Once Upon a Beltane Eve

Join two young lovers as they turn the Wheel of the Year beginning Once Upon a Beltane Eve. They observe Sabbats, handfastings, wiccanings, wakes, and various holy days. As their love and commitment grow, so does danger from an ex-girlfriend who's religious zeal and jealousy could be a lethal combination for the pagan couple.

From the Publisher

This is a pagan "inspirational" romance at its finest with plenty of insight into the Wiccan community, actual rituals, and use of spirituality in everyday life--ideal for the novice who wants to understand more of what Wicca is about and how Wicca is applied.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Julian scanned the grounds. "I've never done that before," he said, pointing toward a Maypole. "Then we'll do that. There's one starting in a minute." As they walked to the pole where several revelers were already gathered, he asked Fiona how long she had been Wiccan. She glanced over at him. "Oh, I'm not." "But you seem to know so much about this" She laughed. "I guess I do have a lot of Wiccan tendencies. My parents had several Wiccan friends in Old San Francisco. That's where I'm from. We adopted a lot of their practices, but my family never formally studied the faith. I am Pagan, though." "There's a difference?" Fiona nodded and launched into the explanation she had heard some of her Wiccan friends give. "Paganism encompasses many earth-based faiths. Wicca is just one of them. Kind of like being Lutheran or Catholic. They're both Christian religions, but they're not the same." They arrived at the pole and joined the circle that had already formed around it. Fiona walked to the middle and carried the ends of the two remaining ribbons back to the edge of the circle that had already. Fiona handed Julian a blue one, then he turned away from her to face the same direction she faced. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder, turning him toward her. "The men go widdershins, the women go deosil." Seeing the confusion in his eyes, she clarified. "Counterclockwise and clockwise. You go under the first woman's ribbon and then over the next, or at least you try. We keep dancing until the ribbons run out." The High Priestess called the circle to order and they turned to face the center of the circle. She explained that the pole was a symbol of fertility, then asked the participants to make a wish for something they wanted to manifest in the coming year, then send it into their ribbons. The revelers went around the circle stating their wishes aloud. Fiona wished for success in new friendships, blushing and casting a sidelong glance at Julian. He grinned and wished for the same thing. After the last man had stated his wish, the High Priestess wished that all the attendees would see their desires granted during the next year. The participants bowed their heads in silence, empowering the ribbons with their desires. After a moment, the High Priestess began to sing the Maypole chant. The dance started slowly as the participants worked out a rhythm. The dancers' speed increased as the ribbons were woven into a multi-colored braid around the pole. The circle became tighter. When the ribbons reached their ends, the accompanying dancers tied them to the pole. They stepped outside the circle to watch those that remained, and aid them in the dance by clapping along to the beat of the chant. Those who knew the words sang along with the High Priestess. With the removal of some of the dancers, the over/under pattern lost its rhythm. Laughter erupted inside the circle and the dance became a chaotic jumble of confusion. Julian tried to maintain a steady pattern, while Fiona allowed her dance to disintegrate into a free-form frolic. Julian's ribbon reached its end before Fiona's. He stepped away to wait for her as she continued weaving her ribbon down to its last inch with a determination he admired. ! When her ribbon ran out, she left the circle, panting, and went to stand next to Julian to catch her breath. The dance was down to two last merrymakers. When they could wrap no more, they tied the ribbons together to lock in the desires of all the dancers. Overwhelmed by the joy permeating the celebration, Julian grabbed Fiona, then swung her around in an impulsive hug. She looked into his laughing eyes and tilted her head down, her lips meeting his with the fleeting touch of a hummingbird, then again with more pressure. Their lips had never met before in this lifetime, but they knew the geography of each other in an instant, recognizing each other from the kisses of lifetimes past. c2001 by Selene Silverwind

About the Author

Selene Silverwind is the author of Once Upon a Beltane Eve She is also a screenwriter and activist out of Los Angeles, CA. She sees it as her duty to educate the public about Paganism through her writing. Her columns on Pagan Family Values have appeared in Cauldrons & Broomsticks, The Blessed Bee, and Triple Spiral. She is a Celtic Shaman. A graduate of Loyola Marymount University, she is President of Pagan Pride Los Angeles and works to further religious tolerance and understanding of Pagan faiths. She also serves as a representative for the Alternative Religions Education Network.

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