Bealtaine: The Hearth of Your Soul

Introduction

To be loved means to be consumed with the flame, to be loved means to shine with inexhaustible light’. Rainer Maria Rilke

‘Be what God called you to be and you will set the world on fire’, St. Catherine of Sienna, 14th Century.

Bealtaine [pronounced bee-OWL-thinna] is the threshold into the great bright half of the year. The Celtic imagination associated this time of year with the element of fire. In the Christian calendar, the feast of Easter also celebrates fire at this time as a symbol of the victory of light over darkness. 

The fires in the home were extinguished and then all lit again from the central bonfire. Come and join us and our community as we collectively extinguish the burdens of our past and walk through the purifying power of a new flame rekindled from this central source of creativity and community. 

This is a time to celebrate the rising of the fertile earth Goddess in all her fiery splendor. A time to release all of the voices that have remained silent within you. A time to let the fire of your imagination loose and share this passion in the company of others. This is a time of great growth, power and love. By gathering together at this time and experiencing the culture and wisdom associated with this time, we can amplify this energy so that we have great stores of it to share in times to come.

Day 1 - The Mouth of Fire - the Poetics of Bealtaine

‘I went out to the hazel wood because a fire was in my head’ 
The Song of Wandering Aengus,’ - W.B. Yeats

The word Bealtaine [pro. be-OWL-thinna] mean mouth of fire. Our sense of yearning, the feelings of love and the power of imagination is often compared to the element of fire. 

What is the mouth of fire that is speaking to you at this time? What fire-words are awakening within you to be spoken?

Day 2 - Home is where the hearth is

Níl aon tintean mar do thintéan féin - there is no hearth like your own hearth
- Ancient Celtic proverb

This is a time to reimagine what you own home means to you. At this time the home hearth was extinguished and a new flame was brought from the outdoor festivities back into the household to reignite the home fire. This tradition reminds us that we must also reimagine, rekindle and renew the fire within the place we call home. This annual renewal allows us to stop taking our home for granted and look upon our homes again with new eyes and gratitude. 

Day 3 - Fire and fear of the feminine

It is very appropriate for humans to fear fire. But this fear of fire is also often used as a weapon of mass terror by many organizations masquerading as spiritual communities. Threats of an eternity of fire and brimstone were used to control the souls of the faithful. Books, heretics and witches were burned at the stake as a lesson for us all to obey our masters. 

Bealtaine brings back to life the unstoppable power of the earth goddess who purifies and ignites our imaginations with the life giving power of fire, encouraging us that fire is not a cause for nightmares, but rather the foundation of a good home. 

Day 4 - And we’ll all go together

Song, dance and great merriment also were celebrated at Bealtaine. The great initiation is for to come close around this fire of community and declare our own village around ourselves. Where do you find this heathfire of community in your own life? How can you step out into a new sense of belonging, making your home in the world?

What you will receive:

• Attend four live Zoom meetings

• Every session has an optional breakout conversation with other participants to reflect on a question of the day

• Interact with the group via the Zoom chat feature

• Gain access to recordings of the four sessions indefinitely

• Download the Teaching Notes and Participant Chat for each session

• Receive an invitation to join the Dámh Imeall (h)Edge School Facebook Group

• Become a part of this ever growing community of creativity and imagination

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