Celebrating BELTANE with your Babes

Beltane is almost upon us here in the northern hemisphere! Also known as May Day,  or Walpurgisnacht, Beltane heralds the blessed arrival of spring. Everywhere we look there are signs of Mother Earth warming, stretching her bones after a long winter's nap and coming out into the sunshine, bringing forth with her the busy, blossoming season of life. This time of year is one of the best times to include your children into your magickal practice!

Common traditions that are associated with Beltane can include dancing around a maypole, weaving flower crowns for the fae, and jumping over the flames of a bonfire for purification and fertility blessings. With that in mind, sometimes it can be hard to figure out ways to make your magickal celebrations more accessible to your children. Below are some Magickal, kid friendly spring activities & ideas that you and your family can use or modify in anyway that suits you!​

Spring Magick Activities

Spring Magick Activities(These are all suggestions and can be modified in any way you like! The hope is to provide you with some ideas and materials to create traditions and magick that you and your little ones enjoy and are comfortable with.)

Outdoor Kiddie Altar
Having a special place to visit and spend time connecting with nature is a great way to foster your child’s connection with nature and open them up to the idea of holding space for themselves in a special place where they can ground, play, dance, meditate, or even sit & read.

Your child’s outdoor altar doesn’t have to be anything elaborate or expensive. It should a designated place that is safe for you & your child to spend time and create magick.
From a small patch in the flowerbed to call their own, a potted fairy garden, a special tree or tree stump in your yard, even a little table or bench outside.

If an outdoor option is not possible, do not fret! You can use a window sill with a plant or two,
a designated area of your home like a corner or bookshelf, even a decorated box (of any kind) to keep any precious/sacred items they find.
 
Nature Treasure Hunt
You and your child can take a nature walk and collect items that they would like to keep on or in  their altar space. Special rocks, feathers, stick wands, flowers, pinecones, acorns, pretty leaves & other nature items- the possibilities are endless and can be completely unique to you and your child's likes and preferences. This is also a nice way to connect with the earth and enjoy some time outdoors together.


Wake the Trees & Wish Ribbons
One of my favorite traditions I have handed down to my son takes place between the spring equinox (Imbolc) and Beltane. We take a special trip outside to wake the trees after their long, cold, winters slumber. We do this with the use of bell wands we make together.

A bell wand is exactly what it sounds like- a stick wand with a bell on the end!
With wands in hand, we walk around our farm and wake the trees; ringing the bells and singing a little spell :

Hear our ringing,
Mighty trees.
It's time to wake,
It's time to see.
Spring is coming,
and soon you’ll  bloom
It’s time to wake!
The warmth comes back soon.


Teaching your children the power of hope and intention setting is potent magick. Wish ribbons are a fun and easy way to do this! Using colorful ribbons, you and your littles can venture outdoors and adorn trees, bushes, or hedges with your springtime ribbons, and tie them with a wish.  The idea here is to demonstrate on a simplistic level the art of actively setting intentions.

Have your child whisper his or her wish they are tying and explain that as the tree/bush/hedge/grows into fruition, so will their wish. If your child is not comfortable with  whispering or speaking aloud, simply focusing on your wishes will do!


It is important to NOT use yarn, small threads, or string because this will create a hazard for wildlife. Simple craft ribbon, or even strips of colored fabric will work perfectly and not pose a choking or tangle hazard to animals.


Bubble Release Spell

Sometimes the idea of introducing our kids to magick and spellwork can seem daunting and confusing, but it is the simple things that are sometimes the most effective!

Springtime is about renewal, hope, and fresh starts. This Bubble Release Spell is a fun and easy way to help your child ground and rid his or herself from any bad feelings or worry that may prevent them from starting fresh this spring.

Take your little outside on a nice day with some bubbles. Have your child either ground themselves by sitting or standing barefoot if allowed. Let them rest a moment and listen to the sounds around them. Observe the birds and animals around. Let them notice the touch of the breeze and the smell of spring in the air. Once comfortable and grounded, you can begin.

The idea here is that the bubble acts as an orb to carry away your child worries or fears. With bubble wand in hand, have your child visualize their problems going into the bubble as they blow. If they want, they can even speak it aloud as a vocal release as well.

There is no right way to do it or exact words to say, but a suggestion could be:

Troubles be gone.
Fears disappear.
The wind carries away,
all my worry and tears.  

As the bubbles float away,
I forbid any negativity to stay.

Remember, make the experience your own as you see fit, and change any aspect of the spell you like to fit your children's needs & situation. Magick is versatile and completely individual- always.
Faerie Tale & Garden
Faeries are beloved magickal creatures with lore and legends closely associated with springtime. There are many child friendly stories you and you little one can read together.
One of my favorites is pictured here titled, Child of Faerie by Jane Yolen.

To PURCHASE, click photo

You can make a fun faerie inspired activity with your child to have story time followed by:

- Making a faerie garden together (you can find supplies to do this at most dollar stores this time of year!)

• - Leaving a special spring treat out for the fae (like fruit ,flowers, or milk).
• - If you have an outdoor garden or if you child has an altar area of their own, you can hang windchimes in that area to make music for the fae and keep negative energy at bay.

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I want to make sure everyone reading knows that there is no wrong way to practice your magick and craft, and when it comes to YOUR family- you know best. You can borrow bits and pieces from the suggestions here or take a completely different approach that suits your family.  
Our most potent magick is our individuality, and I cannot express enough the importance of making your sacred family traditions your own.
 


I want to  wish everyone much love and happiness as we jump head first into the new season, & close with a quote by pagan author Carole Carlton, on the magick of Beltane:

“We too can begin a new life, one that brings satisfaction and enrichment, whether this is by singing, dancing, running through the waves, walking barefoot on the grass or making love under the stars. Perhaps your dreams are greater than this, or perhaps more conservative, but whatever they are, Beltane is a wonderful time for expressing who you truly are.”
― Carole Carlton, Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers: A Celebration of Pagan Festivals, Sacred Days, Spirituality and Traditions of the Year


Author: The WelshWytche of Silfren Circle

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