Celebrating Beltane ~ Creating Artful Beltane Ambiance and Decorating Tips For Your Beltane Festival and Feasting Table

Beltane kicks off the merry month of May! In ancient times, festivities began before the 1st of May upon the evening of the last day in April. Old world pagans continue this tradition today in the 21st Century. And what a splendid time for a celebration! Whether it be a small gathering with family and friends in the backyard or a large party, there are a myriad of ways to create a festive environment and ambiance for your Beltane celebration.

This fire festival is celebrated with bonfires, feasting, dancing around the Maypole and lots of sexual energy. Because Maypoles represent the phallic symbol, they are erected into the ground and danced around to celebrate the masculine aspect of the sabbat. Also recognized as Mayday, this sabbat is a time of sacred fertility. The Goddess and the God perform the Great Rite, sacred sexuality, making the land lush and green, making this old world pagan holiday an ideal day for handfastings and weddings.

I've always loved entertaining, and enjoy hosting parties for 100 to 150 guests in my home. Being a musician, I also love live music and tend to go overboard when it comes to musical entertainment with 3 to 5 live bands performing. Live music is great at a Beltane celebration! Perhaps an acoustic ensemble or a drum circle. If live music is not an option, choose a few CD's! Whatever your guests and you enjoy is fine, pr perhaps some old Celtic tunes!~ 

Creating an ambiance for your Beltane Party can be fun and the end result whimsical and elegant. I've always wanted to erect a big Maypole in my backyard, but my space doesn't allow me to take on such a task. However, you can adorn trees and other outside structures with ribbons, colorful flags and banners, springtime colored flowers (silk or real flowers), use your imagination! The possibilities are endless!

Hosting a elegant evening celebration and feast for your family and friends? Easy! Beltane is also known as the Festival of Flowers, and the appearance of flowers around this time of year heralds the beginning of summer. Create a beautiful feasting table with elegant centerpieces of spring and summer flowers and bowls of fresh fruit and berries. Above the feasting table, hang a pole decorated with flowers, moss, flowing satin ribbons of Beltane, strands of white lights, colorful fabric banners and anything else that you an think of. Rule number one.... never use paper plates and plastic forks when serving your guests. There are places that rent everything you'll need  to make this occasion memorable for your guests. Plates, wine glasses, flatware, linens, coffee service, chocolate fountains, right down to tables, chairs and tents for your party.

Celebrations begin the eve before Beltane, and the lighting of bonfires traditionally begin in the evening on 30th April and continue throughout the night and into the next day. In old Ireland, the Beltane bonfire or bale fire, was lit upon the Hill of Uisneach. Torches were lit from the bale fire, then carried down to the village where villagers would then use their torches taking flame from the main fire to light their own bonfires and hearth fires. The fires of Beltane represents the return of the light as the days lengthen and summer begins its journey upon the earth. Renewal and purification rites are performed by jumping the bonfire. In medieval times, two fires were lit side by side and villagers drove their cattle between the fires as a symbol of purification and protection of the herd as well as a blessing of abundance and a bountiful harvest ahead.

Today, these same traditions continue with the bonfire serving as the focal gathering place where we carry on with music, merriment, dancing and love rites. Old world pagan traditions included lighting the fire with the Nine Sacred Woods. White Magick Alchemy offers an beautiful blending of these Nine Sacred Woods in packages as well as our Fires of Beltane Sacred Casting Herbs. Use our Nine Sacred Woods to start your fire or toss a bountiful handful of our Casting Herbs right into your Beltane bonfire! And theres plenty to go around too! Our Fires of Beltane Sacred Casting Herbs come in a jumbo 16 ounce jar. For large parties, feel free to contact us and we can create a big batch for you in bulk that you can package up and give to your guests as a offering for their own bonfire.

Please visit White Magick Alchemy for an array of handmade and witch blessed candles and ritual offerings for Beltane. And have a blessed Beltane this year!~
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Charoite ~ The Magic and Mystery

Have you ever heard of Charoite? If you haven't, you should know about its powerful energy!

Charoite was recently discovered in Russia in 1978 in the Murun mountains in Yakutia, to date, this the only known location for this rare mineral. The name Charoite is derived from the Chary River which is near where it was found. Chary, meaning charm or magic.

Charoite is a very rare, amazing and beautiful stone. The colors range from light to medium lavender, deep violet and lilac, to dark purples, with swirling patterns of Black Augite, transparent crystals of microcline Feldspar, orange and sometimes swirls of deep brown. The stone's quality varies. The darker stone is the most sought after and is the most expensive. Other Charoite stones may appear much lighter in color. Pale violet and  lavender with light green, creamy yellow and brown prismatic tinaksite crystals.

This is one of my favorite gemstones. Charoite is known as a 'Stone of Transformation' as well as a "Stone of Power". In particular, it transforms negative emotions such as anger and fear into positive feelings and aids in coping with enormous change on a spiritual level. As a part of the transformation process it allows release of those negative emotions, so one can change and move forward. Charoite is a stone of strength, power, courage and wisdom, allowing negative energies to dissipate and spiritual awareness and positive energy to manifest naturally. If you are stuck in a situation where change needs to take place, a relationship that has halted your spiritual growth, Charoite is the stone for you.Charoite is also known as a "Stone of Inspiration", bringing enhanced creativity, spiritual growth and showing new possibilities in even the oldest situations. This is a stone that allows one to see clearly which brings with it enhanced self-esteem and helps release one from many victimizations. It helps to reduce stress, anxiety and worry and brings about a relaxed attitude. It overcomes compulsions and obsessions and opens and balances the crown chakra. Charoite is known to enhance courage, inner strength and assertiveness.The stone transmutes negative energy into healing and converts disease into wellness. A powerful healing stone, Charoite helps control blood pressure, liver damage, alleviates cramps, aches, pains, and helps greatly with insomnia. It also helps with autism and bipolar conditions, relaxing and calming the mind. An amazing stone to calm panic attacks. Just holding a Charoite stone can help to relax you and balance energy.

Its strange how Charoite is a more recent discovery. There is speculation that the stone was picked up and thrown back to the ground in the 1940's, but there was no verified discovery until 1978. The stone lacks appeal in its natural form, probably the reason why no was interested in it back in the 1940's if in fact is was just laying around on the ground. Evidently, Russia makes it difficult to get your hands on this magical mineral and have strict guidelines regarding its departure from the country. Not a lot of people know about Charoite and since its only location to date is in Russia (Charoite has not been found anywhere else in the world), you can bet that Charoite is one of the rarest gemstones on earth.


How we choose our crystals and gemstones ~ I am very particular about the crystals and gemstones I offer here at White Magick Alchemy.  Each piece is hand selected, meaning that I look at each piece, whether it be a sphere, wand, standing point, tumbled or raw stone/specimen, and choose only the finest pieces to offer to you. I don't order these from some online vendor who sends me a box of gemstones I've never laid my eyes on or my hands on. Every piece has been in my hands and carefully examined before I decide if the crystal gemstone is listed for sale.

White Magick loves Charoite! And I am constantly searching for more. But this is not an easy task as I need to see and hold each piece beforehand. Currently I have Charoite Wands, Charoite Tumbled Gemstones, Charoite Spheres and Charoite Palm Stones available. Please visit us by clicking the link below to see our selections of these rare and magical Charoite gemstones. 

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