I came up with a fantastic idea about Beltane ritual... How to bring the old fertility ritual thing to be something practical for myself. I'm a passionate fisherman, and I also love gardening. (Although I have no place to do it at this time.) Doing fishing and hunting spells before going on it have a long and diverse history in FInland and I'm quite familiar with some of it. And what's the greatest wish of a fisherman? To have a good catch, that means a lot of fish, to wish them to be as fertile as it gets. I will find a way to incorporate this to my celebration in some way. Also for the first time I'm planning to do the age old custom to give the first catch of the spring to what Finns used to call the water guardian or the spirit, the offering was usually done in a certain place often marked with a large or just peculiar looking rock or a tree near the water.
I do most of my fishing at our summerhouse and there's a peculiar kind of rock on a small island which is a good place for fishing, there's two rocks which form something that looks almost like an altar of sorts, I've been there many times and I like that spot a and the look of those stones. Needless to say I caught two pikes just there in consecutive days last summer. I have a feeling that this is the place of the water guardian, what ever is my first catch of the year will end up there. There's a lot of birds around there, seagulls mostly, they will have a nice lunch when I'm done there.
This will get interesting. I think I will also invite the Finnish deity of all waters (Ahti) to be present. That's one deity I've never called in a thorough ritual, although I always mention him on my fishing spell or prayer. Btw, call it luck or coincidence if you will, I've always had my best catch when I do a little spell and an offering before fishing. That's one of the things on which the old ways have lasted up to this day, many fishermen have some kind of little ritual they before they head out... One is to do an offering of vodka of any other booze they might have, another one is to mutter a little spell when tying the fishing line, the simplest one is to spit on the bait before casting it.
Anyway, as I know I will be fishing a lot this year if I just find the time for it, I think its worth it to include this on a ritual or two. Its so cool to find ways to incorporate the old ways to today's life in a meaningful way.
By my feet the flowers of witchery abloom.