Eir Rowan

If you live somewhere with space for growing food, a forest garden or food forest is one of the best ways to grow it.

What is a Forest Garden?

A forest garden is a garden designed to mimic the interrelationships that exist in the natural environment. As your forest garden gets established it becomes more and more hands-off except for harvesting, creating less work for you and letting nature take the reins.

When you intentionally group and place plants like wild trees, shrubs, ground-cover, and vines together they'll grow symbiotically, requiring no additional fertilizer, water, pest/disease control. This grouping of mutually beneficial plants is called a guild. When you put lots of guilds together you get a forest garden.

A well-known example of a guild is the three sisters, an Indigenous method of growing corn, beans, and squash together in the same mound. The corn grows tall, providing shade for the squash and a trellis for the beans to climb. The beans fix nitrogen in the soil to fertilize the corn and squash. The squash covers the ground, creating a living mulch for the corn and beans. The plants fulfill each other's needs and grow better together than they would separately.

There are infinite ways to create guilds and in turn forest gardens! Fruit tree guilds like these are a great example.

Designing a Forest Garden

You don't need a space the size of an actual forest to grow a forest garden. Even a small bit of land can hold food producing plants. The key is finding a group of plants that all benefit each other so you can create guilds even in small spaces.

Here's a basic guideline to creating a guild:

For every large/tall food producing plant/shrub/tree, include a nitrogen fixing plant/shrub/tree, a plant that attracts beneficial insects, a plant with a deep tap root to pull up nutrients from the soil, and a ground cover to create a living mulch.

This is a step up from the three sisters, and it can go even further! Forest gardens can be as huge or as small as you want them to be.

Consider the sun. All of your plants will need adequate sunlight, so plant your tallest plants to the north, then moving south plant your smaller trees, vines, herbs, and ground covers.

Figuring out What to Grow in Your Food Forest

So many plants can thrive in a food forest. What you grow is going to need to be tailored to your space, your needs, and your climate.

Both annuals and perennials work well, but perennials are often preferred.

Grow plants native to your area. Learn your growing zone and research your native plants. If you live in the United States this tool from the National Wildlife Federation will show you your native plants by typing in your zip code.

If possible, connect with other permaculturists in your area or growing zone (either on social media or in person!) and learn what they're growing and how they have it organized.

Keep on reading and learning! Books, classes, websites, blogs, YouTube videos, there's so many great resources out there. Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemingway and Edible Forest Gardens by Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier are considered some of the best books on the subject. I've found lots of helpful books on free websites like Z Library and the Internet Archives!

Creating a food forest takes a lot of planning, but the end result is so worth it. Better for the land, easier on us, and we still get incredible harvests. Happy growing!🌱

Lammas is just around the corner for Southern Hemisphere witches (Feb 1), and eating fresh bread is one of its many traditions! I’m from Australia, so while searching how to celebrate Lammas, I saw many different types of bread recipes from different cultures, so I figured I’d share one from my own for Australian witches, or anyone curious.

Damper Bread was a staple of Indigenous Australians (thank you @salty-witxh) and the early Australian settlers’ diet. Traditionally, the dough was cooked directly on the coals of an open fire in the Outback. But if you don’t want to build a campfire in your backyard, Damper can also be baked in a normal kitchen oven. It’s a dense bread without yeast, only using 4 ingredients.

What you need:

4 cups self-easing flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups milk

1 tbs butter

What to do:

Preheat oven to 220c with a rack on the middle-bottom

Sift flour and salt into a bowl, create a well

Pour in milk and mix

Add butter and mix

Add another tsp butter if dough is not forming

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead

Form into round loaf 20cm wide and cut a cross on the surface

Place on greased pan/lined tray/camp oven

Bake for 20-25 mins at 220c then 175c for 5-10 mins

The loaf should be golden brown and the bottom should sound hollow when tapped

Serve warm by pulling apart (not cutting) the bread with lots of butter and honey/maple syrup.

