Happy Beltane! This is not my altar but just a place I put my books and stuff :)))

♡ That naked witch in the woods

Fairy festivals take place at crossover points in the seasons. Equinoxes and solstices are determined by the position of the Sun, but the other four festivals are celebrated when the time feels right, so the dates given below are approximate.

There are other festivals too,such as Christmas Eve,Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Any human festival that touches on old traditions,from Ramadan to a Japanese Flower Festival, is a fairy feast. If you celebrate these festivals and make the effort to tune into what concerns the fairies, you will draw closer to their world. If you celebrate a special meal, remember to leave a little outside afterward for the fairies

1.  Imbolic - 

• February 2 in the Northern Hemisphere/July 31 in the Southern Hemisphere
• Imbolc means “in the belly,” and this is the time when life stirs in the belly of the earth. Frost sparkles and the pale light lingers each evening,bringing the message that spring is on the horizon. Imbolc is the delicate crossover point from winter’s depths into the New Year. It is a feast of lightness and brightness,but also a time of cleansing,to make way for the new. The Hag, who is Dark Goddess or Dark Fairy, gives way now to the Maiden, who is young and radiant.
• Fairies love neatness and good housekeeping,so it is a good idea to have a late-winter sort-out,in preparation for fresh activity. While the fairies are busy coaxing snowdrops and crocuses out of the winter-hard earth,do something creative of your own,such as knitting,painting,or writing poetry. Ask the fairies to lend you a little of their magic by leaving them an offering,such as a piece of wool or a verse written just for them.
• This feast is also called candlemas,sacred to St.Bridget,who was the successor to the pagan goddess Bride (pronounced “Breed”). Bride was the keeper of the sacred flame,which represents eternal life. She is the patroness of poetry,smithcraft,child birth, and healing, and is a very powerful fairy indeed. Invite her into your home by lighting as many candles as you like, in your windows and around your house. Ask her to bless your projects for the coming year,and pledge a special act of caring for the natural world in return,to seal your pact as the year waxes.

2. Spring Equinox-

• March 21 in the Northern Hemisphere/September 21 in the Southern Hemisphere
• The fairies are very busy at the Spring Equinox,looking after all the flowers that are newly blooming.Scandinavian fairies become active now: the Russian cellar fairy,The Domoviyr,casts off its skin and grows a lighter one for summer; and the Russian Rusalki,or river fairies are glimpsed by lakes swollen with melted snow.
• A tree planting project is a very fairy-friendly activity at this time. A seasonal blitz on the garden is also called for. While you are hard at work, digging and pulling away at dead winter twigs, it is easy to go into a kind of trance. This, coupled with the spell of the natural world around you,can create the perfect state of mind to catch a glimpse of fairies.You can be sure they are near you,helping you with their energies.Plant some seeds of your choice and, as you put them in the earth, close your eyes and make a special request for fairy help. Visualize the fairies tending your seeds,giving them their love and care. Ask out loud for the fairies to help you,and sing or hum and you plant. Touch the soft soil with your bare hands and make real contact with the earth.
• Place water in a pottery or glass jug (plastic or metal is best avoided) and leave it out in the noon sunshine. Ask the fairies to bless it. Imagine them dancing around it and coming up to touch it with their glimmering fingers. Use the water to give your houseplants a special spring blessing.
• The Green Man is a powerful nature spirit that has been sensed by many people. He is represented in numerous churches as the Foliate Mask (a face made up of leaves),and one theory about his presence is that the masons who fabricated him had hidden sympathies with the old nature- worship. He is making his appearance now on some new park benches and monuments. However, you can make contact with the real Green Man out alone walking through the woodland. Ancient and wise,he is watching you. Catch a glimpse of him behind tree trunks or in the lacework of budding branches. Hear his footfalls behind you as you walk. He is the very breath of Nature, and his strength is bursting forth in springtime.

