From The Pagan Family by Ceisiwr Serith
The parts of the father may be performed instead by
the oldest male present (provided he has come of age).
The parts assigned to the May Queen may be performed by any of the
women present. Which one does
so is chosen by lot. Use
marbles in a box, with one of a different color, or roll dice or draw cards.
(The first Beltaine after a woman comes of age, she is automatically
entitled to preside.) The woman
chosen is the May Queen and should be crowned with a wreath of flowers or
leaves before the ritual.
Put matches, lighter fluid, the figure of Winter, a pot (either a cauldron that you use in coven or personal rituals, or one you use for cooking), and a bucket or pot of water (for fire safety) next to the barbecue. When everything is ready, gather about the barbecue. The May Queen says:
“The fire of spring has been burning.
The Wheel of the Year has been turning.
The fire and the wheel have brought us here
to Beltaine, beginning of Summer.
It's time now to light the fire of summer
and to burn away all that remains of winter.”
The father then lights the barbecue.
(Give it one more squirt of lighter fluid first.)
When the flames have died down some, the May Queen takes the figure
of Winter and lights it. She
puts it into the pot or cauldron to finish burning.
If your backyard is private enough or the neighbors sufficiently
understanding, do the burning
(or perhaps the whole ritual) in the garden itself.
While Winter burns, say:
“Winter is gone and summer is here
Winter is dead and summer is alive
Winter is ashes in summer's green earth.”
Fan the smoke so it blows on each person present as
a blessing. When Winter is all
burnt, scatter the ashes in the garden.
Dig a deep hole earlier in the day to put the remains in, in case
Winter doesn't burn completely.
(If you have made him out of dead grass this is more likely than if he is
made of garden plants.) If you don't have a garden, the ashes can be
scattered in a local wild spot or a friend's garden.
As you bury or scatter them, say:
“From the ashes of winter
Summer springs up;
Green and bright and shining and warm.”
Throughout the
year save nail clippings and hair trimmings in a bag.
After scattering the ashes, scatter the hair and nails and work them
into the soil, saying:
“From the Earth to us
From us to the Earth
The wheel is always turning.”
Then barbecue.
Spare ribs are particularly good; the sacred pig, bright red, spicy
(hot), and messy – perfect for a celebration.
The day after Beltaine transplant your peat pots and prepare the rest of the garden.