Friday, October 30, 2009

Beltane NOT halloween

Tomorrow is the 31st October and many Australians are preparing for Halloween, preparing to dress ghoulishly and to go 'trick or treating' but in Australia the great wheel of the seasons has turned to spring, the start of summer and the season of heat, light and fire and Saturday is Beltane - the festival of fire - summer, fertility and renewal, not that of autumn and endings.

The loss of understanding of seasonal festivities to commercialism is sad and depressing. If we lose our understanding of the seasons and the great turning of the wheel of the year, we lose our sense of the natural world in which we live.

So tomorrow, we will be celebrating Beltane, with fire, candles and champagne cocktails and a house warming - we will celebrate the god and goddess's great marriage, welcoming new growth, fertility, love and light into our house and our lives.

Why not do the same?

3 comments:

  1. How wonderful to land on your blog after an evening of discussing 'Hollow-ween' with the Grandies and their Mum.
    Halloween just curdles my custard!
    By the way, love your blog. Thanks

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  2. Oh - this is rather nice. I'm a bit late to the party, but we did the same, with some candles, a bottle of horribly hippie cowslip wine and the first log fire of the year. And damned nice it was too - we're lucky enough to live in a quiet spot that doesn't attract obnoxious teens begging sweeties.

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  3. Sounds perfect for Samhain, even the horrible cowslip wine.

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