Celebrating Mothers at Beltane

Celebrating Mothers at Beltane

We all know that mothers are powerful women. Not only do they carry their unborn child for nine months, but they also know many tricks and tips to keep their children happy and their home balanced. Yes, you may love your mom and can't imagine yourself without her help, but have you shown her how much you love her? Well, the best way to show your admiration for your mom is to learn just how vital motherhood is. We'll be taking a look at the origins of Mother's Day, the mother goddess in Witchcraft, and how you can celebrate and honor your mother. By the time you learn all about a mother's image in Witchcraft, it will help you better understand any sacrifices your mother may have made for you, or prepare yourself to make those same sacrifices should you decide to raise a family.

Origins of Mother's Day

As with many holidays celebrated today, Mother's Day was a Pagan holiday.

The earliest known celebrations of the mother image were in the 6th century BC, where Ancient Greece held celebrations for the mother goddess, Rhea, the goddess of the Earth. The Romans also had a hand in early mother celebrations in 250 BC, where they celebrated their mother goddess, Cybele.

By the 17th century, England, too, was celebrating the mother image with a "Mothering Sunday." On every fourth Sunday of Lent, people were encouraged to stay home with their mothers to have quality time with them or share festive meals. During this celebration, the most common meal was a "mothering cake," or pancakes made of steeped peas fried in butter and seasoned with salt and pepper.

As Christianity spread through Europe, "Mother Sunday" was changed to the "Mothering Church." The celebrations merged, honoring both the mother and the church to gain the spiritual power to be protected from harm.

Mother's Day in the United States didn't appear until 1872 when Julia Ward Howe tried to start the holiday. She wanted the day to celebrate peace, and though she held meetings in Boston for the holiday, it didn't catch on.

It wasn't until 1907 that the desire to implement Mother's Day started up again. Anna Jarvis campaigned for Mother's Day after losing her mother. Her goal was to enable children to show that they cared for their mother before it was too late. She was able to convince her mother's church to celebrate Mother's Day on the anniversary of her mother's death, the second Sunday of May. Thanks to Jarvis and her supporters' hard work, Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state by 1911. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a national holiday.

Mother's Day is the third-largest celebrated holiday, still being celebrated on the second Sunday of May.

Mothers in Beltane

While mothers are celebrated in many parts of Witchcraft, the most well-known and highly celebrated time for mothers is during Beltane. Beltane occurs during May, sparking the beginning of summer and fertility for the remainder of the year. Mothers are the beacons of fertility, so mother goddesses are celebrated during Beltane to thank them for their sacrifice for their children and honor them for continuing to care for us as if we were her children. Specifically for Beltane, the mother goddess blossoms as the May Queen and dances the maypole with the May King to symbolize their unity and her being impregnated.

It is no surprise that Beltane falls so close to Mother's Day as Mother's Day was originally a Pagan holiday, as stated above. While different religions may celebrate both holidays, they agree that the mother image needs to be honored and thanked. So if you are going to celebrate motherhood during Beltane, you can do a few things.

You can hold a Goddess Ritual that honors your mother goddess, thanking them for their motherly aid and to boost their fertility, and maybe even boost your own if you want to start a family. You can leave offerings to your mother goddess to make her happy or prepare meals in her honor. You can also take the day to celebrate with your mother to make her happy and show that you respect the image of motherhood in all aspects.

Focus on celebrations of fertility, union, and love. Because without these three aspects, a woman cannot become a mother. Any spell or ritual focusing on those three aspects will be sure to show you honor motherhood, respect mothers, and will continue to support your mother and mother goddess.

The Mother Goddess

The mother's image is essential in Witchcraft since, without a mother, we may not have the gods or goddesses that we worship today. Mothers carry life, something only females can do. With this power, it is no wonder that women are seen as spiritual beings since motherhood seems to be a power only for the gods. But we now know any woman has the power in them to become a mother and be a great one at that. Let us look at a few great mother goddesses and how their motherhood influenced Witchcraft and Wiccan beliefs.

The Triple Goddess

Perhaps the most well-known mother figure is the Triple Goddess, representing the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone of a goddess. During the mother transformation, the goddess gives birth to the abundance of the Earth. As the giver of life, she is considered the most powerful of the Triple Goddess' aspects. She sparked the grouping of goddesses into mother goddesses since they birthed those who influenced the growth of Paganism and Witchcraft.

Bast

Bast is an Egyptian cat goddess who protects mothers and their newborns. Women who desire to be mothers or who are struggling to conceive may leave offerings to Bast in hopes she will help them.

Brighid

For the Celts, Brighid is the goddess of the home and hearth. She watches over women during childbirth so that they may have a smooth delivery. She is celebrated during Imbolc, which is at the beginning of spring when many babies are born or conceived.

Demeter

Demeter is one of the best-known harvest goddesses in Greek mythology. Demeter is an excellent example of the sacrifices mothers make for their children as she traveled to the depths of the Underworld when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped by Hades. Her determination and sorrow for her child influenced the changing of the seasons and the beginning of winter – also known as the Earth's death each fall.

Gaia

In Greek mythology, Gaia is the life force from which all other beings were born, including the earth and sea. Due to her prominent figure, she is honored today by many Pagans and Witches to be Mother Earth.

Celebrating Mothers

Honestly, the best way to celebrate your mother is by doing something for her or giving her something she likes. Every mother is different, and as her child, you should know best what she likes. It can be as simple as giving her a card and some flowers. Since flowers are beacons of spring, you can form a connection with Beltane this way.

Set up a relaxing evening for her with a warm bath, her favorite meal, cozy blankets, and a feel-good movie. You can let her enjoy the evening on her own, or you can enjoy spending it with her. Take her somewhere she loves, like a restaurant, store, or movie theater. Just be sure that if you are taking her on Mother's Day, you have a reservation, so she does not wait too long on her feet.

Or, you can tell her that you love her and appreciate everything she does for you. It may be a simple gesture, but these loving words can be some of the most cherished things your mother can hear. Your words can show her that she raised you right, she was a positive influence on you, and that you cherish her with every breath you take that she gave you. Any of these ways can celebrate your mother. But, of course, you always want to be sure that you are doing something she truly enjoys, and she is not just saying she likes to spare your feelings.

Mothers are beacons of life. They can produce life, maintain it, and nourish it for their lifetimes. Mothers have made many sacrifices to keep their families happy; they are silent heroes.

Mothers deserve every honor they deserve, which we can show to them every day, not just on Mother's Day. Of course, Mother's Day is specially celebrated to honor all mothers, alive, spiritual, or moved on. We will admit that there are mothers out there who are not the best representations of what being a mother is, but the few sour apples should not dictate the bunch. If your mother is a treasure, honor her, show her what she means to you, and never forget to tell her that you love her.