BELTAIN – a festival of love, fire and fertility. Traditionally celebrated from April 30 to May 1. The festival is traditionally associated with the driving out of cattle to pasture and the lighting of fires. It is the opposite of the festival of Samhain, when cattle are driven from pasture. It is the third festival of the Wheel of the Year, a cycle that represents the natural transition of the seasons. Eight significant festivals are associated with them, through which we celebrate various aspects of life, growth, abundance, death and rebirth.

Colors characterizing the Beltane period: green, red, white and silver.

Green is the color of growth, new life, vital energy and fertility. It represents nature, abundance and the renewal of the energy of the earth. It is associated with harmony, stability and natural cycles. On the altar it is represented by leaves, grass and plants as decorations, or green candles to promote abundance and balance.

Red symbolizes passion, life and strength. It is the flame of life, as it represents fire, which has a purifying and protective function. It embodies passion and love, combines male and female energy and represents passion, desire and romance. Red ribbons decorate wreaths and maypoles.

White is a symbol of purity, unity and innocence, a symbol of energy, it encourages self-knowledge, thought processes and perception of one's own consciousness. It is a symbol of new beginnings, a new cycle, a transition to the bright half of the year. Together with red it creates a perfect balance - a symbol of love, life and purity.

Silver symbolizes lunar magic and intuition. It represents lunar energy and connection to the spiritual world. It promotes mysticism, depth and protection. It reflects feminine energy and the nocturnal nature.

Traditional gemstones

These stones and crystals are suitable for use in love, fertility or purification rituals during the Beltain season, or you can easily wear them as talismans to harness their energy, decorate your Beltain altar with them, meditate with them. With these stones, you can invite positive energy, love and life force into your life during the Beltain season.

How best to spend this holiday?

The magical holiday of Beltane is associated with many traditional symbols that represent purification, protection from evil forces, celebration of fertility, love, and the transition to a new season.

Traditional symbolism

• Fire – a symbol of purification and life. Fire symbolizes the sun, its power and purification, people jump over it.
• Maypole, Maypole - the connection of male and female energy. Colorful ribbons symbolize life force. It is a symbol of love, fertility and youth, but also protects communities.
• A celebration of love, fertility and the union of male and female energy, the union of the Goddess of Fertility or Earth and the Sun God, the Horned God.

God Cernunnos – horned god of nature and wildness, symbol of masculine energy, fertility, wild nature and animals. He is often depicted with antlers and associated with deer and snakes. He is the father of the forest, protector of wildlife.

God Belenus – the god of the sun and light, also known as Bel, Beli, Grannus, Citharoedus, Vindonnus, Borvo and Moritasgus (the names are often mentioned near healing springs). He is a symbol of the sun, fire, the healing power of not only springs but also vitality. His name is also found in the holiday of Beltane, as the fire of Belen. The power of Belen brings with it warmth and abundance and strengthening solar energy.

Goddess Danu – Mother Goddess, Goddess of the Earth, Mother of the Tuatha Dé Danann. The Goddess symbolizes Earth, water, fertility and the infinite creative power of nature. She personifies the Earth, which is associated with fire and the sun.

Goddess Freya – goddess of fertility and harvest, love, beauty, war and witchcraft.

Goddess Flora – goddess of flowers and spring. Roman goddess of spring blossom, sexuality and fertility. Floralia celebrations – April 28 to May 3, which overlaps with Beltane.

• Natural magic, connection with spirits: the magical night of Beltain is a time when the gates between the worlds open, similar to the holiday of Samhain. Fairies and spirits are active, protective rituals are practiced, and evil forces are driven away.
• Flowers, greenery and spring colors: a celebration of nature in full bloom – flowers, budding trees, wreaths. Symbolic flowers are hawthorn, dandelions, violets and lilacs.

Create a Beltain Altar

Whether you create a simple or elaborate altar, it is important that it reflects your intentions. It should be a place of joy, light, and above all, full of positive energy.

Here are a few types of what should be on the altar:

• Flowers – lilacs.
• Dandelion wreath.
• Symbols of the fertility goddess – the spiral, represents growth, transformation, the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. It is often associated with the goddesses Danu or Gaia. Another symbol is the crescent moon. The moon is closely associated with feminine energy, menstruation and fertility cycles. The crescent moon symbolizes new beginnings, fertility and motherhood . These symbols are often used in rituals and amulets to support fertility, growth and feminine energy.
• The symbol of the Horned God – antlers, which refer to the cycles of life and death in nature, or the sun disk, which represents strength, fighting spirit, and male fertile energy.
• Stones for grounding, protection, strength, passion, joy, optimism, love, happiness, balance, etc.: garnet, carnelian, rose quartz, malachite, sunstone, moonstone, emerald, labradorite.
• Candles in red, green, white or silver.
• A glass of mead or wine - a symbol of abundance and celebration.
• A bowl of fruit (apples, strawberries, pomegranates) - a symbol of fertility.
• Stones: garnet, carnelian, rose quartz, malachite, sunstone, moonstone, emerald, labradorite.

