As the wheel turns again, we arrive at the wild, wondrous threshold of Beltane, a fire festival brimming with passion, vitality, and fertile possibility. Celebrated on the 1st of May, Beltane marks the midway point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice, and it hums with life-force energy.
But this isn’t just nature putting on her finest frock, this is the season of yes. The veil between worlds is thin again, but this time, it’s not ghostly like at Samhain. It’s seductive. Golden. Pulsing. There’s an invitation in the air: Come closer. Say yes. Step into the fullness of who you are.
The earth knows it. The trees are in leaf, the birds are pairing up, flowers are blooming with no shame whatsoever and beneath all this outward beauty, there’s a deeper stir. A kind of sacred recklessness. Not chaotic, but honest. Embodied. Alive. And that’s where the real Beltane magic lies, not just in what’s blossoming on the outside, but in what’s awakening within us.
Because Beltane isn’t just a celebration of fertility in the traditional sense. It’s a time to reconnect with our own inner fire. Our creativity. Our longing. Our instinctual truth. It’s the season of desire, in all its messy, magnificent forms.
So, let’s take a slow wander into the woods of myth, body, and shadow, and see what the May Queen and the Green Man might be whispering to you this year.
The May Queen & the Green Man: A Story of Desire, Sovereignty & Sacred Wildness
At the heart of Beltane is an ancient story, the sacred union of the May Queen and the Green Man. It’s not just a romantic tale (although it can be deeply sensual); it’s a symbol of the dance between our inner wild and outer expression. Between soul and instinct. Between purpose and pleasure.
The May Queen isn’t here to be quiet or ornamental. She is radiance embodied, crowned in blossoms, rooted in beauty, and utterly unbothered about being “too much.” She doesn’t ask for permission to bloom, she just does. And in doing so, she invites you to do the same.
She is your sensual sovereignty. Your unapologetic aliveness. The part of you that dares to want more and doesn’t shrink back from the mirror when that wanting stirs something uncomfortable.
The Green Man? He’s not just a gentle forest spirit, either. He’s the surge of life that rises up through your spine when you’re on the edge of something real. He is instinct. Boldness. The full-bodied “yes” that pulses through your blood when you stop overthinking and actually feel your way forward.
Together, these archetypes embody the Beltane spirit, not just sex and flowers, but the sacred fire of growth, creativity, and truth. Their union ensures the turning of the seasons, yes, but symbolically, it reminds us that our own vitality comes from embracing both desire and discipline. Both longing and action. Both softness and wildness.
They’re not just mythic figures. They live in you.
But What About the Shadow?
It’s tempting to stop the story here, at the joyful bonfires and flower crowns. But Beltane, like any true rite of passage, also has a shadow. And to ignore it is to miss the depth of its medicine.
Because when you tune into desire - truly tune in - it can be confronting. It can bring up all the places where you’ve been told to not want that, not feel that, not go there. Maybe you were taught that desire is dangerous. Or selfish. Or shameful. Maybe you learned to silence your sensuality, hide your voice, or soften your light to make others comfortable.
And yet… here we are. The fire is lit. The season says: no more hiding.
Shadow work at Beltane means looking at the parts of ourselves we’ve disowned in order to survive and choosing to bring them back into the light. It’s asking: Where have I shrunk myself? Where have I settled for less? Where have I mistaken safety for aliveness?
It’s not about burning it all down for the sake of drama. It’s about reclaiming the parts of us that never should’ve been lost.
The May Queen invites you to step back into your own authority, to own your beauty, your power, and your right to take up space. To want what you want without apology.
The Green Man dares you to follow your fire, to trust the part of you that knows when something is real, even if it’s terrifying. He won’t let you stay numb. He asks you to feel it all, the pleasure, the fear, the grief, the longing and let that be your compass.
Shadow Prompts for Beltane
These prompts are a way into the deeper waters of this season. You don’t have to answer them all in one go. Take your time. Let your body be part of the process. Move. Breathe. Listen.
~ What desires have I buried or belittled because they didn’t seem practical, acceptable, or “nice”? What might happen if I let them breathe?
~ Where do I feel numb, disconnected, or creatively blocked? What part of me might be asking for more attention, more tenderness, or more truth?
~ If my inner May Queen or Green Man were leading the way right now, what would I do differently? How would I speak, move, or create?
~ Where am I holding back? What am I afraid might happen if I really let myself be seen, heard, or fully expressed?
~ What stories or beliefs have I inherited about desire, sensuality, or power? Are they still serving me or is it time to lay them on the fire?
~ What part of me feels “too much” and what would it take to meet that part with love, rather than shame?
These aren’t surface-level questions. They’re doorways. And you don’t have to rush through them. Let your answers come in layers. Let your body speak. Trust what rises.
Beltane Is a Portal — Not Just a Party
Yes, Beltane is joyful. It’s playful. It’s sexy and alive and deeply pleasurable. But it’s also a threshold, a portal into deeper embodiment, deeper truth, and deeper self-trust.
This isn’t about becoming someone else. It’s about coming home to the parts of yourself that already know. The parts that remember. The parts that are wild, wise, and just waiting for you to say, “I’m listening.”
Want to Dive Deeper Into the Fire?
If you’re feeling the Beltane spark and want to explore this even further, I dive into all of this in this week’s Sage in the Sky Podcast, myth, shadow, sensuality, archetypes, and how this season can support your inner work.
🎧 Listen to the episode here — Beltane & the Shadow of Desire
We explore the myth & magic of Beltane as a Celtic fire festival, the archetypes of the May Queen & the Green Man, the shadow of desire, how longing, sensuality & ambition are often shamed or silenced and Fire as a force of transformation & how to reclaim your desires as sacred.
Whether you’re dancing round a maypole, journaling under the moon, or just lighting a candle and sitting with yourself, know this:
You are allowed to want more.
You are allowed to bloom in your own way.
You are allowed to be radiant, messy, and real.
This is a season for coming alive, fully, wildly, unapologetically.
So go on. Light the fire. Honour your longings. Let your soul bloom.
Blessed Beltane,
Carrie