Beltane has a strong, sensual, fertile, and swift-moving energy flow, making it an ideal time for spellwork and divination focused on love, romance, energy, purification, protection, manifestation, and abundance. Here are a few spells and divination methods to try this Beltane. Each technique can be easily customized to your unique needs and desires; just keep an open mind and trust in your own instincts, intuition, and powers of magick.
Beltane Spells
As you work these spells, keep in mind that the heart of magick lies in the witch and not in the method. While spell instructions generally focus on outlining the particulars of the rite’s outward form, the inner alchemy that takes place in the mind and heart of the witch is often glossed over or omitted entirely. Here, you’ll find information about the inner magickal process that accompanies each working, but understand that this process will be experienced slightly differently by each individual witch. Take these instructions as suggestions to guide you toward further developing your own magickal methods, and as indications of what you might expect during and after each spell. These spells can be used anytime, but they will be especially effective if worked on Beltane.
Two as One Candle Spell for Love
This spell will help attract a partner for love and romance. You’ll need two candles, two candleholders, a toothpick or needle or something else with which to scratch the wax, a fireproof dish, a bit of your own saliva, and matches or a lighter.
Find a special, quiet place to work this spell. Begin by clearing your head, letting your worries and mundane thoughts slip away. Sometimes this can be difficult if you have a lot on your mind. If that’s the case, go ahead and take some time to think before trying to get into a mental state ready for magick. When you’re able, clear your head and try to think of yourself as a magickal being, existing beyond ego, beyond identity and personality. Once your head is clear, next clear the space in which you’ll be working the magick. Use visualization and willpower to mentally “push” any negative or stale energy out of the space. It can be helpful to walk in a circle as you use the palm of your hand or your wand to direct the unwanted energies out of the space. You should be able to sense the negative energy as you force it away from the area, and once you’ve banished it all, the space will have a clear, empty feeling.
It’s now time to fill that clear space with powerful, desirable energies that can help you with your spell. Here, as in all magick, actually, the choice is entirely yours. Many witches begin by calling on the elements, inviting air, fire, water, and earth energies into the sacred space, then move on to invite the powers of Goddess and God to help with the magickal rite. You might want to call on specific entities or godforms that are closely associated with Beltane, such as Beal, the Horned God, or the Goddess in her Maiden aspect.
As you invite these forces into the space, be they elements or deities, focus on any identifying characteristics and feel the power of each energetic being as it enters the space. Remember that in the world of magick, the mind designs the plan, but the emotions are what enact it. If you’re calling on the air element, for instance, feel the emotion that a fresh breeze brings you, use the incredible power of your own breath to connect with the elemental force that corresponds. Likewise, if you’re calling on Goddess energies, conjure in your heart a mother’s love, the love for one’s mother, and your attachment to the earth and all it brings you and needs from you.
As you invite the elements, deities, or other powers, you’ll want to do your best to become whatever energy or forces you are hoping will join you for your spellwork. Think about it, envision it, feel it, be it, and invite it to join you.
Now that the preliminaries are taken care of, it’s time to get down to business. Hold one of the two candles in your hand and think about the kind of lover you want. Imagine the feeling you’ll have when this new lover holds you, touches you, tells you how loved and attractive you are. Feel that, and focus on that feeling rather than on your need or desire for it. Say with determination and certainty, “This is not a candle, but my new lover that I hold.” Light the candle and place it in a candleholder.
Now, hold the other candle in your hand and think about all your wonderful characteristics you have to offer your next romantic mate. Conjure in your heart and body a feeling of love and passion. Imagine that you are expressing your love and admiration for your new lover to come, and pour this energy into the candle in your hand. Use the toothpick to scratch your full name into the candle wax. Kiss the candle, and rub a bit of your own saliva down the length of it. Say with passion, “This is not a candle, but myself as a wonderful lover.”
Pull the second lit candle out of the candleholder and light the candle and so that you’ll have one in each hand, the candle representing yourself, and the candle representing your new lover to be. Use the candle flames to slightly melt the wax down one side of each candle, then press the two candles together so that they form a single candle with two wicks. Use the lighter to melt the bottom of the double candle a bit so that it will stick, then place it in the fireproof dish. Watch the flames burn as you imagine being with your new lover, and send feelings of love and passion into the double candle as it melts.
