Beltane, or Bealtaine – A Reflection on Sacred Union and Seasonal Awakening
Beltane, also known as Bealtaine in Irish tradition, is the festival that marks the transition into summer, a potent threshold between the freshness of spring and the fullness of the warmer season. Traditionally recognised from sunset on April 30th to noon on May 1st, Bealtaine is a liminal time, rich with symbolism around protection, renewal, and the sacred merging of energies.
This is a time when the world feels ripe and alive. Nature is blossoming, the sun’s warmth is returning, and there is a sense of something awakening not just around us but within us. Bealtaine speaks to union, of masculine and feminine energies, of intention and action, of soul and soil.
In the old ways, this was honoured in the maypole ceremony. The hole would be dug by the women and blessed, and the pole, cut ceremonially by the men from a chosen tree, would be placed into the earth. A flower crown would be laid on top, ribbons draped down for the dancing to begin, a weaving of community and creation, a dance of life itself.
The sacred union of the May Queen and May King symbolised the merging of polarities and the blossoming of the land. It was also a time when couples might enter into a handfasting, a commitment for a year and a day, after which they could choose whether to renew or release their bond.
Beltane was deeply practical as well. Cows were driven between twin fires for protection as they moved to summer pastures. People, too, leapt the flames for blessings of fertility and health. The fires cleansed and renewed, echoing the transformational fire that we too might feel stirring now, asking what is ready to burn away, and what might be ready to bloom.
Today it can be harder to connect with these ancient practices in a meaningful way. Life is busy, and the old rhythms can seem far removed. But the energy of the land is still there, the seasonal shifts, the blossoming trees, the feeling that something is beginning again.
Bealtaine offers us a chance to reflect. Union doesn’t always mean relationship with another, it can be about how we bring together aspects of ourselves, our ideas, our creativity, our insights. The sacred feminine and masculine exist in all of us. The masculine may be the action-taker, the one who gets things done. The feminine is the one who flows, who receives, who knows. Ask yourself, is there a balance within you? Has one energy been leading for too long? What might need softening, or strengthening, to create a more harmonious way forward?
This is also a time when you might feel the urge to clear space, not just your home, but your inner world. Letting go of old thoughts, stuck emotions, outdated patterns. When we clear, we make room.
And for those looking for simple ways to mark the season, you might try a few gentle practices that root you into the energy of this time:
Ask yourself: What am I protecting? What am I ready to change?
On May Eve, or when feels right, honing in to your intuition, gather yellow wildflowers, traditionally used for protection, and scatter them at your front door or on your threshold
Walk your land, or if that’s not possible, walk the widest circle around your home that you can
Place natural items of protection, stones, herbs, or flowers, at doorways and windows
Light a candle with intention, and reflect on what you wish to bring forth
Walk in nature and time some mindful moments to really use all your senses to acknowledge the land around you, nature, flora and fauna and the changing of the season and all that this season brings.
The old ways were always about connection, to the land, to one another, and to the self. Even if you don’t follow traditional spiritual practices, this time offers an invitation. To notice the shifting seasons. To connect to the body and breath. To find your own sense of union, within and without.
Let yourself be inspired by the sun rising higher, the green returning to the earth, the unfurling of what has been resting in the dark. Something is always waiting to be born, sometimes it just needs space, a little warmth, and a willingness to feel.
If you wish to connect with me in a group setting this month you can find my in person and online group events here: Events Ranging from Crystal Healing Sound Baths, Shamanic Journeying and Goddess Yoga Nidra and Sound
