Beltane is a joyous and wildly festive sabbat. It represents the joining of the Goddess and the God. This divine union is about love and fertility. Beltane celebrates and revels in fertility, love and the sexual nature of all creatures. It was the traditional sabbat of couples taking to the fields to make love and bless the fertility of the fields. Self discovery, love and fertility are the main focuses of this sabbat. It is also a meaningful day to become handfasted or get married. Flirting and courting are also abounding on Beltane as well as dancing, especially around a maypole or balefire. Beltane is a time to prosper and conserve. Meaning, save things (food, money, clothes, etc...) and use them at a later time when you may need them (ie. canning garden vegetables, storing those winter clothes instead of giving them away - they can be used the following winter and save you money, keep your money in a bank and take a autumn vacation instead of summer vacation - autumn travel is usually cheaper because it's off peak.) That's a few exapmles of conserving your resources to help you prosper. Beltane is loud, raucous, laughter-filled sabbat. Go out and enjoy yourself, commune with the dieties, embrace love and life. Smile and the dieties smile with you. Beltane colors include the colors in the rainbow sprctrum especially red & white and incense & oils to use are: frankincense, passion flower, rose, vanilla and lilac. Below I have included a delicious and light salad recipe for Beltane. The red of the strawberries and the light, flavorful dressing make this a great Spring/Summer festival dish. For more recipes, please visit my Recipes section.
Strawberry Spinach Salad
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
½ cup white sugar
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 (10 ounce) bag fresh spinach - chopped, washed and dried
1 quart strawberries, sliced
¼ cup toasted slivered almonds, optional
Directions:
Whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and onion. Refrigerate until chilled.
In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad; toss and refrigerate 10-15 minutes before serving.
