Beltane Ritual

Cast circle as usual. On the altar is a large, unlit candle, plus bread and wine (or substitutes) for communion. If working outdoors, you can use the traditional bonfire instead of the Sun Candle.

Tonight we celebrate Beltane, the beginning of Summer.

The preparation for the union of the Goddess and God that began at Imbolc and grew through Eostra as the days warmed and lengthened now reaches its climax; tonight the Goddess and the God consummate their union and in doing so bring forth the fertility of Summer. The crops begin to ripen, blossom on every side promises fruit in the fullness of time; the days become long and warm, the weather kind and clement. Father Sun shines down serenely on everything; Mother Earth responds with unbounded fertility.

This is a time of joy, love and happiness. We honour the Goddess and the God and celebrate the blossoming of life, and Their gifts of love and joy in our own lives.

A few minutes' silence for trance; meditate on the power of love to bring peace, healing and happiness, and the magic of the cycle of life and fertility that sustains us.

We dance our joy and our delight
In gifts of love on Beltane Night;
Beneath the Sun God's kindly face
Life flourishes in every place.
As warmth and strength come from above,
So Mother Earth responds in love.
May we true Pagans share our love
With Earth below and Sun above.

Priestess and co-celebrants dance round the centre, chanting:

All: We dance for love, we dance delight, on Beltane Night.

Priestess earths the energy raised into the unlit candle.

I light this candle to the Sun.

Priestess lights the candle.

With the Beltane fire we celebrate the coming of Summer, of warmth, joy and love. As Father Sun and Mother Earth join in a joyful and fertile union, may we receive their gift of the love that completes the Wheel of Life and nurtures and sustains both our bodies and our spirits.

All: So mote it be.

By the power of the love of the Goddess and the God, we pray for peace on Earth and an ending of the destruction of the environment.

All: So mote it be.

We are Pagans, children of the land,
Strong to create, to nurture,
To care for and to protect all that lives.
And as we are daughters and sons of the Mother Goddess,
And blessed in the sight of the Father God,
May we be guided to love, to heal, and to cherish others.

Priestess holds up communion bread and wine, saying,

By this communion we share our joy at the coming of Summer.
As the Goddess and the God consummate their love,
May we too share in the joy of love given and received.

Priestess gives communion to co-celebrants and takes communion herself.

Priestess holds up wine, and makes the traditional toast:

To the Old Ones: Merry meet and merry part, and merry meet again.

A few minutes silence for meditation, then dispel circle as usual.

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