Eat immediately as the bread gets dry and hard the next day

Optional:

Wrap the uncooked dough around a clean stick and hold it over a campfire until it’s cooked, then fill inside with butter and honey/maple syrup for a more traditional Damper. Have it with tea as well!

For a savoury taste: Add sultana, rosemary, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, wattle seeds

For a sweeter taste: Add chocolate, sugar instead of salt

You can replace the milk with buttermilk or goats milk

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Here’s the explanation for fellow baby witches

Bread is shared on Lammas to thank Mother Nature/The Goddess of Nature for the harvest because flour comes from wheat, which is also a symbol of the Sabbat.

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Make A Grain Mother / Corn Dolly

Go for a walk and see what you can find - stalks of wheat, oats, barley, rye often left growing on the edges of fields after harvesting, failing that any grasses and/or reeds you can find.

Let your creativity out - if you feel confident, weave your Grain Mother into being, but equally you can just lace and tie her into being with Lammas coloured ribbons.

As you do so, give thanks for the gifts of Harvest. Place your Grain Mother on your altar or at the centre of celebrations. At Samhain, return the grain stalks to the earth, they contain the seeds of future harvest.

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Offer Grain To The Earth

Traditionally, a way of expressing gratitude for the abundant bounty of Mother Earth at Lughnasadh is to offer the first of the crop right back to Her.

In turn, this multiplies your own wealth and ensures a successful harvest, as what you send out comes back to you multiplied. And everything is energy, remember. So right along with the bowl of barley or oats, offer a generous helping of love and appreciation.

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Create A Lammas Altar

Gather items for a Lammas or harvest altar such as wheat, barley, oats, mint, sunflowers, and anything in colors of the holiday, from green to gold and yellow to the deepest orange – every shade of sun and harvest.

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Pick Sunflowers

This is a really nice activity if you have kids involved. They can each pick their own sunflower and even if you have ten, it’s still really cheap to make them all happy.  Go home and enjoy your bliss.

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Bake Bread

The art of bread baking connects you with an ancient tradition that dates back thousands of years.  If you’re new to bread making, try a simple recipe, and if you’re an old hand, up your game by getting really creative.  Make bread magical and don’t forget to make a small offering loaf for the altar.

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Bless Your Home

The warmer months will soon be gone!  Take this time to air out your house while you still can.  Open all the (screened in) windows and doors, smudge it out in every direction, light some candles and enjoy the warmth

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Make Beeswax Candles

The bees have been working furiously all summer long.  Celebrate their glory!  Beeswax candles are easy to make, even for someone who has never made candles before.Get some wax from a craft store or (even better) a local beekeeper and make a bunch for the coming fall season.

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Have A Popcorn Party

Make it from scratch and make loads of it. There’s all kinds of nifty crafts you can make with it. You can try making one of the gourmet varieties, like Parmesan Rosemary or Gruyere-Porcini.

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Use A Broom / Besom

Don't worry if it isn't a traditional besom, any broom will do as it is always intent that is important. If you have no broom collect a bundle of twigs and tie them at the top with Lammas ribbon to make a hand broom shape.

The besom/broom is a potent symbol of hearth and home, found in some form in almost every household. It is a traditional magical tool useful for everyday charms as it has the imprint of its owner firmly on it. Sweeping is a natural gathering gesture.

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Light A Green Candle

Take a moment to connect with the expansion and abundance of the earth at this particular moment, and give thanks for all the blessings you already have: the money in your bank account, your home, your loved ones, your personal successes, and anything else that comes to mind.

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Gather A Ribbon

A piece of green ribbon (for abundance), a piece of gold ribbon (for prosperity and gathering) or ribbon in Lammas harvest colours would be equally suitable.

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Create A Harvest Jar

Write down the things you’ve manifested this year and put those pieces of paper in the container. Hold a little ritual to honor everything you’ve grown, including yourself.

