What are your plans for Beltane?

I feel like I am a terrible Pagan. About as bad as I was a Christian.  I say that because I hardly ever went to church and if I did it was only on a major holiday. Being Pagan, I try to recognize the full moon by at least lighting a candle. But I never do ritual ’cause I guess I feel like I will do it wrong or something. I realize that the Goddess will understand and it is the thought that counts but I don’t want to be disrespectful either. But I do have to say that I think my life is so much better since I have allowed the goddess into my life.  So I say that it is a good thing and I find a certain amount of peace. I believe that my husband feels the same way.

But I guess that I feel so much of a hippocrit celebrating Christmas.  I can’t say to my family that I don’t celebrate Christmas anymore. They’d look at me like I have two heads.  The best thing I think is to just go with that flow. It’s a time of family and love, as I look at it and it shouldn’t matter what your beliefs are.  How have others dealt with this. I’d like to hear what you have experienced

Does anyone else have plans that day? I’d be interested to hear about it.

I’ve been so caught up in getting this new position at work, I’ve just been lost in thought of that.  Plus, I haven’t cracked the witches almanac in a bit either.  Plus bellydancing. Whoo hoo, what fun that is. I am still trying to convince my body that it is posible to do that which I am asking of it.  I had fun at a seminar too even if I could only hope I could learn how to do some of these moves, but I digress….

About the only thing we are harvesting at out house are cherry tomatoes as the other tomatoes have set but I am sure we won’t see any of those until September. We will keep getting tomatoes until  November and  first frost.  Kind of nice when the store ones are already yucky we can have some nice fresh ones. And horseradish- must harvest the horseradish. It’s getting out of control it has become so large.  I guess just before halloween is the time to grate it. Hmm, tears will be rolling down my face from the pungent fumes from the root.  But it is so good fresh….

I have a postage stamp yard but it looks nice. Not much room for a garden. Just the tomato plants, the horseradish and a rhubarb plant. The rest of the yard has flowers.  I planted cucumber on a trellis growing up once, and made pickles. That was quite a while ago. Don’t seem to have much time these days.  Busy with the store, the house, the chores.  But always have some time for the yard.

Sorry I’ve rambled a bit, my mind is sort of jumbled today. Too much going on in there, or is it the echo that is so distracting……

As part of this I read about the Five Dragons of Fire, Air, Earth, Water and Spirit. I found this amusing because I myself own five bearded dragon lizards. Not four, not six, but exactly five. It just seems sort of strange that I have this amount and strangely enough, some of their personalities match. At least I think so.

My one lizard, Spike, she lives in her hammock (suspended in air) and so I feel she represents air. She also tends to fly off of her hammock with incentive of a worm.

Rudy represents fire for no other reason than he is red in color

Rocky represents earth. He is the color of a white rock and black rock and he is calm and grounded. Plus I named him Rocky

Casanova represents water. He loves to soak in the water. He was my first living dragon and went through a long illness. He is doing great and has a new lease on life.

Finally there is Spirit and that means Rosie. She has lots of spirit too. She is my spunkiest dragon hands down and quite a character.

I have to learn a bit more about this but I also think that these lizards are my animal totem. I’m crazy about them and the first one I ever saw I fell in love with. They each have their own house and there is a four story high rise plus Rudy has a tall tank where he can climb.

Anyway, I though I’d share my story about my dragons as I though it was kind of neat. Have a great Beltane.

From Buckland, I have learned that wild flowers should be on or near the altar with a green candle and altar cloth. Hmm. I didn’t realize that you changed the altar clot color too, I though it was just the candles. I guess you can do which ever you want.

As an aside, I am amazed at the variety in the books and writings. I guess this demonstrates the importance of reading from many sources because of the different types of followings within the path.

The is a ritual described in his book for Equinox but I don’t know that I am organized enough yet. I need to read his versions on getting started and initiations.

I keep questioning my decision to follow this path. In my heart of hearts I know this is right. I just have to find my place I suppose.

Has anyone else struggled with this? I would be interested to hear your story.

Celtic Imbolic or Brigid is a time for purification or new beginnings. The word Imbolic refers to the pregnant condition of ewes at Midwinter. Their fertility was a good sign to the Celts who depended on the sheep for food and clothing.

The Sabbat is also called Brigid in honor of the Celtic Triple Goddess, a strong woman symbolized as leading and providing for her people. She is a war goddess, a patron of martial arts, the goddess of fire, poetry, fine arts, smith craft, and the healing arts including midwifery.

Purification rites were performed by the ancient Romans who celebrate Lupercalia in honor of Lupa, the she-wolf who nursed Romulus and Remus. Orgiastic rites were performed to honor her to insure fertility in the coming year. After these rites, naked youth were said to have traveled to local towns to purify them.

The Christian clergy tried to suppress Lupercalia and so they substituted the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin or Candlemas.

For Wiccans today, this can be a time where negative personal relationships and bad habits can be discarded at Imbolic. Those relationships worth saving can be renewed and it is a good time to start new ones. This is a time to clean the house and get rid of the clutter.

Do you have your own ‘rituals’ that you do at this time of year such as cleaning house, visiting friends, making plans for new additions in your life? Please let me hear about what you do to celebrat this holiday.

I apologize-a comment was left and I deleted it by mistake. If you care to post again- it should post right away.