This spring has been a much cooler and wetter than normal. I was hoping for a fair Beltaine day but as the day approached it looked like wet and cold. As the priest I was feeling somewhat disenchanted about doing the ritual and celebration. I was wondering if any one would show up.
Then Aine e-mailed saying she was going to make the trip and camp over night. On the heels of that e-mail I received a call from Lady Lee and she was going to come. Well their commitment to the ritual and celebration lifted my spirits. Then three more good folk called and let me know they were coming.
So Saturday morning though overcast, cool and wet I went about preparing for the ritual and celebration. In the circle I sang to the Goddess and God as I set up the altar and cleaned the circle and its fire place. As I chopped oak for the fire, the grey of the day started to lift and I sang more to the Sun to dispel the gloom and brighten the day. The Sun started to peek through the clouds and I sang more praise to the sun of Beltaine.
At noon I went home to dress and gather up food for the feast and some spring water for water sharing. Arriving at home Lo to the west there was blue skies and the clouds were breaking apart. By 3:00 pm when the ritual started Sweetwood was bathed in sunny skies and 60-degree warmth.
The priest performed the Beltaine ritual naked. There were two men at this ritual and four women. I and the other man carried the May pole off in to the woods and blessed Divine phallic energy with anointing oil. We gave praise and blessings for the immanence of Divine phallic energy and its positive stewardship in the world.
Then the Ladies who, back at the circle, had been doing similarly with a circular symbol of the Divine Yoni energy finished their blessings and praising called for the phallic energy of the May Pole to return. The May pole entered the circle with laughter and boisterous shouting by the women. The Yoni was blessed with homemade mead and mounted the pole with tied ribbons attached and each a blessing.
We sang and chanted, “Love, Love, Love, Love, making magic we make love, God and Goddess intertwine, we are Divine” as we wove to and fro with the ribbons. Another lady dance naked with the priest and we all gave a great shout in the end and sent off the energy.
We did a water sharing, opened the circle and placed the Magically woven May pole in the south until Samhain. We built a fire, had a lovely feast and made a new friend, as the other man was new to Sweetwood.
Later that evening we built up the fire, told stories and talked about the Goddess and God. Then one of the ladies spoke and asked if the priest was going to jump the fire naked. I answered to the glory of the Goddesses and to the honor of the Gods I will. So I did three times, as it is a charm.
So was the Magic of Sweetwood’s Beltaine 2008. So in times of gloom have faith that the love of the Goddess and God does renew and fair skies does return.
Never Thirst
Iacchus