May Day to bring more than flowers

Beltaine ritual offers Paganists a chance to 'wake up spring'

by AMELIA A. PRIDEMORE
reporter

For some people, May Day is simply a holiday in which baskets of flowers are placed on people's doorsteps.

However, Amber Turrill said it originated from Beltaine, a Pagan holiday.

Turrill, Oak Hill junior, said May Day is one of the few holidays which has truly been Christianized. It is derived from Beltaine, a Pagan holiday.

In an e-mail interview, Turrill said Beltaine is a ritual that has been celebrated for centuries historically recorded to predate Christianity by thousands of years. It has survived cultural and religious changes for even longer. Beltaine is seen as a festival of fire, where celebration is intended to "wake up spring" and make sure it is on its way.

Turrill and several other students are planning to have a Beltaine ritual May 1, on Buskirk Field.

Witchvox.com's online press kit states that witches and pagans come from all walks of life. Turrill is a guitar major who plans to also study anthropology. She is a tarot card reader as well.

Jennifer Harbert, Shinnston sophomore, is an education major and practicing paganist.

Mike Stanley, Huntington senior, is a psychology major with a full-time job. He is also a member of The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.

Turrill said Beltaine shares its symbolic use of fire with the holiday Samhain (Halloween). Samhain is the astrological counterpoint at the opposite side of the year. It is the celebration intended to welcome in winter and fruits of the season.

The joy and celebration of Beltaine indicates that those celebrating are ready for spring. The ritual ushers in the new season, serving as an advancement toward the summer solstice. Mid-summer is said to be the height of power and joy of all people, and Beltaine ushers in the start of those feelings, Turrill said.

Even though Turrill is Pagan, she said she, and other Pagans, do not worship Satan.

Witchvox.com's "Witch-craft F.A.Q." section states that Satan is a part of Christianity and Islam. Because Pagans are not Christian or Muslim, Satan is not a part of their deity structure at all. If a person chooses to do evil, most Pagans believe they will be punished as a result of "what goes around comes around."

The use of the pentagram symbol in Paganism is what leads some to believe Pagans are Satanists.

"Witchcraft F.A.Q" states that the symbol for Paganism is a pentagram, a five-pointed star. The star is pointed upward. However, Satanism uses the pentagram as well, with the symbol pointed downward.

Also, a pentagram with the star pointed down can refer to a second-degree status in Paganism.

Turrill said Pan, the Pagan God of the Hunt, has furry goat legs and horns. In modern Christianity, Pan became a symbol for Satan.

Most of the students who are participating in the May 1 ritual were raised in Southern Baptist families. Harbert said her family did not observe religion.

Turrill was raised by Baptist parents; however, she said her parents said she could find out what she wanted to do. Her mother is supportive, but the rest of her family does not know. Although they do not know, she said she has no reason to hide what she believes in.

As far as friends are concerned, Turrill said, "I wouldn't have friends who aren't supportive of what I do."

At the ritual, the students will be using several things to represent the elements. Salt will be used to represent Earth, a sword for air, a cauldron or a candle for fire, and a rainstick and a bowl of water for water.

The High Priestess will be using a chalice, a feminine symbol, and the High Priest will be using a knife, a male symbol. Beltaine is also regarded as a fertility ritual.

In an e-mail, Turrill said "Though it's natural that an unfamiliar religious ceremony on campus will arouse curiosity, and perhaps suspicions, Beltaine is a long-lived part of Western heritage. Our celebration of it is a fulfillment of our obligation to preserve the world's rich history and many beautiful traditions."