The May Queen is crowned. and calleth her bridegroom. After years of struggles to keep the Beltane Fire Festival on top of Calton Hill in Edinburgh, Beltane celebrations took once again place under offical restrictions, such as time restriction to 1 am, no bottles, nor waxtorches nor loud drums or instruments and official entry fee of £3-5 instead of donations. Netherteless at least 8500 witnessed and enjoyed the celebrations according to official ticket sales.

Beltane is celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere of the world in the night between April 30th and May 1st. In the Southern Hemisphere it is celebrated between October 31st and November 1st, according to the seasonal cycle, also called "The Wheel of the Year", and the longest day of te year, Midsummer, centred on the night of 21st/22nd of June in the northern atmosphere, or the night between 20th/21st of December in the Southern Hemispere. There are 8 festivals durig the year, four of them known by their Celtic names, the other four beig related to the solar cycle. For the Northern Hemisphere, the "Wheel of the Year" looks as such: Beltane April 30/May 1st Midsummer June 21/22 Lughnasadh/Lammas August 1/2nd Autumn Equinox September 20/21 Samhain October 31/November 1st Yule/Winter Solstice December 20/21 Imbolc February 1/2 Spring Equinox March 20/21 Pagan beliefs 1. Polytheism The Gods are many. 2. Pantheism The Divine is everywhere, in everyone of us and nature. 3. Goddess and God The Divine is beyond the limitations of gender, represented both in female and male. 4. Pagan Ethic: "If it harms none, do what you will." Thereby Tolerance is an important aspect of Paganism. In contrast to Paganism, many monotheistic religions tend to support authoritarian political regimes that practise racism, sexism and oppression of anyone who dissents. As paganism values nature, pagans are opposed to place profit motives above all else and many pagans are involved in environmental groups, vegetarian, peace and anti-nuclear campaigning or grassroots community action. The belief, that the Divine has manifested itself in differet ways at different times to suit different people, make religious wars over the name of Gods a "Delusion of Rightness" and consequently senseless in pagan beliefs. __________ For pictures and reports of this years Beltane celebration see also: http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/05/310775.html To read up on the Beltane controversy in 2003 : - With Beltane Fire Festival's Demise on Calton Hill, What has the Festival lost? http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/03/57505.html - Beltane festival cancelled: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/scotland/2003/03/57559.html , - Reclaim the Hill for Beltane: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/04/65810.html - Calton Hill blocked off by police to prevent Mayday celebration: https://www1.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/06/273295.html - Edinburgh Beltane ban was a shame: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/05/66387.html

view from Carlton Hill

Related

http://www.beltane.org/