Witchcraft May Day is a celebration that combines the traditions of both witchcraft and May Day. May Day, also known as Beltane, is a pagan festival that marks the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. It is a time to welcome the arrival of summer and to celebrate fertility and abundance. In the witchcraft community, May Day is considered a powerful time for spellcasting and practicing magic. During Witchcraft May Day, witches and pagans come together to honor the changing of the seasons and to connect with nature. They may gather in outdoor spaces, such as a forest or a meadow, to perform rituals and ceremonies.
They may gather in outdoor spaces, such as a forest or a meadow, to perform rituals and ceremonies. These rituals often involve lighting bonfires, dancing around maypoles, and making offerings to deities and spirits. The day is also associated with the concept of "the veils between worlds" being thin, meaning that communication with spirits and ancestors is more accessible during this time.
Hold my broom: May Day / Beltane
You don't have to get skyclad and howl at the moon to celebrate May Day (based on the Gaelic holiday, Beltane), but we're not judging you if you do. Today is simply about stopping to smell the flowers.
By Molly Snyder Senior Writer Published May 01, 2021 at 10:31 AMHold My Broom is an OnMilwaukee exclusive series exploring the magickal, mystical and cackle-worthy.
For many, May 1 marks the time when we can finally start getting stoked for summer. Others know it as May Day – a Euro-based spring holiday only vaguely recognized in the United States – that encourages people to commune with nature in whatever way it works for them, from firing up the grill to digging in the dirt until sundown.
May Day is also International Workers’ Day, or what my partner calls, “The real Labor Day.”
May Day might also conjure images of poles adorned with ribbons and folks getting frisky outdoors (ahem), but now we’re also talking about a holiday that May Day is based on: Beltane.
Beltane is a Gaelic holiday celebrating the halfway point between the spring equinox (March 21) and the summer solstice (June 21). Traditionally, Beltane was a focus on fire and fertility; a time of seed-planting in all of its forms and joy.
Today it is celebrated by Pagans, Wiccans and spiritual nature lovers alike. For some, it includes rituals both old and new, for others it is simply a time to pause and reflect on growth, literally and/or metaphysically.
In short, Beltane is a time to stop and smell the flowers.
For me, it’s the time of year when I shave winter’s afghan off my legs and blaze up fires in my yard on a regular basis. This year, I tracked down someone whom I hadn’t spoke to in many years, but who had great impact on my family’s life and I knew was a celebrator of this shift into summer.
Mary O’Connell is a farm-based educator who owns Paradise Farms in West Bend. Many moons ago, she was the director of LifeWays, an early childhood center located in the magical Koenen nature preserve in Riverwest and the place both my sons started their journey into the world without me.
Last week, I called to ask her if she was doing anything cool on the farm for the first of May, and like I was hoping, she is indeed.
Mary was in the process of creating a maypole with 10 families who had been coming to the farm every Wednesday for months to learn about nature, spend time safely with others during the pandemic and meet like-minded families with whom they could further build a community.
“This was the perfect activity for us. Both adults and kids participated from start to finish: went into the woods, found a dead tree, hauled it out, cut off the branches, dug a hole, made a ‘May Crown’ for the top, cut ribbons and hung them from the crown," she says.
Since then, the group has been practicing traditional maypole dances in preparation for a May Day celebration next week. One of the dances she told me is called “The Spider’s Web” where people move around each other and weave a web of ribbons above their heads. Another is called “The Barbers Pole” where they methodically and joyfully wrap the ribbons around the trunk so it looks similar to an actual barber’s pole.
At the end of our call, Mary pointed out that people can celebrate May Day/Beltane – and any holiday or event for that matter – however they want, as big or as small as they are able and in whatever way works for them.
“You don’t have to go fell a tree in the forest,” says Mary. “Some years I just wrapped crepe paper around a pole in my garage.”
Happy May Day, Merry Beltane to all.
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Molly Snyder Senior Writer @mollysnyderMKE
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
Newborns of the body or imagination conceived on Beltane are “Merry Begots,” full of enough aliveness, love, joy, humor to confound the toughest logic and direst doomsday predictions .
Witches may perform divination or seek guidance from the spirit realm for their personal growth and spiritual development. They may also use this opportunity to connect with the goddess of the season, often represented as the Maiden, who symbolizes new beginnings and growth. Additionally, the celebration of Witchcraft May Day often involves the practice of traditional folk magic. This can include creating charms and talismans for protection and good luck, making herbal potions and remedies, or engaging in traditional healing practices. Overall, Witchcraft May Day is a time for witches and pagans to come together, celebrate the arrival of summer, and tap into the powerful energy of the season to enhance their magical practices. It is a time of joy, connection with nature, and the exploration of one's spiritual path..
Reviews for "May Day Rituals for Cleansing and Renewal in Witchcraft"
1. Ethan - 2 stars
I was really looking forward to reading "Witchcraft May Day" because I love supernatural stories. However, I found this book to be extremely disappointing. The storyline was confusing and all over the place, making it difficult to follow what was happening. The characters were also poorly developed, and I didn't feel any connection or interest in them. Overall, "Witchcraft May Day" lacked the depth and coherence that I look for in a book, and I wouldn't recommend it to others.
2. Olivia - 1 star
I struggled to finish "Witchcraft May Day", and I ultimately regretted even starting it. The writing style was incredibly dull, and the dialogue felt forced and unnatural. The plot was predictable and cliché, leaving no room for surprises or excitement. Additionally, the pacing of the book was incredibly slow, with long, unnecessary descriptions that added nothing to the story. I was hoping for a thrilling read, but unfortunately, "Witchcraft May Day" failed to deliver.
3. James - 2 stars
"Witchcraft May Day" had an intriguing concept, but it fell short in execution. The writing was lackluster, with a lack of descriptive language or engaging prose. The characters felt one-dimensional and lacked depth, making it difficult to care about their fates. The pacing was also inconsistent, with slow moments that dragged on and lacked purpose. Overall, "Witchcraft May Day" had the potential to be an engaging read, but it failed to captivate my interest.