The Valborg Night is one of the festivals of celebration of spring in the central and northern parts of Europe. According to legend, the witches would gather on the Brocken mountain to greet the summer. Throughout Sweden there was the tradition of lighting bonfires in order to cast out demons. Custom that lives on today through fires that burn the prunings and gardens waste.
In this anniversary of Viking origin, it commemorates St. Walburg who designated as protectress of witches. As the Celtic festivals related to the goddess of fertility were exchanged (as usual) for demonic parties, including that of May was banned with the Christianization.
On May the 1st of the year 871, the body of St. Walburg, abbess of the monastery of Heidenheim, was transported to Eichstatt in the church of S. Croce. According to an ancient story, from the stones of his tomb, he flowed a miraculous oil of many virtues including to act as a defense against witches. For the ancient Celts was instead the transition to summer; with celebrations and libations expected the 'symbol dawn of victory of light over darkness. This night was presided over by the goddess of fertility, the great Goddess who ruled over life and death.
"The Fires of Bel", God of Light, lit, from the hills, the valleys to the symbol of triumph of light itself and two of these fires (always the couple, the God and the Goddess) were prepared with nine (the number of the cosmos ), sacred woods to the Celts by nine men, who procured them going in the woods.
To symbolize the sacred union of God with the Goddess, many couples of human joined their bodies, because this day is dedicated to fertility but also the passion. The dew is a symbol of this union, from the air it makes it moist and fertile land and, on this day, seems to have great power.
Women who use wet it will have the gift of youth and beauty. Even better if it had dew caressing a hawthorn. This plant symbol of Beltane is inhabited by fairies. Customs are different in every country but one thing unites all uses: the power of bonfires among them were done through the animals and people in order to purify them and fertilizing power of the ashes of the fires themselves.
The sacred woods of birch, oak, willow, hawthorn, hazel, Melo, Vine, fir or pine, Rowan Wild were designed to get the ash to fertilize the fields or to keep, by women, to procreate.
There is still the habit of creating a tree on which bind colored ribbons around which to dance, and that is the cosmic tree of life. A hawthorn or another plant, if we do not have hawthorn available, you can put colored strips in tune with our desire: for example, pink for romantic love and green for prosperity...
Also in ancient Rome, it was the sacred day to Flora, protectress of the flowering herb, that was celebrated with songs, dances and colorful clothes to show the spring and the beauty of the flowers. The night of first day of May was sacred to Bona Dea, the Goddess of the fields, and the mysteries of the feast were permitted only to women. The next day was dedicated to Vulcan wife, Maia, from which, indeed, the name of the month of May.
originally published by: http://giardinodifata