A story

Long ago, in the rolling hills of a land where ancient stones stood sentinel against the sky, lived a young girl. Her mother was a renowned weaver, her fingers dancing across the loom, creating tapestries that told the stories of their people. The girl loved listening to these tales, especially those whispered about the turning of the seasons.

As the warmth of spring deepened, her grandmother, the village lore-keeper, began to speak of Beltane. Her grandmother explained that it was a time when the veil between worlds thinned, a moment of great energy and potential. “We honor the peak of spring’s power,” she said, her eyes twinkling like the first stars. “It is a festival of life, of fertility for the land and for our spirits.”

The young girl learned that the heart of Beltane was the lighting of two great bonfires. One was kindled with “need-fire,” created by friction, a symbol of new beginnings and purification. The villagers would then drive their cattle between these two flames, believing it would cleanse and protect them from disease in the coming year. The second fire was for community, a place for feasting, singing, and dancing, celebrating the abundance of the earth and the promise of the summer to come.

Her grandmother recounted how Beltane was a time for courtship and new partnerships, mirroring the burgeoning life all around them. Young people would gather flowers, especially the bright yellow of gorse, and adorn themselves and their homes, celebrating the beauty and vibrancy of the season. They would also leave “May Bushes” decorated with ribbons and flowers at the doors of those they admired.

One Beltane morning, the girl helped her mother gather wildflowers, their baskets overflowing with the sweet-scented blossoms. As they walked towards the gathering place where the bonfires would soon be lit, her mother pointed to the fields. “See how the crops are reaching for the sun? Beltane is a reminder that just as the earth is fertile, so too are our ideas and our dreams. It is a time to plant the seeds of our intentions for the brighter months ahead.”

That evening, as the flames danced high against the twilight sky, the young girl felt a deep connection to the traditions of her ancestors. She understood that Beltane was more than just a festival; it was a way of honoring the cyclical nature of life, of acknowledging the power of growth and renewal, and of celebrating the vibrant energy that flowed through the land and through their community. The two flames, burning brightly, symbolized not just protection for their livestock, but also the spark of life and the warmth of togetherness that sustained them all. She loved these stories, woven through generations, with the threads that bound them to their past and guided them towards the future, just like the intricate patterns her mother created on her loom.