Beltane in a nut shell.

Yesterday I led Beltane. Not just for me, but for a large group of people, most pagan, but a few S.O.s who were there were not. We even had a professional photogropher. I could sit here and type out in boring detail all that I did and the why's of it. I am neither in the mood nor see the need to do this. I do want to share some thoughts on it though. First off, I am very pleased with the ritual. It ran very smoothly. I felt that the people attending got a lot out of it, each in thier own personal way. The evening broke down like this. People gathered, we did some drumming, then the ritual itself which was a combination of OBOD druid work and Wicca. After ritual we feasted and did some more drumming with an actual drumming lesson. Then more feasting, laughing, and drinking. It was the best Beltane I have ever had. What did I get from it? Well..spiritually, that's hard to say. I spent so much time and energy just putting it together for the others that it wasn't deeply moving for me. Thinking of it like poetry in the world of actions helps. It's like the poet reading a poem he wrote to an audience. You put so much into the performance that the poet misses the point of the poem. I am tired and not sure if that makes sense to anyone but me. I supose when I push myself to think about it more, the most meaningful portion of the ritual to me was the giving of offerings to the Pan and Selene (not gods that I would chose to invite, but at times it's best to just shut up and make the witch happy. ;-)) and the seer's pulling of a tarot to determine what, if any, blessing the gods had given us in return. Amazingly, and so fittingly, it was the "lovers" who were pulled. Every one gave a slight gasp of joyus amazment when that card came up. It fit so very well with the theme of Beltane. The only drama to be had was the laughter and loving of friends. It was so much fun to watch them "let their hair down". Wine was drunk, and shots were taken from between the breasts of beautiful woman! The food was fantastic and the stories told would have not been believed...if not for the pictures to prove it!
It was definately a great time, but that's half of the point right there. Its the "good" season, the time of plenty and of going a little wild just this one night a year.
Gwynt-Siarad