Season 1, Ep. 3: Beltane

Welcome to The Weekly Dream,

A repository of guided meditative journeys that aim to uplift,

Inspire,

And relax you.

Our themes revolve around astrology,

Mythology,

The seasons,

And more.

I'm your host,

Brittany Bryan,

And I invite you to sit back,

Get comfortable,

Grab a blanket,

Some tea,

Or a cat or two.

Don't dream and drive.

Let's begin.

Hello and welcome to episode three of The Weekly Dream.

Last week's episode focused on Flora,

The Roman goddess of springtime,

Fertility,

And abundance.

And this week,

We're going to go back even further and get a little Celtic.

So our dream this week focuses on the pagan festival known as Beltane,

Which was the precursor to modern-day May Day celebrations.

And similar,

Actually,

To Floralia,

Which we talked about last week.

And I talked briefly during that episode about the rising popularity of neo-paganism,

The renewed interest in pre-Christian celebrations,

Lore,

Rituals,

Beliefs,

Etc.

As a pagan holiday,

Beltane is spelled B-E-L-T-A-N-E,

But as an ancient Celtic festival,

It was spelled B-E-L-T-A-I-N-E.

So if you see two different spellings,

That's why.

Contemporary Beltane is a blending of cross-cultural customs and beliefs,

But it is largely based on the original Beltane,

Which celebrated the midpoint of the Celtic year and welcomed summer.

We often hear the word Celtic,

And we think primarily of Ireland and Scotland.

But Celtic really referred to a vast group of Indo-European people spanning much of Western Europe who spoke Celtic languages and had other cultural similarities,

Including religious beliefs.

But we associate Celticism with Ireland and Scotland,

I believe,

Because those regions were never conquered by the Roman Emperor Constantine.

Constantine,

Sometimes referred to as Constantine the Great,

Was the first Roman empire to embrace Christianity and to spread it across Europe,

Which spelled the decline for many of the old ways,

Religions,

And traditions.

And since his empire didn't extend to Ireland and Scotland,

They would have held on to the old ways for longer.

It wasn't long after Constantine's death that St.

Patrick arrived in Ireland to preach the gospel,

But even this would have been a much slower conversion,

At least.

So that was all a big aside to say that sometimes Celtic doesn't technically mean just Ireland and or Scotland,

But in this episode it actually does.

So there were other celebrations across Europe that were similar to and derived from Beltane,

But Beltane by that name specifically was celebrated in Ireland,

Scotland,

And the Isle of Man.

These people were pastoral people,

So they divided their year or understood their year as being twofold.

There was the dark,

Cold half of the year beginning in late fall,

When the cattle were slaughtered,

And there was the light,

Warm half of the year ushered in with Beltane,

When the cattle were led to summer pastures to graze.

And not all of it,

But a lot of the background information I'm about to share regarding this festival is adapted from Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials,

Which is a really lovely series that I highly recommend.

It's worth mentioning that the neo-pagan religion Wicca celebrates contemporary Beltane as one of their cross-quarter holidays.

And I'm not going to get into the details of Wicca today because it's complicated,

But suffice it to say that it is an earth-based religion or spiritual system of beliefs,

If you prefer.

And its major holidays,

Referred to as Sabbats,

Take place during certain times of the year that mark fluctuations of the seasons.

So there are four lesser Sabbats,

Which are marked by the solstices and the equinoxes,

And there are four greater Sabbats,

Or cross-quarter days,

Which fall exactly between the solstices and equinoxes,

And Beltane is one of these.

Beltane falls halfway between the vernal equinox and the summer solstice,

With celebrations most frequently held from sundown April 30th to sundown May 1st.

In the Northern Hemisphere,

This is a time when the sun's strength is waxing,

Therefore it was considered a time of renewing vital energy and fertility,

And it was a time to ask for blessings and protection of deities.

Ultimately,

It was a time to not just grow,

But to thrive.

It is suspected that Beltane may have once been connected to the Celtic god Belenus,

A deity associated with the sun,

Healing,

Abundance,

Agriculture,

And livestock,

Whose worship supposedly dates back to prehistoric times.

