Return to Sabbats Beltain  Steward:  This ritual will be performed within a Wiccan circle If you must leave the rite for any reason, use the gate.  There will be someone present to ritually let you out. In the past there have been people who thought that Beltain was an orgy. That is not the case here. Covert sexuality as in hand holding is acceptable, Sloppy French kisses and genital groping are not. The ritual will be broken into three sections Those persons who are    Waiting :  Those who are unwilling to look for a mate. There mate is not present in this rite or they are children, widowed,  emotionally hurt. These persons will be first at the alter for the blessings of the Lord Lady and Brotherhood.   Seeking :   You are Looking for a mate,  You will be asked what you are looking for and what you have to offer a mate.  You are challenged to speak the greatest deepest truth that you can find within yourself. Where we look for love from a man we ask for the blessings of the God. So it is with a woman and the blessings of the Goddess. The blessings of the lord and lady are earned in this rite the blessing, an apple or pinecone, will be yours if you can catch it. The rest of us men or women  will be tossing it around to make you work for it. If you are looking for a woman as a mate then it is the women’s job to toss the apple. If they like what you are looking for and offering, you will get the lady’s blessing faster .Yet there are places where we cannot give that blessing. Either we can't give to a particular person or that type of love is not ours to give. Where this happens you should step back from this part of ritual. Do not force yourselves, for to force love is to violate it. Later in the rite the apple is charged with the love of the couples who are dancing  This is by touching the blessing to the shoulders of the woman. Same story for the pinecone and men.  Couples:  In this rite we  ask you to share with others the blessings of the God and Goddess that you have received. You are challenged to speak the greatest deepest truth that you can find within yourself . You stand with your partner  and tell them what you see in them to love. Since we believe in the Lord and Lady are a part of us we see the gods in our partners. If you don’t believe  in the gods then don’t say this. Talk of your mates  courage gentleness strength humor or what ever there is in your partner that has inspired your love.   Move people out of circle so they can ritually enter it. Processional  & Formal start of Ritual Banish  Draw  Bless Call    North      East      South      West Call   Lord  Lady  and  Brotherhood Narrator: This is the time of the Lord and Lady's courting and mating.  As they are part of us so we are part of them. With us a couple is stronger than a single person, for our partner supports us when we are down and encourages us to advance ourselves and our community. A community's strength is in its couples and families. As we share the love we have with our mates, we also share a part of the love of the Goddess and the God. Narrator  " This is the time of waiting. These blessings are for those who have no partner here and do not seek one. Come forward and ask the blessings of love from the God and Goddess and community  HP/S  Why are you waiting? My mate is not here . Hp/s hands covener apple or pine cone " As you keep faith with your mate so the god/ess will keep faith with you blessed be" Child. HP/s " This is your time of waiting. The love of partners is giving and sharing. You wait and grow until you can seek a partner for what you have to give them not what you want to take from them. HP/s blesses child with hands. Divorced  HP/s "You sought love from one man/woman and it failed. you are hurt, wounded and not ready to seek again. Your needs for healing  are greater than others need for healing so the blessings of the god/ess for you are greater. Let the men (or women) here give the blessings of the god (goddess)  Covener comes forward  "One man (woman) hurt you,  we would heal you. I bless you for the God (goddess) Hugs divorced person." Next man (woman) repeats Widowed HP/s You have loved and your love has gone on. Your partner is part of the Goddess (God) and her love surrounds you. Hp/s Kneels and hands covener apple or pine cone  Covener places Apple or Pine Cone on Alter. Seeking  Narrator  " This is the time of seeking. Searching for a mate is part of the Lord and Lady. They remember their own courtship and the community protects and teaches how to seek what you want. These Blessings are for those who seek the blessings of love from the God or Goddess. Those who seek a Woman must ask the Goddess for her blessings and the Woman who is part of her. And so it is for a man and the God. Seeker  approaches HP/S at alter HP/S  " Do You seek the Blessings of the God or the Goddess?" Seeker "  I seek the blessings of the Goddess (God) " HP\S  "Describe the person that you seek" Seeker "I seek ( describes the person they want )  for my love and mate". HP/S  "What do you offer  her" (him) Seeker  "relates good points they have to offer. " HP/S  "The blessings of the God/ess are not for the idle. Catch them if you can (tosses Apple or Pine Cone to  women (or men)  , who then toss to others until one takes pity and gives it to them or the single intercepts it. Seekers get to keep Apple or Pine Cone as a luck bringer /blessing. Narrator  This is the time of Couples These are the blessings of the God and Goddess that we share. Let the couples that have been together longest go first. Man holds pine cone Woman holds apple and stands before alter. Man "I see in you the Goddess .  ( relates good points of mate and his reasons for staying in the relationship.) Woman "I see in you the God. ( relates good points of mate and her reasons for staying in the relationship.) Return Apple and Pine cone to alter  Each couple holds hands and dance together sharing their love with the God and Goddess and feeling the love of the God and Goddess shared with them.  They continue to " dance " while the next couple approaches the alter. Athame Cup and Shield Feast Goodbye's to  Lord Lady and Brotherhood Goodbye's to  Quarters.  Circle is drawn up energy goes to  MERRY MEET AND MERRY PART AND MERRY MEET AGAIN. end.