Beltane: a Time for Transformation

May Pole Ritual 2015

Beltane is a time for transformation. The wheel of the year turns swiftly then, the seasons change, the darkness wanes, the land begins to waken from its winter slumber.

The Beltane Gathering is a favourite for many of the fae folk. For some, because it is our annual gender inclusive event on the Land aka Amber Fox, and for others, because it is when we raise the May Pole in the May Pole Field.

But each year, we depend on the vagaries of the Canadian climate for good weather. This year, Beltane was a triumph, with great weather and great attendance. And the May Pole ritual, led by Smith, taught us new correspondences from local native traditions. Plus the pole itself is neatly woven like never before!

But last year, it was cold and rainy and only a handful of fae attended. And it was too rainy to raise the May Pole at all - we ended up doing it at Victoria Day!

May Pole Ritual 2013

And this year we just got back from the first gender inclusive 4th of July gathering, and it was a tremendous success!

So for 2016 and future years, the Canada Day / 4th of July gathering will become our annual gender inclusive event on the Land. The Victoria Day gathering will now be our first gathering each year, when we are more assured of good weather, and the May Pole can be raised then.

But fear not! Beltane will not be abandoned. We will celebrate Beltane in Ottawa, perhaps joining a pagan or Wiccan ritual already planned, or perhaps creating our own unique faerie celebration in a local park.

Then of course, because we do love to cook and eat, we will have a potluck at the home of one of the local faeries. ;)

Bright Beltane Blessings upon us all!

Eostre

Eastre, also known as Ostern, Ostara, Ostare, Eostre, Eostra, Eastur, Eostur, Eastra, Austron, Ausos, Ishtar, and Ashtur, is generally known as being from the Saxons' Germanic heritage and was the name of the goddess of dawn, spring and fertility.

Gatherings it seems have been around for a long time, eons it seems. Some thoughts explain Eastre gatherings like this. Spring would bring new life, nature's growth would transform the Land. To explain it one would understand the earth as giving birth in the spring, creating life, so we have Mother Earth. Mother Earth would not do well without the rain. So the sky above delivered this. Sometimes referred to as the heavens, the sky took on or was made Male. Together the Earth and the Sky created the wonders of the Land.

Many groups and people have taken this as a rite of their own, perhaps renaming it, perhaps reworking it, yet the truth remains the same in the end: spring revitalizes us. A time to be reborn and the new born. Some choose to celebrate this quietly and others more loudly. There seems no wrong way to celebrate Eastre. You create alone or in a group, loosely or collectively, an appreciation and thankfulness for the coming of spring and all it symbolizes for you.

That seems to be the essence of Faeries, of gay men seeking their own non hetro foisted approach to this time. It can be of our own creation, maybe its the merging of both male and female, maybe it's a time to look ahead, to be alone or together. Rituals can be be static or change to meet our needs and desires; inclusive or apart, it does not seem to matter.

There is something magical that happens. It happens all over this planet and maybe elsewhere too every spring. I look forward to this spring, to celebrating, to recognizing the change to the Land and sharing that experience with others. What will it be like? How will I participate? Will I jump in? Will I simply observe? What personal truths will be uncovered or allowed to be?

I do know this. It is with great anticipation that I walk this way.

Ricky

PS - I am not giving up on the Easter bunny, or is that Eastre? The kid in me won't let me, it's part of my spirituality, and few things like chocolate make this boy faerie really happy!

here's more - so where does the Eostre story come from?

something new comes...

Ritual - on the land

A fire happened on the land. a ritual. here you can take part if you let your virtual reality take you away!