Southern Hemisphere Beltane Celebration

 The tide is a turning and it is now halfway between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice! 

BELTANE

Down here in the Southern Hemisphere in Australia neo-paganistically speaking, on the eternal eight spoke wheel covering the year this be the time of BELTANE and the lighting of the protective fires.

Tis a great thing to do to celebrate and use the special vibratory time.  You can do this with the making of Calendula Oil / Balm / Creme and harness the magic healing powers of this precious herb ready for Summer. 

Calendula gets this name from the Kalends which was the first day of the month in the ancient Roman calendar. It's said Calendulas  bloom at the beginning of the month. 

Prepare a basket by filling it with flowers and goodwill and then give it to someone in need of healing and caring in these next few days.

 

Calendula Recipes

CALENDULA SALVE / BALM
In a clean jar infuse either dried flowers or whole flower heads in a cold pressed vegetable oil, enough to cover all of the flowers and for all the oxygen bubbles to disappear.  Sit this somewhere so the warmth and the light for approximately four weeks to draw out the magic from the flowers into the oil.

Strain this infused oil through a cloth or a coffee filter into another pot and add some beeswax and heat to melt the wax.  Add some rose oil or Lavender Oil for pleasure and extra benefits.  This makes a lovely salve and has a shelf life of three months not using a preservative. If you want a thicker more solid balm you just add more bees wax and a few drops of Preservative 12.

CALENDULA CREME
To make a creme use the strained oil, some beeswax, some spring water and some glycerin and heat gently and then blend until lovely and creamy white.  Add some preservative 12 to stop the creme going rancid and also add a few drops of Rose Oil to give your Calendula creme a pleasant smell.  This will have a shelf life of about twelve months so remember to date your creme.

CALENDULA OIL
You can always use the Calendula Oil  straight as well for all sorts of skin irritations and rashes.  Dryness of the skin can be caused from getting older in age.  It is one of the reasons I use all of the above concoctions on my skin.

Happy Beltane here in Australia folks as we watch Summer arrive for 2017.

Its not easy to understand the truths about  the festivals anymore especially in Australia. You have people running around dressed in Halloween costumes and trick or treating. 

When you see this its a sign there is no real grasp of the understanding. Going along with the crowd who are making a mockery of the wisdom behind understanding of the seasons.  

Images @ Eminpee Fotography