing, so its a nice addition if you're able to have one, but I guess not necessarily all that "OMGMUSTHAVE".....If you can, as Beltane is a fertility holiday, maybe plant a flower or two nearby or at your house, thats one thing I used to do on my own. Like with my situation, since I can't really celebrate with my husband, our way or creating something is we're going out of our way to make something completely new cooking wise. So maybe try cooking something for yourself and maybe your family (you don't really have to tell them your reasonings behind it) or just creating something and giving back to whichever gods or goddesses you choose to pay patronage to.

Those would be my best bets from personal experience of celebrating alone and in a family that's not all that welcoming of alternate religious choices. Other choices would be just go spend sometime in any nature around you, like a park, or down by a river if you have one near you.

Best of luck Berry <3

[BerrySpice]

Re: Celebrating Beltane

[/hoping to not be interrupting the thread]

I'm in a bit of a pickle. Since, as I've said before, I'm new to all of this, this'll be my first time celebrating Beltane, and the first time, in fact, that I'll be celebrating a Pagan holiday of any sort (that I can now recognize as Pagan, that is). Reading this thread has given me ideas on how to celebrate it, however, I can't use them. Due to my own inattention, I'll be celebrating Beltane alone. I didn't realize that it was going to be so soon.

Except for my mom, my family doesn't know that I'm Pagan, so celebrating with them is out of the question. Planning something with my friends is pointless since it'd be so short-notice. What's more, there's no kind of hawthorn growing anywhere around here, and my parents haven't exactly given me the OK to use matches, let alone have candles in my room, so I can't do any sort of bonfire. And considering my family and friends aren't involved, a maypole isn't ideal anymore.

So does anyone have any ideas for this amateur Druidess? I don't want to miss out on this.

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: Celebrating Beltane

Yorin, those fried honeycakes sound excellent! I copied the recipe.

[Yorin]

Re: Celebrating Beltane

Glad you guys enjoyed the recipes. I have to make them early cause my dance teacher wants me to bring her some on Tuesday night, so I'll let you know how they go <3

[thalassa]

Re: Celebrating Beltane

I'll bet my kiddos would love the fried honey cakes!

[Walkingman]

Re: Celebrating Beltane

Thanks for posting recipes. I'm going to try the first one for starters. It sound fairly easy for me since I'm a bit challenged when it comes to cooking.

[Yorin]

Re: Celebrating Beltane

Fried Honeycakes

These cakes were left in the garden to please Faery visitors. If you plan to leave an offering to the Faery, double the recipe to keep some for your family. They're scrumptious.

1/2 cup sweet white wine
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1 cup honey
2/3 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Oil for frying
1/8 teaspoon salt

Beat the wine & egg in a medium bowl. Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt & sugar in a small bowl. Stir into the egg mixture. Let stand 30 minutes. Combine the honey & nutmeg in a small bowl.

Heat 1/2-inch of the oil in a frying pan until hot, but not smoking. Drop the batter into the oil 1 tablespoon at a time; fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Dip into the honey.

Yield: 1 1/2 Dozen.



Marigold Custard

2 cups milk
1 cup organic marigold petals
pinch salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 vanilla pod
3 egg yolks slightly beaten
cinnamon & nutmeg according to taste
1/2 teaspoon rose water
whipped cream

Using a clean pestle and mortar (or a spoon will suffice) crush the marigold petals. Mix the salt, sugar and spices together. gently heat (do not boil!) the milk with the marigolds and the vanilla pod to let the flavours infuse.

Remove the vanilla pod and add the slightly beaten yolks and dry ingredients. Cook on low heat until it thickens. When the mixture coats the spoon, add rose water and cool.
Top with whipped cream, garnish with fresh marigold petals.

[thalassa]

Re: Celebrating Beltane

Thanks a bunch for the ideas. Would anyone like me to post the recipes that I found?

heck yeah! we are always up for recipes around there...

[FantasyWitch]

Re: Celebrating Beltane

Damn. I'm no help, here. My only plans, for this Beltane, is to try my damnedest to not kill anybody. Though I might do up another bonfire, since my stepson's birthday is May 2nd. But then again, I'm just a firebug/firebaby or wtf ever it's called, these days... I'm a pyro. I LOVE bonfires!

Of topic, but I don't care :P My birthday is May the 2nd! I'll be 20! x

[Yorin]

Re: Celebrating Beltane

I wish there were events around me, but as I live around a lot of small towns that are overly christian/catholic, there's really not room for us to organize any events, minus within a few of ourselves from what I've found. Thanks for some ideas that my friend and I could do. I may have to modify them a little bit because I don't get out of classes til 7:30 at night, and we're both in them all day :/

I've been looking around online and I found a few good recipes for Beltaine stuff so I think we're probably gunna stay at my house and cook and see if there's any way we can incorporate the picnic idea that a lot of you've suggested.

Thanks a bunch for the ideas. Would anyone like me to post the recipes that I found?

[Jembru]

Re: Celebrating Beltane

I second Thals advice. It was an annual Beltane bash at Thornborough henge that introduced me to my current Patron Goddess: Brigantia. My life has changed considerably since she entered my life. That's why I am heading to Thornborough henge this weekend. It was my boyfriend's idea, but I wish to visit her sacred site, thank her, and more formally accept her into my life. However, May bank holiday is't until the following Monday, so the pagans who organize the event have moved it to the Sunday AFTER Beltane. So I'll have the henge almost to myself (probably be some purists celebrating on the 'right' day), and unfortunately, my pagan friends, who I hardly ever see, won't be there until the following week. These events are definitely worth a visit though.

[thalassa]

Re: Celebrating Beltane

We celebrate Beltane in a pretty secular old school May Day fashion...and we have small children, so extracurricular activities are exactly that. And we really don't equate Beltane with that seasonally anyhow (falls a bit earlier here, more of an ostara thing) ...so its not a problem in our house, lol. Last year, when the kids and I were staying at my moms, getting ready to move to where my husband was working, we made May Baskets for the neighbors and family friends, flower cupcakes and some other stuff. This year, we are going to the ritual at our UU congregation and possibly the local Beltane festival that weekend.

Why not see what is going on in your area? If there isn't a Pagan group or festival within driving distance, is there a local picnic (growing up, my town actually had a May Pole dance at the elementary school in conjunction with field day)...heck, even a farmers market? You could make a point to make a meal entirely from the market/local-owned shops/foraged foods or something (May Day has historically been associated as another Labor Day)

[ChainLightning]

Re: Celebrating Beltane

Damn. I'm no help, here. My only plans, for this Beltane, is to try my damnedest to not kill anybody. Though I might do up another bonfire, since my stepson's birthday is May 2nd. But then again, I'm just a firebug/firebaby or wtf ever it's called, these days... I'm a pyro. I LOVE bonfires!