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Sources :

https://moodymoons.com/2015/07/19/10-ways-to-celebrate-lammas/

https://www.goddessandgreenman.co.uk/lammas

https://www.sagegoddess.com/musings/simple-ritual-ideas-lammas-first-harvest/

🥖 DAILY SPELL: AUGUST 1

🍞 You’ll Need:

Your favorite bread recipe and ingredients

A pastry brush

Melted Butter

🥖The first day of August is celebrated as Lammas, which is the modern translation of the Old English, phrase blaf-maesse, which means loaf mass. As the grain is harvested, bread is baked and blessed, and there’s a sense that home and hospitality is of crucial importance. Grain has become associated with the concept of life, death, and rebirth, and bread itself represents the harvested grain being baked so it can feed our families. Bread ties in perfectly with magic for good health and abundance.

🥖 Prepare your bread according to the recipe. Before you place it in the oven, dip the brush in the melted butter and paint the word ABUNDANCE along the top of the loaf. Bake as directed and allow your bread to cool. As you slice it up , say “ABUNDANCE FOR YOU, AND ABUNDANCE FOR ME. ABUNDANCE TIMES TWO, ABUNDANCE TIMES THREE.SLICE IT UP AND SHARE IT AROUND, BLESSINGS FOR EVERYONE SHALL BE FOUND”.

🥖  Serve it with your dinner that night, and know that abundance and blessings are heading toward your family.

Yule is about celebrating the Sun’s long journey back towards the Earth. During the time leading up to Yule, it’s a good idea to do some deep cleaning and de-cluttering, followed by a cleansing ritual so you have a fresh space to celebrate.

Before Yule - A time for preparation

Knit or sew new clothes

Prepare for winter

Store food and herbs for winter use

Take in potted plants and harvest the last of your herbs

Arts & Crafts

Make stove top potpourri

Make witch balls and hang them around your home or on a tree

Make a wreath using herbs that correspond with your intent (peace, happiness, prosperity, etc)

Use birch branches to craft a besom

Cleaning & Cleansing

As you do any cleaning, visualize removing all of the negative energy from your life

Clean your bathroom – scrub toilets, wipe down counters, clean out the bathtub

Clean your mirrors

Clean your windows

Finish all your cleaning with a good smoke cleanse using sage, sweetgrass, pine needles or mistletoe, along with your other favorite herbs. Start at the front door and move the incense around the doors and windows of every room, following the lines of the walls.

Get rid of all the extra clutter in your house

Replace your home’s air filter

Sprinkle carpets and rugs with baking soda and vacuum, making sure you move all your furniture to get underneath. Vacuum walls, baseboards, ceiling fans and all the other hard-to-reach places

Use a broom to sweep up dirt

Cooking

Bake and cook with family and friends, blessing the food with intent of prosperity and happiness

Brew cider infused with herbs and fruit that correspond with prosperity and happiness

Cook a feast of wintery foods

Decorating

Add comfy white pillows filled with herbs to your sofa for a sacred space to meditate

Decorate your tree and bless all of your ornaments

Hang golden suns around your house to welcome back the sun

Hang mistletoe for love and protection

Hang a sprig of holly in the house for good luck and safety

Leave out birdseed ornaments

Light lots of candles to symbolize bringing light back into your life

Spell-casting & Divination

Cast spells for peace, introspection, wishes and new beginnings.

Do a winter solstice tarot spread for yourself

Cast spells for light, purification, renewal and rebirth

Divination centered around messages and omens

Other Activities

Burn a Yule log in honor of the sun, and toss in a sprig of holly to burn away the troubles of the past year. note: use only a small amount of holly if burning indoors, as the fumes are toxic

Give gifts

Go carolling

Make holly water by soaking the leaves overnight in spring water under the full moon

Play in the snow and collect some to use in spells

Take a walk under the full moon and record any important thoughts or visions you receive

Tie up any loose ends in your life

Volunteer in your community or donate old belongings

Write about your reflections of the past year and what your goals are that you’d like to achieve by the end of the coming year. Bless the page with motivation and love.

After Yule - A time for resting

Do not make new plans

Sleep as much as possible

Take care of your body

Outside:

Leave out birdseed ornaments as offerings to the season

If snowing, play in the snowfall to appreciate the changing season or collect some for snow water

After the sun has gone down, burn a yule log in a bonfire

Take some friends and go wassailing! 

