More Beltane Activities on a Low-Budget (Patreon)

Happy Beltane to you! 💐🌈🎊 and happy Samhain to our family in the Southern Hemisphere! Here are some low-budget ideas to do for Beltane today if you’re not sure what to do!

I also wanted to address this. I’m so sorry to not have posted any altar in a jars, altoid altars, videos, crafts and a Beltane printable workbook. I’ve been struggling mentally and also have another job. It makes me really tired, honestly. I think I get even more tired because of the mental stuff currently going on with me so it makes me even more drained. I got advice from a friend saying “You want to do it all, but you don’t have to. Make sure you rest and give yourself love, too.” I felt like I was disconnecting from my craft by stressing over my other job, @thewitchymarketplace and creating content. So today I’m focusing on fully embracing Beltane and enjoying myself as an eclectic witch. For me, that looks like being a kitchen witch for today because that’s what I’m feeling. I’m completely bummed that I wasn’t able to set my up altar or make any crafts, but that doesn’t make me any less of a witch. And that goes for everybody! If you just can’t or don’t have the energy to put a huge amount of work into your craft, that’s totally fine. Just wanted to send much love to you all and hope you have a great Beltane or Samhain!

Now, back to the article! Thank you for reading my little rant, if you did! But this is a great article I found that focuses on low-budget and low-energy rituals. I’m not sure if anyone else agrees, but as much as I’d love to create beautiful flower arrangements and crowns, deck out a massive May pole with an array of rainbow ribbons and feast with my friends, sometimes your wallet simply won’t let that happen!

So, I decided to make a blog listing my tips for a fun, beautiful and fulfilling budget-friendly Beltane and how I did it for around $20.00 USD.

Tip #1: You don’t have to buy ANYTHING. Seriously. Everyone celebrates Beltane differently but what it boils down to I think is that we’re all welcoming the first signs of summer! We are celebratingthat halfway point between Ostara and Litha. The height of spring is leading us closer and closer to warmer, longer days. To make this holiday cost you $0, take a walk in nature or meditate in it. If you feel that nature gives you her blessing, pick a few flowers or oak leaves to make your own may crown or Beltane altar centerpiece while you’re at it. Pick a few twigs off of the ground and make your own mini may pole or build your own pentacle to go with the flowers on your altar!

Tip #2: Use what you have. I’ve acquired many candles, incense blends and witchy trinquets over the years. Remember that white candles can substitute for any candle color, including those little white votive candles you might have lying around your house as home decor. Look at your spice cabinet or tea bags for loose incense inspiration. Research, research, research the correspondences of the holidays you hope to celebrate. I’m willing to bet that you will find at least one herb correspondence for Beltane sitting in your kitchen.

Tip #3: You don’t need to go to a witchy store to buy witchy things. Dollar Tree or Walmart (if you’re in America) have a lot of what you need if you take your time to look. Don’t get me wrong, I’d much rather support a local business but sometimes we need to work with the budget we have and that’s not a bad thing. Most of the supplies I bought for this year’s Beltane celebration were bought at Walmart!

Cakes and Ale

I’m not much of a baker and ale can be pricey so I bought what was on sale! That happened to be blueberry and chocolate muffins and white wine which was less than 4 bucks!! **Please do not consume alcohol if you’re pregnant or underage. Many people substitute alcoholic beverages for juice, water or milk for several reasons and that’s completely fine**

Ribbon

What’s Beltane without flowers and ribbon?? I admit I would have gotten ribbon much cheaper at a Dollar Tree but by the time I forked over the gas to get to one, it would have cost me about the same price. Instead of making a long distance drive, I looked at the brightly colored ribbon that wasn’t satin or coated in glitter and I got 4 thick rolls for under $8.00. If you choose the thinner rolls, it’s as low as

$.47!!! We didn’t have a May pole so we decorated one of our plastic trees in our home! Another option would be a tall standing lamp or if the weather permits, you could wrap ribbon around a tree or basketball hoop.

Flowers

Again, you could pick these from a park and it would cost you next to nothing but Walmart has a great flower section with flower bouquets for under $10.

Offerings

Many people give offerings to the fae at Beltane. My husband found these shiny glass gems for under a dollar!! Another gift the fae enjoy is ribbon so you could save your buck and use your leftover May pole ribbon to braid necklaces for faeries like I did. As far as offerings go for deities, I gave them something a little more personal. I read a poem and said a gratitude prayer. My ancestors received part of my “cakes and ale” as well.

