Beltane Mayday fete set at Mountain Temple 

         Beltane is an ancient Gaelic holiday celebrated around May 1, the date is also known as May Day.

        May Day itself is a spring festival celebrating human fertility and the renewal of nature. The festival originated with the celebration of the Roman goddess Flora and spread to other countries of the Roman Empire. May Day was especially popular in England during medieval times.

        The Maypole is often considered a phallic symbol and many people participated in temporary sexual encounters while they were off in the woods.

        May Day used to have great sexual frolics around that giant phallic symbol, the May pole. The May pole represented the Gods phallus in Mother Earth. People decorated it and danced around it. Kids still do today, even though they have no idea of its original meaning.

        In the 16th century, under the direction of the Puritans, May Day was abolished altogether and games outlawed.

         Years later, the Maypole came back as a social festivity in England Traditionally, activities centered around the Maypole, a tree collected from the woods and brought to the village to celebrate the upcoming summer. The pole was erected and young people holding streamers danced around it weaving a bright-colored pattern on the pole.

          Mountain Temple Center, 1533 E Lupine Avenue in Phoenix,  will celebrate a Beltane Mayday Festival on Saturday May 1. The gathering will start at 7 pm with the ritual to start at 9pm. This will be a sky clad (naked) ritual restricted to those 18 years or older. They will be celebrating the return of the fertility of the season. There will be a traditional Maypole and fire magick ritual with mud body painting,  pot luck feasting and hot tubing. A $5 donation is requested

        For more information, check out www.mountaintemple.com or call 602-678-0644