The day started out cloudy and cool and the weather promised some rain later in the day. Over as the day wore on some blue sky peaked out from the clouds and became warmer. I packed up the ritual tools, a posthole digger and shovel in and for the ritual circle. There was a mild breeze blowing but down at the ritual circle the air was quiet but filled with fragrant smell of land in spring.
The ritual circle was beautiful, filled with green a mixture of forest moss and grass. In the East there was bleeding hearts and daffodils. In the West there were some Hyacinth flowers. I dug out the ash soil where the past maypoles had rested, which the ritual fires have burned. I poured a libation of spring water into the hole that I have dug for many pass Beltane rituals. To the way of being, the Goddess, I poured a libation to; to her goodness, generosity, kindness, sensuality and sexuality and all that Beltane celebrates in her name. This year we celebrate the lunar expression of the Goddess and her many ways!
With rain threatening I was wondering if anybody would show up for Sweetwood‘s Beltane ritual. Then several cars pulled up and down the trail through the woods my lovely spouse and a couple laughing and talking as they came. They brought down the potluck silver ware and food. The ritual had four good folk to raise the Beltane pole and dance around it, giving thanks and blessings to the Goddess, God and their love which spring is an expression of.
We brought the may pole, the ritual’s phallic energy into the circle from its place in the South into the circle. We brought a new may pole wheel, the ritual’s Yoni energy made for this ritual and replacing the old one into the circle. The circle was cast and all greeted one another with love and laughter.
The men and women took a little bottle of anointing oil, each in turn blessed the Phallic energy of the may pole going round until all had spoken all that was in their hearts. They blessed the phallus as an expression of the beauty, sexuality, the power to steward, foster and defend life, joy of sex, and spirit of the God. The priestess brought forth the maypole wheel Yoni to receive blessings with each ribbon tied to it, eight in total. Each spoke their hearts’ words about the goodness, beauty, power, joy of sex and spirit as an expression of the Goddess
Then men took the may pole and offer it to the women embracing the may pole wheel Yoni. The women with laughter, sexy words and joyful noises place the Yoni wheel upon the May pole. The men then placed the phallic may pole into the ground where the sacred fires of the rituals past have burnt for 17 years. The women hooted and hollered as the May pole became erect and all were smiles as it stood there in the middle of the sacred circle with ribbon handing down fluttering in a light wind.
Everyone grab two ribbons, a man and woman walked desoil and the other woman and man walked widdershins around weaving over and under as they went around the May pole. They chanted “Love, Love, Love, Love, making magic, we make love! God and Goddess intertwining, we are Divine. We had a great time!
We tied off the ribbons, gathered around the Beltaine pole and shared water with one another. We first share the bless food of an apple and then passed a goblet filled with charge water from you another saying “Water shared is life shared, is love shared! May You Never Thirst, Drink Deeply! Thou Art God/ Goddess”! Then the circle was taken down and the circle was opened. The pole was removed and place in its resting place as a talisman in the south and a Beltaine fire built. However we only had a few minutes to enjoy the moment as the rain was coming. We packed up and went to the house for the potluck, good company and fun. Such was Beltaine 2012 at Sweetwood Temenos.