3. Beltane -

• April 30 in the Northern Hemisphere/October 31 in the Southern Hemisphere
• Of all the festivals, Beltane is the most flagrantly joyful and sensuous as Nature is bursting forth with beauty and excitement. This was the Celtic beginning of summer, and also marked an important transition for the people of Fairy, for it was the time when the Milesian Celts landed on the shores of south-west Ireland. With this, the last of the magical peoples,the Tuatha de Danann, receded from the the world of humans into the Hollow Hills and became the people of the Sidhe.
• However, they and the other fairy folk have not gone very far. You will find them dancing in a bluebell wood or skipping in the sunshine,sheltered by a greening hedge. Beltane is the time when good fairies reign supreme and bad fairies retreat. Fairies are very active now and may try to steal butter,or some of the ritual fire that used to be ignited on hilltops and is still lit by modern pagans.
• This is the maypole season, but instead you can always dance around a friendly tree. Link hands with friends, and you may find yourselves spontaneously re-creating the kind of things people used to to do when seeing fairies was commonplace:lingering,walking,and talking, in the open air, away from television,computers,and other modern distractions.
• There are many tales of beautiful fairies marrying mortals. Such tales usually end in tragedy, for fairy and human can never truly be joined. Better to borrow some of the fairy enchantment by performing a little magic of your own! Rise early on May Day and wash your face in the dew or simply walk in it. As the rhyme says: “The fairy maid who, the first of May Goes to the fields at break of day, And walk in dew from the hawthorn tree, Will ever handsome be.”
• Welsh legend tells how the hero Pwll saw the Lady Rhiannon riding past him at Beltane and, after pursuing her, he eventually won her. Rhiannon is one aspect of the Fairy Queen,riding on her white horse between the worlds. As you sit quietly outside,on a bank in the late spring dusk,listen for the sounds of her horse’s hooves,and open your eyes to the shimmer of her sea-blue cloak. When Rhiannon touches your heart, she will fill it with love and inspiration.

4. Midsummer - 

• June 22 in the Northern Hemisphere/December 22 in the Southern Hemisphere
• This is one of the most magical times of the year, when fairies are very active and visible, playing pranks and even, it is said, stealing away the young and beautiful to join them in the Hollow Hills. The sun is now at the height of its strength and this is an important crossover point,such as the fairies love. For at the Midsummer Solstice the sun stands still, before beginning to recede as we move into the waning half of the year.
• Flowers are colorful and luxuriant, and one radiant day seems to merge into another, as late dusk meets early dawn. At no time is the natural world more inviting. Take part in it by going on quests -long walks to sacred spots,evening camping out with the minimum of equipment,to draw close to the mystery that is all around, and to the Fair Folk in particular.
• The rose is possibly the most sensuous bloom of all, and at midsummer it is often at its most gorgeous. Roses in the garden are especially likely to attract fairies. Distil water from rose petals and add it to your bath, asking the fairies to lend you some of their enchantment and to help you attract love. Brew tea from rosebuds and drink it,to increase your psychic powers.Plant a rose bush with a friend, to affirm the loving bound between you and invite the fairies into your life.
• St.John’s wort is a herb known to break any negative fairy enchantment and drive away depression. Pluck some on Midsummer’s Day and carry it, to keep cheerful.
• Look out for water nymphs by streams, or for undines for water elementals on the seashore- or for even the Lady of the Lake herself,rising from the luminous depths.In olden times, these beings were said to have no souls. It is closer to the truth to say that they do not have human morals. Conventions often conceal or feelings, but the beauty of the water fairies opens us to our unconscious tides; see them and let yourself be transformed.

