Opening Prayer to the Goddess-God (author unknown)
Great Goddess, Bright and Pure Maiden,
Whose beauty we see in the fields of wild flowers,
Whose sweet, warm breath is the Spring breeze,
Whose gentle kisses are like the morning dew,
Whose body dances like the rolling waves,
Whose love washes over us like the Spring rain,
I call and welcome you with this Rite of Beltane.
Bless our circle with your loving presence
So that we may honor you in our ritual.
Great God, Strong and Virile Consort,
Whose charms we see in the sparkling night sky
Whose passion we feel in the rays of the Sun,
Whose booming voice is heard in the thunder,
Whose body is hard and strong like the sturdy oak,
Whose desire stirs us like the rushing wind,
I call and welcome you with this Rite of Beltane
Bless our circle with your loving presence
So that we may honor you in our ritual.
Beltane Chant from Doreen Valiente’s Spring Rite 1971
Friends that in the circle stand,
Heart to heart and hand to hand,
Bringing Beltane to the land,
Let the sleeper awake!
Let the flames of Beltane burn,
May the Old Ones now return,
May we of their magick learn,
Let the sleeper awake!
Let the streams and fields be pure,
Earth and sky be clean once more,
Love and laughter long endure,
Let the sleeper awake!
Forests spreading, peace returning,
here the Pagan fires are burning,
Now the inner light discerning,
Let the sleeper awake!
May the Lady’s touch again,
Rest upon the barren plain,
With the sunshine and the rain,
Let the sleeper awake!
Beltane magick here we sing,
Chant the rune and dance the ring,
Joy and blessing shall it bring,
Let the sleeper awake!
Poem by Clare Dubois
Inside you, in places where whispers carry memories,
where you hold your breath and turn away
and believe yourself something less,
there is a truth as gentle as a melody,
as limitless as the sky,
as honest as a mountain lake.
There’s no need to try.
A truth that shimmers with the light of you,
the bright of you,
the irrepressible delight of you,
the take my breath away flight of you,
the oh my Goddess just feel the might of you,
the break me wide open at the sight of you.
When at last you have embraced the all of you,
accepted the day and night of you,
the luminous spontaneous grace of you.
I want you to know I am in awe of you.
Every cosmic, orgasmic inch of you.
Every wild unfettered gesture of life of you.
Thank you. Thank you for you.
Prayer In Praise of The Earth by John O'Donohue
Let us bless The imagination of the Earth. That knew early the patience To harness the mind of time, Waited for the seas to warm, Ready to welcome the emergence Of things dreaming of voyaging Among the stillness of land.
And how light knew to nurse The growth until the face of the Earth Brightened beneath a vision of color.
When the ages of ice came And sealed the Earth inside An endless coma of cold, The heart of the Earth held hope, Storing fragments of memory, Ready for the return of the sun.
Let us thank the Earth That offers ground for home And holds our feet firm To walk in space open To infinite galaxies.
Let us salute the silence And certainty of mountains: Their sublime stillness, Their dream-filled hearts.
The wonder of a garden Trusting the first warmth of spring Until its black infinity of cells Becomes charged with dream; Then the silent, slow nurture Of the seed's self, coaxing it To trust the act of death.
The humility of the Earth That transfigures all That has fallen Of outlived growth.
The kindness of the Earth, Opening to receive Our worn forms Into the final stillness.
Let us ask forgiveness of the Earth For all our sins against her: For our violence and poisonings Of her beauty.
Let us remember within us The ancient clay, Holding the memory of seasons, The passion of the wind, The fluency of water, The warmth of fire, The quiver-touch of the sun And shadowed sureness of the moon.
That we may awaken, To live to the full The dream of the Earth Who chose us to emerge And incarnate its hidden night In mind, spirit, and light.
