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Beltane💐

In the Northern Hemisphere, Beltane is May 1st. In the Southern Hemisphere, Beltane is October 31st.

What I’m beginning to realize is that most holidays all fall into groups. Samhain, Yule, Ostara, they all fell in the middle of a horde of other holidays, and Beltane is more proof for my point. The thing about Beltane, though, is that about half of the other holidays that share the same day have nothing to do with the vibe of Beltane itself, like Batman Day or Tuba Day. On the other hand, it gives us things like Global Love Day, National Dandelion Day, National Wildflower Day, National Herb Day, World Naked Gardening Day, and International Sunflower Guerilla Gardening Day. Besides the flower aspect, it is also time to celebrate International Midwives Day, International Clitoris Awareness Week, National Family Week, and in that same vein, Women’s Health Care Month, and Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. But it wouldn’t be a May holiday without celebrating Egg Month, Duckling Month, and the very Springy BBQ Month.

The old adage of “April showers bring May flowers” is completely accurate. It is now almost Summer, and nature is thriving, bursting with new life. Beltane is all about fertility. The fertility of the Earth, and the promise of abundant crops for the harvest. For the God and Goddess, that theme of fertility continues. He is maturing into a man, and she is old enough now to bring in new life. We celebrate marriages at this time, because it is the time the God and Goddess unite. They become one, and the Maiden becomes pregnant to symbolize the growing animal and plant life. It’s a celebration of love, and the future in nature.

The best way to decorate is with traditional Springtime adornment. Use animals like bees, birds (also synonymous with the “birds and the bees”), rabbits, sheep, and cows. Spread flowers around; any flowers, all the flowers. Nothing says Beltane like an abundance of flowers. In addition, flower crowns are perfect for the decorating of a person. As a Maypole is a traditional centerpiece of holiday celebrations, red and white are good symbols of the God and Goddess. Other colors to use are Springy colors like green, yellow, pink, and even brown for the earth. Something to symbolize the marriage aspect could be gingerbread, and for the home it could be a thimble. However, if you’re looking for a more active way to celebrate it’s the perfect time for a handfasting and some dancing.

Litha ☀️

In the Northern Hemisphere, this year Litha is on June 24th. In the Southern Hemisphere, Litha is on December 21st.

This season’s holiday theme centers around the summertime, the ocean, and mostly masculine energies. Probably the most recognized holiday that shares this time would be Father’s Day. It also falls during National Men’s Health Week and International Men’s Month. This is also known as Finally Summer Day, which doesn’t always fall on the first day of Summer, but the spirit is felt. In Nome, Alaska, they have a Polar Bear Swim, which also coincides with International Surfing Day, Mermaid Day, and Aquarium Month. In honor of the God and Goddess becoming parents, it is Prepare Tomorrow’s Parents Month. We also celebrate Tall Girl Appreciation Day because it is the Longest Day of the year. Once you get the feeling of the season, all of the holidays seem more than just appropriate.

It is now Summer, and Litha brings all the beauty and warmth that comes with the season change. Nature is bursting with life. Animals and plants are flourishing. In a very appropriate fashion, we celebrate the strength of the Sun, and with it the Sun King, with fire. This life and heat beckons a plentiful harvest and meat for the winter that will come. The God is at his strongest, but so is the Goddess. They have been married, and are now expecting. As her pregnancy grows, so does the natural world around her, and it all feeds from the light of the Sun. 

Decorating for Litha is all about being bright and warm. There should be suns and symbols for the sun everywhere. It’s summer, so everything is sunshiney and beachy. Don’t be afraid to go crazy with colors like green (for nature), yellow, orange, and red (for the sun), and blue (for the sky). Think of strong animals like bulls and lions, but also bees and butterflies that you’d see in your garden. Bring the ocean into your home with mermaids, seashells, and sand if you aren’t afraid of getting it everywhere. Then at night, don’t forget to light a big bonfire to honor the heat from the Sun God.

Lammas🌾

In the Northern Hemisphere, Lammas is on August 1st. In the Southern Hemisphere, Lammas is on February 2nd.

