The first of May is well known among magickal and Pagan folk as Beltane, a celebration of fertility, the blossoming of the land, and of springtime and the coming summer. The consumption of wines and ales at Pagan sabbats and celebrations in general is a long-standing tradition. However, Beltane is graced with having associations with a wine all of its own: May Wine. As will be explored, it is a drink most fit for the occasion!
The tradition of May Wine is long connected to the celebration of May Day, Beltane, and Walpurgis Night. The origins of the drink can be traced back to Germanic origins, where it will be seen spelled as Maiwein or Maitrank. In fact, its signature ingredient is waldmeister, or sweet woodruff, which grows wild in the forests of Germany. Some refer to sweet woodruff by the folk name Master of the Forest, and it is certainly May Wine’s “master ingredient”! Recipes for the drink may vary; however, its ingredients always seem to resonate the energies of spring and the qualities of the Beltane holiday. For example, sweet woodruff itself has a masculine energy and is said to be associated with the element of fire—this serves as a nod to the traditional fires of Beltane. Lore also says that the herb is associated with prosperity, which in itself is a type of fertility. Traditional lore says that sweet woodruff should only be used as a flavoring in the month of May, as that is when the leaves are said to be most tender.
Recipes almost invariably include the signature scent and flavoring of sweet woodruff and use a white wine such as a Riesling or Moselle as the base. However, recipes can vary considerably from there, ranging from consisting of simply those two main ingredients all the way to a veritable springtime cocktail-style collection of ingredients. This is not surprising. Like any other holiday dish, different individuals and families develop their own particular recipe or brand of May Wine as the years pass and depending on what is at the ready for use as well as their preferences. However, popular additions to the mix are extra sugar, honey, brandy, fresh strawberries, oranges, and even garnishes of seasonal flowers such as violets.
Strawberries are probably one of the most common of added ingredients. In addition to bringing their wonderfully sweet flavor notes to the drink, they also serve to energetically balance out the fiery and masculine sweet woodruff. Strawberries are both associated with feminine energy and the element of water. This balance serves to further add to the custom tailored energy of May Wine as a perfect drink for a sabbat celebrating the union of masculine and feminine energies and fertility. Love is among the primary magickal properties assigned to this fruit, and it has long been held among many as a potent aphrodisiac. Beltane being the lusty fertility holiday that it is, it’s no wonder that strawberries have earned mainstay status as a May Wine ingredient.
Many recipes call for either sugar or honey to assist in bringing out the sweeter notes of the May Wine. In magick, both are associated with luck, prosperity, and celebrating the sweet parts of life. Honey in particular is often a favorite, as some people also tout it as an aphrodisiac and for its golden (prosperous) color. There is an old saying, “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar,” that goes to show how powerfully deep and culturally ingrained honey is as an attractant of things beneficial to us. The occasional citrus addition of oranges by some recipes adds much of the same spiritual qualities as honey, a prosperous golden color, and magickal associations with both prosperity as well as love.
The garnishing of the finished drink with a springtime flower, most popularly violets, may seem simply like a festive cosmetic addition at the surface. However, it too provides a watery feminine balance to the more fiery masculine properties of other ingredients. Additionally, they are associated with healing, protection from evil spirits, and not surprisingly, love, luck, and fertility! (Are we sensing a theme?!) These qualities might be one reason the drink is often traditional fare at weddings.
The earliest recorded mention of May Wine specifically is from 854 ad by a Benedictine monk named Wandelbertus. However, wine in general has far more ancient connections, such as to the gods Bacchus and Dionysus who are celebrated widely at Beltane. (Dionysus being the Greek form and Bacchus being the Roman.) Dionysus led a somewhat infamous traveling band of satyrs and female devotees and was known for teaching agricultural arts, including wine-making, and creating a sometimes chaotic hoopla wherever they went. Our modern Beltane celebrations contain all the elements of Dionysus’s contingent’s revelries: the making of May Wine, dancing in the form of the maypole rituals, and activities celebrating agriculture, nature, and fertility aplenty (both amorous and otherwise!).
May Wine seems to embody a Venn diagram of qualities associated with the sabbat of Beltane, so much so that you may wish to venture to include a May Wine into your festivities. If you do so, please keep in mind that too large a quantity of sweet woodruff can be toxic to consume. So please exercise caution and research reputable recipe sources for proper instructions on how to safely include it in your May Wine. It is always a good idea to research any ingredients you may be using in any recipe meant for consumption to be aware of their possible toxicity and if/how they are or are not safe for food use. Also, not everybody wants to or can consume alcohol. Have no fear, there are festive nonalcoholic alternative recipes in the spirit of the season to be found as well.
I hope that while you are setting the stage for your Beltane celebrations, bedecking your altars with the flowers of spring and coming days of summer, and dancing around the maypole, that you will raise a glass of May Wine and toast to the qualities that it and Beltane represent. May the blessings of love, luck, fertility, prosperity, and good health be yours as you so desire! Blessed be!
Bibliography
Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1985.
Encyclopedia Britannica. “Wine,” accessed June 11, 2014, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/645269/wine/66676/Flavoured-wines#ref110681.
German Culture. “Maiwein,” accessed June 11, 2014. http://www.germanculture.com.ua/library/weekly/aa042601b.htm.
Grimassi, Raven. Beltane: Springtime Rituals, Lore & Celebration. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2001.
Illes, Judika. The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: The Complete A-Z for the Entire Magical World. Hammersmith, London: Harper Element, 2005.
Illes, Judika. Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses. New York: Harper One, 2009.
Wigington, Patti. “Bacchus, Roman God of Wine and Fertility.” About.com. Accessed June 18, 2014. http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/romandeities/p/BacchusProfile.htm.
Yronwode, Catherine. HooDoo Herb and Root Magic: A Materia Magica of African-American Conjure. Forestville, CA: Lucky Mojo Curio Company, 2002.