Beltane

May 1st represents the start of the growing season and the start of summer.. everything is bursting into life and our days are getting warmer :-) Sounds a very good reason to celebrate in my opinion!

Beltane is a traditional time of year for Pagans get "hand fasted" on "tie the knot" - particularly at dawn as a new day is born.

At Dawn, on May 1st, 1999 Douglas and I were at the top of Glastonbury Tor on a very cold Beltane morn, celebrating the turn of the season with many others, including King Arthur himself, who led the celebrations. When the call went out "Does anyone want to get married???" Douglas and I decided it would be a great idea, so that was the first of our three weddings that year ;-) (May 1st, hand fasting, May (about a week later, cant remember the date) registry office, June 19th, more formal hand fasting and wedding Ceilidh in Glastonbury itself.

Yesterday, I took Douglas for a mystery tour and picnic. We took the basics for lunch and set off from home at about 11am. It wasn't until we were quite a way past York that Douglas worked out where I was taking him. He enjoys surprises.. and oh boy.. did I have a surprise lined up for him!!

We headed to Sentry Circle, a modern day Stone Henge that many of our friends helped to create. I knew that many of our friends would be up there celebrating Beltane, and that Douglas would be delighted to spend the day there.

After we had enjoyed lunch, sitting on the grass, sharing our food with our good friend Dangerous, I wandered off to have a word with one of the Elders.. a lovely lady called Carol. I asked her if she could help - as we were hand fasted 10 years ago, I thought it would be lovely to renew our vows! Carol was delighted to help, so I took Douglas along to have a chat with her, and told him of my cunning plan!

At about 5pm, Douglas and I, followed by many of the people staying at Sentry for the weekend slowly walked up the hill to the Circle to renew our vows with Carol as our celebrant. It was a very simple, but moving ceremony, which caused more than a few misty eyes!

After walking round the grassy labyrinth, we said our farewells and headed back home, having had a truly wonderful day.