Today is the eve of one of my favorite holidays, Beltane, otherwise known as May Day. It is one of the few Pagan holidays that was not adopted by Christianity and morphed into a religious holiday. The reason being is that it is a holiday to celebrate sexuality and fertility, plain and simple. In old-time cultures, fires would be lit in the evening and there would be much merry making and flirtation. Farm animals would be paraded around the fires to ensure their fertility, as participants jumped over the fire for good luck. It is the natural time of year when flowers and trees are pollinating, animals are mating, and the landscape explodes in lushness. On May 1 these same cultures would erect a maypole, as a phallic symbol, and ribbons would be hung from the top to the ground. Townspeople, especially the young, would participate in a dance to weave the ribbons in symbolism of the union of sexual activity to ensure the fertility of crops. However, in the early morning merrymaking from the previous night would continue as couples went a-maying as a means to retreat to a place out in nature, such as the woods, and engage in lascivious behavior often resulting in intercourse. It was a celebration of the freedom of the sacred union (so you can probably see why the church banned it). Of course, to the children, a-maying would simply mean to go out and pick flowers and make wreaths. I don't know why as a child, I often would wander into the neighbors yards specifically on May Day to pick their flowers for a nice bouquet for my mom. As an adult, I celebrate Beltane for the beauty of the landscape, the burning of sensual desire, the open and free celebration of sacred sex... and well, that's all I'm going to say about that. Happy May Day!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Eve of Beltane
Today is the eve of one of my favorite holidays, Beltane, otherwise known as May Day. It is one of the few Pagan holidays that was not adopted by Christianity and morphed into a religious holiday. The reason being is that it is a holiday to celebrate sexuality and fertility, plain and simple. In old-time cultures, fires would be lit in the evening and there would be much merry making and flirtation. Farm animals would be paraded around the fires to ensure their fertility, as participants jumped over the fire for good luck. It is the natural time of year when flowers and trees are pollinating, animals are mating, and the landscape explodes in lushness. On May 1 these same cultures would erect a maypole, as a phallic symbol, and ribbons would be hung from the top to the ground. Townspeople, especially the young, would participate in a dance to weave the ribbons in symbolism of the union of sexual activity to ensure the fertility of crops. However, in the early morning merrymaking from the previous night would continue as couples went a-maying as a means to retreat to a place out in nature, such as the woods, and engage in lascivious behavior often resulting in intercourse. It was a celebration of the freedom of the sacred union (so you can probably see why the church banned it). Of course, to the children, a-maying would simply mean to go out and pick flowers and make wreaths. I don't know why as a child, I often would wander into the neighbors yards specifically on May Day to pick their flowers for a nice bouquet for my mom. As an adult, I celebrate Beltane for the beauty of the landscape, the burning of sensual desire, the open and free celebration of sacred sex... and well, that's all I'm going to say about that. Happy May Day!
