Gather up your harvest, mix the mead, cover your alter with fresh flowers and your plentiful bounty you have reaped this year thus far!

it is time for the great may feast of Beltaine; the first of three harvest in the wheel of the year. at Beltaine the focus of the harvest is fruits and vegi. this is also the time of year for the "sex rites", the 'Great Marriage' between the Goddess and her consort, they would gather in the fields,their love making and the "spilling of fertile seed" would insure a good and bountiful harvest. the "sex rites" are still encouraged for lovers to go out into the home yard or garden on Beltaine night and as the bonfire burns. though it has moved beyond the bounty,fertility and fruitation of the garden harvest to also embody all and anything that you want to bear fruitation/harvest in your life.

~ ritual should be done outdoors. ritual has been placed at the begging to open the celebrations,sunset and in the evening it can be an all day event as some combine ritual and may day festivites others chose to the ritual to be on May 1st and have the may day feast on the first sunday in May feeling unopen to include those they don't "practice" with into ritual. i chose to celebrate both together the only change is on years that May 1st doesn't land on a Sat/Sun i will set up the house alter on the 1st of May. as i don't feel the goddess keeps a tallie sheet and the calendar has changed from when this all begane it's okay to allow flexablity and freedom. these are spirtual rituals and joyous celebrations as you plan sit quitely and let your inner witch guide you

items and preperations for the celebration and ritual

>nine woods in the couldron go ~ elder be the Ladys tree burn it not or cursed you'll be
> couldron or pit fire for the woods and bonfire { remember don't have the couldron or the pit too big as attendents (if they chose) must be able to jump over it with comfort and safety}
>table for the food, potluck style is common for this celebration
for the ritual you can chose to create one big circle or an outer circle of those you invited but do not participate in ritual and an inner circle of your clan/coven. { i open the ritual to any guest who wants to be apart and those who chose just to observe make up the outer circle}


>have an outside alter } a table, rocks, ect. for your tools,fresh flowers, that which you have harvested from thus far as the wheel has turned this year, from everyones garden or life. depending on how big the group is, it is sometimes wise to limit one alter item per person
>create your ritual circle from freah flowers

Beltane activites
>Maypole dance
.>throwing a flower bouque or head wreath the one who catches it is crowned the May Queen
> pass out mini cakes or cupcakes one will have a charm inside the one who gets the cake with the charm is the Jack o' Green king/consort to the May Queen ~ the May Queen and Jack then dance togther leading off the 1st dance. sometimes there is incorperated an alternative in which Jack O' Green takes the hand of the Queen and they lead into a march/dance in which they go around and as if on a whim Jack stops extends his hand and the one his invited joins in one behind the other {think conga line, but you wait to be invited by jack to join and instead of linking hands to hips you are linked hand to hand}in the end when all have joined the line becomes a circle and you continue to dance around till the songs end.
> bonfire place the nine woods in one by one saying (usualy in rhyme) what that wood will contribute. once all nine woods are placed in the fire each person in attendance is invited to jump couldron/bonfire, as they jump keeping the thought of which
attribute(s) they want to invoke in their life, you can jump as many times as you want. one can also jump to invoke Love to enter or rekendle in their life, couples can jump together to infuse/invoke thier love and or passions, couples to be wed within the year are encourged/invited to jump the couldron for blessings and fertility of their love and realationship
>ribbons are placed out for those who want to attach to the tree you have chosen to be the "wishing tree" the take the ribbon color appropriate for their intended wish and attach it to the tree as they say a boon
> of course manga manga manga
these are just few of the many activities one can inncorperate
>celebrations incorprated at Belatine { if you or one attending is trained to do so }
~handfastings
~ birth blessings also known as wiccanings
~ rites of passage for girls or boys


MERRY BELTAINE
BLESSED BE
LUNA

SPRING EQUINOX~ EOSTER
Are you ready... this friday the 21st we rush in and greet spring
and for those of us who are night owls and not early risers this will be interesting... ritual at dawn ugh

remember this esabat is about new beginings
>this is one of the times in the wheel to perform or celebrate a wiccining (may day/beltain,midsummer &lammas are the others)
~items for this alter *
pictures of new arrivals to you or your family ` for celebration and blessings to the arrival
seeds or seedlings you will plant for magic
fresh cut flower
ideas/plans/dreams/hopes birthed in your mind you'd like to see flurish
new journals,diaries especialy dream, green path, aromatherpy
oils, herbs, flowers you want blessed ~ best if still in natural form, unmade/unmixed
* these are just a few and in no way a complete list of what could be on the alter

a fruity drink or wine for the chalice
here's a recipe for the drink I use> side note i never mesure, i was taught just add and taste so the measurements here are guessed - my suggestion add the amount you think taste good
~base is fresh squezzed lemonaide
1cup sliced strawberries
1/4 melon `you can use cantolope,watermelon,honey dew ~ I mix 1/4 cantolope 1/4 honeydew
2 cups blush wine
quick mix in blender
add few leaves of mint crushed by fingers
I make this the night before and place in frig ~> pour into chalice I do not add ice as I have found it melts by the end of ritual and waters down the drink

for food I keep it fresh and raw lots of fruits and vegi's

enjoy and blessed be

Let's Go Play in the Yard
For those of us who are blessed with sunshine this weekend.

This weekend is a great time to dig in the earth and begin a garden add plants. Not only because of the sunshine but where we are in the phases of the moon.

If you've planning a magical garden or adding some plants/herbs you intend to use in your craft, this is the weekend.

~After the first big rain~At the edge of winter and the emmergance of spring~berfore the full moon rises, (I have read to where this is interpeted to be the day/night before the fullmoon and I have read where it was interpeted to mean the day of the ful moon before it rises that night, my sugestion, do what feels right in your heart. I have palnted at the begging phase of the waxing moon.)

As you plant focus on thanking the earth,seeing the plant grow and the intention you have for its use when it's harvested.
Remeber when you patted/secured the earth over the seed or around the plant draw a circle with your power finger around it in the
dirt. This empowers the seed/plant and helps with drainage.

If you don't have a plan but have items you want to plant, do the following;
~gather the items you want to plant and your garden tools
~sit/lay outside in a place that inspires you
~clothes your eyes and meditate
~you will invision and or feel pulled/compelled to a place or places in you yard.
~plant your items there

Then when the Full Moon rises your items will be infuesd and blessed!
If your are participating in a Full Moon ritual remember to take time and add a speacial thanks for the yard/garden blessing.

* if there are seeds that you are not ready to plant you can place them on you alter or at a window where the Full Moon will shine on them and infuse them.

Many blessings good luck Blessed Be