Beltane Prayers

Beltane falls on May 1 in the Northern Hemisphers (it's six months later for our readers below the equator) and is a time to celebrate the fertility and greening of the earth in spring. By the time Beltane rolls around, sprouts and seedlings are appearing, grass is growing, and the forests are alive with new life. If you're looking for prayers to say at your Beltane ceremony, try these simple ones that celebrate the greening of the earth during the fertility feast of Beltane.

01
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Am Beannachadh Bealltain (The Beltane Blessing)

Beltane Wedding Couple
Beltane is a season of fertility and blessings. Matt Cardy / Getty Images News

The Carmina Gadelica features hundreds of poems and prayers that folklorist Alexander Carmichael collected from residents in various areas of Scotland. There is a lovely prayer in the Gaelic entitled simply Am Beannachadh Bealltain (The Beltane Blessing), which pays tribute to the Holy Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This is a much shorter version, and has been adapted into a Pagan-friendly format for the Beltane sabbat: 

Bless, O threefold true and bountiful,
Myself, my spouse, my children.
Bless everything within my dwelling and in my possession,
Bless the kine and crops, the flocks and corn,
From Samhain Eve to Beltane Eve,
With goodly progress and gentle blessing,
From sea to sea, and every river mouth,
From wave to wave, and base of waterfall.

Be the Maiden, Mother, and Crone,
Taking possession of all to me belonging.
Be the Horned God, the Wild Spirit of the Forest,
Protecting me in truth and honor.
Satisfy my soul and shield my loved ones,
Blessing every thing and every one,
All my land and my surroundings.
Great gods who create and bring life to all,
I ask for your blessings on this day of fire.

02
of 07

Prayer to Cernunnos

Detail of Gundestrup Cauldron, Celtic horned God Cernunnos, Danish, c100 BC.

Print Collector / Getty Images

Cernunnos is a horned god found in Celtic mythology. He is connected with male animals, particularly the stag in rut, and this has led him to be associated with fertility and vegetation. Depictions of Cernunnos are found in many parts of the British Isles and western Europe. He is often portrayed with a beard and wild, shaggy hair–he is, after all, the lord of the forest: 

God of the green,
Lord of the forest,
I offer you my sacrifice.
I ask you for your blessing.

You are the man in the trees,
the green man of the woods,
who brings life to the dawning spring.
You are the deer in rut,
mighty Horned One,
who roams the autumn woods,
the hunter circling round the oak,
the antlers of the wild stag,
and the lifeblood that spills upon
the ground each season.

God of the green,
Lord of the forest,
I offer you my sacrifice.
I ask you for your blessing.

03
of 07

Prayer to the Earth Mother

Woman in grassy field
sutiporn somnam / Getty Images

The Beltane season is a time to celebrate the fertility of the earth, whether you honor the masculine aspect of the gods, or the sacred feminine of the goddesses. This simply prayer offers a thanks to the archetype of the earth mother for her bounty and blessings: 

Great earth mother!
We give you praise today
and ask for your blessing upon us.
As seeds spring forth
and grass grows green
and winds blow gently
and the rivers flow
and the sun shines down
upon our land,
we offer thanks to you for your blessings
and your gifts of life each spring. 

04
of 07

Prayer to Honor the May Queen

Girl with Flower Crown
Celebrate Beltane by offering a ring of flowers to the May Queen. Johner Images / Getty Images

The May Queen is Flora, the goddess of the flowers, and the young blushing bride, and the princess of the Fae. She is Lady Marian in the Robin Hood tales, and Guinevere in the Arthurian cycle. She is the embodiment of the Maiden, of mother earth in all of her fertile glory.Make an offering of a floral crown, or a libation of honey and milk, to the Queen of the May during your Beltane prayers: 

The leaves are budding across the land
on the ash and oak and hawthorn trees.
Magic rises around us in the forest
and the hedges are filled with laughter and love.
Dear lady, we offer you a gift,
a gathering of flowers picked by our hands,
woven into the circle of endless life.
The bright colors of nature herself
blend together to honor you,
Queen of spring,
as we give you honor this day.
Spring is here and the land is fertile,
ready to offer up gifts in your name.
we pay you tribute, our lady,
daughter of the Fae,
and ask your blessing this Beltane.

05
of 07

Prayer to Protect the Herds & Flocks

Herding Sheep
Offer a prayer to protect the herds and flocks.

Bob Pool / Getty Images

In the Celtic lands, Beltane was a time of fire symbolism. Herds were driven between large blazes, as a way to protect them and guarantee their for the coming year. You may not have cattle or livestock, but you can offer this prayer to protect your pets and animals: 

We light the fires of Beltane,
sending smoke up to the sky.
The flames purify and protect,
marking the turn of the Wheel of the Year.
Keep our animals safe and strong.
Keep our land safe and strong.
Keep those who would protect them
Safe and strong.
May the light and heat of this fire
bestow life upon the herd 

06
of 07

Prayer to the Gods of the Forest

ForestMan_1500
Celebrate Beltane by honoring the gods of the forest. Image by Joakim Leroy/E+/Getty Images

Many Pagan traditions today honor the sacred masculine as part of their regular practice. Honor the gods of the forest and wilderness with this simple Beltane prayer–and feel free to incorporate additional deities as they pertain to your own belief system! 

Spring has come to the earth.
the land is fertile and ready at Beltane,
seeds will be sown, and
new life will begin once more.
Hail, great gods of the land!
Hail, gods of resurrected life!
Hail, Cernunnos, Osiris, Herne, and Bacchus!
Let the soil open up
and mother earth's fertile womb
receive the seeds of life
as we welcome the spring.

07
of 07

Set Up Your Beltane Altar

Beltane Altar
Use symbols of the season to decorate your Beltane altar. Patti Wigington

It's Beltane, the Sabbat where many Pagans choose to celebrate the fertility of the earth. This Sabbat is about new life, fire, passion and rebirth, so there are all kinds of creative ways you can set up for the season. Here are some ideas for dressing up your Beltane altar!

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Your Citation
Wigington, Patti. "Beltane Prayers." Learn Religions, Sep. 20, 2021, learnreligions.com/simple-prayers-for-beltane-2561674. Wigington, Patti. (2021, September 20). Beltane Prayers. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/simple-prayers-for-beltane-2561674 Wigington, Patti. "Beltane Prayers." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/simple-prayers-for-beltane-2561674 (accessed March 28, 2024).