You can watch it burn all the way down, or put it out and light it again the next night and possibly the next, repeating the part where you pour love and passion into the double candle as it burns. Once the double candle has completely melted down, take the leftover lump of wax and place it in the sun on top of a large rock, preferably near a body of water if you have a nice place nearby. With luck and belief, you should find your next lover within the next three lunar cycles. While the spell is in effect, have faith in it, but try not to dwell on it too much or doubt it as this can inhibit the magick. Pay attention to the people you interact with, and be on the lookout for new faces and personalities that seem inexplicably drawn to you or in tune with you. Keep your mind, heart, and eyes open, and look and act your best to give the spell the greatest chance for success. If you’re not satisfied with results after a few months have passed, repeat or try a different spell, approaching the magickal goal from another angle.
Fast-Acting Loving Herbs Spell
Here’s another love spell that’s very simple, requiring nothing but a small scrap of pink cloth, a piece of red or purple string or ribbon, and a small handful of common herbs you can probably find in your cupboard, garden, or neighborhood. Herbs, like all living things, are each filled with their own energetic vibrations and attributes that can be activated and directed into magickal power. This spell incorporates several herbs that are especially effective in attracting love and romance, as well as an herb to help speed along the magick. Since the power behind the magick is in this case primarily in the herbs, this spell demands only minimal mental effort and emotional energy from the witch who casts it.
You’ll need some rosemary (for love and general magickal power), some basil (for love), some rose petals (for love and romance), and a sprig of mint (for swiftness). Fresh herbs are more potent, but dried herbs will do in a pinch. Cut the pink or white fabric into a circle about five inches or so in diameter. Place the herbs one at a time on top of the cloth, thinking of each herb’s attributes and conjuring the same sort of energy as you do so. For example, as you add the rose petals, think of love and romance and project the emotion of these energies into the herb. Once all the herbs are on the cloth, mix them all together with your fingertips or wand, stating as you do so that these herbs will bring love quickly. Pull up the edges of the fabric into a bundle, and use the string or ribbon to tie up the top and keep all the contents in place. Hold the bundle in your hand, close to your heart, and project into it a feeling of love. Carry it with you to attract new romance. Opportunities should start to manifest within a few days time. This charm is fast acting, but it isn’t long lasting. After a couple of weeks, untie the bundle and cast the herbs to the wind, sending with it romantic wishes for all the lonely souls in the world who haven’t yet found someone to love.
Sun and Citrine Spell
for Energy and Purification
Feeling sluggish and tired or like you’re stuck in a mental rut? This spell utilizes the power of the sun and the natural power of salt and stones to clear away stagnation and give your body and mind a boost of energy for Beltane. You’ll need salt, a small citrine crystal, and a sunny, outdoor place in which to work the spell. Begin by kneeling down and placing both of your palms flat down on the ground. Let yourself feel tired, sluggish, bored, wan—whatever it is that’s ailing you. Allow these energies to flow freely through your body, then direct the flow out through your hands and into the bare ground. Empty your body of as much stale, sluggish energy as possible, letting it drain into the earth until you experience an empty, hollow sort of feeling. Next, take the salt and sprinkle it over the dirt into which you’ve just released your body’s stale energy. Salt has a purifying quality that will help clear away the patterns going on behind the scenes of your current rut.
Now, turn your attention to the sun, and feel the warm sunlight as it shines on your skin. Focus on the warmth and brightness, and tell this energy to enter your body. Envision the light flowing into you, and feel the heat and the strength filling you up from top to bottom. You may want to raise your hands or your wand up toward the sun to help facilitate the energy flow.
Next, hold the citrine stone up to the sun. Citrine has many energetic attributes in common with sunlight. Like the sun, citrine has a strong, very positive vibration, and it’s also great at neutralizing or purifying negativity and other forms of “darkness.” As you hold the citrine skyward, use visualization and willpower to “pull” the sunlight into the stone. You should feel the stone “charging up,” which you may sense as an increase in temperature or as a higher rate of energetic vibration. Once the stone feels “full,” place it on top of the scattered salt. Rub the citrine over the surface of the area, moving the salt crystals around and thinking about how you’re ready for something new, a boost of fresh energy to inspire you with fresh purpose and motivate you toward new adventure. Imagine as vividly as you can, so that you actually feel and experience emotionally what it will be like to have greater energy, to feel awake and powerful, to feel excited and renewed. Pay attention to your body posture and adjust it accordingly so that you’re physically aligned with your goal. (For instance, if you want to feel happy, then stand like you’re happy, smile like you’re happy, etc.) Hold the citrine in your palm now, and sprinkle a bit more fresh salt over it. Rub it around in the salt on your palm as you let more sunlight pour into the mix. Feel the energy; sense the enormous power in the citrine increasing and vibrating wildly. Affirm out loud or mentally that, “Like the sun and this stone, I am supercharged and energized!”
