by Maria Ede-Weaving
Ritual Statement: We come together to celebrate the festival of Beltane. This is the time when sweet desire weds wild delight. The promise of spring and the power of the waxing year meet in the greening fields and forests, and all life rejoices under the warm sun. The tree of life is twined in a spiral web of colour and nature is renewed.
Call of the Goddess: We call upon the Goddess as Lady of the Heart’s Blossoming, please come to us as Divine Lover, sacred flower that opens to the bee. Set fire to our bellies with your joyous heat and animate our bodies with the blissful energy of your love. We honour you as Queen of the May, Lady of Life and Love, naked and radiant with the power of your desire; apple and hawthorn blossom in your hair; you skin the scent of bluebells. Show us the joy of union, the exquisite unfurling of body, mind and spirit. Teach us that the treasure of your Yoni is truly precious, a place of inspired creation and pleasure, the gateway to life.
In your heart burn the fires of love, both the love of self and of others. Holds up your mirror and reflect back to us our true beauty and worth. Teach us that when we gaze at our reflection, we see your beautiful face, body and being; may we never forget that your beauty is our beauty, that in valuing and loving ourselves, we are honouring and loving you. You are our creativity, striving always for joyous union with the world and others; you are the needy heat of desire; powerful self-love and the passionate love of others. You are ecstasy, sensuality and deep connection; the intimacy of skin upon skin. Be with us and bless us with your presence.
Call of the God: We call upon the God as Lord of the waxing earth and sun; vibrant spirit of the wildwood whose green blood fires our hearts. You are the moist fingers of outstretched leaves and your vibrant growth is the tender hand that moves upon the body of the Goddess. You are the warm kiss of sunlight, the heat of passion and the dance of life. Teach us that the treasures of your Sacred Phallus are not violence, senseless aggression or abuse but strength, passion and reverence. We thank you for your energy and vigour.
Great Spark of Light and Life, as bluebells cover the woodland floors; apple and hawthorn trees blossom and everywhere grows lush and green, your desire intensifies. You hear the voice of the Goddess deep in the greenwood and with joy answer her call, drawn by her glorious scent, striving to merge and surrender to the bliss of her embrace. You are the heat of passion; the sweet pain of yearning; the reverence that true intimacy and love inspires. Through you we are transformed by desire; we open to the mystery of another; we die to our separate selves and become the ecstasy of life. He touches us with your urgency; move us with your need; take us to the core of ourselves. Be with us and bless us with your presence.
The Nine Flower Blessing:
In legend, Blodeuwedd was made of nine different flowers/trees: primrose, broom, meadowsweet, broad bean, cockle, nettle, chestnut, oak and hawthorn. These represent her power. Choose nine flowers/trees that you believe symbolises your most important strengths, talents, character traits etc. Choose trees/plants that have a personal significance for you, with your own associations.
Beltane is a festival of love and union not only with the beloved but with the self. This blessing is about celebrating who you are as a human being; it is self-love as well as love of others. Be joyful in praising your uniqueness but also see how your being is reflected in the beautiful trees and plants around you; that in your uniqueness, you are also a part of all creation and it is a part of you.
Prior to the ritual, write down each of your chosen plants/trees in an appropriate statement that starts with ‘I am’ (there are examples in the following blessing). Be as poetic as you like, the important thing is to celebrate who you are. When you have written them, acquire a different coloured bootlace ribbon for each statement.
The Blessing
With your statements and ribbons to hand, perform the following. Say,
Nine powers of nine flowers, nine powers in me combined.
Read out each statement, placing the corresponding ribbon before you until all nine are laid out at your feet.
Examples of the Nine Statements:
I am abundant cow parsley that thrives on the margins (cream ribbon).
I am a courageous snowdrop, tender in the cold but resilient as oak (white ribbon).
I am a graceful birch, grown anew from the scorched earth (light green ribbon).
I am a vibrant poppy whose seeds of potential are many (red ribbon).
I am alder, holding firm the riverbank when the floods of emotion flow (blue ribbon).
I am herb robert, so often overlooked but beautifully formed (pink ribbon).
I am the warm, sweet scent of gorse but my foliage is sharp (yellow ribbon).
I am a sprig of yew, the wisdom of the shadow, the wisdom of experience (purple ribbon).
I am a bright daisy and the child in me rejoices (orange ribbon).
Take up three of your ribbons and braid them, then another three, then the final three. Take these three braids and weave them together into one large braid.You are weaving the coloured maypole ribbons of your being into vibrant life. As you do this, focus on Blodeuwedd’s vibrant energy filling your braids and the parts of you that they represent. When ready, tie these in a circle and say,
I am Flower Face, green blood in my veins, wild and free.
I am life and beauty; I am passion and creativity.
My owl wings spread and enfold my desires.
I seed and bloom and fruit and seed again within the Greenwood of my life.
I am the richness and diversity of my Mother’s creation
And to love myself is to love Her, for she blesses me when I bless myself.
I am her beautiful, colourful, joyful daughter/son and I celebrate my richness.
Keep your ribbon circlet on your altar as a reminder to celebrate yourself and the blessings of Beltane.
Giving Thanks
Goddess and God of the healing fires of love and passion, we thank you for your blessings. Through your wisdom may we blossom abundantly; may the qualities of reverence and desire guide us to our true selves and may we grow strong and vibrant in the warmth of your love.
