PLEASE READ THE BELTAINE FB EVENT PAGE! We just changed a few things. The site is clean so we don’t need people up there Friday afternoon.

Please be at the site and ready to go by 7 pm. yes ritual starts at sundown but it would be disruptive to show up later. **This is a closed ritual. Remember USUPA dues need to be paid before attending and you have to have been abiding by attendance rules. Why? because we want a safe environment both physically and spiritually and knowing YOU before helps create that. Non-members are not allowed( exception is spouses)**
0.6 miles from the gate in Green Canyon will be our ritual site and campsite will be just above that. please park by the USUPA banner and walk up the trail to the site. Please bring stories/poetry/songs to share over the Beltaine fires. please see the website for ritual details.

We need the following volunteers:
- 4 people to call the directions
- A man and a woman to start each of the Beltaine Fires
- Drummer
- 1 or 2 face-painters

We need everyone participating to bring these items along with their camping gear (if you are staying the night):
- at least 1 bundle of firewood (the fires will go all night)
- A bright strip of cloth for clooties
- Drum or tambourine (if you’ve got them)
- Bright clothing
- Colorful flowers

Beltane 2012

 

Ritual actions
participant’s words
ritual leader’s words

“Welcome everyone to our Beltane celebration! To get ourselves in the spirit of things, let’s first do a short centering meditation to allow us to forget about the worries our studies had for us. Kick off your shoes, the ground has been cleaned and readied for us tonight, and gather here by the willow tree.”

“Sit on the ground, and feel yourselves connected to it. This is a connection to our mother earth, who allows us to bring the energies of the past little while out, and to bury them. We won’t need them tonight. Allow those worries and stresses to slip away, from your mind, to your hands; and from your hands into the earth. Feel the earth beneath your hands and allow her to replace your worries with peace. It is a new time this night. A night of passion, and of rebirth.”

“With the earth beneath you, the sky above you, the water around you, and the fire and life within you, you feel the peace of balance. Your spirit is at the center of these balanced elements, and you are free. You are free to see what has happened, behind you. You are free to see what influences you have, to your left and to your right. And you look ahead, and see your goals, however great or small. Think of them, and keep them in your sight. You look at them with serenity. You know that you will dedicate yourself to these goals this night. As your goals take shape, describe them to yourself. See the way the words burn with the fire of intention. Keep that fire in your heart, for Beltane is a night of fire. When you are ready, open your eyes, and we can begin.”

Begin Lighting the need-fires.

“We have released our bad energies into the earth, yet we recover the energies tonight with an old custom – Need-Fire. A fire that is lit and yet unstruck is a fire of significant power. It is coaxed out of the earth, not by force, but by honest work. As the coals are made, we symbolize the rebirth of the life power of the earth. What was cold, wet and dark has become what allows us to be most warm and enlightened. The winter days are truly past, and we celebrate the birth of a bright summer.We are at the cross-quarter holiday, exactly halfway between equinox and solstice. We celebrate the end of the cold season, and celebrate life as it blossoms around us, letting ourselves blossom as we join in with the lands’ vibrant energy. We have stated our intentions with the spirit of the land, and are well received.”

Beltane is a celebration of the elements of life itself: The seed and the soil, masculine and feminine; the powers of union, the powers of potential, and commitment to things yet to be. Beltane is about the loved and sacred being given ecstatic voice together. It is about the pinnacle of creative potential finally joining with perfect place and trust.It’s said that Beltane is the highest day of life’s potential. We celebrate the union of the Lord and Lady. We light two fires, one for each, both within the heart of our circle, and work with them as they together provide energy for the coming times. Each fire is built from nine woods, to celebrate the diversity and scope of life that has sprung up around us. You’re all free to relax and talk amongst yourselves as the fires are lit and tended. When they become large you’ll be called back and we’ll form our circle.”

Once the fires are lit, everyone gather around the circle.

South: “We call upon the the fiery spirits of the south, and welcome them here. They will lead us tonight.”

West: “We call upon the water’s spirits of the West, and welcome them here. They will sustain us tonight.”

North: “We call upon the Earthen Spirits of the North, and welcome them here. They will provide for us tonight.”

East: “We call upon the Spirits of Air, and welcome them here. They will enliven us tonight.”

“Tonight, with the elements in balance, and the veil between the spiritual domain and our own made thin, we welcome the local spirits of this place, our ancestors, The Lord and the Lady. Beltane is when we celebrate life, and invite all who wish to do so. If you wish to invite your specific deities or any beloved dead here to celebrate with you, do so now.Gather now near the altar. We will soon thrice each jump the Beltane Fires! This signifies your brave and welcoming spirit of things to come. As you prepare yourselves for this trial, allow your faces to be painted with the warriors’ blue so you can embody that warrior spirit!

Begin Face-painting

    “You will announce your intentions before each leap, letting the fire purify you, heal you, and finally protect you. Take this time to ready yourselves and your intentions. I will soon challenge your readiness! When that time comes, you will answer with a resounding ‘AYE!’ Remember your purpose here is to to jump the Beltane Fires.”

Drumming commences. Ritual leader asks of the group:

    “You are held safe within the circle that you have cast with us! Do you know it?!”

• “Aye!”      

    “You stand together here with friends old and new, in person and in spirit! Do you feel it?!”

• “Aye!”

   “You await your passing through the fires! The power of fire is great, though tonight it serves to inspire your path, and rid you of doubts! Do you trust it?!

• “Aye!”

    “What is your purpose here this night?”