The spell is complete. Carry the citrine with you or leave it in an open area of your home for best results. You should experience an immediate boost of energy that should continue for at least several days and possibly for much longer, depending on the strength of your magick in comparison to the strength of the energy-zapping factors you encounter in your daily life.
Beltane Bean-Planting Spell
for Manifestation and Abundance
This spell is reminiscent of a magickal act carried out during the Hopi Powanu, or Bean-Planting Ceremony. Shortly before the growing season, beans were planted indoors in containers meant to represent the larger fields outdoors that would soon bear the crops. These miniature indoor “crops” would be watered, tended to, prayed over, and cared for, and fires were lit in the home to help speed along the germination of the seeds. If the beans sprouted, it was taken as an indication that the larger, actual crops would also do well, and it was believed that the action of tending to the mini crops helped to ensure such success. Most of us don’t grow crops, but we do grow other things in our lives. This spell incorporates aspects of the Hopi tradition into a more contemporary magickal working that’s both relevant and effective for the modern witch. You’ll need a handful of dried beans of any variety, some dirt, and a flowerpot, shallow pan, or other container in which to plant the beans. You’ll also need a few pieces of quartz crystal and several candles colored white, gold, or yellow.
Begin by filling the container with soil. It’s best to avoid potted plant mixtures that contain chemical fertilizers, but try to find a nice quality soil to give your spell optimal conditions. Think of the earth and the growing things, the plants and the trees, the animals and other living creatures that inhabit the planet. Feel how you are one of these living creatures, just another of the growing things living on Earth. Think about how our lives are linked to and dependent on the earth: the earth provides both the foundation and the fuel on which we grow. Although you only have before you a small container of earth, it is energetically one in the same as the greater earth outside your door. Place your hands over the container and affirm out loud or to yourself, “This is the earth. This is the place where my wishes become manifest. This is the land in which I will grow.”
Envision the entire planet, seeing your place on the globe as you stand right where you are.
Now, think of flourishing plants all over the world, imagining their appearance and smells as clearly as possible. Hold the beans in your hand and think about how those particular seeds will also flourish. For each bean, envision one of your goals manifesting. Imagine that you’ve already got what you want, and project the emotion and feeling that gives you into each respective “wish bean” you prepare. Plant the beans in the container of dirt and pour some water over it. Poke the bottom ends of the quartz crystals into the soil so that the points stick out a bit. Quartz is a natural amplifier of energy, and its presence will help magnify the magickal power you’ve already poured into the wish beans.
Surround the container with the candles, thinking as you do so of the sun and its intense power that fuels the earth. Light the candles, inviting the sunlight and any other energies or entities you like to enter the flames, lending their strength to help your wish beans thrive. Think of the power of the candle flames, the power of the sun, flowing into the beans and into your wishes, charging them up to grow. Extinguish the candles to close this part of the working.
The spell is not yet complete. You’ll need to continue to water and care for your wish beans until they sprout. Sit beside the container for a few minutes each day and send a feeling of love and joy down into the soil and into the beans. Envision all your wishes as manifest, imagining total success in all your endeavors. Repeat each day until the beans sprout, then keep them or transfer them to an outdoor location if desired. The sprouting of the beans should coincide with the time when each wish begins to manifest in earnest. If many of your wish beans fail to sprout, you might want to reexamine those particular corresponding wishes, or else blame it on the soil quality and simply try again!
Beltane Divination
Like the spells above, these divination methods can be worked anytime, but they may be more effective if used on or around Beltane. Keep in mind that any divination system, whether a complex tool like the tarot or something as simple as a daisy blossom, acts as a tool and a doorway only, allowing you easier access to the collective consciousness and to your own inner intuition and psychic abilities. Trust your senses, and be open to the information and feelings that come to you.
Fortunetelling with Eggs and Bannocks
One traditional fortunetelling method practiced on Beltane in Scotland, England, and elsewhere involved rolling certain foodstuffs down hills. Hard-boiled eggs and/or bannocks, a type of thick, round oatmeal cake with one side marked with a cross, were taken to the top of a hill and rolled down the side. The fate of the egg or bannock as it reached the end of the hill was taken as an indication of the fate of the one who rolled it—if the egg remained intact, and if the bannock landed blank-side up, it signified good fortune, whereas if the eggshell cracked or the bannock landed cross-side up, it indicated that poor luck was to be expected. Here’s a modern variation of this traditional folk divination method; try it with friends for maximum fun.
