Beltane Bonfires and the Cone of Power

Fire is synonymous with Beltane, but today it’s more symbolic. To ancient pagans, however, fire, like the sun, was sacred because it gave and maintained life. Not only did fire provide light and heat, but it was also used for cooking, making tools, vessels and weapons, and it was a means of purification and sanitation.

They lit massive bonfires, or Bel-fires, at Beltane in honor of the sun, or the Shining God, so that he would protect the population, crops and livestock over the coming months. Traditions varied between pagan communities, but at the heart of Bel-fires was protection, new life, growth and fertility.

The night before Beltane, all other fires were extinguished, and the Bel-fires were lit on hills surrounding settlements. Often livestock and cattle were walked through the Bel-fire smoke at dawn for protection and purification before being led to pasture. At the end of the festivities, people collected burning embers from the Bel-fires to rekindle their own fireplaces and to ensure protection and fertility.

Beltane Bonfires Today

Despite all our modern cons, we still have a primal attraction and awe of open fire, and Beltane is an excellent time to indulge our fire-fascination.

You can build a sacred Beltane fire anywhere outdoors, and it doesn’t have to be huge. (Always take common-sense fire safety precautions.) Focus all celebrations around the fire, and as the flames burn brighter, so the energy around the fire will increase, affecting everyone present.

People can harness the fire energy, and it can become very powerful, particularly in a group.

Using Fire Energy in Ritual

Science has shown that there’s a link between an open fire and lowered blood pressure. Flickering flames and the crackle and roar of burning wood creates a calming and hypnotic effect. It also positively influences our mood and our feelings toward other people sharing the fire with us. Effectively, people bond around an open fire.

Once there’s mutual bonding, it’s easy to share and raise group energy. As everyone becomes more relaxed, there are plenty of things that you can do to increase energy towards a common purpose.

Chanting, drumming, singing and dancing are the most common ways. If you're going to dance around your Beltane bonfire, ensure that no one's wearing flowing clothes that can blow into the flames. That's probably why ancient pagans danced naked, which, of course, you can still do.

The Cone of Power

Considering how everyone bonds around an open fire, a cone of power ritual is an excellent way to celebrate Beltane. If you haven’t heard of the cone of power before, it’s a vortex of energy created by a group with a singular intention. For example, the aim can be to heal the world. Everyone in the group knows the purpose and buys into it; they all want it to happen.

There are different ways to build a cone of power, but the purpose is always to raise individual energy and intention into a group collective that is then released to achieve an outcome. The energy takes the shape of a cone with the base around the fire, and it swirls upwards into a point.

There’s nothing new about raising collective energy. Some witches and Wiccans claim that the conical shape is symbolic of the traditional witches’ hat, but there’s not much proof to support that theory. Conical hats were and still are, worn by all classes and cultures globally without any connection to witchcraft, and not all witches wore, or wear a pointed hat.

How it works

If you’re going to celebrate Beltane with a cone of power, you need to put some careful thought into it. If you belong to a coven, it will be discussed well before. If you don’t and you want to celebrate with friends, you must start planning in advance.

The whole aim of a cone of power is to create a potent energy force that can be released to shift or impact a situation in the way that the group wants. The intention can be anything, either negative or positive, but the whole group must be in unison. If even one person is disinterested or doesn’t believe in the intention, the power of the cone is diminished.

So start with establishing a common purpose. It doesn't have to be something monumental; it can be related to the group specifically. Whatever it is, though, you must all be able to visualize the effects and changes. It's much the same as a spell. There's an idea or a need, and action and a result.

Making a Beltane Bonfire for a Cone of Power

Once you’ve decided on your intention, start decorating the area where the bonfire will be with Beltane correspondences. Do this earlier in the day so that everything is ready when the sun sets.

Ideas include baskets of fruit, flower garlands and crowns, and crystals such as red jasper, tiger’s eye, amber and citrine. If you want to add a feast, make sure that you include dairy products, honey, oats, raw vegetables and summer fruits in your spread.

Bundle your firewood together with brightly colored ribbon or string. Traditionally there were nine pieces of wood per bundle, but if your fire is smaller, you can wrap individual logs in color. Dot incense burners around the area and burn lilac, rose, jasmine or vanilla incense when you start your ritual. You can also sprinkle rose petals, pieces of rosemary and wildflowers on the logs before you light the fire and while it's burning.

The space can be cleansed beforehand with a lighted bundle of sage or frankincense incense sticks before you light the fire. Walk around the circumference of the circle where everyone will be sitting banishing negativity and casting a circle of protection.