26 October 2021
This Sunday will be October 31, and marks the festival of Beltane. Beltane has been celebrated for centuries all over the world in many pagan cultures but it still holds significance today for all of us who understand our inherent connection to the earth and nature.
Nicoleen, the Flamekeeper making a sacred offering
(photography by Anna Wilson from www.markandanna.com.au)
There is often confusion around this date in the Southern hemisphere as many cultures around the world celebrate Halloween on Oct 31st. This comes from the term ‘all hallows’ eve, or ‘all spirits’ and is associated with the celtic pagan celebration of Samhain in the northern hemisphere. Samhain is the celebration of the halfway point between Autumn and Winter.
The halfway point between Spring and Summer
In the Southern hemisphere however we are experiencing the halfway point between the seasons of Spring and Summer, not Autumn and Winter and so to honour the season we celebrate Beltane at this time.
There is nothing wrong with celebrating Halloween, dressing up and trick or treating for the fun of it, but perhaps you may like to make space around this week to celebrate and acknowledge the seasons and all mother nature has given us too by noting the celebration of Beltane.
Beltane: Bright Fire
In Australia we are at the halfway point between the Spring equinox and the Summer solstice. These dates are known as cross quarter dates in wicca culture. During this time civilisations for thousands of years have celebrated the fertility, abundance, regrowth and renewal of the season and sacred nature. It is also known as Mayday in England, Bealtime in Scotland or Tana in Italy.
Beltane translated means bright fire. Beltane is about honouring life and light seen in the brightest part of the year. The central colour of Beltane is green, symbolising growth, abundance, plentiful harvest, fertility and sexuality. For this reason fruit and flowers are considered symbols of Beltane, especially apples. In fact the Halloween game of bobbing for apples comes from this pagan tradition.
Around this time there is an opportunity to connect with your team of guides and angels more profoundly as the veil between the spirit world and the physical world thins.
Spend time in meditation and ask your guides and angels to assist you in connecting and learning what steps you can take now to step more deeply into alignment and service.
Enduring ancient traditions and customs to honour Beltane
Ancient pagan cultures had many traditions they observed to honour Beltane, and some of them have found their way into modern culture such as the story of the green man and the Goddess. The story of the Wedding of the God and the Goddess, the greenwood marriage is pivotal. At this time when earth is most fertile it is said Flora, the Goddess of spring and the God, Jack in the green (the green man) fall in love and consummate their love. This is a symbolic story of Hieros Gamos, sacred marriage and the union between earth and sky or human and Christ consciousness.
Crowds admire the Greenwood man sculpture at
the Greenwood festival in Wales before it is set alight
This was a time for handfastings (marriages). Men and a woman would come together and be symbolically bound at the wrist with a red cord to live as husband and wife for one year and a day. Couples would make love out in the fields to honour natures fertility, hence spring is known as the time of mating and spring fever. If at the end of this time they no longer wished to be together they could part if there were no children from their union.
The Greenwood marriage between God and Goddess
People would take part in jumping over bonfires symbolically to represent purification from winter ills. Cattle would be driven through fires too to purify them. The ash from these fires would be used to decorate peoples foreheads as a sign of purification.
Beltane heralds the beginning of the bright time of year, a time when we emerge from the darkness of winter into lighter, airy days. It makes us want to open our hearts and feel the warmth of the sun. You may like to try some of these ways to celebrate Beltane below and embrace the light into your life.
Simple Beltane celebrations to try
A beautiful way to celebrate Beltane is by spending time in nature to appreciate all her beauty. Go for a walk or connect to nature by sitting and meditating outdoors and allowing the healing frequency to soothe you.
Collect wildflowers and greens and make a garland or simply wear them in your hair.
Adorn your home with flowering buds and new life or make a nature mandala. Some traditional choices are Rowan, hawthorn or birch greens used for decoration and roses, jasmine, marigolds or pansies but I like to choose whatever speaks to me and fills my spirit with joy.
Work with crystals that hold the spring energy of growth and renewal such as Adventurine, or Moonstone for healing and balancing energy.
Fire is a big part of Beltane celebrations. You may like to light a bonfire and burn an offering of sweet smelling tree gums and herbs to make a sacred space or to light some candes.
Meditate with the flames and connect with them asking the angels to burn away the dead wood of whatever no longer serves you and make space for new growth and allow yourself to bloom.
This is a time of renewal, birth and creation. You can use this energy to birth something new into the world. Take time to journal and plant the seeds of what you wish to create in the world through your thoughts, intentions and emotions and then take action to manifest it.
Beltane is also a celebration of the union of the divine masculine and the divine feminine energies. These are present in all of us regardless of our gender and when we work to bring them into balance we come into flow and and alignment with the holy spirit. You may like to book an energy healing session at this time to help you to shift energy blockages. See below for Beltane Blessings discount.
Beltane Blessings discount
If you would like to book an energy healing session with me in person or remotely please connect here. I have a special discount for Beltane and am offering 20% off a energy healing session normally valued at $100, now $80 for any session booked between 26 Oct-7 Nov.
If you are interested in learning more about spiritual traditions and daily spiritual practices please sign up to my blog here or join me on facebook or instagram.
Please take advantage of the opportunity to connect deeply with the light and your team of angels and happy Beltane!
Sending you love and light
xxx Nicoleen
Nicoleen Agnello is the Flamekeeper, Guardian of love and light of the Universal Spirit. She is a divinely gifted energy healer who practices medical astronomy for healing and offers health consultations through the medical medium protocol. She is a professional artist who uses her clairvoyance to create highly spiritual art. Nicoleen offers private healings and consultations by appointment through
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