Looking for the first weekly chapters from my novel? See link on blog below.
On May Ist along with my witch coven, I'll travel winding roads to a mountain retreat to celebrate Beltane
one of the two biggest yearly pagan (Wicca, goddess, witch) celebrations.
May Day more on earlier blog
AKA May Day Beltane honors Bel, the god of fire and summer and gyrates into full bloom starting nightfall April 30th to sundown May 1st. There are many traditional rituals: all night burning Beltane fires; circling meadows, great feasts of butter & cheeses, honey, eggs etc.
But the most known ritual is the may pole dance with, usually women, skipping around
entwining a tree with colored ribbons - symbolic of the male mating with the
female as she surrounds him - the ribbons flowing from the crown of the pole downward to women bonds the two as one. Oh! such pleasures at this ancient Celt
celebration! Lift his kilt, lassie!
Even as a child my favorite Catholic holy day was the May Day celebration honoring Our Lady, Mary. One year my sister, Frances Mary, was chosen to crown Our Lady not knowing that years later she'd be celebrating this Catholic holy day in a different way.
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We Catholic children weren't aware the celebration was an ancient pagan ritual as we gathered in the early a.m. on the first Sunday of May to walk across the street to Most Holy Redeemer church on Diamond/18th Sts. Although Most Holy Redeemer church changed the statue of Mary in the small garden (also included in my book) is still there. As a young person I'd visit to pray trusting Her with my needs.
All in all the celebration of the goddess and in the Catholic faith that is Mary, Jesus' mother, is deeply honored by me to this day. Praise be the Great goddess for She is the Mother and Keeper of Children of the Earth! Go forth this May Day and do some pole dancing! Fun! Oh Lordy - Sun Lord that is.
These photos are the exclusive rights of June Callaghan Ahern (Briesach) and cannot be reproduced without the written expression from her.
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