Beltaine

Grounding and Centering
”Welcome to our Beltaine celebration.  Let us begin by clearing and releasing all excess energy.   Release all tensions and anxieties.   Just let them flow through and out of your body, like a gentle wave of energy, exiting through the soles of your feet.”

Prepare Salt and Water

 “Behold, I cleanse you, O spirit of Earth, casting out from you any impurities which may lie within.”

“And I do Bless and Charge you to this work!”

 “Behold, I cleanse you, O spirit of Water, casting out from you any impurities which may lie within.”

“And I do Bless and Charge you to this work!”

“Behold, the Salt is pure!”

“Behold, the Water is pure!”

“Purity into purity, and purity be blessed!”

Prepare Fire and Incense

 “Behold, I cleanse you, O spirit of Fire, casting out from you any impurities which may lie within.”

“And I do Bless and Charge you to this work!”
 
“Behold, I cleanse you, O spirit of Air, casting out from you any impurities which may lie within.”

“And I do Bless and Charge you to this work!”

“Behold, the Fire is pure!”

“Behold, the Air is pure!”

“Purity into purity and purity be blessed!”

CAST THE CIRCLE

 “Behold, we do cut apart a place between the realms of humankind and of the Mighty Ones: a Circle of Art to focus and contain the powers we shall raise herein! The Circle is cast! So Mote It Be!”

ALL
”So Mote It Be!”
 
CALL THE QUARTERS

East
“I do invoke You, O Golden Eagle of the East! Power of Air! The beating of Your wings raises the winds of inspiration and enlightenment! Share with us Your powers of thought and delineation, that we may have clarity of mind and thought.   Join us: be with us: guide and inspire us in this our holy ritual! We bid You Hail and Welcome”

ALL
“Hail and Welcome!”
 

South
“I do invoke You, O Red Dragon of the South! Power of Fire! You breathe forth the flames of passion and manifestation! Share with us Your powers of creativity and courage that our actions may be confident and effective! Join us: be with us: guide and inspire us in this our holy ritual! We bid You Hail and welcome!”

ALL
“Hail and Welcome!”
 
West
“I do invoke You, O Blue Dolphin of the west!  Power of Water! From Your blow hole You spout waves of sensitivity and compassion! Share with us Your powers of love and empathy that our emotions may be open and free-flowing! Join us: be with us: guide and inspire us in this our holy ritual! We bid You Hail and Welcome!”

ALL
“Hail and Welcome!”

 North
“I do invoke You, O Black Bear of the North! Power of Earth! You make Your home in the cave which resonates with wisdom and understanding! Share with us Your powers of focus and integration that we may be steady and well grounded! Join us: be with us: guide us and inspire us in this our holy ritual!”
ALL
“Hail and Welcome!”

WELCOME DEITIES AND ANCESTORS

PRIESTESS
“O Mother Goddess! Giver of Life and Author of Existence! From Your endless bounty You create and sustain the Universe, and us, Your children.   Holy Mother, at this time of greatest rejoicing, we call to You and do invoke You! Be with us, we pray.   Share with us our happiness and accept our love and thanks for all You bring to us.   Divine and Bountiful One we bid You Hail and Welcome!”

ALL
“Hail and Welcome!”

PRIEST
“Oh God, we do invoke You in Your form as Lover: Divine Consort and Helpmeet of the Goddess.   Lord of Life, God of the Sun and Spirit of the growing things, we invite You to join us in this most holy rite, which honors Your union with the Mother! From Her and for Her You were created: Her Son, Her Brother, and Her Consort.   Your union brings fertility and life to the world! O God we bid You Hail and Welcome!”

ALL
“Hail and Welcome!”
 

INVOKE ANCESTORS
“O Mighty Ancestors, Beloved Ones Who have gone before, We invoke You and ask You to join us and to Bless us! Ancestors of the Correllian Tradition, Priestesses and Priests, Mothers and Uncles of the lineage, Spiritual family which aids and supports us –lend us Your inspiration and Your love, Your guidance and Your aid this night, we pray.   Beloved Ones, we bid You Hail and Welcome!”

ALL
“Hail and Welcome!”

"We come together this afternoon to celebrate the feast of Beltaine.   Now begins the Light Half of the Year.   The light has been returning since Yule, beginning as a spark in the dark of night and growing stronger and brighter through the months.   Now the Goddess, Lady of Life, unites with the Lord of the Sun, Who has come into His glory.   Their loving union will lead us on to the fruitful months of summer.   If Samhain is the feast of death and the Spirits, Beltaine is the feast of life and the living.   It is a time for joy and love.   Let us therefore have love in our hearts as we celebrate this most sacred ceremony!"

MAY QUEEN AND MAY KING CEREMONY
 
The May King steps forward with athame or sword.

MAY KING
“I am the Lord of Life.   The Sun is My body, no less than the greening trees and fields, or the blue sky with its passing clouds.   The Sun is My body, and His rays are My passion, His light My joy and inspiration.   In Midwinter I am reborn, and in the season of the Ram I arise and unfold in the sprouting seeds and growing plants.   I call to My Sister the Maiden: ‘Come and play with Me!’ I warm Her cold Earth with My rays and melt the ice which had held Her.   I touch Her with My light, and awaken Her loving heart.   She turns to me and Her Heart is open.   Now I come for Her, to join with Her and stand with Her in this season of Life.”