• “To jump the Beltane fires!

    “Whomever is ready, come around the fires to me, one at a time, and we will begin!”

Participants come around the fires in whatever order of readiness. Participants are challenged one at a time with the following:

    “What path will your spirit take these coming months? Announce your intentions to the group!”

• announce intentions to the group

    “Jump and be purified!”

Jumps the Beltane Fires

• “Say Again, louder, to nature!”
  • repeats intentions, louder

“Jump and be healed!”

Jumps the Beltane Fires a second time.

“Once more, and shout out to the spirits, ancestors, and to the gods themselves!”

• shouts out intentions

    “Jump, and be protected!”

 

Jumps the Beltane Fires for the third and final time. From across the fires, the Participant is challenged:

       “Are you now ready to commit yourself to your path?”
-”Aye!”
    “How do you so?”

• “With perfect love and perfect trust”

    “Drink of the wine from our altar to seal your self, your intentions, and your chosen path; and do so in the company of friends.”

Participant drinks from the cup upon the altar, and all cheer. Repeat until all are through. Drumming ceases, and we reform the circle.

    “This night we have raised the energy of life! We have made our magical space clean, and been cleansed by it. We have experienced together the energy of the spring! Let us take the energy we have raised here together, and internalize it. It is the energy of spring; of love and fertility; of potential and growth. As you go throughout your life, both here at Beltane and further on, remember the energy of tonight, and know that you hold it within you. You have given yourselves a path, announced your intentions, and have committed yourself to it. Take each others hands.”

All hold hands, once more forming a circle. Singing bowl rings three times.

    “Breathe deep, and feel yourself in this place. You now occupy the land you need to occupy. You are holding the hands of those you love. You feel the warmth of the fire on your skin, and the light of the moon high above you. You will not ground the energy you have felt, but work with it for many days to come. Where you walk, this energy of spring will allow things around you to find life and liveliness. Imagine as you walk, you are on the path that you have chosen. As you walk, you know your progress, and are satisfied. You see your progression, as you look back, as life has bloomed about your footsteps, and you are happy! You know that you have taken the energy of this place, and brought its life with you. This is your path. You have experienced love, joy, commitment, trust, potential, strength, and caring. You know each of these things, and have nurtured their fertile growth. This is the spirit of Beltane.”

“Play the music and begin to dance around the fire, keeping each others hands in your own. Feel our sacred circle become open and unbroken as we dance, that we can maintain it throughout the night, knowing all are free to come and go as we please. Our ritual will last all through Beltane, though the nights formalities end soon.”

Music plays, dancing, cheers will go throughout night, singing, chanting, telling stories, having fun, stuff, things etc.

Mayday- Everyone is awakened/called together by a drum. Once awakened, we gather together at camp.

“Good morning. After last night’s ritual of personal potential, We gather to celebrate the Lord and Lady’s union in the custom of the maypole! Lets walk down to the circle, to prepare ourselves for the morning ritual. If you have fresh clothes to wear for morning ritual, please change into them. Then gather together water, combs, brushes, some strips of cloth, and flowers; bring them down to the circle that is still cast, and we will ready ourselves.”

All walk down to ritual site.

“Before we enter the circle again, let’s wash the warrior paint off our faces with pure water. Today we are not to look brave, but rather inviting. Take time to ready your appearance. Take flowers and put them on your person, and appreciate the beauty of nature and the beauty of yourselves. Once all are ready, Women enter the circle. Men retrieve the maypole. Today we celebrate the union of the Lord and Lady through the maypole and the earth. The men will embody the masculine spirit and blessings of the God as they retrieve it. Women, be mindful of your own power, and embody the spirit and blessings of the Goddess, of the earth, as we anticipate the coming union.”

Retrieve Maypole

To the Men: “Remember we are bringing forth an object of male virility. Be mindful as we walk of the intentions you set for yourselves last night, and ask for whatever blessings of the Lord, in his Beltane power, that you feel you should ask”

Men bring maypole down to the circle.

“Together we embody the spirit and blessings of fertility. The men have brought the women the symbol of themselves and of the God. The Women have made this space a space of loving invitation through the symbol of the Goddess. Women anoint the maypole with water, with your personal blessing, that you may enjoy a balance of masculine and feminine energy this day.”

Women anoint and bless the maypole

“Men, carry the maypole to where it will join with the earth. Before you secure it, kick off your shoes and feel the earth beneath you. Feel the connection to the Goddess, and proffer a personal blessing, that you can enjoy a balance of feminine and masculine energy this day.”

Men remove shoes and proffer a blessing. They then secure the maypole into the earth.

“With this unity of Spirits and Blessings, let us take up the ribbons of the maypole, and dance! Men grab the white ribbons, women the red: Each the color of creation! Try to balance the number holding white and red: Embody the other gender if needed! Women go clockwise, men go counter. Women bring your ribbon over the men first, and then under them second, alternating as you go around. We go until we cannot any longer!

Begin drums/music, and dance!

“Now that we have celebrated the season, and raised the energies of Beltane, we have one more ritual to perform. Take your strips of cloth, and write upon them a blessing that you wish to receive. Before you tie these clooties, think of the ways in which you can best receive your blessing. Tie them to the Willow Tree, and let the wind carry their words to the spirits, ancestors, and gods, that they will hear your wish and grant you it.”

Everyone ties their clooties.

“Thank you everyone for making magic here for Beltane! Enjoy your peace, embrace your intentions, and remain open to this time of rebirth! Blessed Be!”