One thing is for sure, Winter is OVER. Thank the gods! Now we prepare for the sabbats that mark the beginning of the Summer season: May Day, also called Beltane. And in Germany, this same day is celebrated as Walpurgisnacht aka The Witches’ Night. Head on over to this blog post to learn more about the Germanic version of Beltane. But to the point – maybe you’re preparing for a big party or a small ritual to celebrate the turning of the Wheel and the major fire festival called Beltane. If that is the case, you’ve come to the right place for Beltane Blessings, ideas for Beltane rituals for either solitary practitioners or covens, AND especially Beltane-flavored divination tools and methods.

First and Briefly, What IS Beltane?

We have an entire article dedicated to the definition and history of this Celtic sabbat. So we aren’t going to go full-blast on the detail here. However, to put it simply, Beltane is a modern pagan sabbat based on an ancient Celtic fire festival. This particular fire festival was focused mostly on the elements of fire and water. Large bonfires were built and maintained from the eve of April 31st through the night of May 1st. This was an incredibly important tradition on Beltane for two reasons: purification and protection. Often the people would walk between two large bonfires, and walk their livestock through as well, in order to purify the body and soul. The idea here is that fire would not only drive off evil, but the smoke and heat would ward off actual physical pests like fleas.

And the second big Beltane theme is Fertility. This was once considered the beginning of Summer in Celtic times (today it is technically mid-Spring by our seasonal calendars), and therefore is a time when the earth is bursting with life. Flowers are blooming, the trees and grass are green, and babies are being born. In addition, in ancient times, the women and children would return to the village to be with the men and many weddings (handfastings) took place on Beltane. The people also believed this was the day when the earth goddess and the god mated. Therefore…there was many fertile gestures and activities being had at this time. Plus, I hear today there’s some pretty orgiastic parties to be had on Beltane. Though I’ve never been to one myself.

Share Our Beltane Blessings With Everyone!

Whether you’re celebrating Beltane with friends, coven-mates, or family members, it’s always fun to share in the Beltane Blessings online. In addition, feel free to save and share these Beltane blessings and you could even print them out and add them to your grimoire or Book of Shadows.

Beltane Blessings #1:

“Come one, come all
let us dance ’round the Maypole.
Take up the ancient Celtic ways,
Witches and pagans invoke
the old fire god Belenos
this Beltane day!”
~ Otherworldly Oracle, 2023

Beltane Blessings #2:

“May this Beltane Sabbat
bring you fertility, creativity,
purification and SUCCESS.
May The Morrigan,
in her form of fertile earth goddess,
bless you this Summer season.
~ Otherworldly Oracle, 2023

FIERY Beltane Blessings:

“The time to be sad and somber
is now long over.
Beltane is here, strike up the purifying bonfire.
Let your inhibitions fly,
as high as the balefire
into the pitch night sky.
~ Otherworldly Oracle, 2023

A Beltane Ritual for the Solitary Pagan

This Beltane ritual can be performed outside OR inside, depending on where you can find privacy and the resources. If you have access to a private backyard, garden, etc. please consider performing it outside. BUT if the weather doesn’t allow for it or you have no other area except your own room or home, that works just as well!

What You’ll Need:

• Two small bonfires/fires OR two cauldrons with herbs and charcoal tablets to be set on two tables
• Herbs to be burned in the cauldrons (if your ritual is inside): one or more of loose leaf chervil, rosemary, lavender, chamomile, rue, yarrow, thyme, etc.
• Floral crown: can be faux or homemade
• Offering cup or chalice
• Wine or mead as offering

How to Perform this Beltane Ritual

Notes on the Ritual Setup: if you are outside with two bonfires, they should be ideally directly across from one another with a space large enough in between so that you can safely walk between them. If you are inside, set up two sturdy tables with two cauldrons on each table. Then add charcoal tablets to the cauldrons.

1. Gather your supplies and set up your ritual space (see the notes above).
2. Cleanse your sacred space as you see fit.
3. Turn on Celtic music befitting a Beltane ritual. (There’s a song literally called Beltaine by the band Beltaine that is perfect for this rite)
4. Don your floral crown and cleanse yourself briefly (this ritual is actually all about purification so no need to be super thorough here as you’ll be cleansing yourself during the ritual)
5. Light the bonfires OR light the charcoal tablets in your cauldrons and burn the chosen herbs. Let the smoke rise up.
6. First, pour the wine or mead into the offering cup or chalice. Lift the chalice to the sky and then say, “I welcome the return of Belenos the sun god to the Summer sky. May your chariot ride strong and high. Please accept this wine as my humble gift tonight. Blessed be.”
7. Next, visualize or state something out loud that you’d like to leave behind and be cleansed of this May Eve. Then, carefully, walk between the two fires (or cauldrons on the tables) and sing, “Beltane fire cleanse me of all evil and negativity. I call on the earth goddess and the god to purify me and make me whole and free this May Eve. Blessed be!”
8. Once you’ve made it to the other side, take a deep breath, look up at the sky and again at the fires and know you are cleansed.

