Beltane, or May Day signifies mystical union, the time when the plant is in full growth and in harmony with the environment. May is the customary time for revels, the the Maying ceremonies and traditional love games of May Day. As the first day of Summer, May Day is an important day of the year. The maypole tradition flourishes to this day. May is the month of the appearance on Earth of the mother Goddess.
~Nigel Pennick
Beltane celebrates the sacred marriage of the Goddess and God, from whose union will be born the autumn harvest. Many Beltane customs symbolize this marriage. The practice of filling May baskets with symbols of fertility, such as eggs or nuts,is representative of this joining. The custom of weaving the May pole with long strands of colored ribbon is another. The pole represents the phallus of the God, which penetrate the ribbons that make up the birth canal of the Goddess. This act also symbolizes the transformation of the Goddess in her virgin aspect to the aspect of mother.
~Edain McCoy
