This ritual was written for a non-Pagan community and was intended to serve as both a celebration of the Sabbat and a method through which to educate our community. There may be certain aspects of a traditional ritual that are "missing" while there may be other aspects which seems inappropriately present. What's missing is missing for a reason, and what's present is present for a reason. Also, the Beltaine ritual coincided with our annual women's retreat, so keep in mind that it was written for a circle of women only.

Altar; Altar cloth; Quarter candles (4); Brighid's Fire (or a white source candle for the Circle of Light); Goddess candle (red); God candle (green); Altar decorations (fresh cut flowers or perhaps a yellow potted primrose); Ribbon bundles (each bundle should contain one red, one white, and one green knotted together at one end - cut ribbons long enough to tie as a bracelt or anklet once braided, about 15"); Matches; Candle snuffer; White taper candles (enough for each participant); Tealight holders filled with enough sand to hold taper candles (enough for each participant).

Rituals are performed in a circle for two reasons. First, a circle is a continuous line or form with no beginning and no end. Within a circle, no one is first and no one is last; we all stand equal amongst each other. Second, the circle represents a three-dimensional sphere of protection; the sphere reaches not only this way and that, but also above and below – from the heavens to the core of the earth and all points betwixt and between. As we stand equal here amongst our sisters, we also stand within sacred space, which we create by melding our own personal energy, intent, and will with all present here. The lighting of our circle candles is a visual representation of that which might not otherwise been seen, though it can certainly be perceived through various methods if one so chooses. By uniting ourselves through the circle of light, we signify to the whole of our beings that we have created and are present in sacred space.

Please accept the flame from the person on your right and pass it on to the person on your left. As we are passing the flame, Vonnie will lead us as we sing No End to the Circle ¹. The words are as follows...

There is no end to the circle, no end.
There is no end to life, there is no end.

We will repeat our chant until our circle of light is complete.

Blessing Prayer

In the name of the One
which has ever been
and shall ever be
anima and animus
chaos and thaos
the first and last breaths of life…

In the name of the One
which is within us all
all-knowing
all-powerful
ever-present
boundless
eternal…

In the names of the Ancient and Holy Ones
The Lady of the Moon and the Lord of the Sun
Mother Earth and Father Sky
Goddess and God…

In the names of the Mighty Ones of the Four Quarters
The Watchtowers of the directions
The Kings and Queens of the Elements…

Blessed be this time
which is not a time
and this place
which is not a place
and we who dwell within
as well as without.

Please repeat after me...

As the circle of light unites us
so may it protect and guide us.
Blessed Be.

Our circle of light is now cast and we have created sacred space. Before we continue, I'd like to ask you all to come and place your circle candles on the altar in the candle holders provided.

Now it is time to call to our circle the Spirits of the Quarters. During the invocations, we'll turn and face the appropriate quarter, beginning in the East and following sunwise, or clockwise, from there. It is customary to assume the invoking stance while performing the invocations; stand with your feet shoulder width apart, arms stretched out and up, palms facing skyward. We'll begin each invocation following the lighting of each quarter's candle. I will lead you through the invocations, so repeat after me...

Watchtowers of the East,
Elementals of Air,
Guardians of the mind,
The inspirational breath of life,
We do summon, stir, and call upon you now
To join and guard this circle
And witness this rite.
Blessed Be.

Watchtowers of the South,
Elementals of Fire,
Guardians of the will,
The creative force of life,
We do summon, stir, and call upon you now
To join and guard this circle
And witness this rite.
Blessed Be.

Watchtowers of the West,
Elementals of Water,
Guardians of the heart,
The lucid dream of life,
We do summon, stir, and call upon you now
To join and guard this circle
And witness this rite.
Blessed Be.

Watchtowers of the North,
Elementals of Earth,
Guardians of the body,
The foundation and sustenance of life,
We do summon, stir, and call upon you now
To join and guard this circle
And witness this rite.
Blessed Be.

Invocation for Beltaine ²

Maiden of Flowers, open the door,
Smith of souls, come you in.
Let there be welcome to the growing strength,
Let there be welcome to the Summer of the Year.

In bud and blossom you are traveling,
In fruit and fragrance you will arrive.
God and Goddess we are calling,
Grant us thy blessings by joining us here.

Please repeat after me...

