“The new earth quickens as you rise.
The May Queen is waiting.
Feel the pulsing ground call you to journey,
To know the depths of your desire.
The May Queen is waiting.
Moving through the night, the bright moon’s flight.
In green and silver on the plain.
She waits for you to return again.
Do not keep Her waiting.
Her temper stings if you refuse to taste Her honey.
Surrender as enchantment brings
The first light of dawning.
Move with Her in sacred dance, through fear to feeling.
Bringing ecstasy to those who dare.
Living earth is breathing.
Loving through the night in the bright moonlight,
As seedlings open with the rain.
She’ll long for you to return again.
Do not keep Her waiting.”
– Ruth Barren, The May Queen is Waiting
MAY – THE FLOWER MOON
May is the fifth month of the year. It’s astrological sign is Taurus, the bull(April 20 – May 21), a fixed earth sign ruled by Venus. The month is name for Ma’a, a Roman goddess and mother of the God Hermes. May is known as the queen of months. Since May begins one of the halves of the year, it is an initiation, similar to a cardinal zodiac sign, it shifts power to the new dynamic. The dynamic of May is one of fertility in plants and animal (including human, birth, growth, and abundance.
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the month of May is a month of lushness and beauty. The main holiday is May Day or Beltane. This sabbat celebrate the sacred union of the Goddess and God. It is a celebration of growth and fertility. A traditional part of this holiday is the maypole, usually a fir tree with the side branches removed–a symbol of fertility. Since growth is a theme of May, another central figure of the month is the Green Man, a male form covered with leaves and branches. He is an ancient nature spirit, who brings life to the fields and forests after the long winter.
The Full Moon of May in the Northern Hemisphere is known as the Flower Moon. The Moon is so named for the many flowers and trees that bloom this month associated with magic. Lilacs were originally grown near the home to repel evil. Wild blue violets can be used in love magick. A steaming infusion made with dried dandelions root was use to contact spirits. The Hawthorne three is also associated with May folk magick in the North. To make a wish come true, burn three Hawthorne branches in a Beltane fire.
—Excerpt from Llewellyn’s Witches’ Spell-A-Day Almanac
Festival: Beltane, May Day. Symbols include the May pole, boughs of flowers, and fires.
Moon name: Flower Moon. Flowers come into full bloom and the corn is ready to be planted. Other names include Grass Moon, Milk Moon, Hare Moon, and Corn Planting Moon.
Astrological signs: Taurus, April 21–May 20; Gemini, May 21–June 20.
Birthstones: Emerald and agate.
Nature spirits: Tree fairies and spirits.
Animals: All cats, butterflies, and foxes.
Birds: Swallow, dove, and swift.
Trees: Hawthorn, apple, and elder.
Flowers: All tree blossoms, foxglove, and lilac.
Herbs: St. John’s wort, chamomile, flowering thyme, elderflower, and yarrow.
Scents: Rose, frankincense, honeysuckle, lilac, and jasmine.
Colors: Pink, apricot, and green.
Goddess: Diana.
Powers: Love, fertility, and joy—the expressive energy of life’s forces.
Other: May Day, Labor Day, Oak Apple Day.
—Hedgewitch Book of Days: Spells, Rituals, and Recipes for the Magical Year
Mandy Mitchell
Symbols for the Month of May
May’s Festivals
Beltane, May Day, Labor Day, Oak Apple Day
May’s Sign of the Zodiac
Taurus(April 21–May 20)
Gemini(May 21–June 21)
May’s Celtic Tree Astrology
Saille (Willow) (April 15 – May 12)
Huath (Hawthorne) (May 13 – June 9)
May’s Runic Half Months
Lagu (April 29 – May 13)
Ing (May 14 – May 28)
Odal (May 29 – June 13)
May’s Birthstone
Emerald and Agate
May’s Birth Flower
Foxglove, and Lilac
May’s Goddess
Diana
May’s Folklore
“A swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay.”
“Mist in May, heat in June, makes harvest come right soon.”
“If you wash a blanket in May, you will wash one of the family away.”
“Those who bathe in May will soon be laid in clay!”
Folklore Courtesy – Hedgewitch Book of Days: Spells, Rituals, and Recipes for the Magical Year
Mandy Mitchell
Pagan Calendar of Events for May
MAY 1: BELTANE SABBAT: Festival of Spring and Fertility. Sidhe Day. Beltaine – Celtic festival marking the arrival of summer in ancient times.
MAY 4: Celtic/British Festival of Cerridwen and Brigit: Corn Goddesses of Fertility
May 4 – Celtic Festival of Cerridwen and Brigit – Corn Goddesses of fertility, healing, and poets.
– St. Monica’s Day (Irish)
– Veneration of the Thorn (Irish)
– Festival of Sheila Na Gig (Irish)
MAY 6: – Shepherd’s Day – Day to meditate on Deity as Lord of Animals: Dumuzi (Old Sumerian), Osiris (Egyptian), Pan (Old Greek), Shiva Pasupati (Hindu).
– Eyvind Kelve (Norse)
MAY 9: – Greek Feast of Artemis
MAY 9-12: Lemuria – Roman festival when the spirits of the dead are thought to revisit their homes.
MAY 13: – Roman Garland Day, Offering garlands to Neptune.
