How to Celebrate Beltane: Enchanted Rituals, Crafts & Symbols

Celebrate Beltane!   With spring flowers dripping from every tree and pushing their way out of the rich, fertile earth, Beltane marks the time of year for joy, abundance, and time spent in the natural world.

Use the time to work with all the land offers you.

From handmade flower crowns to red-and-white themed potlucks and even mini maypoles, I rounded up the best of Moody Moon’s Beltane ideas for your consideration.

(Last updated 4/11/2024/2023)

What is Beltane?

Beltane (sometimes called May Day or Bealtaine) is one of the major spring holidays on the Wheel of the Year.  Mostly commonly celebrated on May 1st (between Litha and Ostara), Beltane is a fire festival that honors the transition from spring to summer.

In the context of modern witchcraft and neopaganism, Beltane is inspired by the Gaelic seasonal celebrations (in addition to Samhain, Imbolc, and Lammas).

It is a festival of spring fertility, a time to reflect on the seeds you’ve sewn (both literally, and figuratively) and to honor the newly emerging growth in your life.

Celebrating Beltane is a unique, meaningful way to honor the natural cycles of springtime and to embrace change in your life.

The May Queen:  Sovereign of Fairies & Flowers

No discussion of Beltane would be complete without mentioning the supreme symbol of the holiday, The May Queen.

In Celtic mythology, the May Queen is the ultimate representation of spring fertility & divine feminine beauty. 

The ancients believed in the May Queen’s mystical power to bless the land for abundance, nourishing the crops and ensuring a fruitful crop in the coming harvest.

The May Queen is sometimes associated with her masculine counterpart, the Green Man, a symbol of nature’s vitality and renewal.

Together, they represent the eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

In medieval Europe, May Day celebrations often included the crowning of a young woman as the May Queen, who would lead processions and festivities in honor of spring. 

In modern times, the May Queen continues to be celebrated in various forms. Some communities (most notably, the Beltane festival in Edinburgh, Scotland) still uphold ancient customs, organizing May Day festivals with maypole dances and crowning ceremonies.

The Green Man

Often depicted peering out from the heavy green foliage wearing a crown of stag horns, the Green Man is the May Queen’s male counterpart.

Known as “Cernunnos” or “Herne the Hunter” in some Celtic traditions, he is a god of the forest, wilderness, and wildlife.  

Mythologically, some practitioners consider him a psychopomp (a spirit or entity that guides newly dead souls into the afterlife).  This symbol of life unto death/death unto life is a recognition that from the rot of winter emerges the new life of spring.  

Beltane Correspondences

Symbols

Bonfires.  The bonfire is perhaps the most iconic centerpiece of many Beltane parties.  The fire symbolizes cleansing, rejuvenation, and the fertility that emerges from the death of winter.

Flower crowns.   Do remember the dreamy, peaceful feeling of making daisy chains as a child?  The slow, meditative experience of linking one after the other and letting a lazy spring or summer afternoon drift away among the flowers?  Flower crowns are a Beltane symbol of fertility, growth and slow-living.

The May Pole.  The May Pole is a traditionally phallic symbol that represents the masculine aspect of fertility.  The dance around a Maypole is a dance of the interconnectedness of the cycles of life.

Fairies.  You don’t need to believe in fairies to incorporate their delightful energy into your magical practice.  Get familiar with them during the season of Beltane.  Adorn your altar with fairy figures or incorporate a fairy theme in your magical garden at this time of year.

Bulb Flowers.  Spring bulb flowers are planted during the autumn months.  All winter long, they store the energy of your garden efforts, bursting up to life as the first sign of the land awakening.  This process is a perfect metaphor—and a perfect celebration—of the magic of the season.

Here are some common ways to use these symbols in your celebration of Beltane.

Beltane Flowers

Any springtime flower that is in season in your area is a perfect addition to your Beltane celebration.  The following are some of the more common ones association with this holiday.

Bluebells.  These tiny, delicate woodland flowers appear in the forest during the late spring season as a symbol of the invisible magic of the forest.  Gather bluebells to adorn the altar or honor the fae for Beltane.

Daisies.  Use daisies in flower crowns or garland to decorate your altar, your home, or even your hair!  Daisies represent playfulness, joy and early childhood.

Peonies.  A perfect blossom for cutting, fill vases in your home with peonies during Beltane to drag in the spirit of the season and rejoice in the fullness of spring.

Beltane Gemstones

Garnet.  The deep red of garnet represents the life blood of fertility and the romantic feelings inspired by spring.  Place garnet on the altar to inspire feelings of love and attraction between you and your partner.

Moss agate.  This gemstone symbolizes the rich, fertile ground of spring and the spirit of the woodlands.  It is a perfect symbol of the Green Man and the earthy energies of the season.

Red Jasper.  A gemstone ruled by the Element of Fire, red jasper is a symbol of passion, love, and the Beltane ritual fires. 

Opal.  The shimmering iridescence of opal is associated with fairies, sprites, and the woodland spirits of spring.  

Beltane Herbs

The season between Ostara and Beltane is the best time to harvest spring herbs.  Here are a few to pile on the altar when you celebrate Beltane.

Mint.  The bright, fresh scent of mint calls to mind the newness of spring.  Hang fresh mint over the Beltane altar to dry for use later in the season.  It will make your ritual space smell glorious!

