Before we all get too dewy eyed about Beltane tomorrow, spare a thought for today’s pagan celebration, Walpurgis Night, sometimes referred to as ‘the other Halloween’. It gets this reputation from the medieval belief that on this night, the last in April, the witches gathered together for their sabbats and orgies. They must have been living in a totally different world from the rest of us then. Given that Walpurgis Night is mostly celebrated in northern Europe I can’t imagine an outdoor orgy at this time of year (at especially at night!) Maybe the weather was different in the Middle Ages, but only in the sense that it was much colder; the period from about 1200-1600 is sometimes called a mini Age Ice. Even the Thames was known to freeze over, the ice so thick you could roast an ox on it.
While Walpurgis Night has retained something of its sinister reputation (thanks in no small measure, I suspect) to the dreaded Denis Wheatley, Beltane remains a sunny, happy celebration around the maypole on the village green. Why should this be? The two are a part of the same whole, for in many ancient cultures celebrations began the evening before. A good example of this would be the Jewish Sabbath which actually starts on Friday night not Saturday morning.
Well, I’m going to celebrate both. I’ll pour a libation of cider to my chosen gods (and anybody else’s, for that matter, if they call around and bring a bottle) and I’m going to enjoy a spot of scrying, diving, invoking and spellwork too. Life’s too short not to celebrate!
Brightest blessings
Tylluan
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