5.Lammas-

• July 31 in the Northern Hemisphere/February 2 in the Southern Hemisphere
• Lammas is “Loaf Mass,” a christian version of a much older festival known as Lughnasadh, or the “Feast of Lugh.” Lugh was a Celtic god,lord of the Tuatha de Danann, and his name means “bright one.” Lughnasadh is a major fairy festival, and many fairies become active during this period,such as the Russian Polevik, who kicks sleepy harvesters awake. It is also a time when fairies move about in preparation for winter,and processions of them may be seen as a line of twinkling lights moving between the hills in the countryside.
• At Lammas, the fields are golden with corn and splashed with red poppies. It is hazy,lazy time of holidays and abundance,but there is an underlying theme of death,for the Corn Spirit must be sacrificed in order to reap the harvest. If you walk out into a field of ripe wheat, you may sense the anger of the nature spirits as what is to be taken from the earth,even thought that is a part of the natural cycle of life.Gather up some ears of wheat and tie them into a bunch with red thread,to make a charm for the coming winter to hang over your hearth. At the same time,pledge an act of caring for the earth,such as clearing a derelict site in your neighborhood or garden, or planting and tending a herb, as payment for what you-and all of us- take from it.
• At home, bake your own bread, using the rising of the dough as a spell to ensure that everything prospers in your life. While you are kneading the bread dough, say to yourself “As this dough swells, so may my fortunes increase.” Ask for your own personal Brownie, or house fairy, to come and help your bread rise- and remember to leave some breadcrumbs outside afterward,for the fairies.
• Some say that Lugh is lord of the waning year, and his dance- through the waving,whispering corn- is a dance of death. If so, it is a reminder that all things come in cycles,and that everything is united in love and beauty. Stand at the edge of a sun-kissed wheat field and see the shimmer and sway that betrays the presence of Lugh. Take a few moments to feel respect for the earth in your heart, and understand the meaning of the Wheel of Life.

6. Autumn Equinox (Mabon) -

• September 21 in the Northern Hemisphere/March 21 in the Southern Hemisphere
• At the Autumn Equinox, Nature stands poised between light and dark,but darkness is gaining. The veil between this world and the Otherworld is at its thinnest, and all manner of spirit visitations are more frequent now.
• The hedgerows are beaded with berries,and mist lingers in the hollows. Sometimes the wind whistles in from nowhere and tosses baring branches. On other says, the mellow sun caresses the fields with slanting fingers. It is a time for reflection, but also for industry. In days gone by, preserves would be made for winter store and the help of the Good Folk would be sought by country people.
• Absorb the atmosphere of the season by going blackberrying. In Celtic countries, there may be a taboo on eating blackberries, because these belong especially to fairies. However, as long as you gather them with respect and do not denude the bramble bushes, they will hardly object. Better still,leave out some of your homemade blackberry pie or wine for them,so that they will bless you. When this month ends, leave the blackberries alone and move on. Also look out for a bramble bush that forms an arch-so much the better if it faces east/west, for that mirrors the passage of the sun. Crawl through this three times on a sunny day to be healed of physical ills, especially rheumatism and skin troubles.
• At this mysterious time, pay honor to Queen Mab. Her special gift is to bring dreams and visions to birth within us. She is really one of many manifestations of the Goddess, in her autumnal guise of wise-woman and Lady of Magic, and she is linked with ancient ideas of sovereignty- for the king drew his power from the land, and Mab presided.
• Preferably at the Full Moon closest to the equinox,place good-quality wine in a stemmed glass or chalice,and take it into the garden or a secluded place.Raise the glass to the Moon,say, “Mab, I honor you”and pour some of the wine onto the earth. Drink a little and say, “Mab, I drink with you,” Then return home,light a bright-green candle beside your bed,gaze at the flame and say, “Mab,give me wisdom,” Place some jasmine or rose oil on your pillow,extinguish the candle-and drift into Fairyland. This is a little ritual that you can repeat during any Full Moon if you wish.

