Beltane: History and Legends

If you're below the equator, October is the month when you start making your Beltane plans. After all, you've already had your chilly winter months, and spring is right around the corner. Observed on October 31st (when the Northern Hemisphere celebrates Samhain), Beltane is a time to welcome the abundance of the fertile earth. It's the time when the earth mother opens up to the fertility god, and their union brings about healthy livestock, strong crops, and new life all around.

You may want to start by reading about the history of this holiday, which has its roots in the early celebrations of the Celtic and Roman cultures: Beltane History

There's also quite a bit of Beltane folklore out there, and this time of year is considered a good time to do workings involving the Fae. Finally, some traditions see Beltane as a time of battle between the Queen of Winter and the May Queen, although in the case of Southern Hemisphere traditions, the May Queen might better be called the Queen of Spring.