For our altar, we used red candles, insignia of gods and goddesses, Beltain bundles and a Beltain incense burner from our magical workshop Nefertitis, flowers in the color of this magical holiday, stones: carnelian, garnet and others.

The crystal grid contains garnet for grounding and protection, strength and passion, carnelian as a symbol of creativity and sexuality, to support vitality and motivation, rose quartz as a talisman of love and beauty, for harmony and opening the heart to love and self-love, and malachite for balance and support of life energy.

Our Beltain bundles

Light candles or a small ritual fire
For symbolic light into life, positive energy and purification.

Take a walk in nature and make a wreath
Make wreaths of dandelions or daisies, or put a flower in your hair.

Celebrate love, relationships and passion
Support the connection of feminine and masculine energy.

Meditate
Find a quiet place where you will be alone and nothing and no one will disturb you. Light a candle and meditate.

Ritual tip for Beltain from Nefertitis

Beltane Blessings for a New Beginning
The goal is to bring new energy, love, creativity, or whatever you want to enhance in this bloom.

You will need:

• A candle - white, pink or green.
• A bowl of water - a symbol of purification and life
• Something from nature: a flower, an herb, a feather or a stone.
• Paper and pencil.

Procedure

• Find a quiet place where no one will disturb you, and put on some pleasant music.
• Light a candle and stare into its flame for a while - imagine feeling the power of spring within you.
• Place an object from nature in the water and ask for a blessing, e.g. "I ask for joy and a new beginning in my life."
• Write on a piece of paper what you want to summon or strengthen - in one word, a short sentence, etc., e.g. "I want more love", "I want new opportunities", "I want creative inspiration".
• Fold the paper and hold it over the candle (be careful: do not burn it) – just so that it receives the energy of the fire.
• Finally, dip your fingers in the water and touch your forehead or heart – symbolically receiving the energy of the blessing.
• Put the piece of paper in a visible place or under your pillow so that you always have it in sight or know about it.

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There are similar holidays around the world that, like Beltane, celebrate passion, joy, and connection with nature. Celebrate this magical time and invite love, abundance, and positive energy into your life.

Beltain/Beltane – Celtic countries, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and others: April 30 to May 1. Symbols are fire, fertility, purification and protection from evil forces. Traditional elements include jumping over fire, fertility rituals, dancing and celebrating the union of male and female energy.

Walpurgisnacht (Walpurgis Night) – Central and Northern Europe, i.e. German Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia: April 30 to May 1. The arrival of spring is celebrated, protective rituals against evil forces are practiced, fires are lit, witches are driven out, and dancing is done. Originally, it is an old Germanic and Nordic holiday.

Burning of witches, St. James's Night – Czech and Slovak Republic: on the night of April 30 to May 1. Originally a Central European pagan holiday, partly influenced by Christianity. The holiday is associated with magical rituals to protect livestock and crops. It has similar fires, purification rituals, magic, protection from evil forces and the transition between the seasons to the holiday of Beltane. Traditional elements are straw figurines, fire and folk festivities. 

May Day – Europe: May 1st. Originally a pagan festival, which is celebrated as Labor Day in many countries, including the Czech Republic. In England, the Maypole dance is traditional, a dance around a maypole. Maypoles can also be seen here.

Hexennacht (Witches' Night) – Germany, Austria and Switzerland: April 30. This is a German-speaking country, a holiday associated with pagan rituals. The symbolism is a night of ghosts, magic and cleansing fires. Traditional elements are masks and dances around fires.

Vappu – Finland: May 1. The holiday is a mixture of old Nordic spring rituals and Christian traditions. The holiday celebrates spring, freedom, joy. Traditional elements include bonfires, festivities, soapstone processions, and traditional drinks.

Nuit de Walpurgis – France, Alsace, Lorraine: April 30 to May 1. The holiday is influenced by Germanic influences in the border areas. Symbolism: magical night, protection against evil forces. Bonfires are lit, processions are held and it is celebrated in nature.

Whatever the name of the holiday, it is connected by purification, protection against evil forces, lighting cleansing fires, jumping over them, celebrating the union of male and female energy, dancing and magic. The main aspects are joy, passion, dancing, magic and connection with nature.

We wrote the article for you on March 22, 2025.

Articles about other holidays in the Wheels of the Year series can be found here.

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