Boil some eggs, and if you don’t want to bother searching for a traditional bannock recipe, simply bake up a batch of biscuits. On each of the eggs, write a goal, wish, or question for which you would like to know the prospects. On each of the biscuits, draw a solar symbol on either the top or bottom surface. Take the biscuits and eggs to a grassy hill and roll them down, thinking of the goal, wish, or question with each one as you release it down the hill. If an eggshell should crack, or a biscuit lands solar-symbol up, interpret it as an answer of no, unlikely, or not at this time. On the other hand, if the egg travels downhill unscathed, or the biscuit lands solar-symbol downward, it’s interpreted as an answer of yes, a sign of good fortune, and an affirmation that your goals and wishes will likely come true.
Flower Fortune
Here’s a traditional Beltane divination custom that’s extremely simple. Go out into a field of daisies or dandelions, close your eyes, and pick a large handful while thinking of an important long-term goal. Traditionally, the goal was typically marriage, but you can adapt this method to discern the fate of any ambition. Open your eyes and count the total number of flower blossoms in your bouquet. The number indicates how many years will pass before your wish comes true. As an alternative, you can ask a yes or no question as you pick the flowers, then determine the answer by counting the number of blossoms—an even number indicates a no, while an odd number of flowers signifies a yes.
Love Match Tarot Divination
This divination method can help you identify a potential love match for Beltane or beyond. Begin by separating out the court cards, which includes the page, the knight, the queen, and the king of each suit. If you like, you can also take out the magician, the high priestess, the empress, the emperor, the hierophant, the hermit, the hanged man, the devil, and the fool. All these cards represent specific archetypes and personality traits. You can omit the major arcana cards if you like, but it gives you a broader sampling and symbolic representation of the general populace if you include the complete set of archetypal cards, which should number twenty-five in total.
Next, turn your focus to the remaining cards of the deck. Look through them one by one, selecting any cards that appear to you to represent elements you’d like to have in a future relationship, ways in which you hope your new partner will shine. Don’t go by the card meanings listed in a book; rather, use your own intuition and emotional response to gauge the significance of each image.
Once you’ve selected as many cards as you like, spread these out before you, face up. Beneath them, place the twenty-five archetypal cards face down. You can place them in a big pile, line them up in a single row, or arrange them in five rows of five. Look again at the cards you have face up and think about the aspects you hope to find in your next romance. Concentrate on the question “Who will give it to me?” and, without peeking, select from the twenty-five archetypal cards. The card you select is an indication of the sort of person that would be ideally suited for you as a romantic partner.
While traditionally the court cards are gender-associated and color-based (the page as male or female, queens as female, knights and kings as male, cups as fair-skinned, fair-haired people, pentacles as dark-skinned, dark-haired people, and so on), there’s no need to restrict your interpretations to these outdated guidelines. As previously mentioned, these cards represent archetypes and personality traits, which can appear in anyone, regardless of gender, hair, and skin color, etc.
The archetypal cards can, however, give an accurate indication of maturity level, which often, but not always, corresponds with age. A king or queen or archetypal card of the major arcana (empress, emperor, etc.) tends to be more mature and serious-minded, more set in their ways than a less experienced and playful page, while a knight is usually of an adult maturity level but still energetic and youthful in many ways.
Examine the other attributes revealed in the card you’ve selected for further clues about your best potential love match. What personality traits does the card represent? Is a specific occupation or station in life indicated by the card’s name, imagery, or symbolism? Consult tarot guides for detailed card meanings, follow your own intuition, or utilize the interpretations for the court cards provided below to help you identify your ideal partner:
Page of Cups: Be on the lookout for someone very youthful and playful, with a fun-loving, artistic, live-for-the-moment spirit. They may be lacking in practicality and planning, but they make up for it in enthusiasm and spontaneity.
Knight of Cups: Drawing this card signifies you belong with someone very romantic, the type likely to declare their affections in elaborate, dramatic ways. This type knows how to express affection and admiration and does so freely.
Queen of Cups: Look for someone with a kind, loving, romantic heart, but who keeps their most inner self rather hidden. This type tends to appear very light, bubbly, and outgoing in spirit, though they usually have a more secretive side where their deepest affections and passions are kept concealed from all but those deemed most worthy.