– Month of Hawthorn, Celtic festival of the tree.
– Our Lady of Fatima Day (Portugal)
MAY 14: – Isis Day in ancient Egypt
MAY 14: -16 Feast of Divine Love and Compassion – Source of healing and beneficence, honoring the Goddess as Isis (Old Egyptian), Oshun (Yoruba/Santeria), Lakshmi (Hindu).
MAY 15: – Festival of Vesta (Roman)
– Maia and Mercury’s Day (Roman)
MAY 18: – Celtic Feast of Greek God Pan – Who represents the masculine in Nature and protects men throughout their lives. Men recognized the transitions in their lives and honored male fertility.
MAY 19: Celtic Feast of Brigid – In which sacred healing wells and springs were adorned with flowers in honor of Goddess Brigid, daughter of Mother Goddess Danu and Father God Dagda.
MAY 21: Dark/Bright Mother Goddess Day—honoring Hecate/Demeter; Uma; Kali/Parvati .
MAY 26: – Festival of Diana begins (ends 31st) (ancient Roman holiday)
MAY 28: FEAST OF BENDIDIA—family feast day honoring of the Goddess of the Moon, Dark Moon, Underworld, Secret Wisdom and Witches.
May 30 – Frigg’s Day, Northern Goddess, spouse of Odin (Teutonic “heathen” European pre-Christian holiday)
– Feast of the Queen of the Underworld Begins (Roman)
May rolls in soft and lovely, weaving within the grasses a bevy of wildflowers that bewitch our senses and are a colorful reminder of life’s ever-renewing power. Of the many wildflowers associated with Beltane and the peak of spring’s fertility,, my favorite has to be the dandelion. The happy yellow flowers take me back to my childhood, when I would spend hours chasing butterflies through wild fields and bejeweling myself with dandelions in buttery circlets that would leave me covered with soft yellow pollen–proving yes, I did, indeed like butter.
Little did I know then of the simple dandelion’s many magickal and medicinal uses. Highly nutritious spring greens, dandelions are packed with calcium, potassium, and high amounts of vitamins and they have been used to stimulate the digestive system, restore mineral balance to the kidneys, and detoxify for hundreds of years.
According to folklore, blowing dandelion seed heads was said to divine how much your partner loves you. If you could blow all of the seeds off the dandelion head in one puff, your lover carried a passionate fire for you. If a few seeds remained, he or she might have a few reservations about the relationship. If you blow the seed head and the majority of seeds remain, you are not loved at all.
Magically, dandelion is used in spells for wishes, for divination, to call spirits and for growth and transformation. Make a tea from the ground dried root and add it to mugwort (avoid during pregnancy) and cinnamon for a powerful psychic tea.
Dandelion Renewal Spell
Just as the onset of spring transforms the earth with a lush green haze and a profusion of blooms that hint to the bounty of summer, we too can feel a lightening of spirit, a renewal of body, mind and soul as spring’s promises are fulfilled all around us.
With dandelion’s association with growth and transformation, this dandelion renewal spell can be done alone or with your coven or circle and would be appropriate to do at Beltane or anytime during the Maiden’s reign. The simplicity of this spell makes it a great spell for kids, too.
All you need is one intact dandelion seed head per person. If working with children, talk for a moment about renewal and what it means to them. Have everyone hold up their dandelion seed heads and say together,
The air is alive with the hum of bees
As the wind tousles the tops of trees,
The blooms are bright and fertility abounds,
Our wish, dear Lady, for renewal to be found,
Not only across this greening land,
But within the heart of every woman, child and man.
Blessed Be!
Blow your dandelion seed heads to the four directions. As you do this, imagine the dandelion seeds planting themselves into the hearts of humankind. Imagine an abundance of joy, peace and fulfillment for all that happens as the dandelion takes root. When you’re done, find a nice spot in a field, park or lawn. Make yourself a circlet of dandelions and reflect on sunny thoughts and bright ideas for the future.
–Monica Crosson
Witchy Ways to Celebrate May
Decorate your home and altar with combinations of flowers and colors to celebrate the union between the Goddess and the God.
Work with herbs in your magic by creating spell bags and sachets. Cook with herbs whenever you can.
Create a spell for strength and wellness by lighting a Beltane candle and burning your spell written on some pretty paper.
Create a harmonious magical garden with symbols and signs of the craft. Paint pebbles and draw shapes in the earth.
Get outside and find one useable foraged ingredient for your recipes. This is also good for expanding your plant knowledge.
Connect with the God aspect by connecting with nearby trees. Spend time touching the tree and water the roots as an offering.
Make daisy chains as offerings for the Fae folk.
–Hedgewitch Book of Days: Spells, Rituals, and Recipes for the Magical Year
Mandy Mitchell
We are Witches
We walk the path of the Old Gods
From this moment forth
We will not walk alone
Together, we will worship
Together, we will practice our Craft
Together, we will learn and grow
We vow to work, from this day forward
In perfect love and perfect trust
According to the free will of all
And for the good of all
Creating only beauty
Singing in harmony
Our song upon the Earth
Love is the law and love is the bond
In the name of the Goddess and the God
So do we vow, and so mote it be.
––Circle, Coven, & Grove: A Year of Magickal Practice
Deborah Blake
Banner Exchange
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witches_of_the_craft@outlook.com
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