In the Home:

Make stovetop potpourri as an alternative to incense 

DIY gifts with your witch skills for your friends and family 

Read a winter solstice tarot spread for yourself

Decorate your holiday tree, blessing the ornaments with good energy

Hang mistletoe for protection and (consensual!) kisses

In the Kitchen:

Make one of these Celtic Yule recipes

Prepare some traditional or non-traditional wassail for any adults

Bake mini yule logs to share with family and friends 

Make Swedish Lussekatter rolls or Norwegian Julekake bread 

In the Bath:

Bathe with fresh orange slices and frankincense and myrrh essential oils for a prosperity ritual bath

Take a lazy witch holiday LUSH bath (our suggestions here) 

Do a pre-solstice ritual bath with essential oils

Make winter spice bath bombs and enchant them for prosperity

On your Altar:

Use colors like reds, greens, whites, and metallic colors

Add holly, pine, ivy, mistletoe, juniper, or cedar for some greenery

Decorate with a yule wish bottle to for some easy magic

Represent the seasonal harvest with oranges, pears, nuts, and berries

Outside:

Leave out birdseed ornaments as offerings to the season

If snowing, play in the snowfall to appreciate the changing season or collect some for snow water

After the sun has gone down, burn a yule log in a bonfire

Take some friends and go wassailing! 

In the Home:

Make stovetop potpourri as an alternative to incense 

DIY gifts with your witch skills for your friends and family 

Read a winter solstice tarot spread for yourself

Decorate your holiday tree, blessing the ornaments with good energy

Hang mistletoe for protection and (consensual!) kisses

In the Kitchen:

Make one of these Celtic Yule recipes

Prepare some traditional or non-traditional wassail for any adults

Bake mini yule logs to share with family and friends 

Make Swedish Lussekatter rolls or Norwegian Julekake bread 

In the Bath:

Bathe with fresh orange slices and frankincense and myrrh essential oils for a prosperity ritual bath

Take a lazy witch holiday LUSH bath (our suggestions here) 

Do a pre-solstice ritual bath with essential oils

Make winter spice bath bombs and enchant them for prosperity

On your Altar:

Use colors like reds, greens, whites, and metallic colors

Add holly, pine, ivy, mistletoe, juniper, or cedar for some greenery

Decorate with a yule wish bottle to for some easy magic

Represent the seasonal harvest with oranges, pears, nuts, and berries

simple iced chamomile tea for litha and ofc great for summertime overall; this stuff tastes amazing & it’s super refreshing~

- ☀️🕊

to make a pitcher;

2 qts water

1/2 cup sugar or 1/4 cup honey

1/8 cup chamomile

1/8 cup lavender

to make a serving;

water (changes based on how big or sm your mug is ofc but ratios will all generally be the same here)

1 tsp sugar or 1 tsp honey

1 tsp chamomile

1 tsp lavender

-

to actually make the tea you can either brew over a gentle simmer on the stovetop (boiling is just gonna burn/overbrew both the lavender & chamomile and it gets to be bitter) or do a cold 24-36 hr brew in the fridge then strain, ice, & enjoy!

sugar ✨

kindness, joy, wishes

no real health benefits here, it’s just sugar

always be careful with sugar intake, ofc even more so if you have any issues with insulin etc

honey 🐝

healing, prosperity, happiness, luck, energy

anti inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, heart/digestive health

honey is sugar and too much sugar won’t ever really be a good thing; be sure you’re getting your honey from a good source, save the bees, and don’t give honey to babies under the age of 2

chamomile 🌼

healing, growth, happiness, prosperity, cleansing, calming

cramps, sleep aid, anti inflammatory, soothes stomach

can lower blood sugar and interact with blood thinners or cause constipation

lavender ☁️

grounding, cleansing, healing, calming

can reduce blood pressure, helps headaches/nausea, antiseptic, anti inflammatory, pain relief

uncommonly associated with constipation or headache

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Host A Bonfire

Litha is all about the fiery aspect of the sun, so why not celebrate the fertility of the gods with a blazing, roaring fire in your back yard? It's the longest day of the year, so stay up late and host a bonfire for your friends and family. 

