Wiccan Witch Coven

[GealachBuile]

Odd question, but how would someone who is... A bit iffy, about this stuff, celebrate it? I mean, can I celebrate it in the sense of renewal of everything in general, birds and bees, bushes and trees? Or is it more.. Literal...

[MightyOak]

Beltane is also called May Day, since it happens on the first of May in the northern hemisphere, and is commonly celebrated with flowers. Flowers are an excellent symbol of fertility and could easily be the basis for a fertility ritual at this Sabbat.

[arada11]

Umm, i don't know if i did this right but my ceremony was i lit a candle that had a pink ribbon on it, (to symbolize fertility) and thought of all the new things starting and i thanks the moon and earth and air fire and water and stuff, and i thanked the goddess and all. would that be right? did i do it okay? i let the candle burn down till it was even with the ribbon and i engraved fertility and Beltane into the base of the candle.

[MightyOak]

That sounds lovely, arada. Simple, but religious observances don't need to be elaborate. Especially if this is the first time you've done something for yourself on a Sabbat. You don't want to get too complicated before you get a good feel for what you're doing.

[arada11]

I'm so happy now. i did it right! and it was my first sabbat that i did anything. which is good. i think. but yeah i've kept the candle and i'm thinking when i do get more candles and stuff for sabbats then i'll bind them together? i dunno. but i'm thinking if i do a few years worth of Beltane sabbats more or less the same way, then i bind the candles together and i dunno, bury them? to bring them back to the earth? What do you think??

[MightyOak]

Hmm. I don't know about that. Bindings can be tricky. Generally if you bind things together and bury them it's so you can keep them away from you. I don't think you would want to bind fertility away from you, but to you, if at all. Then you need to specify what kind of fertility. Do you want an abundance of money? Friends? Lovers? Babies? Plants in the garden?

You used a pink ribbon and generally pink is for friendship. Green or red are more often used for fertility, but I think the pink is a good introductory start. More a statement of your own friendly feelings towards your new venture and hope for new friendships, perhaps.

This, of course, is just my opinion. Your thoughts and feelings will direct the energy more than anything else, but if your thoughts are vague then you run the risk of random fertility. I had a friend once who did something like this, but used a specific Goddess, Freya. Just thought on fertility and that she wanted more of it in her life...she ended up with all the stray cats in the neighborhood in her yard for a month. X.X

So I would caution against "vague fertility" and against "binding fertility away from you".

But I do like the small ritual you described. I don't see how that could go wrong, plus it sounds nice.

[arada11]

the ribbon was more of a reddy pink so i think that could have helped. hmm. maybe if i dunno, bind the candle with a flower or i dunno, maybe i can plant it? with the ribbon sticking out of the ground so as to incourage growth and fertility? just plant it in my garden? i agree with the binding thing though. i didn't realise it meant that. gosh i need to study some more aye? lols thanks for the advice, and your opinions are very treasured by me since you are so experienced while I am not.

[MightyOak]

I always recommend more reading! When in doubt; read more!

Personally I would simply not bind something and bury it unless I was trying to get rid of it. There are plenty of things you could do with the left over candle and ribbon if you don't want to reuse them in some other ritual. You could undo the knot in the ribbon and bury that to let the fertility flow freely through your garden. You could burn the candle and drip wax around the garden to encourage growth where it lands. You could simply save it for next year. You could designate it your Fertility Candle and pull it out every time you do a fertility ritual. You could burn the ribbon, releasing the fertility from it to go out into the world. You could even write on the ribbon first. You are limited only by your imagination...and by caution and good sense. Can't forget those!

[arada11]

THhose are all good ideas. but i don't think i could re-use it since it's a fairly small candle, about 3 1/2 inches and then i burned most of it in the first ritual. so i think i might maybe bury the ribbon in the garden.... and maybe roots will grow around it or something.... anyway, i'll think about it first, so i can see which idea appeals to me best or whatever.

[MightyOak]

If you decide to do that, just make sure you take the knot out, first.

Which reminds me...I need to find my box of coloured string. I have a session of knot magic in a couple weeks and I volunteered the supplies. I'm still not fully unpacked from moving, but I have a pretty good idea where that box is. I need to make sure I've got all the colours I need, too. If I'm short something I need time to go out and buy some more.