7. Samhain -

• October 31 in the Northern Hemisphere/April 30 in the Southern Hemisphere
• Samhain means “summer’s end” and is pronounced “sa-wen.” This ancient Celtic festival at the official start of the winter was later Christianized as Halloween- a time when the dead were remembered. There was always a sinister aspect to Samhain,because certain sacrifices had to be made in order to survive the coming cold weather. Animals had to be slaughtered,and some say that human sacrifice took place to propitiate the spirits. Sacrifice,however, is a corruption of nature worship,for life is hard enough as it is and all we have to do is show respect.
• Barrow mounds,shrouded in mist,are particularly eerie places at Samhain. Draw close,if you dare,and sit quietly.Do you hear the strange,far-off noise of fairy music,or the sound of knocking? Maybe the mound will open for you and unearthly light will stream over the barren fields.After Samhain,the earth is given over to the powers of darkness and decay.No crops or berries may be harvested after this time,because the Phooka, a malevolent Irish Fairy,blights them. The true meaning here,of course,is that death and decay have a place in the natural order,requiring due honor and respect lest they get out of hand.
• Traditionally, this is the start of the story telling season. While the wind whistles around the eaves or the mist comes down outside,gather family or friends around your hearth- preferably with a real fire burning in it. If you do not have an open hearth,substitute a collection of large,burning candles. Sit round and speak of times gone by and people who have passed over to the other side.Ask the Beloved Dead to be present, if you wish(but note that this is not a seance,and the Beloved Dead are invited,not summoned). Laugh,share funny stories,feast,and drink.
• Cerridwen is the Underworld Goddess and the Fairy Hag most associated with this time. In her magic cauldron,she stirs a brew that confers inspiration and transformation. Simmer up a hearty soup of root vegetables or pumpkin, to share with friends,then light a black candle and ask Cerridwen to guide you through the darkness into the light. You will  be both safe and wise.

8.  ❄️ Yule - ❄️

• December 22 in the Northern Hemisphere/June 22 in the Southern Hemisphere
• Yule is the Midwinter Solstice, when the sun again appears to stand still,as it did at midsummer,but the season is poised for the return of light. Celebrations of Christ’s birth were moved to coincide with the much more ancient solstice.
• As you deck your Christmas tree,remember that the evergreen is a powerful symbol of the enduring life in Nature. Of course,is has a fairy on top of it,confirming that it is a festival of the Fair Folk,who also rejoice in the sun’s rebirth. Decorating your tree is an important magical act,for the decorations are fairy charms. Each member of the family should hang at least one special charm of their own,to enable a wish to come true.
• Jack Frost is an active fairy in the cold weather,painting windows with intricate lacework. In Russia he is called Father Frost,the soul of winter,covering the trees in ice. Do not shrink from the frost fairy-go out and wonder at his works and he will reward you with hope and joy,just as in Russia Father Frost brings presents for the children on New Year’s Day.
• By far the best-known and most powerful fairy at Yule is Father Christmas himself. Today we know him by his robes of red and white, but in the past he also wore green and other colors. As we have seen,red is the color both of life and death, and many fairies wear red caps. The hearty red of Father Christmas is a sign that he is an Otherworld being-very much alive,but not of this earth. He is recognized all over the world, as Kris Kringle in Germany and Pere Noel in France. In Brazil he is Papa Noel,and in China Dun Che Loa. He is the essence of Yuletide mystery,joy and renewal,and like many traditional fairies, he comes in and out via the hearth.
• When all is quiet on Christmas Eve, get ready to welcome Father Christmas- light a candle and look at the stars. Pledge a gift for a friend and one for the world, and ask for a special gift to answer your heart’s desire. Write your wish on a piece of paper and “post” it up the chimney if you have an open fire. If not, burn it in the candle flame. Can you hear those sleigh bells?

(Art By: IrenHorrors On Deviantart -Link)

coinandcandle:

Tarot Time - Beltane Spread

Beltane is approaching! If you are like me, you like to do a reading for the upcoming season change. Here’s a simple three-card spread to help you get some insight!

Keep reading

MY BELTANE 2020

how i celebrate Beltane whilst in lockdown for 2020

I started of the morning by making Gluten-free pancakes with my younger brother. He loves them and i’ve recently had to go Gulten free so we were trying them out. They were amazing!! I then got dressed into my red dress but had to wear a black top as well as it was so cold.

Later in the afternoon I made oat cookies for my family.

I also made a fruit smoothie for me and my mum but forgot to take any pictures to document it. I used fresh strawberries and bananas!

In the evening, I unpressed all the flowers i pressed to try a few weeks ago - id been leaving it until Beltane to do so!

I then made my offerings to the fae. It was honey, milk and some of my oat cookies. I left it under a beautiful flower in my garden that’s surrounded by our strawberry pots.

I also took a moment whilst outside to appreciate the sunset i could just see.

I then proceeded upstairs to write my wish letter to the Gods and Godesses i celebrated with today. (it’s only the title as i didn’t want to show it)

When i go to bed, i plan to fully pray to the Gods and thank them for a beautiful day!

