Spiritual Focus and Keywords
Abundance
creation
fertility
growth
love
psychic ability
purification
sexuality
union
Magickal Focus
Abundance
cooperation
fertility
growth
love
manifestation
passion
protection
purification
union
Suggested Workings
Building sacred fires
giving offerings
handfastings
protecting plants, animals, people, and possessions
visiting sacred wells
walking the boundaries of one’s property
working with faeries
Astrological Timing and Associated Planets
Astronomical midpoint between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice; Sun at 15 degrees of Taurus in the Northern Hemisphere, Sun at 15 degrees of Scorpio in the Southern Hemisphere. Some Pagans celebrate Beltane on the astronomical date, while others stick to May 1 out of tradition. Still others wait for visible clues in nature. When the hawthorn blossoms, it’s a signal that Beltane has officially arrived.
Archetypes
Female
Earth Goddess
goddesses associated with water, plants, or animals
the Lover preparing to lie with her Beloved
Maiden Goddess
Mother Goddess
Male
Dying and resurrecting gods
gods associated with fire, plants, or animals
Green Man
Horned God
Lord of the wild wood
the lusty young god getting ready to fertilize the goddess
earth with his seed
Sun gods
Deities and Heroes
Goddesses
Aphrodite (Greek)
Artemis (Greek)
Astarte (Greek)
Bona Dea (Roman)
Chin-hua-fu-jen (Chinese)
Danu (Irish)
Diana (Roman)
Flora (Roman)
Freya (Norse)
Horae (Greek)
Maia (Greek)
Prosperina (Roman)
Rauni (Finnish)
Sarasvati (Hindu)
Venus (Roman)
Gods
Apollo (Greek)
Baldur (Norse)
Beal, Bel, or Belenos (Celtic)
Cernunnos (Celtic)
Chung K’uei (Chinese)
Horned God (Celtic)
Odin (Norse)
Pan (Greek)
Pluto (Greek)
Ra (Egyptian)
Wotan (Germanic)
Colors
Brown: Animals, earth energies, family, protection, wealth
Green: Abundance, fertility, growth, health, life, prosperity, vegetation, wealth
Pink: Beauty, cooperation, contentment, friendship, love,
nurture, romance
White: Lunar energies, purity, power, protection
Yellow: Communication, dream work, happiness, solar
energies
Herbs
Lemon: Energy, joy, love, prophetic dreams, purification
Mint: Energy, healing, love, prosperity, protection, purification, renewal, vitality
Mugwort: Communication with spirits, divination, fertility, lust, protection
Woodruff: Protection, victory, wealth
Trees
Birch: Fertility, protection, purification
Hawthorn: Faery magick, fertility, defense, happiness, luck, protection
Oak: Courage, energy, fertility, luck, magick, protection,
security, strength
Pine: Abundance, energy, fertility, prosperity, purification
Willow: Communication with spirits, healing, love, lunar
energies, prophetic dreams, protection
Flowers
Daisy: Attraction, elf and faery magic, love, youth
Ivy: Divination, friendship, love, luck, marriage, rebirth,
security
Lily of the Valley: Desire, healing, love, peace, protection
Rose: Blessings, clairvoyance, friendship, love, protection
Violet: Calming, fertility, love, protection, prophetic dreams
Crystals and Stones
Bloodstone: Abundance, courage, healing, love, passion, wealth
Emerald: Luck, love, prosperity, protection, wealth
Rose quartz: Friendship, love, nurture, union
Metals
Copper: Energy, love, prosperity, well-being
Gold: Health, love, magick, protection, strength,
solar energies, success, wealth
Silver: Love, lunar energies, magick, prophetic dreams,
psychic ability
Animals, Totems, and Mythical Creatures
Bees: Energy, karma, romance, prosperity
Cow: Abundance, fertility, nurture, wealth
Dove: Fertility, happiness, life, peace, rebirth
Frog: Abundance, beginnings, fertility, luck, transformation
Rabbit: Abundance, fertility, intuition, love
Scents for Oils, Incense, Potpourri,
or Just Floating in the Air
Frankincense
jasmine
lemon
mint
pine
rose
woodruff
ylang-ylang
Tarot Keys
The Emperor
the Empress
the High Priestess
the Magician
Symbols and Tools
Flowers (symbolizing fertility, love, and joy)
maypole (symbolizing fertility and the male phallus)
the priapic (pinecone-tipped) wand (symbolizing fertility and sexuality)
Foods
Honey
light cakes
Drinks
Lemonade
May Wine made with white wine, lemon slices,
and woodruff milk
Activities and Traditions of Practice
Bringing in the May (collecting foliage the night before and placing it in and on the home in time for the May Day
sunrise)
decorating a May Bush
distributing May baskets
divination
feasting
fertility magick
handfastings and other romantic partnerships
lighting bonfires
making offerings to deities, ancestors, and faeries
Maypole dancing
nature walks
purification ceremonies
protection rituals
sacred sex
singing
visiting wells
Acts of Service
Beautifying a neighbor’s living quarters with fresh flowers
and herbs
planting a tree
rehabilitating the banks of a stream
removing litter from an outdoor area
working on a community garden
Alternative Names for Beltane in Other Pagan Traditions
Cetsamhain (Celtic, meaning Opposite Samhain)
Lá Bealtaine (Celtic, meaning Day of Beltane)
Walpurgisnacht (Germanic, meaning Walpurgis Night)
Holidays or Traditions Occurring
During Beltane in the Northern Hemisphere
Religious
Rowan Witch Day (Finnish, May 1)
Sacred Thorn Tree Day (Irish, May 4)
Festival of Shashti (Hindu, May 12)
Secular
Earth Day (April 22)
Walpurgis Night (Germanic, April 30)
May Day (European, May 1)
Mother’s Day (most of Europe, North America, and many other countries around the world celebrate sometime in May)
Holidays or Traditions Occurring During
Beltane in the Southern Hemisphere
Religious
All Soul’s Day (Christian Catholic, some Protestant denominations)
Diwali (Hindu)
Hollantide (Welsh)
Martinmass (Christian Catholic)
Secular
Guy Fawkes Day (UK)
Halloween
Recreation Day (northern Tasmania)