A Poem for Beltane by David Taliesin
I want to light a bonfire
And dance with the Divine Presence
Who is Unboxable and Unknowable
I want to howl with Cernunnos
And invite Jesus to join the party
I’m sure he would attend the celebration
Because he once turned six stone jars of water
Into the most delicious wine anyone had ever tasted
This is not the act of a pious ascetic
It’s the act of someone who knew how to celebrate
Life in all of its abundance
I want to light a bonfire
And feast at Sophia’s table of Wisdom
“Come,” she calls me
“Eat of my bread
And drink of my wine
Lay aside immaturity
And walk in the way of insight”
I want to recite love poems with Brigid
And snuggle up close
To the bosom of the Goddess
I refuse to attend a “guys only” shindig
The Divine Presence is much bigger than this
And I invite Him and Her to attend
In whatever form they see fit
I want to light a bonfire
And watch the narrow religion of my childhood
Be purified in its flames
Like the tongues of fire on Pentecost
I want to speak of the Eternal One
In a new language that everyone can understand
A language my soul now sings
With great passion and reverence
And as I sing and dance around the Sacred Flame
I pray that my life will be fertile Beltane soil
That will bring forth a harvest of good things
When the time is right
Poem for Aphrodite by Daria MacGregor
I sing of Aphrodite,
the lover’s goddess,
beautiful,
gold-crowned,
a blossom riding the seafoam,
resting on wind.
She comes ashore, and women in gold bracelets meet Her,
bearing silken garments for Her lovely body,
copper rings for Her shell ears,
chains of gold for Her silver breasts.
They lead Her from the seashore.
Do not look upon Her!
Your eyes would dazzle from such beauty.
But you do not need to see Her.
You already know Her.
It is She who moves you in your dance...
She is the music of your life.
Do you need to ask Her name?
Call Her Love.
Call Her Joy.
Call Her golden Aphrodite.
She is the moment when body knits to body and the world flowers.
She enlivens everything:
plants in the meadow,
the ocean’s fish,
animals hidden in the forest,
birds tumbling on the wind.
She is our darling,
She who under the wheeling stars
makes all things blossom and bear fruit.
At Her approach storms clear,
dark clouds dissolve to blue,
sweet earth and all the oceans
smile, and Her light dances
brilliant through the flourishing world.
Charge of the Star Goddess by Doreen Valiente
I who am the beauty of the green Earth
The white moon among the stars
And the mystery of the waters
I call upon your soul to arise
And come unto Me
For I am the soul of Nature
Which gives life to the universe
From Me all things proceed
And unto Me they must return
Let my worship be in the heart that rejoices
For behold - all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals
Let there be beauty and strength
Power and compassion
Honor and humility
Mirth and reverence within you
And you who seek to know Me
Know that your seeking and yearning will avail you not
Unless you know the mystery
For if that which you seek you find not within yourself
you will never find it without
For behold, I have been with you since the beginning
And I am that which is attained at the end of desire
A Love Note To Mother Earth by Jessica Calderon
We celebrate and honor you today.
However, each day we honor you by witnessing your beauty unraveling before our eyes.
You hold us, nourish us & give to us daily.
Forgive me for not seeing you and feeling you all the time.
I sometimes get caught up in the life hustle and forget that you are right by my side, sharing your wisdom, your love and your sweet guidance.
You teach us about life & death & how to honor our cycles.
Thank you Mother, for all that you do.
I am forever grateful for your pulsing rhythm that guides me back home.
I sit on the dirt {earth}, surrounded by your endless beauty and close my eyes.
I feel your breath {the wind} caress my face, hair and body.
I feel your warmth from the sun {fire}
and the sweet embrace of the earthly sounds that surround me.
I imagine a river {water} before me flowing;
reminding me to hydrate and to move in an ever-evolving fluid action.
I feel so present, grounded and safe. Thank you.
You remind me of my earth body’s stability, resilience and support.
I feel you pouring into my vessel all the things I have forgotten are a part of me.
I feel your endless support as you help me empty out all the things I believed I needed, but do not.
I feel your presence on the ground as I walk
I feel your presence in the wind blowing
I feel your presence in the sun shining
I feel your presence in the sounds echoing
I feel your presence in the water flowing
Thank you for your strength, your love, your peace, your joy
and for reminding me that what you provide to me is also within me.
We are forever connected. As above so below.
Aho, many blessings & love.
Closing Prayer to the Goddess-God (author unknown)
On this, the night of Beltane, we celebrate the Union of the Lord and the Lady,
The Young God has looked upon the Fair Maiden and is filled with desire.
The Young Lady feels a rush of heat run through her body.
On this night, they come to one another
And join in the dance of passion
Through their union, all the Universe has sprung forth
Through their continued, eternal dance of romance,
The Circle of Life is perpetuated and all Life is Sustained.
We thank You Both, God and Goddess,
For everything you have given us;
For what you have given us is everything.
We honor your Union with love and gratitude.
May the blessings of your Union continue
To pour over the Earth.
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