Be it known that the Grand Sabbat of Beltane is about to begin. Let none be here but of their own free will. You must enter the Circle in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust. Let us begin. The fertile summer season has begun. We come to praise the bountiful Goddess and her God consort who unite today in sacred marriage. For it is in the joining of male and female that all life begins.
All form a line. The maiden heads the line holding a red lighted candle. Lights are turned off. Drums beat and the maiden leads everyone into the circle. The maiden walks the circle three times.
By air & fire, water & earth may this circle be blessed cleansed & sanctified 3 times - carrying salted water & smudge stick.
HP Beltane is an ancient fire festival. Let us welcome the sacred flame, & receive its blessing of passion and energy. So mote it be!
Red candle is placed in the cauldron on the floor. The fire light is activated.
Children of the Air, fairies all,
hearken to this Beltane call!
Bring winds of magick, breaths of Spring.
Let our lives with music sing.
Children of the Fire, fairies all,
hearken to this Beltane call!
Bring sparks of laughter. Passions enflame.
Let us all be glad we came.
Children of the Water, fairies all,
hearken to this Beltane call!
Bring waves of gladness. Cares wash away.
Quench our thirst for love today.
Children of the Earth, fairies all,
hearken to this Beltane call!
Bring fertile thoughts and keep us grounded,
as we strive to be well rounded.
HP Blessed spirits, fairies all, hearken to this Beltane call. The Lady & The Lord we now invite. Come to us this Beltane night.
Beverley & Ray (Lord & Lady of Beltane) come out into the centre of the circle.
Ray says: The Lord has come and joined my Lady, the bonfire burns strong. Soon they shall join in heated passion, filling the earth with life and laughter.
Beverley raises cup of wine. Ray picks up ritual dagger and pierces the wine in her hand and says: As the man is to the woman. So this blade is to the cup!
Beverley says: Blessed be this sacred wine, this womb and cup of life. May it fill our soul, giving us strength of heart and knowledge of the Lady's secret ways. So mote it be! Bev & Ray sip from the wine.
HP Now it is our duty on this Beltane eve to ensure the fertility of the coming season. As a representation of what we hope to achieve, we will unite a couple in the sacred Rite of Handfasting. This is the magickal joining of a man and a woman for a year and a day, or "as long as love shall last. Will the Handfasting couple step forward?
Lord and Lady place wreaths on the heads of the two couples to be handfasted and anoint each one.
HP You are consecrated in the names of the Lord and the Lady.
It is said that you both wish handfasting before the Gods. Is this so? (It is.) Are there any impediments, legal or otherwise why you should not be joined for at least a year and a day? (There are none.)
HP The Lord and the Lady have taught us that Handfasting is to form an equal partnership, tied together by the tenuous bonds of emotion and love. It is the most fragile of relationships and yet the strongest. It is fragile because it requires exactly the right mix of freedom and interdependence, of caring and of sharing, of being together and of being alone.
It is strong because it involves the unseen forces of something we call love, mutual devotion, concern for the happiness of the other, joy in each other's company. There is no stronger force than this silent bond of love. Remember that this joining is only a symbol of what already exists in the silent places of your hearts. It is yours to define, yours to make real and yours to live.
HP (name), have you considered these matters and are you very clear regarding the expectations of the Lord and the Lady? (I am.)
Then repeat after me: Lord and Lady, in this place of power, I ask of you this: As I breathe your energy into my body, grant that I might see the divine in all. Grant me the hand of he whom I seek. Allow me to become his soul mate and to care for and comfort him. Allow me to accept with gratitude the love that he offers me.
HP (name), have you considered the matters of which we have spoken, and are you clear regarding the expectations of the Lord and the Lady? (I am.)
Then repeat after me: Lord and Lady, in this place of power, I ask of you this: As I breathe your energy into my body, grant that I might see the divine in all. Grant me the hand of she whom I seek. Allow me to become her soul mate and to care for and comfort her. Allow me to accept with gratitude the love that she offers me.
HP (name), repeat after me: I, (name), take thee (name) to my heart and my spirit. It is my greatest hope that our journey together will not end in this lifetime, but that we shall be born again at the same time and in the same place and that we shall meet and know and remember and love again.
HP (name), repeat after me: I, (name), take thee (name) to my heart and my spirit. It is my greatest hope that our journey together will not end in this lifetime, but that we shall be born again at the same time and in the same place and that we shall meet and know and remember and love again.
(The hands of the couple are joined with a red cord)
HP These bonds symbolize the eternal coming together. This is the binding of the feminine powers of creation with the masculine powers of bringing to fruition.
HP As the sun warms the earth to bring forth life, so shall you two create something new by the blending of your energies. And by so doing, you represent us all in the great scheme. Beltane is the Sabbat of fertility. As you make your love grow, the magick will spread far and wide and all the land will be blessed.
HP In the names of the Lord and the Lady, as is the tradition, we proclaim that your hands are fasted. So mote it be. You may kiss. (Remove bonds)
HP It is traditional for the handfasted couple to jump the besom. This represents the transition into a new life.
HP Now is the time to give thanks to the Gods for the fertile blessings of Beltane.
HP As the ritual began, so it will end. But our celebration will not end here. Soon We shall dance the Spiral dance and the Maypole.
At the end of the ritual, The Lord & Lady & our Handfasted couples will lead everyone on a Spiral Dance to the May Pole .
Round the Maypole dance we might
That God and Goddess will unite.
And earth and beast and home shall be
Blessed with fertility.
Lord and Lady, spirits of power
Thank you for joining us this hour
As you return to your place in the light
Bless us and keep us this Beltane night.
Now let us dismiss the Quarters:
Spirits of flame, fairies of fire
Grant me soon my deepest desire
Home with you now to your place in my heart
And merry meet, and merry part.
Spirits of water, fairies of dew
Help us make our dreams come true.
Away you must go to your home in the sea
Thanks for your message. The magick is me.
Spirits of earth, fairies of sand
Thank you for lending a helping hand
As you go off to your home in the mound
We'll always remember that you are around
Spirits of air, sweet fairies of Beltane
Thank you for your presence here again.
Fly away quickly into the wind
So the magic can begin.
May this circle be open but unbroken
May the peace of the Goddess be ever in our hearts.
Merry Meet and Merry Part
And Merry Meet again.
More photographs of the Beltane gathering can be viewed here.