A Beltane Feasting Ritual for a Coven or Circle

Rituals don’t have to be super stuffy and rehearsed. They can be something as simple as a planned feast for Beltane Eve with your coven-mates, circle, or a few witchy friends. A ritual is defined as “relating to or done as a religious or solemn rite.” If you and your coven consider this sabbatic feast a sacred meeting, then it is indeed a Beltane ritual.

What You’ll Need:

• A table adorned with flowers, floral garland, and festive candles and centerpieces
• Each setting can be set with floral crowns your guests can wear and pagan party favors like floral spell bags, handmade soaps, etc.
• A Beltane menu of foods (you can read our Beltane food blog post for more ideas) OR choose from the following: Bannocks (oatcakes) with locally grown fruits and preserves, honey, mead or wine, roast leg of lamb (if you’re feeling fancy) with local vegetables and fresh herbs, or go with a large pot of Dublin coddle or a casserole of Fisherman’s Pie. Fresh baked bread is appropriate for every sabbat
• A place setting for the faeries and/or for the Beltane gods

What To Do:

1. Prepare the meal and/or buy your meal with positive intentions.
2. Set the Beltane table with intentions of celebration, fertility, creativity, connection and inspiration. Or whatever your coven-mates are focusing on this May Eve.
3. Be sure to leave a place setting open for the faeries and/or the gods.
4. Invite and welcome your guests in with Beltane blessings (see ours above). Adorn them with floral crowns and ask them to keep this feast as sacred but as fun as they see fit.
5. First, pour the wine or mead etc. for the faeries/gods, then for each guest, then lastly for yourself. Toast one another, as well as the gods and guides, and invoke blessings for all present.
6. Then break bread and feast!
7. Don’t eat nor clean up the faeries/gods plates and cups too early.

Beltane Divination Tools and Methods

One of my favorite means of divination is oracle and tarot cards. Luckily, we have some pretty amazing authors and artists developing seasonal and sabbat focused cards like this one here. It is the Seasons of the Witch – Beltane Oracle deck by Lorianne Anderson, Juliet Diaz, and Giada Rose.

I have this deck currently sitting on my altar and I will use it through Beltane and into the Summer season. The artwork is stunning and the vibes are powerful. Highly recommend!

Capnomancy or Smoke Scrying for Beltane Divinations

Since Beltane is a fire festival, it only makes sense to scry using flames OR smoke. OR both! When we allow the smoke to take on shapes and patterns and speak to us in divine whispers, we are engaging in an ancient practice called capnomancy. This can be done in a large bonfire on Beltane OR with something as small as the smoke coming off an herb bundle or incense stick. The key is to tune out the world and focus softly on the smoke’s tendrils, movements, and in which direction it bends and travels to. By burning traditional Beltane herbs for this purpose, you’re getting your purification intentions out there AND divining too.

Watching and Reading Bees and/or Butterflies Flight Patterns

The forest, field, and garden are typically abuzz on Beltane. We see all kinds of insects and more specifically pollinators like honeybees, bumblebees, and butterflies flitting from flower to flower. I can literally zone out on watching these little creatures doing their divine work. If you have a quiet place to go in nature near a patch of flowers or wildflowers, a beautiful means of Beltane divination is to go and watch the insects. Honeybees are considered one of the most magical winged beings and were once kept by Greek priestesses in temples. And butterflies? Well, their connection to witches dates back centuries and we know that people in Medieval times believed witches had butterflies as familiars. Either choice is great!

Beltane Music for your Rituals and Feasts

I am sort of obsessed with building my own playlists for each sabbat. And Beltane is no exception. Here’s a few songs I feel set the mood for nearly every Beltane ritual or feast:

• Solringen by Wardruna
• The Mummer’s Dance by Loreena McKennitt
• Blodewedd by Peter Gundry
• Trollabundin by Eivor
• Salt by Eivor
• Vidblainn by Peter Gundry
• Walpurgisnacht by Faun
• Beltaine by Beltaine
• Moon by Omnia
• From Fire by Shireen
• The Butterfly by Faun
• Spirits of the Wild by Adrian Von Ziegler
• Hymn to Pan by Faun
• Witchery Fate Song by Jean Luc Lenoir