Category Archives: Beltane/May Day

Sweet baking, dairy products, and honey are all contributors to a Beltane celebration. This traditional Celtic dessert has them all. Tansy, an herbaceous, perennial plant, is well known in England. It is considered a special addition to Medieval Easter celebrations. Tansy is native to Europe, making it’s way across the pond and then across the […]

Garlic Day was April 19th and I didn’t get this post completed in time but this nut spread is still a tasty addition to your treasure chest of recipes. It is easy to double the mix for special occasions and guests but in this house, with only two people, these amounts work well for us. […]

It has been suggested that finding a clump of rhubarb in a witches garden was a common occurrence as using a stock to “stir the pot” was said to amplify the energies of what was being prepared. This week when I finished making Rhubarb Lemon Syrup, I remembered a sheet of puff pastry in the […]

On the west coast of British Columbia, I wait for the first rhubarb of the year. It is usually here by Beltane and I am so happy to be able to make anything with rhubarb. This year has been colder than normal and things are a little bit behind. I was thrilled when the local […]

May Baskets are a tradition that has gone through many changes. For the last 200 hundred years, much of the focus has been on children or sweethearts. In some places the custom was to knock on the door, yell “May basket!,” and then run. If the giver was caught by the recipient, he or she […]

Onions soup! You will need: 1 1/2 pounds onions, peeled, sliced, and cut into quarter-moons 2 Tbsp. fat (more below) salt black pepper, freshly ground if possible to taste 1 – 1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 5 cups beef broth 1 -1 1/2 Tbsp. sherry or brandy, optional but recommended croutons to cover each bowl or […]

This lovely loaf comes with the delicious flavour of marzipan but without actual marzipan. I think it is a perfect Beltane offering as sweets and cake are sacred foods for Beltane and will also work well for Mother’s Day. Ellen Evert Hopman in A Druid’s Herbal writes that almonds and roses, the essential flavours in […]

Beltane is about honouring life. All around you there are signs of abundant fertility. Beltane is the place between the fullnesses of spring and summer, where possibilities are sparked and conception happens. Heiros Gamos, the sacred union of Earth and Sky is celebrated.  Bees pollinate flowers so fruit can be harvested throughout the remaining agricultural […]

Merriam-Webster defines sachet as “a small bag containing a perfumed powder or potpourri used to scent clothes and linens.” This is a variation on that idea, made with scented wax and decorated with nature’s beauty. Glitter, embeds and other whimsical items are also decorating options. Be aware though that anything dyed (such as crafted leaves) […]

In this part of the world the best and most economical time of the year for asparagus is right now. They are such a fresh, lovely, visual confirmation that spring has sprung. New spears can grow as much as 10 inches in one day! Understandably they are connected to male stamina and potency with a […]