Calendar of the Sun
1 Thrimilchimonath
BELTANE
Color: Green
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon a green cloth lay flowers, leafy branches, a great bowl of May wine, the figure of
the Green Man and the May Queen, green candles, incense of flowers, and pots of herbs.
Offerings: If possible, ritual sex, alone or with others, should be offered up after the ritual.
Otherwise, work in the garden among the green things.
Daily Meal: A great feast of fine food.
Ritual Note: Like all the eight high holidays, this day should ideally be spent not enclosed and
isolated, but in common with the larger pagan community. This can be done a number of ways,
including spending the day elsewhere, at the Beltane ritual of another group or tradition, or by
inviting in those pagans who would otherwise not be able to attend a ritual. Either way, the eight
holidays should be a time of remembering the place of the house in the greater community. If the
choice is made to go elsewhere, then no liturgy is needed for the day. If the choice is made to
bring the greater community into the lesser one, the following ritual can be used:
(First four who have been chosen to do the work of the ritual cast the quarters with ribbons or
fan, candle, chalice, and salt. They should be dressed as dragons in the four colors of the
quarters, masked and winged.)
East Dragon:
Spirits of the East, Powers of Air!
Laughing sylphs that ride the winds,
Faery dancers laughing on the breeze,
Pixies in the morning's meadow,
Sprites that fly on gossamer wings!
Devas of the Realms of Air,
Be with us!
We come before you with open eyes,
Glorying in the rising sun of spring!
Let this day be a new beginning for all of us!
South Dragon:
Spirits of the South, Powers of Fire!
Flaming phoenix of rebirth,
Salamander walking unharmed through flames,
Dragon sleeping on riches and breathing fire,
Faery horses striking sparks from your hooves!
Devas of the Realms of Fire,
Be with us!
We come before you with open spirits,
Glorying in our freedom from the winter!
Let this day create our future anew!
West Dragon:
Spirits of the West, Powers of Water!
Naiads of the flowing rivers,
Undines of the oceans deep,
Mermaids singing siren's songs,
Tritons swimming with the dolphins!
Devas of the Realms of Water,
Be with us!
We come before you with open hearts,
Glorying in the circle of community that heals us!
Let this day teach us that we are never alone!
North Dragon:
Spirits of the North, Powers of Earth!
Dryads who safeguard the great trees,
Gnomes who mine the depths underground,
Elves of the forests walking silent trails,
Deep faeries of the hidden caves!
Devas of the Realms of Earth,
Be with us!
We come before you to be at home in our bodies
And glory in the solid truth of our flesh!
Let this day teach us that we are Earth,
And Earth is sacred,
And we are sacred.
All Chant:
Blessed be the Guardians of the world.
Blessed be the Guardians of the world.
Blessed be the East at dawn.
Blessed be the South in fire.
Blessed be the West waters.
Blessed be the Northern earth,
Homeland of our Lady and Lord.
Blessed be the Guardians of the world
For they stand on a barren plain,
Watching, watching all that goes round.
Blessed be the Guardians of the world.
East Dragon:
I am the wisdom of the wind that whispers in your ears.
I am all that knows the secrets of the universe.
I am awakening the earth with my touch.
Now ice and snow have faded away
And we greet the oncoming summer.
Yet we must remember,
Even as we lift our arms to the sky,
That the future is uncertain.
So let this moment stand in our minds
As one perfect memory to be cherished.
South Dragon:
I am the wisdom of the fire that burns in your souls!
I am all that wills manifestation into existence!
I ama awakening the earth with my warmth!
Hear me, O people gathered here today!
Your ancestors burned in fires
Because they would not forswear us!
Your ancestors hid in the dark
And worshiped us in secret.
Your ancestors turned to other faiths
To save their lives and their children
And forgot us, but we never left them!
Will you take up what they lay down?
Will you bring into the open what they hid?
Will you celebrate what they died for?
(All shout, "We will!")
West Dragon:
I am the wisdom of your blood that flows in your veins.
I am all that dares to love.
I am awakening the silent earth with my gentle rains.
We water you with our joy
We water you with our tears
We nourish you with the hope
Of more than three thousand years.
May we all remember the fountain of ancient wisdom,
May we all come to drink at its waters.
(Pours May wine as libation.)
Earth Dragon:
I am the wisdom of the Earth, which lies hidden.
I am all that knows when to be silent.
I have awakened, and I give thanks for this day.
Receive this sign, this perfect flower,
Token given of this hour,
Though its petals fade and wither,
What we worship lasts forever.
(Lays flowers on altar.)
Officiant:
As withies are yellow the willow shall bring
Gold for the Earth-maiden and for her green king:
A sheaf and a crown and a pledge-bearing ring,
For this is the song that the willow doth sing:
O golden the sun that shall turn him to green,
And golden his fires that burn for his queen,
Green are his branches that wave o'er the twain
Till we weave them a cradle of green leaves and rain.
All chant:
This is the circle of the sun,
This is the circle of the earth,
This is the circle of his flame,
This is the circle of her love,
This is the circle of our faith,
This is the circle that welcomes them in.
Officiant (call and response):
By seeds of all beginnings, may our magic spring skyward.
By roots of all depths, may we stand strong in our convictions.
By stem and trunk that reaches for the sky, may our spirits soar.
By bud that grows, may our dreams never be crushed.
By leaf that kisses the Sun and rain, may we share our joys and sorrows.
By flower that opens to the dawn, may we learn to trust in each other and in the Gods.
By fruit that gives forth sweetness, may we nourish each other.
By seed within the fruit that grows the tree anew,
We shall live, and live again each Spring,
By life and death, by Lord and Lady, by hand and eye, by heart and spirit,
As all green things grow, so shall our faith,
And its memory be carried forever beneath the feet
Of a thousand generations to come.
For the Green Man in all his glory, blessings and praise!
For the May Queen in all her beauty, blessings and praise!
For the new grass beneath our feet, blessings and praise!
For new baby animals, blessings and praise!
For the birds returned from the south, blessings and praise!
For the heat of the Sun, blessings and praise!
For the Lady's hawthorn, blessings and praise!
For the wisdom of the ancients, blessings and praise!
For fertility of the fields, blessings and praise!
(All may join in with other calls, to which all reply, "Blessings and praise!" Then the rite is
ended, the quarters dismissed, and all retire.)
[Pagan Book of Hours]