He was known across Britain and Eastern Europe by that name or similar monikers,

Including Belinus,

Belenos,

And Bel.

And some of his symbols include fountains,

So healing waters,

Phallic-shaped stones,

The bull,

The horse,

And the oak tree.

So the oak tree in Celtic tradition symbolized the bright,

Warm part of the year,

And the holly symbolized the dark part of the year.

We don't have much in the way of archaeological evidence,

Or historical record even,

To give great detail about Beltane rituals,

But it is believed that the activities focused on the protection of cattle and agricultural production,

As well as fertility and growth in general.

What we do know is that fire played an important role in this festival's ceremonies.

The earliest mention of Beltane is found in a medieval Irish text authored by Cormac,

Bishop of Cashel,

And King of Munster.

The text describes a festival falling on May 1st to mark the beginning of summer,

And it describes a fire ritual performed at that time by druids,

Who were the religious spiritual leaders within Celtic societies.

The ceremony consisted of two bonfires being lit and cattle driven between the two fires as incantations were spoken.

A similar ceremony is described in a 17th century tract,

And historians believe that these ceremonies were intended to cleanse the cattle and protect them from disease.

Not just cattle,

But people walked between the fires,

Or walked a circuit around the fires,

Or jumped over the flames for luck,

And to ensure a good harvest.

Household fires,

Which were typically kept burning,

Were extinguished and then relit from these communal fires on Beltane.

Beltane practices after the 18th century are much better recorded,

And so we know that the practice of ushering cattle between these two bonfires continued to be popular throughout the 19th century.

One important quality of these fires is the fact that they had to be kindled solely by friction.

These were called need fires,

Which was considered to be sacred.

Tools to achieve this task varied from place to place.

In Ireland,

A spindle and wheel were used,

The wheel being an emblem of the sun.

Some contraptions required the effort of multiple men,

And if any of them was guilty of theft,

Adultery,

Murder,

Etc.

,

The fire would not start or its magical properties would be void or greatly diminished.

And they were considered to be magical,

Powerful fires,

With not just their flames,

But their smoke,

Ashes,

And embers believed to all grant protection and health.

The sacred healing water associated with Bel or Belenus also featured in Beltane,

In the form of the morning dew of May Day being held sacred.

Druids would collect the dew in a hollowed-out stone in the early morning,

As it was believed to be capable of healing skin ailments,

Enhancing beauty,

Preserving youth,

And granting happiness.

Some maidens would roll in the grass on Beltane morning,

Or simply anoint their faces with it.

Sometimes the dew was placed in a jar in the sunlight for a time,

And then filtered and used throughout the year in potions of healing,

Beauty,

And others.

Beltane was also a time to visit sacred wells,

Which can be found throughout Great Britain.

The first waters drawn on Beltane morning were believed to be particularly powerful.

Lastly,

Mayflowers were a prominent feature,

With halls,

Doorways,

Cattle,

And even the equipment used in butter and milk-making all decked with garlands of primrose,

Hawthorn,

Marigold,

And rowan.

These golden blossoms symbolized both fire and the sun,

And were considered protection against mischievous spirits that may otherwise spoil your milk.

So that's Beltane in a nutshell.

I wish you all the abundance,

Protection,

Light,

Love,

And vitality of this season.

And with that,

We'll go into our dream,

So settle in,

Lie down if you would like,

Stretch out,

Do whatever you need to get a little more comfortable,

And I'll ask you to close your eyes.

And take a deep breath in for 1,

2,

3,

4,

And hold,

2,

3,

4,

And release,

1,

2,

3,

4.

Let's do that one more time.

Take a deep breath in for 1,

2,

3,

4,

And hold,

2,

3,

4,

And release,

1,

2,

3,

4.

In this stillness,

I invite you to imagine yourself walking in the woods at nighttime.

This isn't a frightening setting.

The moon is nearly full,

So there are many places where the forest floor is illuminated by silvery blue light,

And there are people with you.

You recognize some of your friends traveling alongside you.

You aren't walking very close together.

There are several yards between individuals,

Although some have paired off as couples and are walking side by side.

