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Beltane

Celebrated on May 1st, Beltane marks the transition point from Spring to Summer on the Wiccan Wheel of the Year. This is a heady time of lust, passion and fertility, marking the return of vitality to both the Earth and the Sun. Blossoms on the trees are giving way to robust leaf growth, young animals are growing into maturity, and the daylight continues to lengthen and strengthen as we move toward the full power of Summer. Love and commitment are themes of this Sabbat, along with abundance and creativity. Handfastings, or Wiccan wedding ceremonies, are traditionally held at Beltane.

Beltane is a very sensual Sabbat in many Wiccan traditions, celebrating sexual energy and co-creation. Wiccan mythology holds that the God and Goddess come together in physical union at this time, having reached full maturity in their growth over the Spring. Their coupling ensures the continued propagation of all life, as now the God will be reborn of the Goddess after he dies in late Autumn. It also symbolizes the coming together of masculine and feminine energies at work in all creation. This is when the Goddess begins to step into her Mother aspect, and the God has almost reached the height of his power.