Celebrating Beltane

For the past couple of years, I have chosen to spend Beltane with my dear friend Lady Sabrina Rhiannon and her awesome group of gals! Although for the most part I still consider myself a Solitary practitioner, I am finding that the older I am getting the more I yearn to be with my peers. Especially around certain sabbats such as Samhain and Beltane. For me, it is not the same as it used to be when I first started practicing as a solitary many years ago.

Granted, our lives get extremely busy and sometimes we can't always do the things we want to and so I do not get the chance to do things such as celebrate with my friends very often these days and vice versa. As time goes by, it gets ever harder to get everyone's schedules in sync.

This year, I will be celebrating Beltane as a solitary again which is still okay with me and there was a time when I actually prefrerred it ~ eventhough there will be no actual Maypole to dance around with friends! For example, much as with drumming circles perhaps, the feeling you get from joining in with "like minds" is very different than being by ones' self. However, I am used to the solitary life in as far as I still feel the devine during and after ritual.

This morning, I decorated my altar in preparation for my Beltane ritual tomorrow ...

My altar consists of the usual ritual items for Beltane ~ my Goddess and God candles, my little handmade Maypole representing the phallus of the God, a cast iron burner to represent a balefire, my decorations of ivy and rose vines, and of course, my newest addition my Rose Pentacle which holds five little tea lights. I just love it so much!

Whichever way you choose to celebrate this beautiful sabbat, may the blessings of the Lord and Lady be upon you all!