May/June 2022 Alchemical Voice

Alchemical Voice - L2M Issue 14
Pagan celebrations
Beltain - May Day
We now find ourselves at the season of Beltain, the Celtic Spring
Cross-Quarter Fire Festival.
The celebrations begin at moonrise on Beltain Eve (30th of April)
whereby the sacred union between the young Horned God now at
his peak of manhood, and the Goddess full of life-giving fertility
meet, go into the woods and lie together amongst the wildflowers
and trees intimately entwined together till dawn co-creating new
life.
They then emerge from the woods on the morning of Beltain (1st
of May) as the Queen and King of May, announcing the
celebrations for the “Merry Month of May” and the combining of
the feminine and masculine energies of abundance, fertility and the
birth of the summer and autumnal fruits to come.
For now, the days are getting longer, and the sunshine is getting
warmer. The air becomes thickly filled with the sweet scent of
flowers that are blooming. Nature comes alive, the animals and
birds begin to mate and make their homes and the cycle of life
continues to spin.
Though this is a festival celebrating sacred union, intimacy, and
love with another, for me it is also about finding, healing and
celebrating myself too, as if I cannot know, love and accept myself
for who I am then how can I expect anyone else to?
Beltain was and still is a popular time for couples to take their vows
and commitments to one another in handfasting ceremonies (Pagan
weddings). I am available for Handfasting and other rites of passage
ceremonies.
Litha- Summer Solstice
The Summer Solstice is known as Litha, Midsummer or the longest
day. Summer Solstice 2022 in Northern Hemisphere will be at
10:13 on Tuesday, 21 June, when Mother Earths' north pole tilts
close to the Sun God (also known in folklore as the Oak King) who
now reaches his highest point in the sky in all his golden healing
glory and in so doing makes it the day of the year with the most
daylight or “Longest day”.
Many people will gather in ritual again at the beautiful and magical
stone circles around the country as our ancestors once did on the
evening before the solstice, to greet, honour and celebrate the Sun
God for all he does for us, such as warming our earth, bones and
bodies, helping our crops to grow for a bountiful harvest and
bringing the daylight to us every day. Still one of the most popular
sights to go to is Stonehenge as the ropes that keep you at a
distance from the ancient stones are taken down and Druids and
pilgrims alike are welcomed without charge and to be close to the
stones on this and winter solstice evening to see the rising sun. I
have been lucky enough to go and physically touch the stones and
deeply connect, however it does get extremely packed with people
who have different ways of celebrating, it can get quite lively and
noisy.
You could visit other stone circles
Avebury: Stone Circles and Henge in Marlborough, Wiltshire
Castlerigg: Stone Circle in the Lake District National Park is
thought to be one of the earliest circles dating back to 3000BC
during the Neolithic period.
Boscawen-Un Stone Circle in St Buryan, Cornwall
Beaghmore: Stone Circles in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
The 12 Apostles: In Scotland near Dumfries. The largest stone
circle in mainland Scotland.
Avebury, Wiltshire
Sarah Jane Dennis ACHO, RP, ACCRT is Sacred Celebrant and
Ceremonialist, Priestess of the Goddess, Moon Lodge Mumma,
Priestess and Sister of Avalon, Morgen Cybil trained in Crystal
Healing, Angelic Reiki, Crystal Sonic Rejuvenation.
www.crystalhealingbysarahjane.co.uk
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