Looking for a charming, simple Beltane craft to do with the kids (or an especially playful coven)? These easy, whimsical little miniature maypoles delight any Beltane festivity.
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Creative Ways to Use Mini Maypoles
There are so many ways to incorporate them into your spring events.
-Use them as ribbon “wands” for your Beltane ritual.
-Stick them in cupcakes for Cakes & Ale.
-Shove them in your garden to enchant spring planting.
-Use them as hair sticks for an especially festive Beltane ‘do.
-Pass out mini maypoles to guests at a spring handfasting or pagano wedding as send off favors. So cute!
The Symbolism of the Maypole
Despite its associations in modern paganism, we actually have no idea what the maypole meant in antiquity.
Scholars kicked around various theories for centuries.
The most prevailing myth in modern pagan pop culture aligns itself with the false notion of the English philosopher, Thomas Hobbes.
He proposed that the maypole symbolizes a phallus, based on his mistaken notion that the Maypole originated as a festivity associated with the worship of the ancient Roman god, Priapus.
(I’ve never been a fan of this falsehood, which is both inaccurate and somewhat crass. Particularly when you consider that dancing around the Maypole is very often a spring activity for children).
Personally, my favorite hypothesis is that the May Pole symbolizes the world axis and thusly, the changing of the seasons.
However, no clear evidence exists on the May Pole’s symbolic origination.
Choosing Colors for Your Mini Maypole Beltane Craft
Select colors intended for the purpose of your event.
If you plan to use them in a handfasting, go ahead and use your wedding colors!
For a formal Beltane ritual, tradition colors like red and white work well.
Or, if you want to do this craft with children, let them express themselves by choosing their own colors.
I like bright, saturated colors for spring festivals, so I used deep purples and magentas.
(For more ideas on how to use color in ritual and magic, as well as basic correspondences, check out Color Magic: 10 Creative Ways to Use Color in Witchcraft).
You Will Need
-Dowel rods in a size of your choosing (I used 12″ rods)
-Ribbon
-pushpins (1 for each rod)
–mini flowers to decorate the top
-a hot glue gun
Primer paso
Fold each length of ribbon in half over the top of the dowel rod. Stack them on top of each other crosswise. Use as many ribbons as you like. Just remember, the thicker the stack, the harder it is to get the pushpin in.
Paso 2
Press a pushpin into the top of the dowel rod where the ribbons intersect.
Paso 3
Hot glue mini flowers on the pushpin to finish off the look.
If plan to do this with little kids, make sure to do this part yourself to avoid burnt little fingers! Let them participate by choosing the flowers themselves.
Variaciones
There are lots of ways to customize this craft. For example:
-Try weaving the ribbons around the pole about 1/3 of the way down and then letting the loose ends dangle.
-Paint the pole an appropriate color.
-Swap out the flowers at the top for anything you like.
Happy Beltane, everyone!!
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English
actually, as beltane is a holiday celebrating fertility, the phallic symbolism makes sense. its not crass, its natural. other than that I really like this post!!
I’m old-fashioned that way.