Areas & Events‎ > ‎

Rituals and Beltania Traditions

  • Opening Ritual will take place Thursday evening. In addition to lighting the sacred Balefire, we will be crowning the Green Man and May Queen.

  • Friday Evening Ritual begins at 8pm at the Labyrinth. Participants will journey to the center to release into the fire at its heart, and enjoy fellowship time and dancing around a community Balefire.

  • Saturday Evening Ritual will be MULTIPLE rituals in different traditions at various locations. We celebrate the diversity of spiritual traditions represented here, from Druid to Ceremonial magicians, to Living Earth Paganism, to a Heathen Blot. 
Ceremony is an important part of this spiritual gathering. Any person or group is encouraged to perform their own rites and ceremonies, either private or public. Just visit the Community Center to reserve for your choice of location and time.

Beltania Traditions

More about our Traditions can be found in our Festival Info Guide. 

The Maypole Dance
Saturday at 10am is the parade of the Maypole, Green Man, and May Queen. Children are encouraged to help lead the parade in costume! Men are asked to assemble at 9:45am to carry the giant pole in the parade with the May Queen sitting astride it. Drummers and dancers welcome! 

When the pole is up, we weave colorful ribbons around it. Read more about our traditional Maypole Dance. 

The Green Man and May Queen
Each year, Beltania crowns a new Green Man and May Queen. They officially accept this honorary role at a special Crowning ceremony at Beltania, and embody the God and Goddess as well as the overall spirit of the Beltania festival. Read more here.

HarthFire Sanctuary
This is our annual outdoor temple, located north-west of Inglis Hall. It is a place to pray, give offerings, and receive omens from Friday at dawn to Sunday afternoon/evening. Offered by ADF Druid Fire Priests under the direction of Rev. William Ashton II, it will be open for all festival goers to make offerings and meet with an oracle to receive omens throughout the entire festival - day or night. Please know that this is not be a social fire. This is a holy fire that is summoned through skill and will, fed by the offerings of the folk, sustained by the vigil of Its keepers.
Friday Night - Ceremonial Stag Hunt with the Green Man
In the Wild Woods. 18+ men only.

Before religion, before speech, before fire, when the darkness of night hid dangerous things, man boldly fought his way to becoming the hunter and not the hunted. Together, we will hunt once again and find the brotherhood lost to the modern age. We will find the primal and awaken what we really are, for we are the hunters of the stag.

Bring chairs, good carving knife or heavy bladed knife, chairs, good walking shoes or boots, (will be walking 1/4 mile), portable drinking horns or containers with beverage, good pair of gloves.

The Stag Hunt will need two fire tenders and a drummer or a couple of drummers.

Saturday Night - Finding Your Inner Goddess with the May Queen.
Women only. Age restriction: must have reached menarche and can take the ritual seriously.

Please no young children unless you are a nursing mother. Bring some kind of beverage and chairs. Drummers needed to help facilitate chant.

Young adults are welcomed at these rituals if they have been through a coming-of-age ceremony or are old enough to have been through a coming-of-age ceremony.





Main Rituals

 All rituals take place at the Maypole Circle unless otherwise stated. More about our Rituals in the Festival Info Guide. 

Opening Ritual and Balefire Lighting/Coronation of the May Queen and Green Man Thursday evening. Presented by the Beltania staff.

"Releasing Pan" Ritual  Friday 10:00 P.M. Adults only. Presented by Northern Colorado Covenant of the River (NCCR). An after dark ritual where the Nymphs will welcome and release Pan from the shackles of the mundane world so he can join our festival. 

Friday Evening Ritual

Saturday Evening Ritual

Mothers Day & Closing Ritual Sunday, Ritual/Maypole area. Connect with the living world around you, rejoin the sacred world at the end of your wonderful weekend, and carry your joyous feelings into your regular life. We will honor Danu, Bile and the local Land Spirits.