Make A Beltane/May Day Wishing Tree
Beltane/May Day is just around the corner on May 1st, and it’s a time of decorating homes, barns, and other buildings with Green budding branches, making and wearing garland wreaths of flowers and/or greens. May Baskets are often given or placed secretly on doorsteps to friends, shut-ins, lovers, and others. Contemporary Pagans burn sacred wood and dried herbs as offerings in their Beltane fires. Getting your head and hair wet in Beltane rain is a means to bless the head. Music, dancing, revelry and spending time in nature are all part of regular Beltane celebrations.
In times past, people hung ribbons or strips of fabric onto a tree or bush and made their wishes, in hopes of gaining the favors of the fae who dwelled amidst the flowering green branches. Today, people still practice the custom by hanging Wish Ribbons at Beltane. Since Sabbat gatherings and Beltane Fire festivals are probably not going to happen this year, and you’re sitting home either alone or with loved ones, you can celebrate by making a Wishing Tree.
All you need to do is write your wishes, blessings, things you’d like to manifest or any message you’d like to send out to the Universe on colored ribbons and hang them up and let them blow in the breeze. The wind is a powerful resource and wind magick an ancient practice and tradition that has been carried forward and is still used widely today. Air is an Element of movement. It is not fixed to the ground, but instead can rise up and travel around the globe. Air’s energies can cause rapid change.
If you’re living somewhere without handy trees or bushes, be creative. Tie colored ribbons to hangars in a window, in the path of a fan or air conditioner, off a balcony, to a fence or gate or just about anywhere the wind blows. If you don’t have ribbons, a piece of cloth, or even strips of paper will do. Remember, it’s your intent that will make your wishes and desires come to fruition. Invite your friends and neighbors to add their own ribbons to your tree, fence or bush if it’s accessible to the street where they can drive to or walk by an be conscientious about practicing social distancing as they tie their ribbons on. If people can't share yours, spread the word and encourage them to make their own.
You can color coordinate your ribbons to match your desires if you wish by using these colors: White is for peace and harmony. Red is the color of sex, love, power and vitality. Blue helps you call upon the peace and patience. Burn a yellow candle for success in school or the arts, or to enhance communication in a relationship. Green is traditionally the color of money. Orange evokes ambition and creativity. Use a purple candle for divination, astral travel, and to strengthen your connection with the unseen realms. Pink is the color of emotional well-being, sensuality, and matters of the heart. Grey represents neutrality and balance. Lavender candles are used for spells of love, intimacy and friendship, as well as wishes of all kinds. Brown is a strongly grounding.
Whatever form of Wishing Tree is doable for you, you won't just be sending out your personal wishes and blessings. You will also be putting up a colorful display for others to see and contribute to, if possible, and anything that catches someone’s eye and make them smile or lighten their mood is a blessing in of itself.
And speaking of blessings, this is the time of year when we celebrate the joys of being alive, so here is my Beltane/May Day
blessing to you.
May nature inspire you,
May love surround you,
May spirit protect you, and
May you manifest your heart’s desires.
So Mote It Be.