Get sparklers too, and light them after dark. Make an offering to the gods of your tradition. Be sure to follow basic Bonfire Safety Rules, so no one gets hurt at your celebration. You can even incorporate your bonfire into a Litha rite, with the Midsummer Night Fire Ritual.

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Leave An Offering Of Honey Cakes Outside

Preferably somewhere away from your house, as they will attract insects and even wildlife. Litha is said to be one of the two times of year when the “Veil Between Worlds” is the thinnest (the other being Samhain.) According to legend, the fairies and forest spirits are especially active on the night of the summer solstice, and honey is favorite treat.

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Get Back To Nature

Go for a hike in the woods with your family. Enjoy the sounds and sights of nature. Take lots of pictures, or plan a scavenger hunt—have each of the kids bring a "nature bag" to fill up. Remember, don't pick any live plants, unless you're deliberately wildcrafting.

Before you head out, grab a field guide to local plants, and turn it into a teaching exercise, learn to identify what you see out there in the woods. If you take your hike in a public park, bring along a plastic sack to help pick up garbage on your way. If you get the chance to do this alone, try a Nature Meditation in a quiet spot somewhere on your journey.

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Go Camping

If you’re feeling adventurous, but don’t want to leave luxury behind, try glamping and spend a night under the stars in style.

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Get Your Body Moving

Litha is a magical, mystical time of year. Why not host a drum circle or spiral dance? You'll need a large group for this, but it's a lot of fun once you get everyone moving. In addition to being entertaining (and a great stress reliever), a drum circle or a ritualized dance serves another purpose—that of raising energy.

The more you build, the more people will feed off of it. Invite a group of friends over, let them know there will be music and dance, and see what happens. Be sure to provide refreshments for afterwards—drumming and dancing can be draining for some people.

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Go Wildflower Picking

Identify and harvest some wildflowers to use in your summer spell work. Press them in your Book of Shadows if you have one.

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Do Something For Others

Do something for charity. Organize a yard sale and donate the proceeds to a local homeless shelter. Collect gently used summer clothing and give to a local children's hospital. Host a dog-wash for your favorite shelter, and ask customers to either donate cash or pet food. Plan a neighborhood cleanup, and trim and weed common areas in your community. If you don't have time to coordinate a big project—and not everyone does—do things on a smaller scale.

Visit an elderly neighbour and help with her housekeeping. Offer to do grocery shopping for an ill relative. If you know a mom with a brand-new baby, help out with childcare so she can get a few hours of rest. There are any number of things you can do to help others, and with the days being longer, there's plenty of time to get things done!

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Read A Good Book

Summer can be a hectic and chaotic time of year. Maybe you're someone who needs to slow down and take a break. Litha is a good time to rejuvenate, so why not sit out in the sunshine and immerse yourself in a good book. Keep reading material handy all the time, so when you need a little down time, you can work through few pages. If your local library has a summer reading program, sign up.

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Attend A Summer Festival

Litha is the week for pagan festivals. Find one. Attend it. You’ll have a blast, I promise.

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Celebrate Family

Turn off the phone, step away from the computer and television, and spend time just having fun with the people who love you most. Take the day off work if possible and spend it any way you like—go to the zoo, a museum, a ball game, etc. Make this a day that you can do anything you want, and put the schedules away just for one day.

If you're worried that money might hold you back, there's plenty of stuff you can do for free: check your local metro parks for activity schedules, go fishing at a nearby lake or river, and watch the local newspaper for free admission deals at nearby attractions. If getting away for a day isn't possible for you, spend the afternoon at home—play board games, do jigsaw puzzles, and cook a meal together.

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Make A Batch Of Sun Cakes

If you’re a kitchen witch, celebrate this Sabbat by baking! Sun cakes are perfect for the “cakes and ale” portion of a Litha ritual if you celebrate with a coven, or you can use them for offering.

