Today we have been belatedly celebrating Beltane, the traditional May Day festival in the Wheel of the Year.

Usually celebrated from sunset on the 30th April to sunrise on the 1st of May, Beltane represents the peak of Spring and the beginning of Summer. It honors life and fertility.

Beltane is a fire festival with lots of traditional activities including jumping the fire, jumping the broomstick, maypole dancing and 'handfasting.'

So today, Siobhan and Nigel built a flint fire and we cooked up some potatoes and beans which we enjoyed with vegan cheese and hummus.

The Celtic tradition of 'Handfasting' originates from the story of the Great Wedding of the Goddess of nature and the God (or 'Green Man.') It is a popular time for pagan weddings and so-called Handfastings. So around the fire today, we talked about The Green Man, his traditional position as the 'protector of the forests' and his relationship with nature. Some of us made depictions of him in the trees from clay and found objects.

We all had a fantastic Beltane festival today!

... and we are already planning our next Wheel of Year Celebration for Summer Solstice in June. Watch this space! But for now we better get back to the hard work of Spring/ Summer - sowing, planting and plant maintenance.