May Day
The First Day of May brings new beginnings and fresh starts. It is also the day of Beltane, an ancient and original fire festival symbolising celebration, fertility, and purification.
A Portal to Summer
May Day/Vårdag/Beltane is one of the key nature celebrations on the Wheel of the Year, serving as the seasonal counterpart to Samhain in the autumn. Beltane falls about halfway between the Spring Equinox (Ostara) and the upcoming Summer Solstice (Litha)—exactly six months from Samhain on the Wheel of the Year.
Just as Samhain is a portal to winter, Beltane is a portal to summer. Celebrated for centuries, it marks a threshold time—a moment between worlds—when we can open ourselves to the power of nature and its elements.
Beltane is the pagan name for May Day, a day that has been celebrated in Nordic, Germanic, and Celtic traditions, with roots reaching back to the Bronze Age. Originally a fire festival, the word Beltane comes from a Celtic sun god known as Bel or sometimes the “Bright One.” In Gaelic it means “Bright Fire.” On this day, sacred fires were lit, lovers jumped over the fire, and cattle and other animals were purified with the smoke. The festival marks the arrival of summer and the life-giving radiance of the sun.
Beltane is the a time when the land comes into its fullest expression. It is a time to be surrounded by the beauty of spring, to bid a final farewell to winter, and to embrace a blooming future. A threshold moment—an invitation to release the past and step forward with courage, dreams, and visions, infusing our lives with creativity, passion, and vitality.
On this day, the veil is thin, making it a powerful time to set intentions and step more fully into our light. Through celebration and ritual, we are supported in travelling between worlds, opening to blessings, and connecting with the elements, our guides, and our ancestors.
Weaving of the Soul
One of the key themes of Beltane is the weaving of the soul—bringing the sacred back into the physical world. It is also about keeping the heart open, and recognising and celebrating love in all its forms. Other themes include sacred union, fertility, beauty, and the balancing of opposites.
As a festival celebrated when the land becomes lush and fertile, Beltane carries a sensual quality, reminding us to reconnect with and care for our physical bodies.
This is the perfect time of year to consider what energises and lights us up. What fills you with passion and inspires you? What is coming into bloom?
Celebrations of The Goddess, Fertility and Divine Union
Traditionally May has also been the month in which many ancient goddesses of fertility were especially celebrated.
Long before the rise of patriarchy, when the goddess was revered as the highest deity, rituals were held to honour her through the symbolic union of a sacred king and queen.
These figures embodied the Divine Mother or Queen of Heaven and her consort or king. They were ceremonially “married” for a single day in a sacred ritual known as Hieros Gamos—the Holy Wedding—meant to symbolically stimulate the fertility of the Earth. The May celebration honoured this sacred union of god and goddess—a union that brought fertility, creation, and life.
Among the Germanic and Celtic peoples, May has long been celebrated with the decorating of a Maypole with green branches and flowers—an act still carried on in parts of the world today. In Sweden, this tradition has shifted to midsummer.
In Greece, this was when Persephone returned from the Underworld to her mother Demeter, bringing life and abundance back to the land. It was the time when Aphrodite—the goddess of love—emerged from her winter bath in the deep sea, and when Ishtar honored the rebirth of Tammuz through ritual lovemaking.
Earth, Fire and Water
Beltane is a feast of joy that celebrates new life, fertility, and love, with many of its original traditions rooted in the elements of Earth, Fire, and Water.
The Earth element is represented by the abundance of herbs and flowers during this season, connecting us to a blooming chapter. The Fire element is embodied in the tradition of jumping over fire—a ritual act of releasing winter and welcoming the warmth and light of the coming season. The Water element is honoured through the practice of visiting holy wells and springs around this day, invoking healing, blessing, and renewal.
May Day connects us to the vibrant energy of spring: to flowers, release, joy, and life itself—through gatherings, rituals, and celebration. It is a magical time, inviting us to awaken our longings and manifest our love into the world.
Take some time today to honour the fertility of the Earth. Pick a wildflower bouquet, decorate your home, make a wreath, or light a fire. Or gather your friends for a community celebration in the coming days to rejoice in the spirit of life.
Today is a day to mist your face with meadow dew, walk beneath the trees, adorn your home with flowers, and dance barefoot as you pass through the portal to a blooming future.
May the fertility of the Earth bring prosperity and abundance to your home and community.
May you be surrounded by the beauty of nature and the richness of life.
May the Beltane fires light your way and guide you towards new beginnings and opportunities.
May you be surrounded by love, warmth, and the energy of growth and renewal.
Beltane Blessings
Sidsel Solmer Eriksen, Founding Editor
May Day & BELTANE rituals
Fire Purification Ritual
Beltane is a powerful time to celebrate the threshold of a new season, as we finally bid farewell to winter and step through the portal into summer. Fire is the alchemy that frees us from the past, allowing us to release the old and create space for new intentions—intentions that can help us step further into our light.
Gather some incense, sage, palo santo, or head into nature to collect some dry birch bark.
Light a fire or candle.
Set an intention for what you wish to purify and release.
Light the incense, sage, or birch bark.
Watch the smoke clear the air. See how the flame shines brighter and brighter.
Meditate and breathe, allowing yourself to let go.
If you feel called, move your body or dance to awaken the fire within.
Potluck Picnic
May Day marks the beginning of the outdoor season in the Northern Hemisphere. After a long period of hibernation, it's (finally!) time to emerge from our nests and expand both our living space and social hours. The returning light brings renewed energy, and we begin to crave more gatherings with friends.
Beltane is a wonderful time for a kinfolk gathering in the green outdoors—perfect for celebrating with a potluck or picnic.
To revive the magic of ancient traditions, light a fire and jump over it together.
Sing. Dance. Celebrate.
Holy source at Bornholm from the Semine Motherland Guide
Visit a Spring
Throughout time, people have visited springs as sacred places of healing and renewal. Beltane is especially connected to the element of Water, particularly through freshwater springs, which are believed to be energetically charged at this time of year.
In Denmark, we have several holy springs, such as Helenekilde and Kirsten Piils Kilde. Beltane is a wonderful opportunity to visit one of these sacred sites. You might also consider booking an extended weekend at an inn or resort near one of them, and mark the opening of the outdoor season with a peaceful mini-getaway.
For more inspiration, explore Semine’s Motherland Guide, which takes you on a journey through the magical landscapes of Denmark.
Share your special May Day or Beltane celebration or ritual in the comments below.