I’d love to hear what you did below!

Plants & Herbs of Beltane

Beltane (April 30 - May 1) ‍♀️

Witches’ Sabbath (The Great He-Goat), 1820-1823 by Francisco de Goya y Lucientes

El Museo del Prado

Detail

I know my feed has been a bit stagnant lately. This is because we finally got a new apartment and have been moving in

today i finally got some time to do some magic for myself. And on Beltane none the less. So please enjoy this Beltane simmer pot!

Ingredients:

1.RED TULIP

• love, gratitude, simplicity, happiness, beauty, and prosperity, dream work, fame, and protection, can be used to increase desire, build relationships, and open the heart.

2.CARNATION (WHITE)

• Healing, strength, protection, release, courage, white for peace

3.DAISY

• Abundance, Peace, Innocence/Children/Childhood, Loyalty, Beauty, Fae Magic, Lust, Purity, Health, Simplicity, Platonic Love, Positivity, Solar Magic, New Beginnings, Divination, Youth Friendship, Survival/Strength, Love, Luck, Blessings, Resilience, Clarity/Concentration, Money

4.CLOVER (purple/red)

• buds are used to bring good fortune in Love, Friendship, and Marriage,Protection, Hex Breaking, and Exorcism.

5.ROSE(white and red)

• Love, Divination, Protection, Beauty

6.LAVENDER

• seeking love, healing, and inner calm. It’s believed to be liked by fey, in particular, elves. It’s also used to increase sensitivity to other entities and to aid in communication with spirits, used for psychic protection, protects against nightmares, protection of the home,Consecration and cleansing, happiness, healing, love, peace, and protection, aiding divination, luck, gentleness, harmony, meditation, memory, stability, liberation, clairvoyance and passion

7.LILAC

• warding and banishing. It can be planted or used in cleanses to keep away negative energies and unwanted spirits. It will protect a residence from harm. It can be used to draw positive energy, to bring pleasure,divination, aiding clairvoyance, and past life recall.

8.BASIL

• Business, Fortune, Luck, Love, Prosperity, Excorcisim,Courage, Use in love and prosperity spells.

9.CEDAR

• power and longevity. long life and growth, used to attract love, boost psychic abilities.

10.STAR ANISE

• enhancing prophetic visions & communication with spirits,has been know to bring good luck, while also warding off the Evil Eye.

11.CINNAMON STICKS

• can stimulate clairvoyance, raise spiritual vibrations, and help focus during divination,aids meditation and astral projection. purifies a space, protection Also used for: prosperity, success, healing, lust, passion, power, dreams, strength, courage, personal empowerment, luck, peace, communication, happiness, inspiration and wisdom.

12.WILD DANDELION SEEDS (aka wild wishes)

• dream work, divination, associated with wind and air spirits. brings favourable energies and draw good luck,purification, wishes, healing, positivity, and protection from bad dreams.

Merry meet! ~ B(Phae)

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Beltane 2020

I didn’t get any pictures, I feel bad lol but I didn’t do anything big. My husband is an ‘essential worker’ and has been working 6 days a week for the last month and a half so nothing lustful happened but I’ve never been confident enough in myself to try sex magick so I wasn’t too upset lol.

I’ve spent the last 5 or 6 weeks hand writing all my information in a physical grimorie. I finished one full book of research and started my herbs and plants now. My first one has 158 pages in it and I’ve never been so proud of myself for writing all that I did, there’s so much information in it and its not even the tip of the iceberg, maybe I’ll show some of my favorite pages later but ANYWAY

Beltane 2020! I hung out with my kitties, began writing in my other grimorie about herbs and plants, fed the birds and squirrels outside, repotted my succulents, shared a drink with Hades and Persephone, lit a candle (no bonfires here), I even projected last night and said hello to Ezilion lol (ill do a separate post about my travels the last few weeks in a bit) but over all it was a wonderful day. I really wanted to bake some cookies but never got around to it.