Fire

With Beltane being a fire holiday and tradition being what it is, incorporating fire or smoke to leap over was an absolute must for me to cleanse myself of winter and usher in the fruits of summer. I used a cauldron I bought many moons ago to hold my green candle and incense but you can use any heat proof dish or bowl. While many will create a bonfire in their backyards, some use a chime candle or two in their holder(s) and jump over those instead. Another option would be to pick up a pack of two battery operated tea light candles for $1.00 at Dollar Tree. That includes the batteries, too!

**Always be extra cautious when handling open flames. Have water/fire extinguisher nearby and don’t set open flames on carpet or other flammable surfaces**

Candles

Again, white will substitute any color candle and it doesn’t have to be spell or chime candles. But if you have the cash to spare, you can purchase chime candles in a pack of 20 for $5.00 online!!

Here are some other activities you could do for Beltane! Are you doing anything special for today?

May Cup For Beltane

Long-stemmed goblet or glass

Potpourri-seasonal dried or fake flowers

Red, white, and-or gold ribbon

Small grapevine wreath

Charm for decoration

Directions: Fill the cup with floral decorations of the season such as :bluebells, roses, daisies, primroses, lilac or potpourri in May colors such as: green, soft pink, blue, yellow, and-or white. Around the cup, use gold, red, or white ribbon to hang a charm of some sort; some of the best images to use would be a grapevine or twig star-available at most craft stores or easily constructed with twigs and wire, a bell, or a faery image, possibly even a small broom or just a string of beads. Now the stem of the cup can be decorated however you like: Wire-stemmed flowers can be wound around it, or fake ivy, or even red and white ribbons wound around like a maypole if that suits the decoration. Place the cup in the center of the grapevine wreath, and also decorate the wreath with seasonal florals, including red and white ribbons. Use it as a centerpiece for a seasonal altar or kitchen table.

Ritual use: The "May cup" was originally a chalice whose purpose was to hold wine or another beverage which was consumed by the May King and May Queen, elected by the people during the town May Day party. The cup can be used in solitary, couple, or group ritual to hold a blessed beverage for the ritual; the cup can be decorated but left empty of florals until after the beverage has been consumed. Then it can be rinsed with water and filled by the participants with the various florals.

- Make a wish at the hawthorn tree, a tree associated with faeries. Place strips of cloth symbolizing your wish in the tree-the color should be appropriate to the nature of your wish, i.e. blue for health, pink or red for love, green or gold for prosperity. Take some time to attune to the tree. When you feel you have contacted its spirit, visualize your wish coming true as you hook the cloth on one of the tree's thorns, chanting your wish. When you have finished, leave a gift for the tree.

- Beltane is one of the three "spirit-nights" of the year when the faeries can be seen. At dusk, twist a rowan sprig into a ring and look through it, and you may see them.

- Make a wish as you jump a bonfire or candle flame for good luck-but make sure you tie up long skirts first!

- Make a May bowl -wine or punch in which the flowers of sweet woodruff or other fragrant blossoms are soaked-and drink with the one you love.

- Sending flowers to loved ones, planting new gardens, cleaning out the cupboards and general spring cleaning are all traditional Beltane gestures.

- Light a fire in the fireplace at sundown to invoke the Sun God. Keep it going until sundown on May 1st. If you don't have a fireplace - or it's too hot for a fire - light a large white or yellow seven-day candle. When lighting the fire or the wick, chant: "God of Sun, Fire in the sky, Light the Earth and warm the night. Warm our spirits, hearts, and hands. Shed Your light upon this land."

- Serve an evening meal of breakfast foods to invoke the fertility of the Sun God. Pancakes, eggs, milk, cheese, bacon, sausage, and honey are good options. Fix an extra plate for the Sun God, and leave it outside in the East when supper is finished.

- Before going to bed, say the following prayer for Universal fertility: "Lord and Lady, Growing Sun. Bless us in our work and fun. Bless the land and animals, too. Bless the crops and morning dew. Bless all that live upon this land, Bestow Your great abundance and Fertilize all that we do. This we humbly ask of You."

Source:

https://aminoapps.com/c/pagans-witches/amp/blog/how-to-celebrate-beltane-on-a-budget/xpdX_JM6s2uqxjg74D1m1nEMg7De8ZLL4

https://www.ravenandcrone.com/catalog/a85/Beltane,-May-Day,-Activities,-Lore/article_info.html