Beltane Fire Moon

Tinkinswood Sunset

Last night was one that I think I shall remember forever.

I head out to Tinkinswood each full moon. Last month I was sitting there thinking 'wouldn't this be a wonderful place for a gathering at Beltane?' I wasn't completely sure though, as she's such a quiet place usually - would it be a disturbance?

I put together a yahoo e-group called Unearthed. Basically, it said:

Fancy good company, fresh air and a bite to eat?

This e-group is for healthy heathen folk and all such in the South Wales area who are interested in gathering together for a Beltane celebration on the evening of Wednesday 2nd May 2007 at Tinkinswood cromlech. Beltane is an ancient calibration of fertility and the start of Summer. Wednesday 2nd will be the May full moon (also an auspicious date for Buddhists!)

• This is not an organised event. It is simply people turning up to the same place at the same time.
• This non-event is in no way connected to, or affiliated with, CADW who 'own' the site.
• This un-event is completely FREE.
• As such, all people attending are responsible for themselves and their litter.

This un-event is simply one of community spirit. As such:

• Bring food/drink to share
• If you play an instrument (drums/violin/tin whistle/whatever), bring it along!
• It's a family non-event, so bring everybody.

If you like the sound of this, join the group.

I waited to see what would happen. Only about 10 people joined, but I also put it out on Witchvox, CUPS, Facebook etc. Advertised it around town with flyers (which is how I heard about Triban) and on the uni forum and Bogiez Rock Forum.

By the time it came around, I thought maybe there'd be five or six people turn up.

It was quite a hectic day. I was planning on just chilling out and getting some food ready, but then the phone fiasco happened and I ended up trudging across town to a guest lecture, which didn't finish until half-three, rushing home and getting everything as ready as I could. I wasn't relaxed when I left the house, and had to swing by Tescos for disposable BBQs.

I did get a call before I left, from some of the Cardiff University Pagan society (CUPS) lot saying they were on their way, which was encouraging.

I pulled up and was disheartened to see that I was the only one there, although I could see people from CUPs already up at the site; they'd come by bus. But no one else. I waved like a mad thing to try and get someone to come down and help with my bags of food and blankets, but no one saw me. Wondering how on earth I’d get everything up there, a car pulled up with three people in. They were just helping with my bags when another lady arrived. We all trudged up to the cromlech and settled ourselves down, getting the food out.

"Look! People!" came the cry, as yet more bods were seen walking from the lay-by and then still more from across the opposite field. People started coming from all directions! Within a couple of hours there were 30-40 people. Drums, whistles, flutes, voices. I could not believe it, it was fantastic.

Some people count Beltane as the 1st May, others the 6th or whenever. But I chose this night because of the full moon. That, to me, is the night of celebration. Yet, as the sun set, there was no sign of the moon. People started to speculate. Perhaps there was too much cloud? Yet there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Where was the moon?

It got darker and darker. Then, all of a sudden, Dafydd nudged me and said 'I think that's the moon.' Where, I was thinking... nooo, you can't mean...

But it was. This bright, bright, red fiery ball rising from behind an inken tree silhouette. 'Now that is a blood moon,' I replied. I’d never seen it such a colour in my life. It was rising quickly and, as it did, changed from blood red to bright orange like the sun. Everybody stopped what they were doing and stared. It was the most unbelievably beautiful moon rise.

The singing and the drumming resumed. Mead was quaffed from a drinking horn and the children were shepherded off home to bed. Candles replaced daylight, and a wonderful atmosphere lingered on until the last of us packed away our things, collected up all stray litter, and made our way back towards the cars and bus stop. By the time we left, the moon wash high in the sky and bright, crisp white, casting a pathway to the gates of the tomb.

People wouldn't have come if she hadn't've wanted them to. I swear I saw her smiling as we left her with her lover and headed off home, into the darkness.

Good night Tinkinswood, blesséd be and merry, debaucherous Beltane. ;)