The May King now holds up the Athame, as he continues to speak:

“My Blade is the Phallus of Light: The Staff of Secullos: The Great Lightning Bolt which defines the borders of all things: the Horizon of Space and Time, of Night and Day, of Life and Death.   Only through Light is one thing distinct from another, for all is as one in the darkness.   Light makes us individual and specific –light is as the Blade which separates.   Be this Blade now Blessed in the name of the Lord of Life, and may it be a source of never-ending Blessing!”
 
Now may the May Queen come forward and speak with the chalice.  

MAY QUEEN
“I am the Lady of Life.   The Earth is My body, no less than the Moon and stars or the vastness of space.   The Earth is My body and the plants and animals which live upon Her are My children.   Through the cold of Winter I have lain sleeping, protecting the roots and seeds beneath My blanket of white.   The groundhog called My name and I awoke as the Maiden: the ice cracked and the first buds appeared.   The singing of birds filled the mornings.   Feeling the warmth of the waxing Sun I arose.   I guided the tender shoots, and painted the newborn flowers with the colors of dawn.   I hear My Brother’s voice and I am filled with love –the fields flower and Summer comes!”

The May Queen now holds up the Chalice and says:

“My Chalice is the Womb of Creation: The Cauldron of Plenty which can never be emptied: The White Hole which gives rebirth to the matter which the Black Hole has swallowed.   It is the dark cave from which all things come and to which all things in time return.   In the Darkness which is our origin, all is One, undifferentiated and in Union.   I am One, and in Me you are One –Hear My voice, for I dwell within your Heart.   Be this Chalice then Blessed in the name of the Lady of Life, and may it be a source of union and of love!”
 
The May Queen and May King now come together.   The May Queen holds out the Chalice and the May King holds the Athame aloft. 
MAY KING
“The God is not greater than the Goddess.”

MAY QUEEN
“Nor is the Goddess greater than the God”

MAY KING
“But both are equal”

MAY QUEEN
“And neither is complete without the other.”

The May King now plunges the Athame into the Chalice

ALL
“So Mote It Be”

The Chalice is placed upon the altar with the Athame still in it.   It will be used later for the toast as it is now Blessed.  

PRIEST
”Behold, in the name of the Goddess and the God may this produce of the Earth be Blessed.  As we share it may we refreshed, sustained, and strengthened.  So Mote it Be!”

ALL
“So Mote it Be!”

The May King and May Queen now join hands and dance in a deosil circle three times around.   If there is a May Pole, they should dance around it, if not they should simply dance in the center of the Circle.
 

Pass chalice around the circle.

THANK THE DIETIES AND THE ANCESTORS

DEVOKE ANCESTORS
“Beloved Ancestors, You Who have gone before, Your wisdom and Your example guide us.   We pray that You will be with us and aid us as we go forward, that we may call upon the strength and knowledge of the past, even as we build the future.   We thank You for Your presence and Your aid this night, and at all times.   May You Blessed be in all things.   We offer You our love and our respect! We bid You Hail and Farewell!”

ALL
“Hail and farewell!”

PRIESTESS
“Holy and bountiful Mother Goddess, Lady of Life and Mistress of fertility -We thank You for Your presence and Your aid this night, and at all times.   We offer You our love, and our respect! We bid You Hail and farewell!”

ALL
“Hail and farewell!”

PRIEST
“Divine Lover, Consort of Our Lady, Lord of renewed Life, Master of the Sun and of the Fields -We thank You for Your presence and Your aid this night, and at all times.   We offer You our love and our respect! We bid You Hail and farewell!”

ALL
“Hail and farewell!”

THANK THE QUARTERS

North
“We thank You, Black Bear of the North! Power of Earth! We rejoice in the guidance and the aid You give us! May the Blessing Be upon You now and always! With love and with respect we bid You Hail and Farewell!”

ALL
“Hail and Farewell!”

West
“We thank You, Blue Dolphin of the west! Power of Water! We rejoice in the guidance and the aid You give us! May the Blessing Be upon You now and always! With love and with respect we bid You Hail and Farewell!”

ALL
“Hail and Farewell!”
 
South
“We thank You, Red Dragon of the South! Power of Fire! We rejoice in the guidance and the aid You give us! May the Blessing Be upon You now and always! With love and with respect we bid You Hail and Farewell!”

ALL
“Hail and Farewell!”
 
East
“We thank You, Golden Eagle of the East! Power of Air! We rejoice in the guidance and the aid You give us! May the Blessing Be upon You now and always! With love and with respect we bid You Hail and Farewell!”

ALL
“Hail and Farewell!”
 
RELEASE SACRED SPACE

PRESIDING CLERIC
“Behold: As Above, So Below! As the Universe, So the Soul! As Within, So Without! May the Circle be Open, but never Broken! Merry Meet –Merry Part –and Merry Meet again!”

Cleanse and release all excess energy.

  (Correllian tradition, reprinted with permission of Rev. Don Lewis)