(Some) Ways to Celebrate Beltane ✨

hi lovelies!! i tried to get this post out much earlier than usual so you can all have some time to plan if you’d like to take some inspiration haha. i hope ya enjoy

we’re now at the peak of spring SO, now is the perfect time to spend some time outside!!

-collect some flowers + wild herbs! (please be careful + become educated beforehand)

-take a nature walk! appreciate the signs of spring all around you.

-take some extra time to tend to your plants/gardens! give them some extra love OR start planting now! especially where i live, it’s tough to garden at the beginning of spring as it’s still a lil chilly outside so now is perfect!

-have a bonfire! bake some yummy goods, invite some friends over and have a grand ol time. this is a lovely opportunity to burn sigils, preform some fire spellwork, and rituals to honor the warmth taking over the cold.

decorate your altar!! beltane is heavily associated with fertility and abundance, so nows the time to represent that! use plenty of green candles for the green earth we’re blessed with this time of year, and red + pink candles for the fertility, passion and love that comes with this holiday! real and fake flowers, decor that represents the sun and crystals like rose quartz, pink tourmaline, pink angel aura quartz and sunstone are lovely choices as well.

make sure the light can reach you!! open some windows, go on a walk, lay outside. or, if the weather won’t permit that, light some candles or a fire (SAFELY!) indoors!

SPRING. CLEANING. sabbats are the times i take to do a FULL cleaning + cleansing of my space. so not only will i fully clean my room, but i’ll cleanse with some sage or incense! this is also a great time to preform protection spellwork to bless your space.

burn the heck outta anything you need to release/berid of!! as i said before, we are at the peak of spring. we’ve had some time to recover from winter. so, now is a wonderful time to create a sigil or write down negative things you’d like to have see their way out of your life onto some bay leaves and (SAFELY!) burn them.

get crafty!! use real or fake flowers to create flower crowns, jewelry, decorative masks, etc. i LOVE to press flowers and put them into frames + resin personally.

celebrate with color!! especially if you’re in the broom closet, this is a fabulous way to sneakily celebrate. wear clothing in these colors, paint your nails, etc. greens, pinks/reds and any bold bright colors are especially lovely this time of year.

do some kitchen witchcraft!! things like dairy, oats, bread, various spicy foods and vanilla are very popular this time of year.

braid some shiz!! especially some cute bracelets so you could share some love with the people around you! keep the colors of beltane in mind when doing so as well. here’s a color correspondent list AND a tutorial for a simple friendship bracelet!

DANCE, WITCHES!! allow the energy of music to fill you up and take over. i adore brining music into my craft as it’s so important to me, and the pure power i feel when doing this is indescribable.

have a.. sensual holiday. wink wink, nudge nudge. whether you practice SAFE and CONSENSUAL sex with a partner or give yourself some pleasure on your own if you catch my drift, this is a wonderful time of year to do so!

like i said above, this is a SENSUAL holiday.. and that doesn’t just mean sex! pleasure your SENSES. go outside and legitimately smell the roses + various flowers, eat the yummy and delicious food(s) you’ve been craving, lay outside on the beach and feel the sunshine on your skin + the sand on your feet.

take a ritual bath!! incorporate things like oranges + orange peels or lemons + lemon peels, various flowers/flower petals, frankincense, rosemary, thyme. even just a colored bath bomb! treat ya self.

plan a picnic with loved ones!! this incorporates so many things associated with beltane, such as dedicating time to the outdoors, eating delicious spring-y foods, and treating yourself with a beautiful day! do it at the beach, a downtown green, or even in your backyard if you don’t feel like travelin. pick up green/pink/red plates, utensils, etc and decorate your space with flowers if you’re feelin like being extra! (the dollar store is the perfect place to go for this kinda stuff, im tellin ya)

make some offerings for nature + the various spirits!! or even the fae if you work with them. this can be anything from a small bouquet of flowers, a bowl of fruits + nuts, (please research things that are SAFE for the wildlife in your area) to saying a simple prayer or just offering your time to the outdoors.

that’s all i got this time around! i hope you’ve all been having a spring full of happiness and growth, and if not i sincerely hope the future starts to bring those things to you. my messages are ALWAYS open if any single one of you needs to chat