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Clean Things Up

Clean your house. Take advantage of the warm weather to have a garage sale and get rid of all those things you don't want. You can also organize a swap with your friends, or donate all your stuff to charities like Goodwill or Salvation Army. You've got plenty of daylight at Litha, so you can accomplish a lot in just a short period of time.

If your house is a bit daunting, select one room to work on at a time—preferably the one that needs the most help! Wash windows, wipe down baseboards, get rid of stuff you know you'll never use. Organize as you clean, putting donatable items into one pile, and trash in another, so you don't have to sort it later. Turn the project into a ritual with a House Cleaning Rite.

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Make Herbal Candle Rings With Herbs

For the green witch : with your herb garden in full swing, it’s time to make some creative use of it.

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Host A Barbeque For Friends And Family

Have a barbecue, and invite all your family and friends over. Decorate with colors of the sun—yellows, reds, and oranges. Feast on lots of summery food, like watermelons, strawberries, and fresh green salads. Add outdoor games like horseshoes, ladder golf, and backyard volleyball.

While you're at it, set up some kind of water activities—water balloons, super soakers, a pool to splash in. All of these are great outside activities in the heat of summer, and help celebrate the balance between fire and water, as well as welcoming friends and family to celebrate the season.

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Try Cloud Scrying

Find a warm, grassy spot and look up to see what messages the sky might have for you.

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Learn & Grow

Spend some time on spiritual growth. Use this time of year to learn something new about your tradition, develop a new skill, or take a class in Tarot, Reiki, yoga, or whatever appeals to you. Create a daily plan of study to help you focus on what it is you want to do next. You've got plenty of extra hours of daylight this time of year, so there are no excuses.

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Visit A Honey Farm

If you’re not allergic to bees (or deathly afraid of them!) this is a nice activity. Be sure to stock up while you’re there.

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Honor The Season

Many ancient cultures marked the summer solstice with rites and rituals honoring the sun. Celebrate the significance of Midsummer with ritual and prayers that recognize the sun and its magnificent power. Set up your Litha altar with symbols of the season—solar symbols, candles, midsummer fruits and vegetables, and more.

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Article Sources :

Kitchen witchcraft recipes for Litha

Summer solstice is upon up and I don’t know for you but I am celebrating mainly inside. This year I am feeling really inspired in the Kitchen. I have published a great recipe that I created for this sabbat. Since lots of us are still staying inside for Litha, I made a selection of recipes you could try to add a bit of Kitchen Witchcraft to your celebrations! All those bloggers and you tubers are amazing and I highly recommend that you visit their pages, you might discover some gems!

Lemon, Lavender, and Thyme Madeleines. A Midsummer treat! https://witchy-kitchen-craft.tumblr.com/post/621382849796489216/lemon-lavender-and-thyme-madeleines-a-midsummer

Litha Sun Cakes :: The Witches Corner https://youtu.be/p0GRlNXtmkI

Super Moist Honey Lemon Pound Cake Recipe | Homemade Food by Amanda https://youtu.be/6ovBEkFQuyg

Beautiful Floral Shortbread Cookies || Floral Shortbreads for Litha || Litha Recipe https://youtu.be/yifxdT8Ony0

Magick Chamomile Sweet Rolls || Anti-Anxiety Spell https://youtu.be/Ct7-wcS-Nm0

Magick Litha Lemon Cake 🍋 Summer Solstice Kitchen Witchery 🍋 Litha Recipe https://youtu.be/IDvcLrRcLJ4

Litha Celebrating The Summer Solstice 🌞 Everyday Summer Solstice Rituals & Magick https://youtu.be/WLlWSL7fQxE

LITHA RECIPE | Magickal Midsummer Lemon & Elder Tart | Summer Solstice cake https://youtu.be/2DDgXLZla7w

My Witch’s Year | Summer Solstice & Midsummer | Honeycake & Fae Offering https://youtu.be/JOxDkE0DmpU

Honey Lemon Upside-Down Cake

Solstice Cookies: https://deerhoofandrabbitsfoot.tumblr.com/post/175022965984/solstice-cookies-appropriate-for-both-the-summer

Summer solstice honey cakes ☀️🌻https://childofthecrowmoon.tumblr.com/post/621445997214777344/summer-solstice-honey-cakes

Kitchen Witchcraft Correspondances for Litha

Don’t want to follow a precise recipe but still want to celebrate in the kitchen? Don’t worries I got you! We are at the peak of Summer, think fresh fruits and vegetables, lemonades, fruit cakes. Try to choose something that grows in abundance in your region and that is in season.