Mugwort.  Mugwort is especially sacred to the green witch.  It begins to appear in early spring and is typically abundant by Beltane.  Forage for mugwort in the wastelands or even the cracks between the sidewalks this time of year.  It is invasive, so harvesting it is a sustainable practice.

Lemongrass.  Like mint, lemongrass has a bright, fresh scent that clears the mind and prepares the spirit for new beginnings.  Boil it on the stove on a cool spring morning to fill your home with the aromatic essence of the season and clear away tired, old energies.

How to Celebrate Beltane

1.  Make flower crowns.  

A lovely Beltane activity for a coven or if you have little girls in the family.  

Everyone can pick their own wildflowers.  Or, make an afternoon of it and take a trip to the flower farm.

Here is a basic tutorial on how to make flower crowns.

2.  Make mini maypoles.

Certainly, if you have the time and space to create an epic maypole in your backyard, complete with streamers and wildflowers and the whole deal, go for it.

But if that’s not in your budget or doesn’t fit within your time constraints, try this adorable tutorial for making mini maypoles.  

Make them with the kids and let them pick the ribbon colors, or design your own and give them away at your Beltane ritual.

3.  Whip up some fairy cakes.

Honor the fairies or woodland spirits during the time between Beltane and Litha, when the forest comes alive with the spirit of spring and summer.

Make Beltane cakes from candied wildflowers and give them away, or leave one as an offering along your favorite woodland walking path.

4.  Get busy.  

This is generally a family-friendly blog, so I decline to go into details here.

But if you happen to be in a relationship right now, Beltane is a traditional time to . . . reconnect with your partner.

Be creative and adventurous.  A lot of people enjoy the outdoor setting.  I recommend a secluded area.  There’s no need to get arrested.  But you wouldn’t be the first couple, so whatever moves your groove.

5.  Have a red and white themed potluck.  

The colors red and white have strong association with Beltane.  Why not throw a potluck where all the guests bring something edible that is either red or white?  Let everyone get creative to come up with different ideas.

To start, try making this Beltane Cherry Bourbon Strudel.

Consider any of the following red-and-white spring foods to serve:

-fresh seasonal strawberries and cream

-red meat

-red wine

-radishes

-pastries with edible red flowers (such as candied roses)

6.  Get stupid drunk on a spring wine of your choice.

Rieslings, dandelion wines and floral blends are all popular choices.

Go ahead.  Kill the bottle.  Kill two.  I think we’ve established this is a day of indulgence.

(For more ideas on using wine for the Sabbats, check out Pairing Wine with Ritual.)

7.  Build an enormous fire.  

Beltane is a fire festival, and jumping over the Beltane fire is supposed to heal old wounds and bring good luck.

Whether or not you actually jump over it ought to depend on how much dandelion wine you’ve had.

The wrong ratios here can go very wrong.

8.  Experiment with wildflowers in your spellcraft.

Take advantage of all those wildflowers.  They’re free, abundant, beautiful and totally usable in spellcraft.

Everything about the process of incorporating flowers—from gathering them by hand on a long nature walk to arranging them in a way that pleases you on your Beltane altar—is an indulgence in the spirit and wonder of spring.  

Here are some of the many ways to use wildflowers in witchcraft.

9.  Cast a fertility spell.   

Both Ostara and Beltane are nice timing for fertility rites if you’re planning on conceiving soon.

Harness the fertility of the natural world with a fertility ritual.

Or, if you’re struggling, take the time to honor your struggle with fertility and acknowledge all the feelings that come with that.

10.  Cast a love spell.  

Beltane is a holiday of romance, love and the joy of couplehood.  

There is no better time of year for pushing your romantic situation in a better direction.

Get started by trying your hand at a love spell.

Or, keep it simple.  Adding love-friendly gemstones (like garnet or rose quartz) to your ritual space, or romance flowers like pink roses, is a lovely way to invite attraction and feminine beauty into your life.

11.  Indulge in a ritual bath for beauty.

If you’re a solitary witch, a ritual bath nice way to celebrate Beltane in a private way.  

Fill the tub with flowers, herbs and skin-nourishing oils.

In particular, Beltane is ideal for beauty spells, so create a bath with that theme in mind, with gorgeous spring flowers, rose oil and images of beauty.

Happy Beltane!

12.  Create a beautiful Beltane altar.

Spend some time mindfully creating a beautiful Beltane altar.  The temporary nature of the altar encourages us to reflect on the changing of the seasons and the temporary nature of all things.  Any of the following symbols are perfect for your altar:

Seasonal flowers.  Especially those you collect yourself or grew in your very own magical garden.  Hand weave them into garlands and let them dry naturally.  Once dried, store them in glass jars for spell work later in the season.

Fairy wings and figurines.  Pro tip:  The kind of fairy houses and figurines intended for fairy gardens look adorable on the altar from Ostara all the way to Litha.  Pick up some from the dollar store or a thrift store during early garden season.

Maypoles.  I like to make a mini maypole and make it the centerpiece of my Beltane altar.  They’re an easy, fun craft (see above) that makes a great seasonal activity for kids and grownups alike!

Red & white.  Both red and white are sacred to this holiday.  Use an altar cloth that integrates these two colors, or twist together red and white ribbons to use as seasonal decor.