With Lammas, aka Lughnasad, falling at the end of Summer, and marking the first harvest, the most common themes for the holidays around it are family, crops, enjoying the last of the heat, and staying well for the coming cold. August 1st is not only Lammas, but we also observe it as Mead Day, National Play Outside Day, Sandcastle Day, and National Ice Cream Sandwich Day. August is National Back to School Month, and there are a number of little celebrations that honor family, including Respect for Parents day and American Family Day. It is also National Sister’s Day, with National Brother’s day only a few days later. This is perfect timing because in India, the Hindu religion is going through the Raksha Bandhan festival, which is literally where they celebrate brotherly bonds. Looking outside of just that specific day, you can see how it falls during Air Conditioning Appreciation Week, Simplify Your Life Week, International Tree Climbing Week, National Farmer’s Market Week, National Parks Month, Family Meals Month, and National Wellness Month.

The Summer will be coming to an end, and the crops that were planted in the Spring are ready for a first harvest. Lammas is a fire festival meant to honor the corn and grain that are beginning to be collected. It’s a time to make bread, and store the leftovers for the coming winter. The God, called Lugh in Celtic traditions, now sacrifices himself for the good of the crops, and the survival of his followers through the harsh days ahead. The Goddess, now called the Grain Mother, watches her lover die, but is also pregnant with the new Sun God. This cycle of rebirth is mirrored in the seedlings stored in the ground through winter to come back in Spring. Enjoy the last few days of warmth. 

The nice thing about Lammas is that it is simple and uncomplicated. Since it is a harvest festival, you should be using the harvest in your decorating. The most important crop right now is wheat, so it should be just scattered around your whole house. Put the stalks in vases, or tie them together to make a pentagram. Corn is also plentiful at this time, and makes perfect corn dollies for altars. Grains are really important now and it’s perfect for making breads. Of course, we are also harvesting other fruits, veggies, and herbs, and it is more than appropriate to incorporate those elements. In honor of the sun, bring in Sunflowers, and don’t forget to drink lots of beer. 

Mabon 🍎

In the Northern Hemisphere, Mabon is around September 21st. In the Southern Hemisphere, Mabon is around March 21st.

Due to the school year being dictated by the growing seasons, Mabon falls around the time that schools would typically start their year. For this reason, this equinox doesn’t have as many other holidays that occur around the same time. However, we notice that the celebrations that do are all very similar in vibe. Mabon is usually also National Tradesman Day, and occurs during National Fall Foliage Week, Clean Up the World Weekend, and Balance Awareness Week. The month-long observances either focus on the harvest (like Apple Month, National Honey Month, National Mushroom Month, National Organic Harvest Month, and National Potato Month) or health (like ADHD Month and Healthy Aging Month). Then there’s National Disaster Preparedness Month, which is super helpful, but comes a little out of left field. 

As all things in nature have a balance, Mabon is the yang to Ostara’s yin. It is the other day in the year that light and dark, day and night, are equal. From this point on, nights will be getting longer and days will be shorter. We are halfway between Lammas and Samhain, making this the 2nd harvest festival. It is a celebration of what we have already collected, and begun storing for winter, in between all of the hard days of work that goes into harvest season. The God is on his way to his death with the last of the crops cut from the ground. The Goddess is transitioning to her crone phase, and yet, is pregnant and gestating with the new God.

With Mabon being another harvest festival, traditional harvest symbols like baskets and scythes are perfect decor. Don’t be afraid to use the seasonal nature, like acorns, pine cones, and the first colored leaves to fall. You could also use grapes, vines, apples, and corn because they are also plentiful at this time of year. To prepare for the coming of colder nights, candles and blankets in red, gold, orange, and brown, really help to set the atmosphere of the end of summer and the beginning of fall. It also makes sense to represent the balance occurring in nature at this time by sprinkling black and white, or the sun and moon throughout. 

Samhain 🎃

In the Northern Hemisphere, Samhain is Oct 31st. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s on May 1st.

As it turns out, there are a shocking number of celebrations that happen around Samhain. For the Trick-or-Treater at heart, we have Beggar's Night, Books for Treats Day, and National Doorbell Day. The day before is National Candy Corn Day, though I’m not sure why there is a whole day for that mess. Two days before is National Cat Day, which is much more appreciated personally, and still fitting with the classic Halloween theme. During, and continuing for two days after, are the celebrations of Dia de los Muertos, and the Catholic All Soul’s Day. Samhain also shares its day with Magic Day, which falls during International Magic Week. Ironically, this has absolutely nothing to do with witchcraft or paganism, and instead is meant to celebrate Harry Houdini and like magicians.

