Beltaine! Opening the Ways

Hawthorne ... the May

Astrological Beltaine: May 4

When the Sun reaches 15 degrees of Taurus, the center of fixed Earth in the sign of the bull, we reach astrological Beltaine. One of the four great Fire festivals of the ancient Celts, this is the hinge of the year when we move from the dark half to the light half. The paths between the worlds are open, the Fae are everywhere to be met, and magic abounds.

This year, Beltaine is the harbinger of the intensely psychic Full Moon in Scorpio of May 5. Notice the Beltaine Moon at 0 Scorpio, the key to the doors between the worlds turning in lock. This Moon, new in Scorpio, is conjunct Saturn in Libra and opposite Mercury in Aries, sparking creative fire in thought, word and deed.

The Taurus Sun sits in sensuous harmony with Ceres and Jupiter, abundant and serene as they anchor the ongoing Grand Trine in Earth. Beltaine is a festival of fertility, its fires invocations for increase in fields, flocks, herds and families.

A Grand Trine of Ceres the Grain Mother, Pluto Lord of Power and wealth, and Mars the actor, with the brilliant Sun and expansive Jupiter nearby, promises much.

The Beltaine Moon trines Neptune and Chiron, opening our connections to deep realms of dreaming, Fae glamour, and ancestral healing.

Neptune and Chiron are flowing energy to the Sun–Ceres–Jupiter group and to Pluto, connecting cosmic energy to the Earth. Neptune and Chiron also oppose Mars, striving for balance between the analytical details of the everyday world and our grandest visions.

This is an intensely creative, with Venus in agile Gemini connecting to Jupiter (semisextile), Mercury (sextile) and Saturn (trine).

As the doors between the worlds open, we could be offered glimpses of amazing alternatives, dazzling new perspectives, and marvelous beauty.

Linking to the Grand Trine in Earth, experiencing the abundance of Ceres, Sun and Jupiter in Taurus, we can stay grounded while celebrating the gifts of our home planet.

Flowing with the intense Scorpio Moon, connecting to visionary Neptune and healing Chiron, feeling the fire of Mercury and the ongoing presence of revolutionary Uranus, we're invited to dance in the stars––or perhaps in Fae realms––surrounded by entrancing visions.

The creative connection of Venus, Saturn, Mercury and the Moon remind us of our co-creative power, our ability to bridge heaven and Earth, and the opportunity to find a new way.
    

Beltane! The Sun in Taurus

hawthorn, the mayflower

Beltane is one of the four great Fire Festivals in the fixed signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. In the ancient Celtic calendar, Beltane is a hinge ushering in the light half of the year, a time of fertility and abundance.

In the standard calendar, Beltane is May 1. According to the Sun, Beltane is May 5, when the middle of Taurus, the 15th degree, is reached. Celebrations include bonfires lit to honor the solar god Belos, rites of cleansing and purification, and rites to bring fertility to the land, to animals, and to the people.

This year's Beltane season promises to be powerful indeed. The Sun may be in peaceful Taurus but five planets continue to blaze in Aries. In the Beltane chart, Uranus the Awakener is first, followed by Venus conjunct Mercury, and Jupiter conjunct Mars. The bonfire is alight!

At this time, the veils between the worlds are thin, the land of Faery is close at hand, and magic abounds. White hawthorn blooms, whose branches are cut but not brought indoors, for this flower of May belongs to the Fae.

Now, everything gestated during the winter is born, desires are made manifest, the unconscious emerges into the light. Venus and Mercury together are expressive, Jupiter and Mars are active, Mars exactly trines the North Node energizing our life path. The Gemini Moon reaches out to connect with everyone and everything.

The past weeks have brought the challenges of Aries––irritations, miscommunication, anger, headaches, accidents––with an almost overwhelming energy. This Sunday, as the lusty month of May arrives and Beltane begins, we are invited to flow that energy into exuberant celebrations of Spring. Throw open the doors and dance with fairies in the fields.

During this Beltane, experience joy. Connect with whatever brings you alive. Be juicy! Where is Aries in your birth chart? Something new and exciting wants to happen there. Saturn remains in Libra, opposite Aries, but remember one of his roles is to make things real. The Taurus New Moon is also part of this Beltane season, a time of planting seeds in fertile soil. Celebrate the fiery energy of Spring!

"It loved to happen" ––Marcus Aurelius