For some in mainland Europe, the arrival of spring will be celebrated tomorrow, 30 April. This is the day known is Valborg in Sweden and Walpurgis in Germany. On the British Isles, the celebration takes place 1 May. However, the roots and reasons for both celebration dates is pretty much the same: this is a time of year to banish darkness, welcome the light and ensure fertility in the land. It is also a popular season to get handfasted among Pagans. Magickally speaking the types of spell that would benefit from a Beltane boost would be:
love, romance, fertility, creativity, beauty, rejuvenation, abundance, faithfulness, purity, growth and safe pregnancy
I prefer to not share ready-made spells but to instead share an A-Z of correspondences that you can use to create your own:
A. Apples – A symbol of the Goddess and used in fertility and beauty spells
B. Bel – The bright Celtic Sun god
C. Cerise – The colour candle to use for romance spells
D. Dancing – Dance around the Beltane fire to raise energy for your spell casting (naked if you dare!)
E. Empress – The Tarot card associated with Beltane
F. Faeries (aka fairies) – Beltane is the best time of the year to connect with the faery realm. Twice a year, the veil between worlds gets really thin. At Samhain it facilitates contact with ancestors who have crossed over and at Beltane it makes it possible to make contact with faeries.
G. Green – The other important colour for Beltane spell casting. Use green crystals and candles for heart healing and abundance. All of Nature turns verdant… Magick outdoors becomes very powerful because of the chi generated by the explosion of plant life. Green is also the may colour connect with faeries.
H. Heart – Beltane is all about opening up to greater levels of love. This is the time of year when Nature herself generously heals broken hearts for those who have the wisdom to spend time in her arms.
I. Idunna – The Norse maiden Goddess who once a year hands out apples of rejuvenation to all the gods of Valhalla, granting them eternal life. Invoke her for any beauty spells where you wish to turn back the hands of time
J. Jord – The ancient Norse Earth and fertility Goddess invoke her blessing for the fertility of the land by engaging in love-making outdoors on Beltane Eve (Valborg)
K. Kundalini – This energy has a natural tendency to rise, much like sap in a tree, around Beltane. You can literally give it a helping hand by mindfully masturbating and visualising the coiled Kundalini serpent rising from the root chakra all the way to the crown. You may wish to use this energy for your magickal working or just offer it up to the Universe
L. Love spells – No better time for them
M. Maiden – The Maiden aspect of the Goddess is celebrated at Beltane in the form of the May Queen
N. Nudity – Essential for sex magick
O. Oregano – THE herb to use at a handfasting
P. Petals – Use flower petals as an ingredient in love spells
Q. Queen of the Faeries – pay homage to her at Beltane for fertility and abundance all through the year
R. Roses – preferably pink, for love spells. Also, rose essential oil and rose quartz.
S. Sex magick – all of nature is involved in it this time of year… it’s only natural!
T. Taurus – where the Sun is (in the Northern Hemisphere) during Beltane
U. Underwear – why not get some new, sexy underwear and bless them with a passion spell?
V. Venus (aka Aphrodite) – the Goddess of Love
W. Walpurgis/Valborg – The Swedish version usually entails massive gatherings of more or less inebriated students, singing and big communal fires (much like on Guy Fawkes day in Britain)
X. X factor… If you don’t have it, cast a spell for it at Beltane!
Y. Yoni – Celebrate your own! Give thanks for the ability to enjoy sensual pleasure and conceive
Z. Zygote – the earliest developmental stage of an embryo. Draw an image of this on your fertility spell candle if you wish to conceive
Beltane Blessings,
~ Lisa Frideborg