Food

Fresh fruits

Fresh vegetables

Lemons

Honey

Lemonades

Ice creams

Ales and Meads

Butternut Squash

Sweet Potatoes

Carrots

Herbs:

Chamomile

Rose

Honeysyckle,

Oak

Lavender

Yarrow,

Elder

Thyme

Ginger

Basil

Rosemary

Mint

Here we are! I hope this will keep you inspire for the new season! We are already half of the year. It has been weird and difficult so far but now is the time to celebrate all the hard work we have done and set up new goals and intention for the other half of the year.

Blessed be!

Have a wonderful Litha!

Beltane, Beyond the Misconceptions of Wicca: Exploring Universal Historical Truths and Reconstructionism

The traditional roots of Beltane are actually quite different than Wicca would have you believe. While Wiccans state Beltane is when the “May Queen” and “Horned God” reunite, and is a celebration of sexual abundance—the truth behind this holiday is very different. Wiccan practice tends to appropriate Celtic pagan holidays and reimagines them with their own deities, typically the Horned God and Goddess figures.

Beltane is actually pagan holiday from the Celtic regions, notably Ireland. Beltane and Samhain serve as two bookends in a way to the year. On both of these days, it was believed the veil between our world and the Otherworld were thinnest. Irish notions of the Otherworld was not as Wicca would also have you believe, that it was the realm of the dead. Rather, the Otherworld is an adjacent sort of dimension to ours, and is the realm of the fae and other mystical beings.

Beltane was primarily a festival of livestock and preparation for summer. In Spring we planted, in Summer we sow, in Autumn we reap, and in Winter we rest. At this time right in the crux between Spring and Summer, the Irish celebrated and purified the livestock to get ready for the hard work of summer. This was done by lighting two fires, and often walking the cattle between them. This was thought to be purifying, and to ensure that the cattle would be blessed for the upcoming harvest. People too might pass between the fires. Historically, druids lit the fires and weaved into them spells. These fires were both practical, symbolic, and mystical; thought to help burn away disease, as well as to ensure safety and protection from the fae. People would also relight their hearth fires from the Beltane bonfires. At the fires were also special feasts and celebrations, with lamb being a common component of the Beltane feast.

In addition to fire, flowers were an essential symbol of Beltane or May Day. Yellow flowers would be left as an offering on the doorstep, to ensure blessing and protection over the home. Flowers were also used to adorn a variety of other things at this time, such as; wndows, garlands, cows, trees, bushes, and people.

Another very important aspect of May Day and Beltane in Irish history was the decoration of a May Bush—which some historians believe to be a vestigial practice from the earliest time of religion in Ireland, when the druids worshipped the trees. Thorn bushes and trees with thorns were thought to be especially associated with the fae. On Beltane May Bushes would be decorated with flowers, ribbons, shells, and garlands. There would be community May Bushes, as well as May Bushes at people’s homes. There were varying ways in which the May Bush was dealt with after; some remained up and decorated for quite some time, while others would be burned in the celebrations bonfires. This practice was also seen as a way to provide an offering and receive blessings from the fae.

Water was another important element on this day. The first water drawn from a well, and the morning dew from Beltane was thought to be very magical; and at sunrise people would bask in these elements. Young women would even roll through the grass and morning dew, people would collect it, and people would also leave offerings at the holy wells.

Further offerings to the fae were also practices, such as leaving food or milk at special places associated with faeries—such as faerie trees. A small bit of the cattle’s blood would taken, and buried into the earth with certain incantations ensuring protection of the herd.