King of Cups: If you choose this card, it indicates that you would be happy with a partner who is joyful, compassionate, caring, and loving. This person will be self-assured and confident, though generally soft-spoken. Their heart rules over their head, and they tend to be very sentimental and usually have a good sense of humor and a very strong love of laughter, friends, and family.
Page of Wands: This card reveals that a partner who is youthful, loyal, and an excellent communicator would be great for you. In another sense, this card might point to a person whose profession involves communications or making deliveries.
Knight of Wands: If you choose this card, keep your eyes open for someone very unconventional and different. This type loves to impress and they hold in high esteem those who will listen to their ideas, which can sometimes be a bit far-fetched or idealistic. This person may be a little egotistical or conceited, but they live life to the beat of their own drum and are decidedly nonconformist, refusing to be restricted by convention, tradition, or societal and cultural norms.
Queen of Wands: This is a person who is independent, confident, and much bolder than they may appear to most people. They typically have a strong love for animals and nature. They tend to be very social, and they enjoy a good party. Their affections are rather changeable, but on the bright side, they rarely have trouble letting go of negative circumstances and people. This type is often self-made, rising from a lower station in life to achieve greater success through one’s own talent, ambition, and effort.
King of Wands: This card indicates a person who is successful, established, respected, and unconventional. They tend to live “in their own little world,” and may have trouble seeing other people’s perspectives. This type can come across as domineering, but it’s often just how their insecurity finds its way to the surface.
Page of Pentacles: Be on the lookout for a serious-minded, youthful individual. This type has excellent focus, and they are usually hard workers and dedicated students. If you pick this card, the partner you’d like best might very well be a student or a person who has just recently entered the world of employment and is eager to advance in their profession. This type can be a bit dull and boring at times, but they’re sensible, practical, intelligent, and responsible.
Knight of Pentacles: This is a person who is practical and sensible. They enjoy the simple things in life, and they don’t mind working hard in order to make that possible. They are dedicated and determined and can sometimes be a little too single-minded in perception and purpose. This type usually has a love for animals and a strong appreciation for the natural world.
Queen of Pentacles: Keep your eyes open for a person who is strongly independent, passionate, and earthy. They tend to be a bit on the introverted side, and they love very deeply. This type tends to act too clingy at times and can have trouble letting go, but on the plus side, they’re very loyal and practical, and they’ll be there for you when you need them.
King of Pentacles: Drawing this card reveals you might be suited to a partner who is mature, established, and wealthy. This type often has great success in business enterprises and agricultural endeavors, as they usually have both good mathematical skill as well as a green thumb. They love the finer things in life and they place great value and importance on luxury and material wealth, but they are also earthy in spirit with a strong connection to nature and a healthy appreciation for the beauty of the natural world. They often enjoy providing for the comfort and needs of the people around them.
Page of Swords: This person is bold, rash, and a bit of a rebel. They often have the attitude of someone with something to prove, and they can be rather irresponsible and unscrupulous at times, pursuing personal goals with little regard for consequences. This type can be dishonest at times, but on the positive side, they live for the moment and they love to take chances and make stuff happen. This is a person of action and bravery, with a heavy dose of cockiness.
Knight of Swords: If you draw this card, be on the lookout for the heroic type. This is an individual who is brave, bold, and the champion of noble causes. They strive to do the right thing at all costs, regardless of the amount of effort or sacrifice required. This trait can make them appear a little single-minded at times, as they tend to put causes and principles before people. This person will likely be extremely charming, energetic, and strong in spirit and personality, a real “knight in shining armor” type.
Queen of Swords: This card indicates a person who is strong, determined, graceful, and tenacious. They tend to have a commanding personality and they fit well in leadership roles. This type appears to have everything together at all times, maintaining an austere countenance regardless of any inner turmoil that might be happening. They tend to have a touch of inner sadness that they try very hard to conceal, as they place high importance on keeping up an appearance of normalcy. They’re often misunderstood as being “cold,” but once you melt the ice, they love very deeply and often forever. They will stand up for the people they believe in and cherish regardless of circumstances or the opinions of others.
King of Swords: If you draw this card, it may be that an individual with a very forceful personality and commanding presence would suit you best. This type is often in positions of power and leadership. They can have strong tempers and often develop bossy attitudes and behaviors. They usually feel most comfortable when playing a dominant role in their personal relationships. They have great determination, and once dedicated to any particular pursuit, idea, or course of action, they’re very unlikely to change paths or switch positions.