We love living in Glastonbury, it is truly magical! For the Glastonbury Beltane celebrations on May 1st the Sun shined, the High Street was packed and the atmosphere was captivating.
Glastonbury is known as the Heart Chakra of the World, and the costumes, the ceremony, the connection to the earth, the sky and our ancestors bought a real sense of merriment and unity. For sure, all-around it was heart-warming and soul-stirring and we had a fabulous time!
Beltane
Beltane is one of the 8 festivals on the wheel of the year, and there is always a big celebration here in Glastonbury. Beltane is halfway between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice and marks the start of summer. At Beltane Earth energies are powerfully active and life is overflowing with abundant fertility. A time of new life, new beginnings, renewal and growth.
Beltane is a celebration of the feminine and masculine energies coming together. And the story of the May Queen/Maiden Goddess and the May King/Oak King as the Green Man, falling in love, consummating their union and the May Queen/Goddess’ becoming pregnant has been re-enacted for centuries. The May Queen and King are symbols of the sacred marriage of the Earth and the Sky.
The Beltane Fun begins!
People started congregating near the monument mid-morning and it wasn’t long before there was quite a crowd! Eventually the Green Men, the Maypole, the May King and Queen, the Druids, the Priestesses, the Drummers, the Unity Candle and a Dragon all assembled and the procession up the High street began.The onlookers are very much a part of the proceedings, and a huge crowd joined the procession. The procession then made its way to the White Springs and then finally to Bushey Combe.
At Bushey Combe the ceremony – after a bit of crowd management to ensure the circle was large enough! – got underway, after which the Maypole was raised. Once the Maypole was up, the ribbon dancing began!
Videos of the Procession & the Maypole!
Beltane & its Counterpoint Samhein ~ Life, Death and Renewal
At Beltane the Sun is the sign of Taurus, and directly opposite Taurus is Scorpio. The Taurus – Scorpio axis relates to the ebb and flow of the life force, which is linked with and reflected by the life cycle of nature. Nature thrives in Taurus season and is celebrated with the fertility festival of Beltane. In Scorpio season, as the fertility of the Earth diminishes the celebration of Samhain marks the start of winter and the festival of the dead.
The energies of Beltane – Samhein and Taurus – Scorpio both teach us that death isn’t an end – it’s a shift in energy – that nature will always be renewed and return to life. Along with this it evokes what lies beyond the visible earthly world, directs us to the spiritual source of life. And how our own life from birth onwards is mirrored by the changing seasons and the life cycle of nature. We are born, we reach a peak, then gradually decline, before we pass over to the Spirit World – life, death and renewal. Life is eternal and death is an illusion.