Many are carrying armfuls of greenery,

Ferns,

Sprigs of heady white jasmine,

And small boughs of cedar and oak.

Foraging seems to be the task at hand,

And as you walk along,

The mood is jovial.

Your friends are laughing and joking,

Racing each other now and again,

Splashing each other with water when you leap over small brooks.

And I want to ask you now to imagine if you picture there being another person by your side,

Specifically.

Maybe you're walking with a person who is in your life now.

What do they look like in this dream?

What are they wearing?

Are you touching?

What does their hand feel like in yours?

Or maybe this is someone you have not yet crossed paths with in the waking world,

A new friend.

What sort of things might you talk about?

What qualities would they have?

How do you feel around them?

If you're happy walking alone,

What are the qualities within yourself that you have come to deeply appreciate?

What gives you a sense of security and joy as you walk alongside your friends tonight?

When every individual's basket or arms overflow with the forest's bounty,

You take a shortcut and emerge from the trees,

Coming to a wide,

Cleared field,

Where two large bonfires are blazing a short distance from one another.

A festive party is in full swing.

Long,

Simple wooden tables are laid with cakes,

Fruit,

Cheese,

Wine,

And ale.

Small groups are gathered around the fires and the tables,

Telling stories,

Jesting,

Drinking,

And laughing.

A tall maypole nearby is draped with roses,

And couples are whirling around it in a lively jig.

Everywhere you look there are flowers,

Explosions of orange,

Yellow,

Red,

And pink blossoms.

Arrangements adorn every table.

Garlands are draped over every dog,

Cow,

Or donkey in sight,

And petals dapple the ground.

You set your own greenery down on a designated table,

Noticing that there's a ceremonious way of entering this festive space.

Every person or couple emerging from the forest walks beneath a tall arch decked with ribbons and roses before walking the narrow path between the two fires.

As you approach the arch,

Pause for a moment and take a deep breath,

Smelling the fragrant musk of roses contrasting against whiffs of wood smoke.

If you're walking with a partner,

Imagine yourself turning to face them now,

Gazing deeply into their eyes and taking their hand.

Listen to the fire crackling nearby.

And when you're ready,

Turn and process between the two fires,

Feeling their warmth on either side of your body as you pass,

And being aware of the more gentle warmth of the hand of your partner in yours.

You come to sit at a long table,

Surrounded by people,

Including the friends you walked alongside in the woods.

Happy conversations murmur on,

Crickets sing in the field,

Flinging themselves at one another in the tall grass.

The din of the party is a joyful backdrop,

Yet there is a comfortable sense of it being just the two of you.

As you begin to eat,

You're entertained by an odd spectacle unfolding.

Small groups of cattle,

Every 30 minutes or so,

Are ushered from the fields and driven the same path you walked between the blazing bonfires.

They seem slightly agitated,

And there are one or two renegades that break from the group and are rounded up by herding dogs,

Who are excited by the evening's festivities and by their flower collars.

As the night goes on,

You notice,

Time and again,

The heat radiating from the flames of the bonfires,

As well as the warmth between you and your partner as you sit side by side in the cool night air.

Now and again gazing at each other,

Laughing,

Teasing,

And joking.

Now and again looking up at the stars,

Keenly aware of the magnitude of time.

The idea that this day will be followed by another,

And another will follow that one,

Just as this one has followed all of the rest.

But happy,

And grateful,

To be here in this moment,

On this night,

And full of awe and curiosity for the future.

You let this feeling wash over you for a few precious moments,

Feeling slightly,

Joyfully,

Excited.

Feeling slightly,

Joyfully,

Dizzy beneath the starlight.

A few moments,

Or hours,

Or maybe days later,

You are again aware of the warmth of the fire and you turn your face towards it.

You open your eyes and find yourself not at a wondrous festival of springtime,

But safe at home.

You begin to bring movement to your fingers and your toes,

Going very slowly.

Give your whole body a big stretch,

And then take a deep breath in for 1,

2,

3,

4,

And hold,

2,

3,

4,

And exhale,

1,

2,

3,

4.

Thank you so much for joining me in this dream.

Until next time.