Well here we all are, and the wheel has turned to Beltaine -also known as May Day- a fire festival held on the cross-quarter day that falls between the Spring Equinox on March 20th and the Summer Solstice on June 21st.
Usually celebrated on May 1st, there are many traditions for this springtime gathering, including jumping over and dancing ’round bonfires, creating and dancing ’round the Maypole , fertility rituals, the making of floral crowns and wreaths of green, and creating feasts from the fruits of the land to share with our communities.
Shall We Bring In The May?
Spring is certainly springing around my home here in north-central Florida, and the whole of the Northern Hemisphere itself is alive with the sound of nature joyfully going about finding each other and bringing in the May.
Now if you don’t know what that term “Bringing in the May” means, well, it means going out into the woods and fields on Beltaine eve to gather flowers and greenery for decorations of home, altars and selves, and also to enjoy the many amorous possiblities of an unchaperoned night in the woods (oh for good mischief!).
With the birds singing, and the frogs croaking and the bees buzzing; the butterflies and dragonflies riding the breeze, coyote calling and wolves howling their love across the night sky, who knows what wondrous things may be found in those moon-dappled woods and meadows, or whom of the nature spirits or deities we may come across.
A young woman from my past lives came and shared with me this song she would sing to her beau about Bringing in the May. Come sing and play along!
Shall We Bring in the May?
https://merenking.bandcamp.com/track/shall-we-bring-in-the-may
(Quick dance step pace)(chords used: G D C)
[G] intro 8 beats
Shall we [G]go out in the forest, under the [D]full moon tonight?
Shall we [G]go amongst the trees, and see what we [D]find?
Shall I [G]go out alone? Or will you be [C]here by my side?
As we [G]venture forth to [D]find and bring in the [G]May!
(la la la la la la la la la la la laaaaa)
What [G]say you that we’ll find out here in these [D]moon dappled woods?
And [G]do you think we’ll see any sparkling [D]streams?
Oh to [G]lay with you on the moss, and listen to [C]flowing water sing,
What a [G]loverly way to [D]find and bring in the [G]May!
(la la la la la la la la la la la laaaaa)
Do you [D]think that we will see the [G]Green Man tonight?
Do you [D]think that Goddess walks this [G]grove?
Could it [D]be that they will meet under [G]this moonlight?
Joining [G]us as we [D]find and bring in the [G]May!
Shall we [G]go out in the forest, under the [D]full moon tonight?
Shall we [G]go amongst the trees, and see what we [D]find?
Shall we [G]go out alone, and will you be [C]here by my side?
As we [G]walk the woods to [D]find and bring in the [G]May!
(la la la la la la la la la la la laaaa)
What [G]say you won’t these flowers make the most [D]beautiful bough,
And [G]do you think these vines would make a nice[D] crown?
Oh to [G]dance with you ’round the fire and [C]into the night!
What a [G[delightful way to [D]find and bring in the [G]May!
(la la la la la la la la la la la laaaaa)
Shall we [G]go out in the forest, under the [D]full moon tonight?
Shall we [G]go amongst the trees, and see what we [D]find?
Shall we [G]honor the Goddess and the [C]God in our Dance?
Making [G]magic as we [D]find and bring in the[G]May!
(la la la la la la la la la la la laaaaa)
Do you [D]think that we will see the [G]Horned One tonight?
Do you [D]think the Green Woman walks this [G]way?
Are they [D]celebrating with us in the [G]grande Great Rite?
Yes, they’re [G]finding and they’re [D]bringing in the [G]May!
Shall we [G]go out in the forest, under the [D]full moon tonight?
Shall we [G]go amongst the trees, and see what we [D]find?
Shall we [G]go out alone? Or will you be [C]here by my side?
As we [G]venture forth to [D]find and bring in the [G]May!
(La la la la la la la la la la la la)
(slower)
(La la la la la la la la la la la la)
Beltaine / May Day Celebrations
As you return from the forest and meadow bearing the flowers, vines and other greenery you’ve collected on your adventure into the wild, those celebrants who didn’t venture out to bring in the May may have started laying out the feasting tables or setting up the Beltaine altar for that evening’s ritual.
Perhaps they’ve built and started the bonfire that you and your beau will be dancing around later in the night, or they’ve started to create the Maypole with its ribbons galore that will be sunk into the Earth on Beltaine/May Day.
As dancers weave around the base of the Maypole, each holding a ribbon, they create intricate patterns, symbolising the interplay of life, love, and the eternal cycle of seasons.
Create a Flower or Vine Crown or Wreath
Here are some ways to use the flowers and greenery you collected on your visit to the woods and meadows on Beltaine Eve:
A Simple Flower Crown:
1/ Find the flowers you want to make a crown of and trim the flower stems to about 4 inches. Use a fingernail or safety knife to make a small slit in the bottom half of each stem.
2/ Thread one stem through the slit in the next, creating a chain. Continue adding flowers to reach the desired length. To form a circle or crown, make a second slit in the stem of the first flower, and slip the last flower through it.
- If you learn better through visuals, here is a youtube video that shows you how to make the crown.
A Simple Ivy Crown:
1/ Find a nice, full ivy vine and cut off a piece about twice the length of your arm
2/ In the middle of the vine make a circle the size needed for your head.
3/ Wrap the two ends back onto this circle, twisting as you go.
4/ When you get to the ends, make sure they get wrapped and tucked into the vine crown to stabilize it.
Add flowers or ribbons to make this crown festive for May Day!
Use your creativity to combine the two methods above for a lovely, flowery, vine festooned crown for your self or your altar, or a bough for your home.
A Celebration of the Abundance of Life
As we move from the Spring Equinox/Ostara and the budding of life into the fullness of Beltane/May Day and into the abundance of the Sumner Solstice/Litha, let us celebrate the profusion of life bursting forth from our Great Mother Earth.
Through our public and private rituals we honor the union of the god and goddess which brings fertility and abundance to the earth, renewal of the natural world, and affirms the cycle of life that is the wheel of the year,
Blessed Beltane / Happy May Day!
For more information about Meren King, including her collected articles here on Pagan Song, her bio, and links to Meren’s sites on the web, check out Meren’s page on Pagan Song.
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