Hail! Hail! Queen Of The May!

The Beltaine Bash 2003 - Page 1, Pagan Pride & Open Circle

As this was a major event, the review is split into three sections. Use these links to navigate.
Pagan Pride Parade and Open Circle	The Beltaine Bash	Inkubus Sukkubus

Attended by Arthur Pendragon himslef, and with Northern Tradition magick courtesy of Midgard's Web, the 2003 Caudecus Beltaine Bash promised to be an event to remember even before Inkubus Sukkubus were added the bill. In the event, it proved to be one of the happiest, most enjoyable pagan events I've ever attended!

The event started at 11am, with a Pagan Pride Parade from the Conway Halls, home of the South Place Ethical Society, near High Holborn, through the streets of London, along Southampton Row, to Russell Square Gardens. In the pictures that follow I've tried to capture something of the atmosphere of the happy and diverse crowd who, accompanined by drummers, giants, naughty faeries, witches of every possible tradition, goths, pipers, morris dancers, members of King Aurthur's court, and a host of fair folk too numerous to count, danced, laughed and drummed their way through the sunlit streets of the capital to the green space of Russell Square.

We danced past the banks... Onwards! Following the Green Man and the Green Lady... The crowd flowed behind... The Morrigan! We came with Pipers... ...and Morris Men... Even the Police stopped to watch us go by!

Eventually, happy, laughing, The Bogies pounding along ahead of us, we wound our way into Russell Square and to the fountains at its centre. Here the Bogies, accompanied by the Green Tree himself, marched straight in amongst the flowing waters and took up station, while the giants and those of us following slowly, inexorably, filled the space until we had a swaying, dancing circle of hundreds of people gathered in the paved area beneath the great trees surrounding the central circle. I, with a few others, jumped up on the benches to get better photos, while the main body of the crowd linked hands and started to spin, slowly but with ever growing energy, round and round the leaping water and pounding drummers. The circle starts to spin... Hail The Queen of the Green! Come! Join us! It's almost impossible to truly describe the feeling of power, of liberation, of pure joy that flowed through, round and out from this great circle, as the earth energies rose to the beat of our drummers and the perfect spring weather alternated between gentle showers and briliant sunshine.   Through the time when the green leaves hide, The dream of Summer has kept us alive, Through the darkness we have survived, Season of the Goddess return! Let the trees be green again, Let us all be free from pain, Out of the ice and into the flame, Season of the Goddess return! Spin to the left... ...spin to the right! The circle spins, the power flows! Hail to the May! Dance with the Giants! Finaly, we were done, the earth energies raised, the Queen of the May well and truly welcomed to this London, this ancient place, great capital of our ancient land of magick. (Yes, I know that's hype, but I really do love these islands of ours...) :-) All round the circle was a haven of peace and tranquility, a space for people to relax, chat, tell the curious what we were celebrating, and just generally chill out. And so at last, our ritual work complete, we marched triumphant back out of the square, into the sunlit streets, and all the way round the British Museum and its ancient, burried, sacred well.

Never before have I been part of such a happy crowd as that which slowly wound its way back to the Conway Halls through the sunlit streets, while tourists and Londoners alike looked on, smiling and laughing at the antics of the fool. And still we drummed!

Finally we returned to the halls, and with a last frenzy of drumming from The Bogies, the parade was over.

Select "The Beltaine Bash" link to find out what happened next!
Pagan Pride Parade and Open Circle	The Beltaine Bash	Inkubus Sukkubus

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