Beltane Lights

by Rachæl Caraballo • photography by Grey Morgan

For the Celts, Beltane marked the beginning of the summer season, and was the occasion to celebrate the fertility of the coming year during the “fire festival.” Rachæl tells us more about it.

This ritual was about transformation, walking through the flames to come out reborn. As Fire transforms the fields and grasslands leaving fertile soil in its wake, this journey was intended to do the same. The holiday of Beltane is seen as a Sabbat of fertility, and I wanted to encourage people to use that energy to fuel the fires of change within themselves. I strove to make it as personal a journey as possible. Each of the representations at the altars were as general as could be and still get the point across. I wanted people to be able to see their own deity or energy in each. I wanted anyone of any path to be able to feel their connection at each altar.

The double spiral represented a journey through the “universe.” The path first brought you into the womb of the Mother, the feminine energy. There you came upon a cauldron of water, the womb from which we all came. As the path carried you on, you traveled up through the element of Earth, to an altar to commune with that energy. From there your journey led to Water, and again an altar to commune. Crossing over to the second spiral in an unbroken path, altar to the energy of Air waited to fuel your journey on to the altar of Fire. Your journey then led into the heart of the Father. There waited a flame and a sword for the protector and transformer. You then walked on to pass the reminder that all these energies are one. The altar of Spirit is in truth everything. All that is, all that is not and everything in between… Forever connected and never released.

The last altar was to ground back into this plane. A tree waited to help remind those flying high from their journey to dig deep and re-center themselves. Myself and my dear friend Janie (and a few others along the way) tried to be there at the end of each journey with a hug and a smile. We saw lots of tears and many people walk out changed.
The planning started in February, with help from a my friends Janie and Maggi. We have worked on many a ritual together and it just seemed natural. We started, in the planning phases, to try to make concentric circles then connect them into spiral. That line of thinking lead to confusion. There were plastic construction flags everywhere with no apparent rhyme or reason. We could not tell the way in from the way out! Finally, we ended up with more of a figure 8 shape, angling in to the center to cross into the second half.

Setting up the labyrinth was a labor of love. We originally planned to have it up and finished on Thursday (the staff set up day for the festival), but even the best laid plans… you know. We set up the labyrinth with plastic drinking cups, filled with sand to weigh them down, then topped off with a candle. The construction ended up taking until Saturday evening! I made sure no one ever got to the point of frustration or worked for too long at once (with the exception of myself and Janie almost, we are stubborn). The last of the spacing was in the sprinkling rain while listening to Mystic Fire rock out on stage.

We had some of the most amazing help! I wish I could thank them all here! It never would have worked without them. Filling cups, dropping them in line and going through with spacing sticks to make everything uniform and beautiful. My feelings were mostly of anticipation and worry over my proverbial baby. At the same time I felt a peace in my gut knowing that whatever it looked like at the moment, it was going to work. There were a few moments when Janie and I, overtired, simply stood there, the gears in our brains grinding to a halt, staring blankly across the field. In the end a logical and mathematical mind (we shall call him R.) stepped in and saved us!

Directly before the ritual officially started, things got hectic in the setting up. A barely contained panic and forced focus was a tough balance. Not to mention the fear that I had forgotten something was rattling around in me. As people started to gather I felt their anticipation and curiosity. Their eyes followed as I sped back and forth across the field double checking everything.

The beginning of the ritual was an explanation as I walked the labyrinth, showing everyone the way as they stood around in a loose circle (as pictured). The energies were invited to commune with us at each of the altars. As I exited, people were invited to enter. In the end it was the most beautiful thing I have seen.

The labyrinth stayed awake all night, and though I did not know it at first, so would I. My plan all along was to take a nap sometime in the night, to be ready to release the ritual at dawn. The point in which I knew that was not going to happen was coming across the field from my campsite and really seeing the labyrinth from afar for the first time. I just stopped, overwhelmed by what I had done. I stood and watched the people walking, meditating at the altars. Almost in tears, I watched arms raised to the sky with tears streaming down peaceful faces. I saw people brought to their knees trembling, foreheads to the earth. Or kneeling peacefully smiling, candles flickering on their faces. I knew then that while this was happening there would be no sleep for me. I felt tied to the labyrinth, much like it was my child. I did not want to miss a twinkle. I felt the energy of each person walking through passing through me as it spiraled around and almost swept me away. I spent that night giddy and peaceful. Watching like a proud Momma as people I never even dreamed of walked through, multiple times in some cases. Some of the most touching moments were seeing elders that I had learned from leaving the labyrinth. Some of their words to me will stay with me past this life. Seeing grown men giddy and giggling afterward, trembling with joy… Or falling to their knees weeping, unable to speak other than, “It’s just so beautiful.”

The night wore on and the sky lightened. Dawn arrived with the blowing of a horn to inform the festival that the time had come to end the ritual. I had not really planned out the ending, other then a few key details. I was completely unprepared for the rush of emotion that almost knocked me down as I turned in the direction of the cauldron to thank the Mother. From there my words flowed out in gratitude, with a stumble or two to contain my sobbing. It ended in song, a blessing to honor every part of the day. I almost collapsed when the chant was finished, only to be hugged by a dear friend as I sobbed on his big ol’ shoulder. “I think I need to go to bed…” was all I could get out.

The left over candles were there for people to take some of the energy home. And after the leftovers were collected, I was able to walk the path again giggling, and almost in tears again. The spiral had remained in the grass.