May, Beltane, and the Season of Fertility
It’s May, the season of Beltane, of Mother’s Day, and of flowers. This is the time of year when the earth is most fertile, and most active. Flowers are in bloom. Seeds are sprouting and plants are growing. The earth has had it’s first explosion of green life, and the days are getting warmer. What does it really mean, for dreamers, spiritualists, and magical practitioners? It means that this is a very potent time for magical acts and the fulfillment of wishes, hopes, and intentions. This is the season of fertility on all levels. What were you dreaming this Winter? Now is the time to bring it forth into action. The tangible steps you take to create, and the rituals you perform, will be empowered by the agreement of the earth forces, eager to create with you. This moment is the most that they will be with us all year.
In the ancient Mexican tradition, we call this aspect of the earth Tlazohtlateotl, from the root word Tlazohtla, which means ‘precious essence’. It is the creative aspect of the earth, whose blessing we need in order to create, that which makes all things blossom, from flowers to miracles of healing and manifestation. One of the gifts of of understanding, coming from ancient cultures across the world is the law of reciprocity, the principle that if you want to ask for a favor from the forces of life, you must also give something. The offering you make should come first, along with the time spent in reflection to be very clear about the essence of what you’re desire. When this is done with reverence, the act of creating with the earth can be a joyful exchange, a time of celebration, sensual delight, and beauty, as in the customs of Beltane, which offer everything from flowers and dance to sexual coupling, increasing and honoring the fecundity of Mother Earth. In my tradition, as within others, we have the sense that what we have to offer is what belongs to us on the most basic level, our blood, sweat, tears, and breath. These are sacred elements within us, and they are what we have to give of ourselves. When we give them with intention, it is a powerful offering, appropriate for requesting the blessing of Tlazohtlateotl for our intended creations.
Mothers, for example, give all of these offerings and more, in the process of bringing a new life into creation. It makes perfect ritual sense that we celebrate Mother’s in May, and offer flowers in remembrance of the act of fertility, sacrifice, and earth magic that brought us into this world. Even mothers who did not physically give birth are likely to have made most of these offerings, in the process of protecting, nurturing, and guiding their adopted children. The earth too is the sacred Mother of us all. In Beltane customs, devotion and resonance with her mysteries are joyfully expressed, and in the process fertility is increased, whether that’s to be directed towards conception or towards the creation of other projects and magical workings.
The Celtic holiday Beltane is celebrated May 1st, and on the evening before, most often with the lighting of special bonfires, which individuals or couples jump in order to purify the past and revitalize themselves or the pledge between them, bringing new fertility. In the old days, this was a literal cleansing of the illness and parasites that could accumulate in Winter, and even farm animals were driven through the smoke to protect them from disease. The root of the word Beltane is ‘Bel,’ in reference to the Celtic God, whose name means bright one and signifies a special fire. The fire of this ritual was called ‘Tein-eigen’ or ‘the need fire.’ These fires were once followed by the Heiros Gamos, or Sacred Marriage, the union of earth and sky that was played out by sexual coupling in forest and field, through the long celebratory night. In the morning, women collected dew to wash their faces, and households brought home Hawthorne flowers, strongly associated with the fairies, and only gathered this time of year, to decorate their homes and make crowns or basket bouquets. Later came the tradition of the Maypole, which enacts this union in a more measured manner. A long stick, ideally Birch, is planted in the ground to represent the phallus and the God principle, and a ring of flowers is placed on top to honor the Goddess. Strings are tied to the top and then held by the community as they dance a weaving spiral dance, entwining green ribbons for fertility and abundance, red for strength and vitality, and white for purification, though other colors may be used. A small (well-contained) fire or a broom placed on the ground may be jumped as an act of leaving one mode of life for another, particularly for couples making a commitment. These expressions of Spring’s new potential are ecstatic and still take place in many Pagan communities and families, in one form or another. However, there are many ways to engage this fertility and creation magic throughout the month of May. The following is one simple suggestion:
Flower planting spell
Begin with a little self inquiry and research. Look to find the lore of flowers in herbal grimoires, or even to The Language of Flowers, to find the flower allies that will most align with your intention. All flowers are a symbol of manifestation in beauty, but there are many nuances. Though I love roses, the tradition of Nahualismo has taught me not to use these for planting intentions, only because they have thorns which could possibly mean that the manifestations come with complications. (However roses are still powerful healing allies!)
Once you have chosen what you would like to plant and which flower matches your intent and will grow in your home climate, save a compostable egg container or purchase a compostable pot for starter plants.
Bring the following materials together: the container that can go directly in the ground or a planter, soil, water, seeds, flowers for offering, incense to burn
Light your incense or sage, and use the smoke to cleanse yourself and your materials. Enjoy the scent.
Make 4 offering breaths to begin, offering the best energy of your dreams, the best energy of your thoughts, the best energy of your emotions, and the best energy of your actions. Then call to Tlazohtlateotl, or the earth fertility Goddess of your choosing, introducing yourself to this force respectfully and with intention.
Touch the soil with your bare hands. Ask or pray for fecundity in your life and for your spell to manifest in the most nourished way, in alignment with your highest destiny. Add flower petals, water, and perhaps your own personal offering to the soil, as described above.
Into this charged soil, plant your seeds, each with an intention. Blow an intention into each seed. If it helps you to focus your energy, you can also write your overriding magical intention on a slip of paper and tuck it into the soil.
Create a chant or song to raise and focus the energy. Perhaps: “Soil and flowers live and grow, bless the intentions that I sow.” (I just made that up, but you get the idea.)
Add water gently.
For one night, cover your seeds with a special cloth, so they can dream for you.
Remove the cloth the following day. Be sure to nurture your plant as it germinates and begins to grow. When it’s large enough, give it a permanent home by transferring the compostable pot or egg carton (after removing the bottom circle) to the earth, or to a pot or planter box. Care for and believe in your manifestations.
Before you begin this process, make sure to think about what longings, hopes, dreams, and needs you carried with you throughout the Winter. What have you already begun to sow? If it helps, engage in an act of divination, or pull a card from your favorite oracle deck, and ask: What am I now ready to manifest that I have longed for in Seasons past?
May all your magic be fertile.
-This blog was written by Melusina Gomez, originally for publication with the eleventh house.