May the blessed time of Beltaine
Inflame the soul of all beings
Bringing energy and effort ablaze
From the depths to the heights
From the heights to the depths
In the core of every soul
So mote it be.

Beltaine is Alive and Well - Beltaine brings another turn in the Wheel of the Year as we move into the quarter of Summer. It is a time of living in fullness, of expressing ourselves with strength, vitality, passion, and joy, of mirroring the qualities we now see present in the life of the earth. Many of the rites of Beltaine are still alive and well in our world culture today – from the weaving of the maypole which shows the interconnectedness of all life to the Morris Dancers who joyfully jump and stomp to awaken the fertility of the earth to the choosing of a May Queen and King who symbolize the sacred union of the Goddess and God. And vestiges of Beltaine are present in many of our celebrations at this time of year – the fertility and vitality of the earth are honored on Earth Day, darkness has been all but vanquished by Daylight Savings Time, the mysterious gifts of the faerie realm are reflected in the May Day baskets our children make and then leave, secretly and anonymously, on the doorsteps of neighboring houses, and even the tradition of prom queens and kings alludes to the sacred marriage of our Lady and Her Lord. Like Samhain, Beltaine is alive and well in our world today – we need only to learn how to perceive its presence.

Song of Beltane ³

I am the calm, I am the quickening,
I am the intoxication and the force,
I am the silence, I am the singer,
I am the stallion galloping to its source.
I am the bright pavilion and the feasting,
I am the wedding couple and the bed,
I am the morning chorus and the heartbeat,
I am the goal to which all paths are led.

Weaving the Tapestry of Life - The fire festival of Beltaine is most notably a fertility festival. In ancient times, communities were known to perform various and sundry sexual acts out in the freshly plowed and sown fields in order to ensure fertile crops and a bountiful harvest. The joining of a man and woman out in the fields mirrored the sexual union of the Goddess and God and since the human body was viewed as a sacred temple, the uniting of two bodies through sexual union was considered a sacred rite. When blatant public sexual acts became inappropriate with the changing times, communities developed new ways to ritualize this union. The maypole is one of those rituals. You may be aware of the weaving of the maypole as men and women dance around with ribbons, moving over and under and over again, but you may not be aware of the ritualized preparation of the maypole. Properly done, a hole is dug in the earth, then blessed and consecrated. This represents the sacred vagina of the Goddess. Meanwhile, a tree is selected, cut down, and prepared, then also blessed and consecrated, and it represents the sacred phallus of the God. Finally, before the dance of life can begin, in a ritual action, the maypole is thrust into the sacred hole, thus symbolizing the sexual union of the Goddess and God. Perhaps to your dismay, we will not be weaving a maypole tonight, but we will be weaving sacred cords that we can use to encircle our sacred bodies, or at least a portion thereof. I've prepared some bundles of ribbon and invite each of you to take a set of strands and braid them, all the while thinking about the things in your life that you would like to bless with the gift of fertility. Think about the qualities you would like to bind to your life. Think about the interconnectedness of all things, about how the positive and the negative of situations are woven together, inseparable. And think about how your life thread is woven with the life threads of others and the beautiful tapestry that this creates.

Now that our cinctures are woven, let us bind ourselves to their magic by tying them around our left wrists. We choose the left wrist because this is the side that represents passive, or receptive, energy. If you are left handed, you should tie your cincture to your right wrist. We'll have to help each other do this.

As we prepare for an offering of prayer, I'd like you all to think of one word to describe the qualities that have been woven into your cincture that you are willing to offer within the prayer to the group. As we ask the Gods to “Bless us with the gifts we seek,” the prayer will travel sunwise around the circle as we each state our request. Let us hold hands for our offering of prayer.

Blessed Lord and Lady, we celebrate your sacred union as the natural world rejoices in a riotous blaze of color, light, and life. We are grateful that the time of fertility has come again to the land and ask that you grant us the power to bring the same fertile energy to our lives. Bless us with the gifts we seek... _______... Help us to know that the abundance which we seek is always available to us, we need only be open to receiving these gifts. Bless the work we have done here tonight, the work that has been done in your names and in your honor. We are grateful for your presence, your guidance, and your blessings. So mote it be!

Spirits of the North, South, East, and West,
Thank you for joining our circle
And witnessing this rite.
Go if you must,
Stay if you will;
We bid you farewell.

In leiu of the traditional Cakes & Ale within the ritual, ice cream sundaes were enjoyed after the ritual.