Samhain is, at its core, a celebration of death and reflection. While some believe it to be the Pagan New Year, it really feels like a time to gather, prepare for the stillness of winter, and look back on how far you’ve come with all of your strengths and weaknesses. It has the spirit of, if not an ending, then a long, deep sleep. As the last of the harvest festivals, it symbolizes preparing for the “Death” in nature. The Earth goes into hibernation. Our ancestors had to have harvested and stored their crops and meats before winter. In this end stage the Goddess has become the crone, she is wise and helps us reflect to move on. The God dies with the rest of nature, and symbolizes the animals that must die to keep us alive. It’s beautiful.

I get the feeling that, as a general rule, the best decoration ideas are the seasonal ones. For Samhain, traditional Halloween decor fits really well. Pumpkins and apples are seasonal fare, for both the table and door displays. Skeletons and ghosts are more than appropriate, as it ties in with the heavy concept of death and reconnecting with your ancestors. Lamps, jack o’ lanterns, lighted pathways are all different takes on the idea of guiding the souls back from the dead. I suppose you could make the same case for the cheesy zombie decorations, but it might be a stretch. Of course, I would not be any sort of self-respecting pagan if I didn’t also include witch and magic related decor that is so popular at the time. 

Yule 🎄

In the Northern Hemisphere, Yule is December 21st. In the Southern Hemisphere, Yule is June 21st.

Like Samhain, Yule, also known as the winter solstice, is a rather large holiday in the Pagan calendar, but it is also has a large presence across the world. The biggest shadow looming over Yule is, of course, Christmas and Christmas Eve. It's the Christian celebration of Jesus’s birth, but we all know that it’s the Catholic church’s way of shoehorning pagans into celebrating Christmas. Those who are blatantly against the celebration of Christmas celebrate Newtonmas, which is the same basic idea, but in honor of Sir Isaac Newton and science instead. Alternatively, you could join the Festivus gang for people who are fans of Seinfeld. Other holidays include the Jewish Hanukkah, which honors the miracle of lasting oil, the Ancient Saturnalia, a festival for Saturn and the coming of longer days, and Kwanzaa, which is actually a holiday started in America to celebrate African culture and family in much the way Christmas does. There are also a number of other holidays of varying names, and religious backgrounds that all celebrate the same core idea of family, beliefs, the coming of summer, and giving back.

At its heart, the Solstice signals the coming of longer days and shorter nights. In the midst of the dark days of winter, Yule is the promise that it won't last forever  The God has been reborn, and as a symbol of the Sun, he brings a stronger one. A sun that will melt the snow and bring new animal and plant life. Now that the Goddess has ensured the survival of nature, she can rest for the rest of the season. It is a time to celebrate hope and the power of community in surviving the hard times.

Traditional decorations really take the concept of the new sunrise and run with it. Bonfires, candles, Yule logs, and even Christmas lights all come from the same idea of bringing light back into the darkness. You could even be as obvious as hanging sun symbols and using citrus fruit in decor pieces. Pinecones and evergreens are included for the symbolization of being “ever green” and the hope of new life. We’re just looking for the general feeling of life going on through the winter, and bringing the sun back into our lives, also incorporating the standard “Christmas” colors like red, green, gold, silver, or even blue if you want to bring in the cold and snowy element.

welcoming spring

hello! this is a quick post about some things you can do to practice in the coming of spring. (march 20.)  I’m not gonna refer to the sabbats completely, just to be more inclusive to those who don’t celebrate them. just to welcome spring!

🌞plant new herbs and vegetables!   🌞use more herbs in spellwork, such as thyme, rosemary, lemon balm, and lavender. 🌞decorate your altar (if you have one, otherwise you can just add some decorations to your room or home!) with seasonal flowers such as tulips, hyacinth, lily of the valley, daffodils, fresh greens, and peonys. you can add eggs/egg shells, or depictions of animals that thrive in spring. 🌞take a walk or meditate in spring light. take notice of the nature around you. practice grounding! 🌞bake cakes and make other foods with spring related ingredients. for example: strawberries, asparagus, artichoke, radish, beetroot, carrots, blueberries, lamb & mutton, etc. 🌞dress in light colors. green, pink, lilac, yellow, or white. 🌞i believe spells relating to productivity, new beginnings, fertility, and wish-making are powerful at this time. 🌞work with different crystals! clear quartz, moss agate, rose quartz, tourmaline, aventurine, etc.