There is a special site that is aligned with Beltane. During sunrise at the Beltany Stone Circle the sun aligns with the top of the only decorated stone in the circle. And while many associate Beltane with May 1st, and modern May Day celebrations; it is not strictly on that day. There are astronomical calculations that determine the date of Beltane, and it does not always fall on May 1st.

While Beltane was a practice of the Celts, there are other similarities across other ancient traditions at the same time of year.

One of these very similar practices is Valborg in Sweden—in which livestock and bonfires are once again joined together. In the Swedish celebration, livestock are left out to graze overnight with bonfires lit to ward off prey and protect the herds. Furthermore, echoing the May Bush and offering of flowers on the doorstep in Ireland, young people in Sweden collect flora and fauna from the woods at dusk, which were brought back to adorn the homes of the village.

Another somewhat similar practice at this time was Walpurgis Night and Hexennacht, which were ancient Germanic traditions. Walpurgis Night honors the Christian saint Walpurga, who made great contributions to medicine in Germany. On Walpurgis Night bonfires were lit to ward off supernatural danger. While this was thought to be danger from witches, it is quite similar to the lighting of Beltane fires to ward of danger from the Fae and the Otherworld. The Christian reasoning behind having this night’s celebration be to protect against magical threat, was due to an earlier pagan tradition of Hexennacht—in which witches gathered on this night. On Hexennacht, witches were known to have a celebration on the mountain in Germany, Brocken.

Estonia also has a celebration on April 30th into May 1st, Volbrioo and Kevadpuha. Volbrioo is like Hexennacht, a night where witches gather—and to this day people may still dress up as witches on this evening. Kevadpuha is Spring day, and falls on May 1st.

In the Czech Republic, a festival known as the “burning of the witches” occurs on this date as well. Bonfires are lit, similarly to Walpugis Night, to ward off witches. Echoing the Swedish and Celtic customs of interacting with the blooming flora and fauna, the Czech would also search for blooming cherry trees once the bonfires died out. At midnight, it was considered lucky to be kissed under a blooming cherry tree. May 1st is also considered a day of love.

On the island of Texel in the Netherlands, a celebration called Meierblis (May Blaze) is also characterized by the lighting of bonfires. These fires were not lit to ward off witches, disease, or fae; but rather to drive away the cold of winter and welcome spring.

While there are many different countries and ancient cultural traditions at this time of the year, it is interesting that they all fall around April 30th and May 1st—with some striking similarities. It is safe to say the Irish were correct in believing the veil between this world and the Otherworld is thin on this night. Many other cultures too seem to believe that the supernatural may be more of a threat on this evening, or that there is great energy to be gathered on this night. Furthermore, the worship and honoring of Spring seems to be universal at this time as well, and the element of fire being so prominent is not an aspect one can overlook.

Beltane is a holiday of sensual pleasure, which is uuuuusually equated with sex. There ain’t nothing wrong with that, but it can be a little isolating or uncomfortable if you’re asexual or otherwise not into sex! Some alternative ideas:

-Celebrate your other senses! Dance, work up a sweat, get lost in happy music, relax in a bubble bath. Basically just celebrate your most positive and deep feelings and REALLY feel them.

- Connect with nature. Beltane is the time of rebirth, so celebrate the emergence of all your favorite flowers, the bumblebees, butterflies and lil birbs. Go for a walk and thank them, and just sit in your happiness.

- BAKING. As a kitchen witch this is pretty much my go-to for any seasonal celebration, but it really is such a good outlet. You get to work hard, maybe try something new, incorporate ingredients relevent to that time and your practice and then reap the benefits of your intent. Honey, lavender and lemon are great ingredients for this time of year, both for yourself and for offerings if you’re into that.

- Celebrate other relationships! This is prime time for really appreciating and relishing in good friendships. Have a night out together, have a night in together, but focus on building each other up and the beauty of found family.

-CLEAN. This is honestly my favorite one. There can be nothing more rejuvenating than seeing your space clean and ready for new energy and new undertakings. Throw in some flower-scented candles and happy music for a next-level day of Beltane self care.