This day is a good day to set up a game plan for what you wish to accomplish over the next year. A suggestion would be to write down all of your goals for the next year. Write down attainable goals that you know you can achieve and a few that you will have to strive to succeed in. Burn this piece of paper as an offering to a god or goddes (or both!). Ones who work with goals, achievement, responsibility, and work are recommended. I usually ask Mercury, Isis, or Saturn for help at this time. Then I take the ashes and place them in the soil of a young houseplant. I envision as the plant grows and becomes strong as my wishes will be fulfilled. It's leaves are the fruitation of my planning, its flowers are the joy that I receive from my works, and its roots are the stability for my goal. If I feel that I am loosing my focus I ask the plant if I may take a small piece of it with me. I keep the piece for three days then return it to the soil once I feel more confident. That piece of leaf decays and fuels more life into the plant, hence manifesting my determination and work.
This is the prime time for picnics and outdoor rituals. I like to set up a maypole, which I use a carpet cardboard roll which is sturdy but not especially heavy and very portable, I add streamers of paper of many colors. On these attendees write their wishes for the next year. As the maypole is wrapped, the wishes become part of the Spiral and the energy is manifested in our wellbeing for the next year. I will warn you this is a powerful time and much magick is afoot. This last year our Beltane ritual was attended by a herd of goats and two sheepdogs who came from absolutely nowhere. We figured Pan had joined us in this time of revelry. Feasts are also excellent. Bring juices, vegetables, sweetmeats, bread, WINE~of course!, and anything that makes you happy.
This is the time of the harvest, if you live up here in the cold country then you know that it very liably could be your last. A fun ritual that adds lot to the day is harvesting your garden, especially your vegetable garden. From the unusable things such as carrot sprigs and pea pods I craft a Green Man of sorts and allow him to be filled with male energy for the God. I thank him for a wonderful harvest. Then I burn papers and other things such as anything you have accumulated for a ritual fire (another idea is to write down all of the bad things and shortcomings this last year) also consider any candles or disposable tools that you have used that may be time to release. I take these and set them on fire (please be careful) then I take the ashes out to the barren garden and thank the Goddess for a great harvest. I return these ashes to the ground and ask that my dreams fly again and my worries die. I allow the poppet to be in the presence of this act. Then I either mold from the earth a small representation of the goddess and place a candle or goddess statue in the garden and bury it. I ask that she rests now and I ask her to return next Spring. The green man I take to a moving body of water and I return him to the water, the giver of life and one of Mother's many faces. Hence a complete circle!
