Celebrating May Day

Tomorrow is the first of May. We know it as May Day, but long ago some ancient people celebrated it as the festival of Beltane. Beltane was a time to celebrate the abundance of the earth and the flowering of the Goddess. These days, some people do celebrate on May Day by gifting flowers or dancing around a maypole. There are even some festivals to commemorate the day. Unfortunately, however, I think it passes under most people's radar.

I think we should change that.

Because May Day, or Beltane [a pretty name, I think], is a day to celebrate sex. And who doesn't want to celebrate sex? [Oh wait- our culture doesn't want to celebrate sex. Our culture views sex as dirty and shameful. Once again, I think we should change that.]

In the book Celebrating the Great Mother, Cait Johnson and Maura Shaw describe Beltane as an important holiday to reclaim the sacredness of sexuality:

"To our ancient ancestors, sex was sacred. It was the force that brought forth new life and made life worth living, and so they celebrated the ancient Beltane festival to honor fertile sexual energy, dancing their dances around phallic maypoles that recalled the World Tree, making love in the newly planted fields, and generally having a wonderful time."

I think that sounds pretty good!

I want to share Beltane with my children as a day to celebrate love, our bodies, our sensual nature. In this way, I hope I can instill in them a joyful attitude about themselves and their natural desires. Our culture sends so many messages to children [and everybody, in fact] that our bodies are not good enough; that they are dirty; that we must buy products to make us smell and look "pretty." I want my children to grow up knowing that they are perfect just as they are; that their natural selves mirror the infinite beauty of the Goddess. By being comfortable with themselves and their sensuality, I hope they will one day develop a healthy and loving relationship with their sexuality [one day, one day.]

We did already do some May Day celebrating this weekend at a festival deep in the Oregon coast range. There we celebrated with community, and tomorrow we will celebrate with family. Based off of an idea in Celebrating the Great Mother, we are going to construct some Goddess figures [I'm thinking cardboard cut-outs adorned with paint, sparkles, feathers, flowers, etc.] We'll hang our Goddesses from a maypole in the garden to bring blessings of fertility and abundance. I'm sure there will be dancing and much merriment. [And after the children are asleep, perhaps love making in the newly planted fields?}

Other ways to celebrate Beltane would be to pamper and celebrate your body and the creative, abundant Goddess within you. Take a bath with a couple drops of essential oil [I love lavender], get a massage [give a massage!], brush your hair, put on pretty clothes, eat nourishing food, take a walk in nature, pick yourself a bouquet, meditate in front of your altar [construct an altar with flowers and candles and incense and anything that reminds you of the Goddess], dance with others or by yourself. Celebrate yourself and your wonderful, sensual nature. Do what feels good.

And of course, if there is a special someone in your life, this is an excellent time to celebrate the love you share. Johnson and Shaw recommend this for when the children are asleep: "...you and your partner may want to have some special time together; decorate your bedroom with flowers and candles, or make love outdoors. Forces much larger that our individual selves flow through us at Beltane and every act of love and pleasure becomes a celebration of the life force in all of us."

Happy May Day to you. Many blessings of Love.