Celebrating Beltane With The Fae

Bright Beltane Blessings, witchlings! 🌞

And so another turn of the wheel brings us to the sacred day of the Fae. It’s no surprise that this day ties in so well with Faery Magick. Beltane is a joyous sabbat full of fertility, play, and new growth; basically all of the things fae love. The sun is out, plants have sprouted, flowers are blooming, animals are mating — Beltane is the quintessential celebration of life at its fullest. It also represents the union of the Maiden Goddess and the Horned God, so fertility, sex, and fiery passion are some of the big themes that witches focus on during this day. If you have a particular goal you’re reaching towards or dreams you'd like to manifest now is the time to do it!

Fire rituals, music, and dancing are all standard ways to celebrate this day, but there are plenty of other things you can do to welcome the Fae into your home and honor their presence during Beltane. Here are a few of our favorite ways to celebrate:

Get Outside

To sum it up perfectly: connecting with the Faerie Realm means connecting with Mother Nature’s cycle of life. The best way to do this is to go outside and soak in Spring’s energy. Beltane is the peak of the season, and with everything blooming outside it’s hard to resist going out for a walk -- as long as you’re properly distanced and staying safe, of course. We need time outside to recalibrate and ground ourselves, as it's all too easy to become disconnected with nature these days. If you can, find a calm place outside to meditate or do a guided journey to the Faery Realm. Take in the scenery, tend to your garden or potted plants, and show gratitude for all of the new growth of Spring. Pleasing the Fae really is that simple sometimes.

Build A Faery Altar

Creating a sacred space for the Fae in your home is a perfect way to celebrate Beltane. Your Fae Altar can be almost anything — a windowsill, bedside table, bookshelf, or even your bathroom counter will work just fine. You should place items on the altar that remind you of the Fae or hold their energy, such as warm crystals and fresh flowers. The Fae love decor, so feel free to add potted plants, small paintings, or handmade crafts onto the altar as well. You can also add touches of color that correspond with Beltane, such as red, pink, green, and yellow. The most important aspect of the Faery’s Beltane altar, however, is a candle. Get any candle you resonate with and set it in the center of your Beltane altar. Whenever you light the candle, thank the Fae for the blessings and ask them to gather around your homemade hearth to celebrate.

Be Artsy

The Fae love art. They want you to create and express your imagination, whether that be through painting, crafting, or music making. Whatever gets you in your artsy pants, make it happen during Beltane and ask the Fae to join in on your celebrations. We make a lot of handmade crafts, so we like to create small maypoles and spell jars during Beltane for the Fae to enjoy. The maypole is a symbolic union of the God and Goddess, representing the perfect balance of male and female and was traditionally danced around after sunrise, when frisky couples would return from their passionate adventures in the forest, often carrying flowers that they had picked along the way. If you want to create your own maypole, it’s super easy to do with stuff around your house! We like to make our own with sticks from the backyard and recycled t-shirts that we've cut up, but you can make one out of anything cylindrical, such as a hollow paper towel roll.

Offer The Fae A Beltane Treat

If there’s one thing almost any Fae will go crazy for, it’s fruit. A lot of the Fae that visit our resident fae witch during Beltane enjoy blueberries, pomegranates, and strawberries, but go with your intuition and choose whichever fruit resonates with your energy during this time. While leafy greens are a popular dish during our human Beltane feasts due to their associations with fertility and Spring, the fae like something a little sweeter. Offer them chocolate or small cakes and watch the Faery Magick start to pop off!

Another popular faery offering during Beltane comes from Celtic folklore, when Bannock would be left out for the fae at night in order to win their favor. If you're looking for an easy ritual recipe that you and your household fae can enjoy during Beltane, our resident kitchen witch created a brand new Beltane Muffins recipe in honor of the traditional bannocks recipe used in older celebrations:

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk

• 1 cup blueberry granola, plus ¼ cup for topping

• 1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Start your preparation by enhancing the energy in your kitchen. You can do this by putting on your favorite playlist, lighting your favorite candle, or burning some incense — basically any act that will liven up your mood and encourage positive vibes around you.

After the energy is raised in the kitchen, combine the milk and granola in a bowl. Give it a stir or two holding the intention of longevity and happiness. Set aside for 20 minutes so the granola soaks up some moisture. This part is crucial to the recipe! If you find the granola hasn’t soaked up any moisture after 20 minutes, give it a stir and wait 10 more minutes.

While you wait on your granola to soak, preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or use cupcake liners. If using cupcake liners, you can add a bit of extra magick to your preparations by drawing sigils, symbols, or words of affirmations on the bottom of each liner. This will further enchant your muffins with the specific intentions, just make sure to write your sigil on the outside of the liner and make sure the ink is dry before adding to the pan.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl until combined. As you’re whisking, reflect on what makes you the happiest and brings you the most joy in life. Set aside.

Whisk the melted butter, honey, egg, and vanilla extract together in a medium bowl until combined. As you’re whisking, reflect on what ignites your inner flame and sparks the most motivation for you.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stir a few times, then add the soaked granola and milk. Fold everything together gently until just combined. As you’re doing this, imagine all the intentions and reflections you’ve held swirling together creating an infusion of inspiring joy and passion.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, filling them all the way to the top. Top with granola and a light sprinkle of brown sugar for a sweetened, magickal boost. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 16-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Once the muffins are cool, take one and place it on your altar. Get a second muffin and plate it for yourself, taking it with you to sit in front of your altar space. Take a moment to call upon the Fae spirits, asking them to join you in this Beltane feast. Hold the intention that the additional muffin serves as an offering to the Fae to show thanks for their presence and influence in your life. Fae spirits will value this respect and return it with their bountiful blessings. Enjoy eating your muffin and leave the offering on your altar overnight to allow the Fae to feast upon its essence. The next day, take your muffin outside and bury it close to your front door as a way to symbolize the continued welcome of blessings you wish to receive from the Fae and thank them for their visit.

You may eat the rest of your muffins over the remaining days. You can offer a piece of each muffin before you consume it either by placing it on your altar, or leaving it in the area where you buried the other muffin. Each time you eat a muffin, take a moment to recognize its essence and take in all the energy you baked into it. This will allow you to carry those vibrations with you throughout the day!

We hope these tips help you honor the fiery passion of the season and embrace your inner fire. Whatever way you choose to celebrate, we hope you have a bright and blessed Beltane! 🔥