Marking a sacred Celtic Festival, speaks to me on numerous professional and personal levels. Those that know me well have heard me talk of the deep pull or tug of war I feel between Hemispheres - especially when it comes to seasons and correlating months.
Beltaine and Samhain are Festival days that observe a combination of the sun’s path, agricultural, religious, pagan and seasonal markers. These cross quarter days are represented on a Celtic Wheel (Earth Wheel) which is divided into eight points of the year. Beltaine and Samhain fall midway between the Equinoxes and the Solstices points and are opposite to each other on the wheel.
On 1st May, in the S. Hemisphere Samhain is celebrated with the observation of the Winter sun and the deep yin part of natures cycle is acknowledged. And in the N. Hemisphere Beltaine celebrates the return of the Springs solar rays, celebrating the onset of Yang sun with early sunrises, warmer earth and the fertile days of Spring. Samhain is the end and beginning of the Celtic year - the harvest has delivered and the seeds of the winter crops are sown, laying dormant until Imbolc (February), when they begin to stir and shown signs of life. By Beltaine (May) the plants are on show and fertility of crops is extremely important. Then at Lughnasad (August), the harvest begins and all the crops should be in by Samhain (Nov.) when the cycle begins once again.
Beltaine
Drawing upon the rituals and customs that pay homage to each seasonal marker speaks to my Celtic Druid roots. Having lived longer in Ireland I’m more accustomed to honouring Beltaine when the month of May shows up in my diary. I'm reminded of a Hawthorn tree sitting in the fork of the road, at the end of our avenue. It was oft used as a landmark for friends to find their way to my childhood home and when it blossomed, in a mass of white flowers it signaled Beltane. Known as the fairy tree, it's supposed to bring bad luck to anyone who cuts it down. It’s also known as a tree of sexuality and fertility, it is the classic flower to decorate a Maypole with and sometimes used in bridal headdresses.
Beltaine (Irish spelling) - 'Bel' meaning bright or shining and ‘tene' meaning fire or High Spring. In nature Spring is a time of fertility when potential for conception is potent. The air is latent with fecund intentions and stories of the May Queen and King falling in love are common folklore. As is consummation of their union resulting in the swollen belly of the May Queen.
May Pole
The May Poles very obvious phallic shape is also linked to fertility and the trailing ribbons topping the pole - normally eight, one for each of the seasonal markers on the Celtic Wheels represent the sun rays and sun God Bel. Half the young Maidens danced clockwise - which is also the direction of the sun (deosil) and half counterclockwise, around the Maypole weaving the ribbons. It’s a dance of the Sun’s orbit around the earth.
The Morris dance is also a beautiful symbolism with eight male (Yang) and female (Yin) dancers intertwining in the figure of eight. Symbolising lovemaking the dancers clasp hands together - the union of hands, also in a figure of eight is called handfasting -'tying the knot’. Couples with the penchant for weddings, notably wed in Spring.
Samhain Bonfire
Spring is when the vibrant life force energies burst forth - full of potent potential. Bright light 'Bel' aka fire is also part of the Beltaine rituals. Traditionally hearth fires were quenched and reignited again with embers from the Beltaine bonfire. And this is where I forge a link in my mind with the festival of Samhain. Fires are a major theme of Celestial markers - and Bonfires in particular help me forge a link between these two festivals.
The opposing point on the wheel is Samhain's domain - meaning Summer’s end. Literally, it's a time to gather the firewood, harvest the last of the fruits, take stock and move our living inside where it’s warmer. Samhain also marks Halloween/All Saints Day in N. Hemisphere and bonfires are traditional on Halloween night. And this is where I stumble, as the whole ghoulish meaning of the festival personally doesn't ring through while I live in the S. Hemisphere. That said it resonates seasonally of course, with dark nights closing in and temps dropping.
The Yin and Yang aspects of the earth wheel speak to the Feng Shui practitioner in me, as the cross quarter symbol marks the four cardinal and inter-cardinal directions. The forefathers of Feng Shui - the Feng Shui Masters - also observed these points of time in the wheel of the year. Paying heed to fecund land signatures is a governing premise of Feng Shui. Also a Tong Shui, (Chinese Almanac) similar to a Farmers Almanac, is a tool of the trade that demonstrates the most auspicious days to work with fecund energies. To my mind the Celtic Earth Wheel celebrates the two great luminaries in the sky - The Sun and the Moon. Celebrating also the eight lunar phases/cycles for planting and harvesting, while honouring the eight points on the year where the Sun's rays correlate with the seasons and agricultural relationships to land.
So are you are an expat from a different hemisphere? We would love to hear how you celebrate your May Day. I've no hawthorn trees in Sydney but I'm keen to work out the pattern of the ribbons on The Maypole, it reminds me of Bobbin work and the maker in me is keen to see how I can apply it to a little project I'm currently working on.