Earth Energies
The Bel Fire of the Celtic Gauls Karen Crowley Susani (April, 2019)
Night has come and the community is completely dark; all remaining light sources throughout the entire area have been extinguished in anticipation of Bel’s fire. It is the full moon in May and the celebration of Beltane begins. The druid, with a magical spark, ignites the fire and the flames hungrily lick the air. Incantations uttered by the druids imbue magical power into the fire. As the heat and light grow stronger and stronger, celebration and rituals begin. People dance around the fires and feasting commences. Later as the flames die down, people would leap across the remaining flames and livestock are driven between bonfires. These massive fires dot the countryside on the eve of Beltane in the Celtic world of Gaul. This is a time of celebration and rituals to welcome back the season of light and ensure the health of the community. Beltane, the anglicized name of the Gaelic celebration of Spring, means bright fire. It was one of the most critical seasonal changes of the year for the ancient Celts. It marked the change from the dark season to the light-filled season of the summer. They used a different calendar than ours, one based on the solar and lunar rhythms. The moon indicated the beginning of each new season and the four significant celebrations in each year. Imbolc began the new year in February, Beltane followed in May, then Lughnasadh was celebrated in August, followed by Samhain in November. When we consider these celebrations from the point of dark and light, Beltane and Samhain were the two most important times. Samhain marked the time of darkness and symbolic spiritual death, while Beltane was the celebration of light returning to the land.
Star Nations Magazine • February 2021 • 16
