Beltaine beginings
I've had a lovely two days celebrating Betaine and it's not even close to finished yet.
Saturday I went to the Druid ritual at Stanton Drew's stone circle. This was conducted by OBOD's Dobunni Tribe's grove, with Ron Hutton and Ana conducting it. Like most Betaine celebrations it was a joyous occassion full of fun and laughter. There were about 40 or more there. And when it came to choose the May King & Queen the fun really began. The women seperated from the men and took pieces of ribbon from Ana's whirling body. The men stood in a circle with their eyes shut and their backs to us, while we tied a ribbon on them somewhere (it could be anywhere the women liked! lol). I wanted to tie a ribbon to a few men, but sadly as we could only take one ribbon at the time was only able to do one. I chose a former lover and excellent friend. Only to find that someone had already tied a ribbon to his belt. While I was tying the ribbon a female friend of mine also tied one on him. We were very sneeky and tried our best not to let him know there were two of us behind him. When all the ribbons were given out the men were told to tie any ribbons they got together and show the Druidess in charge the length. There was much ribald comments from her at the length of their ribbons, and the choice came down to three. Both my male friends had three, the larger older guy who played the farmer and spoke for the Earth got four, so he was the winner.
The May Queen was chosen in a much simpler way by blindfolding the King and giving him a bunch of flowers the other guys spun him round and he was then free to choose his lady. The lady he chose was in an elegant green gown and ducked saying "Oh No!" But her cry was a clue as to where she was and he gave her the flowers and the modest lady was finally chosen. At the end of the ceromony they both blessed each person and we all passed through a hoop into true summer.
Today Sunday, I had my own ritual and Pagan Picnic to organise. I had so many tell me that they couldn't manage to come because they were doing something else with someone else, that I thought it might turn out to be only me and the other organiser Mark. At best we thought we might have 5 or 6. We met up near the playground at Blaise Castle, an impressive folly and museum in wonderfully large grounds. Our number was about 15 or more. We chose a secluded piece of the grounds very near the tree line of the woods there. And we the cast of the circle in the Druid way due to Mark and me being of that persausion. We seperated the women and men and asked them to go off and choose the King and Queen among them. We women decided to choose on the plucking of a daisy the last one holding the flower without petals being the winner. Tiny little Myr, about 4'6, slim and lovely was the Queen, we women decorated her with the wild flowers on hand and off we went back into the circle. We asked the men if they had choosen their King and they said "Well yes, ages ago, what kept you!" They had had the same idea and had chosen him by deflowering a dandilion. The guy they chose was a first timer to the group a large older man called Ivor. I think we will be seeing him coming back again, or at least I hope so as he was an extremely nice man.
Anyway the picnic afterwards was nice, under the shade of the trees. There was three young children, who played with each other, and play fighted with the King. During the picnic we had a young student from Newport Gwent uni, who was taking photos of people of every religion, he had seen us advertise what we were doing on the 'net' and had been looking all over the large ground for us. It was only when he saw the circle and flower bedecked people in the distance did he know where we were. We let him take as many photos as he liked as he was polite and checked with each person if it was ok. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and judging by the looks and smiles so did everybody else!
On Beltaine Day I plan to be up early on Brandon Hill to watch the many troops of Morris Dancers greet the dawn by dancing it in. That will be at 4.30 am, one of my friends children is going to be there dancing her bit, so it will be the first time I've even managed to get up in time. I'll tell you all about it when its done.
Saturday I went to the Druid ritual at Stanton Drew's stone circle. This was conducted by OBOD's Dobunni Tribe's grove, with Ron Hutton and Ana conducting it. Like most Betaine celebrations it was a joyous occassion full of fun and laughter. There were about 40 or more there. And when it came to choose the May King & Queen the fun really began. The women seperated from the men and took pieces of ribbon from Ana's whirling body. The men stood in a circle with their eyes shut and their backs to us, while we tied a ribbon on them somewhere (it could be anywhere the women liked! lol). I wanted to tie a ribbon to a few men, but sadly as we could only take one ribbon at the time was only able to do one. I chose a former lover and excellent friend. Only to find that someone had already tied a ribbon to his belt. While I was tying the ribbon a female friend of mine also tied one on him. We were very sneeky and tried our best not to let him know there were two of us behind him. When all the ribbons were given out the men were told to tie any ribbons they got together and show the Druidess in charge the length. There was much ribald comments from her at the length of their ribbons, and the choice came down to three. Both my male friends had three, the larger older guy who played the farmer and spoke for the Earth got four, so he was the winner.
The May Queen was chosen in a much simpler way by blindfolding the King and giving him a bunch of flowers the other guys spun him round and he was then free to choose his lady. The lady he chose was in an elegant green gown and ducked saying "Oh No!" But her cry was a clue as to where she was and he gave her the flowers and the modest lady was finally chosen. At the end of the ceromony they both blessed each person and we all passed through a hoop into true summer.
Today Sunday, I had my own ritual and Pagan Picnic to organise. I had so many tell me that they couldn't manage to come because they were doing something else with someone else, that I thought it might turn out to be only me and the other organiser Mark. At best we thought we might have 5 or 6. We met up near the playground at Blaise Castle, an impressive folly and museum in wonderfully large grounds. Our number was about 15 or more. We chose a secluded piece of the grounds very near the tree line of the woods there. And we the cast of the circle in the Druid way due to Mark and me being of that persausion. We seperated the women and men and asked them to go off and choose the King and Queen among them. We women decided to choose on the plucking of a daisy the last one holding the flower without petals being the winner. Tiny little Myr, about 4'6, slim and lovely was the Queen, we women decorated her with the wild flowers on hand and off we went back into the circle. We asked the men if they had choosen their King and they said "Well yes, ages ago, what kept you!" They had had the same idea and had chosen him by deflowering a dandilion. The guy they chose was a first timer to the group a large older man called Ivor. I think we will be seeing him coming back again, or at least I hope so as he was an extremely nice man.
Anyway the picnic afterwards was nice, under the shade of the trees. There was three young children, who played with each other, and play fighted with the King. During the picnic we had a young student from Newport Gwent uni, who was taking photos of people of every religion, he had seen us advertise what we were doing on the 'net' and had been looking all over the large ground for us. It was only when he saw the circle and flower bedecked people in the distance did he know where we were. We let him take as many photos as he liked as he was polite and checked with each person if it was ok. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and judging by the looks and smiles so did everybody else!
On Beltaine Day I plan to be up early on Brandon Hill to watch the many troops of Morris Dancers greet the dawn by dancing it in. That will be at 4.30 am, one of my friends children is going to be there dancing her bit, so it will be the first time I've even managed to get up in time. I'll tell you all about it when its done.