Happy Beltaine!

[Butterfly Mage]

I wanted to wish a Happy Beltaine to all the Wiccan/Druid/Pagan members of ADISC

For the folks who don't know what Beltaine is, here's the thumbnail version:

-- It's a Crossquarter Sabbat that occurs at the midpoint between the spring quiinox (Ostara) and the summer solstice (Litha)
-- It celebrates the rapidly quickening increase in life now that winter is over.
-- It celebrates the uniting of the Goddess and God (yes, our gods get to have sex!)

The Christian Church (at least the one I occasionally attend does) has some minor holiday this weekend that involves the blessing of animals. My guess is that it's a carryover from the Pagan faiths. Very interesting!

The Pagan groups I'm affiliated with is doing their Beltaine service tomorrow evening. That will be pretty cool.

Anyway... Happy Beltaine and blessed be!

 

[starshine]

Aaah. I knew about Beltaine. Don't you have to celebrate it in a cemetary with a bonfire?

 

[Butterfly Mage]

Aaah. I knew about Beltaine. Don't you have to celebrate it in a cemetary with a bonfire?

That sounds more like Samhain (October 31). That's the day when the God is effectively the Lord of Death and finds lost souls who haven't been able to move on. Samhain and Beltaine share in common the fact that the Veil between the physical and spirit worlds is thin at these two times of year (it's actually thinnest at Samhain)

Back in the pre-christian era, people would make their cattle run through a bonfire. That wasn't to hurt the cattle and livestock, but rather to burn off any fleas, ticks, and other parasites.

 

[soren456]

Ahhh . . . . is that what it was all about?

We were Episcopal. I remember taking my dog to be blessed one Sunday every year.

He didn't seem to give a damn.

 

[kite]

i finally got to celebrate beltaine with a maypole this year at my universalist church

 

[starshine]

That sounds more like Samhain (October 31). That's the day when the God is effectively the Lord of Death and finds lost souls who haven't been able to move on. Samhain and Beltaine share in common the fact that the Veil between the physical and spirit worlds is thin at these two times of year (it's actually thinnest at Samhain)

Back in the pre-christian era, people would make their cattle run through a bonfire. That wasn't to hurt the cattle and livestock, but rather to burn off any fleas, ticks, and other parasites.

Hmm nope, Beltaine for sure. I read about it in a book, Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult. I probably just remember wrong.

 

[Butterfly Mage]

i finally got to celebrate beltaine with a maypole this year at my universalist church

The UUCC in Columbia, MD did a Maypole last weekend. Kewl.

 

[Mitsukuni]

Happy Beltaine! My girlfriend is Wiccan, and celebrates this holiday, so I knew a little about it. Have a good time celebrating!