Deck Interviews / Tarot

Happy Beltane! A Fiery Deck For A Fiery Day

Hi Musers and Happy Beltane! This will be a more witchy / pagan post so if that’s not your thing please feel free to move on and I’ll see you next time. I hope you stay though, as Beltane is a great time to get all fired up and have fun and I’d love to tell you all about it.

What is Beltane?

Beltane is a sabbat, a day of celebration and is also sometimes called May Day. It’s traditionally celebrated on or around May1st in the northern hemisphere. I like to think I’m a decent writer but I have huge respect for Kitty and Allorah over at Otherworldly Oracle so I’m going to give you their explanation of Beltane to expand on the topic a little:

Beltane is a pagan Celtic fire festival dating back to ancient times. It occurs officially upon moonrise on April 30th, lasting through the next day, May 1st, in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, the dates are reversed: so it begins October 31st and lasts through November 1st. In ancient Celtic times, our ancestors split the year into two halves – Summer and Winter. So Beltane was the official beginning of Summer. And hence the light half of the year. A definite cause for celebration in a time without running water, heat, electricity, etc.

Otherworldy Oracle

How Is It Celebrated

Beltane is observed in many countries around the world and naturally they each have their own traditions. Here are some of the more popular ones though.

• Making and dancing around a maypole
• Making a bonfire – Beltane is a fire festival
• Dancing
• Feasting (This is true of pretty much all sabbats of the Wheel of the Year and I am here for it!)
• Light candles – If a bonfire is not possible for you light the place up with tons of candles. Many places sell little tea lights in bulk
• Purification. This could be having a shower and imagining yourself being cleansed by white light or a bath filled with traditional summer flowers and herbs. You could also clean your home or rid yourself of any idea or emotion that does not serve you
• Make Love – particularly if you’re trying to get pregnant. Beltane is also a fertility festival so now is a great time

For me personally, I take everything off my altar, clean it thoroughly and then redress it with crystals, flowers and other symbols of the season. I always cook a meal for my husband and sister every sabbat. I’ll be doing this one on Friday and it will be fish pie with maple roasted carrot and peas followed by strawberry cake. Finally, I will be doing a reading with my Seasons of the Witch Beltane Oracle.

The Oracle

The Seasons of the Witch oracles started coming out a couple of years ago and there are eventually going to be eight decks, one for each sabbat. I have the Imbolc, Beltane, Mabon, Samhain and Yule oracles and I have Litha and Lammas on pre order with Amazon. They’ll be coming out later this year. The only one left is Ostara and I hope it’ll be announced soon. These really are beautiful decks. Their colours, images and themes are designed to embody the season they relate to and help you connect with its energy.

I love all the images but my absolute favourite thing about these decks is the gilding on the edges. Every single one is stunning and Beltane’s is a particularly beautiful gold. It doesn’t come out great in photos but here are the box, the backs and the gilding.

The Spread

As we have just reached Beltane I haven’t worked with these cards yet so I’m excited to share my first spread with you today. I am not the sort of person to rigidly follow rules for the sake of it but I’m going to do as i’m told in this case because it makes sense. The oracle’s guidebook strongly suggests that before using the deck I perform an interview spread.

I am happy to do this as I like to get to know the energy of any new deck I’ll be working with. I have my own interview spread I created which I shared with you when I interviewed the Ink Witch Tarot 2nd edition. However, when a deck comes with a spread already listed I honour the wishes of the creator and use it.

This particular spread uses 7 cards which is 2 more than I normally use. To be honest, I find large spreads a bit intimidating but it’s time to pull up my big girl pants and just get on with it. Here are the seven questions for each card.

1. What personality do you have?
2. What is your strength?
3. What is your weakness?
4. How will this deck help me grow?
5. When should I call on this deck for guidance?
6. What is the best way to work with this deck?
7. What will our relationship be like?

Admittedly, these are all good things to know. I set myself up for my reading with a yellow and a green candle, both Beltane colours. I am also keeping my new scolecite heart crystal with me as i feel drawn to it.

1. Sacred Waters. This is a card that talks about healing the deepest wounds, ones i might not even realise exist. Your personality is as a deeply spiritual healer. You’re there to help people feel better.
2. Surrender. The keyword is Letting Go. I can;’t be healed until I let go of the past and the strength of this deck is getting me to a place where i can do just that. It may be painful but it is very necessary.
3. Stone Circle. Ceremony. This deck isn’t about building a daily practice or finding magic in everyday life, or at least it isn’t when I’m using it. I need to come to it when i have inner healing and letting go to do, not as a daily draw.
4. The Lovers. These are all higher number cards but I shuffled before I drew each one! This card is about Vulnerability. I only have two close relationships, one with my husband and one with my sister. They are the only people I feel I can be completely myself with. I am so used to being socially awkward and people not liking me that i close oats of myself off. This deck will help me grown by seeing it’s time to let people in but it must be the right people!
5. Flower Crown. This is sort of like the death card in tarot. It speaks of cycles of death, rebirth and renewal. I should come to this deck when I feel stuck and I’m struggling to move on tot he next phase in my life.
6. Handfastings. I need to make a commitment, a bond with this deck, almost as sacred as a marriage or handfasting. I need to trust my deck and come together with it in the spirit of unity. I need help on my journey and this deck will be my friend and guide along the way.
7. Milk and Butter. If I have true faith in this deck then spirit will create a bond that will nourish us both and bring us what we desire. Faith in each other, the universe and in my power are absolutely key in this.

How Are You Spending Beltane?

Whether you celebrate Beltane or not, I sincerely hope you have a wonderful day and you’re looking forward to the coming of summer. Please feel free to let me know what you got up to in the comments below. Have a great week xx