Beltane 2008

Friday 18th April 2008

Matthew wants to participate in a ritual with me, to see what it's like in preparation for our handfasting. So I'm going to prepare a kind of script I think, something for him to read through to familiarise himself with and for me to possibly practice too! Me not being very organised. It will have to be fairly simple and not too long winded. Also Matthew doesn't want to do too much at first, so I'll ease him into it gently.

I think it makes sense to purify the circle with the elements first of all, (do I cleanse the elements first? Or not bother?) then to cast the circle with the athame, then to invite the elements and lord and lady. Then to raise energy somehow: chanting? Meditating? Then time to do the actual purpose of the ritual. Which shall be....? Then to bless the food and drink (great rite) then to partake of food and drink and chat relax. Then to thank the lord and lady for presence. Then to thank the elements and dismiss them with wand. Then to open circle with the athame. Ta da! All done :)


Set up altar:

New candles in holders, incense block ready to be lit and incense next to it with spoon too.

A suitable pot of compost and some Sweetpea seeds, preferably dwarf variety. Bamboo frame already made up to fit the pot, possibly already attached to the pot. To be done in the morning so the Sun wheel can be made to fit it as a brace.

Lighter, scissors candle snuffer. All tools laid out, cd in player if wanted, pillows on the floor for sitting on. Salt in the dish. Water in the bowl.

Food of some kind and drink too.


Light the charcoal block.

Put incense on the block and light the candles. Put cd on if wish.

Stand and hold each other while meditating, roots into the earth.

Put athame to water and cleanse it of negativity

Put athame to salt and consecrate it in preparation for ritual use.

Put a pinch of salt into the water and stir it with the athame.

Go around the circle with the incense “I cleanse this circle with fire and air that it may be free of negativity”

Go around the circle with the water “I cleanse this circle with earth and water that it may be free of negativity”

Go around with the athame “I cast this circle that it may be a place between the worlds”
“The circle is cast!”
With the wand go to the east and welcome the element of air, inspiration etc
then to the south and welcome fire
then to the west and water
then north and earth

Then to the centre and welcome Goddess and God

Sit down on the pillows and talk about what Beltaine represents while planting the seeds in the pot, describing how they are wishes for the future, we are planting the seeds of ideas.. for example I would like to plant a seed for creativity, may it grow in my life. A seed for peace my it grow for my family, a seed for the people to wake up and stop using the world like a dump etc. So wishes for me, for loved ones, for strangers, for the world.

Explain how energy raising works, remind Tthew of how we started with roots going into the earth, bring his mind back to those roots as we're sitting and ask him to imagine that those roots are sucking up energy from the earth, that it's filling his body with light of his choice.

When ready, Matthew can start drumming gently and I will sing, in that way we can raise energy.

When ready we'll direct the energy into the pot.

Then we'll have a chat to say what's happening next or to discuss what's just happened.

Then we'll get the food, chalice and athame. I'll use the athame to bless the food then pass it to Tthew.

Matthew can have the athame, I'll have the chalice.

“The athame is to the male”
“As the chalice is to the female”
“When joined in union they represent the Great Rite from which all life comes and which is therefore the ultimate sacred act.”

Then we eat and drink and chat and relax.

Then we thank the Lord and Lady for their presence

Then starting in the north, thank and thank earth
Then west and thank water
Then south and thank fire
Then east and thank air

Then starting in the north, going widdershins to west, south and east, open the circle with the athame.

Then hold each other and let the roots retract.

The End.

Well we did the ritual and it was really fun, :) even though it was slightly nerve raking! The drumming was excellent, Matthew's really good at that. The singing went well except I made Matthew stop by singing with him, correcting the tune, I felt awful for that. The planting was good, we enjoyed that, each seed represented a wish for the future. We planted Sweet Pea Seeds a variety called High Scent which unsurprisingly claims to have a strongly scented bloom. We planted them in a terracotta pot with a pyramid of canes, around which we wound three coloured ribbons, white red and pink. Men and Women, semen and blood.