It’s finally Beltane, which kicks off our adventures into outdoors as it’s the first camping trip of the year.

We are off to a Beltane camp at the wonderful Thornborough Henge, and as it’s a fire festival, we will be around the communal fire celebrating with mead, fire, friends, and nature. Perfect.

Beltane can be celebrated by making ribbon and flower crowns, or making candles with flowers, flower bath salts and so much more. Or gather some we garlic and take woodland walks.

With our camp there will be story telling, singing, dancing and drumming, just what you need to honour the fae and spring spirits.

Get planting if you can, I don’t have a green thumb but this year I’m trying. I have some lavender, Clary sage and rosemary. I also have an abundance of bluebells and forget me nots.

Hope you all have a Blessed Beltane and this is the start of nice weather.

Had a bit of a spend on Tiktok and Primark, and Shein.

I got some mandala leggings, a light floral dress, velvet vest top, some false nails and a little mirror. Hope we finally get some nice weather to wear the dress and vest top. Beltane camp will see me wearing the leggings, using the make up mirror while camping and wearing these nails too.

I top a stretchy tight sports top, perfect for hiking and camping, even has thumb holes too. Then a slouchy jumper that’s sassy. It’s pretty thin though, so better suited for spring days or summer nights.

From Primark I got bras but no one needs to see them 🤣🤣🤣🤣 and I also got a new foundation, and tinted moisturizer for summer warmer days, so it’s not a full foundation day. I also have a BB cream from earlier in the month, seeing which ones I like over different situations.

Sunday is the main day, and also our last full day. The Opening ceremony is on around midday. Here we will cast the circle and call the quarters, East, South, West and North and welcome them to witness the ritual, the Beltane fire needs to be lit, but first we have to chase off Jack Frost.

Handfasting weddings are done after the main fire is lit, this time we had 2 Beltane fires and we were all invited to walk through the two. This is to drive off the cleanse ourselves for the new energies, and new starts of spring.

The afternoon sadly became a wet fest, so we retreated to the tent for a while. Tidied up and got ourselves ready for some tea, and coffee to warm up. And once again put fire clothes on ready for the last night of fire dancing, drums and stories.

We watched the sunset in the henge, we felt the sun as it peeked out before going to its bed. The warmth on our skin was heavenly, a promise of better days to come. Can’t believe it’s all over already. Monday is a solely pack up and drive home day. I didn’t want it to end, but alas my body can’t wait for my bed and hot water bottle.

After a bit of a rocky start, and seriously terrible sleep our original plan had to be quickly revised to accommodate a shorter amount of free time, and desire to drive far. So I moved our Monday plan into the Saturday slot. It’s local, pretty and it can be done in the showers of rain.

Hackfall woods was our new destination and it’s not that big, so easy to walk around. Well it should have been easy, but this leg length hurts my back too much, so it’s not easy and it’s super painful to walk around. Thank goodness there are a lot of seats and prettiness to distract me from pain.

Follies all hidden in the bluebell woods, the smell of wild garlic is divine, it’s worth the slippy mud to be around the river and see various waterfalls, streams and we even found a sandy beach by the River.

It’s raining and chilly but that doesn’t stop us enjoying the area. We have sandwiches and crisps with a flask of coffee to warm us up.

We eventually ended the walk, thoroughly spent all my pain threshold and we were hungry, hunt for a chippie was soon on the agenda. Mission accomplished. The perfect end to a glorious adventure.

Once back on site, we changed into our fire clothes (ie an outfit you don’t mind smelling of smoke) and headed off the the communal fire, for drumming, dancing and stories to be told.

After the cold of the tent, we opted to sleep in the car instead, as we’ve had many a successful sleep in the car. It proved to be a wise choice, far warmer and definitely quieter too.

Where to start…. It was Friday and traveling day, we were packed high in the car and come 10am our journey began up North. Not the nicest of road trips and traffic was pretty bad as well.

Weather isn’t really the best, in fact it’s cold. But trying hard to not let it get to us and dampen our spirits.

Set up and ready for the weekend. Friday is a settling in day, there’s no communal fire this night (this year). We decided to go for a walk to the Southern Henge (as we have 3 henges, camping in the middle one.

After watching the Sun set we need to eat some food. so we have our Panang noodles (so HOT!!) Made my lips look like I’d had Botox!! And some marshmallows all toasted.

Had a terrible night’s sleep due to many factors but that was Day one completed.

It’s nearly Beltane, 1st May. Beltane is a Pagan holiday, and one of the eight Sabbats. It falls about halfway between the spring equinox (Ostara) and the coming summer solstice, Litha. The holiday celebrates spring at its peak, and the coming summer. Beltane also sometimes goes by the name May Day.

It marks the time we are taking a break and getting out there to enjoy pagan company, sit around a fire with mead, stories and music, and look at the stars. And if course waterfall hunt if we can.

It’s the perfect time to look for bluebells in the woods, put your hands or feet in the streams,rivers and reconnect with the energies of the elements around you. Feel the promise and hope of new life, new beginnings and youthful vibrations all around you, as life returns to the lands.

Have a wonderful weekend and fingers crossed the weather holds out for us.

This weekend is hopefully an action packed bank holiday weekend, where are going camping and grabbing as much walking as we can physically do.

We have off the floor camp beds so no crawling about, as I wouldn’t be able to get up off the floor. But it will still be a challenge getting in and out of the camp chairs, and walking the henge where we are camping.

We camp in the middle henge with other fellow pagans for Beltane. (1st may)

As you can see it lines up with Orion, same as the Pyramids of Giza.

There will be a fair amount of walking just around the site, and the henges themselves. Uneven grass and surfaces so it will test the legs. Do I take the insoles or not that’s the question? Torn really, as I’m not sure which is the least painful. I’m thinking it can’t hurt to take them, and test it out on a walk one of the days.

I’ll be doing some basic stretches to try and keep the stiffness away as much as possible.

I like to do these, to stretch that awful flexor at least 3 to 5 times each side.

Fire hydrant or tabletop hip circles, is definitely a hard exercise to do. I try to imagine there’s a plate of food on my back to keep it straight. And lift the leg, it comes NOWHERE NEAR as high as this, but we are trying. Hands aren’t down like this due to thumb surgery, so using fists.

Some other good pre walking stretches to do, to warm up the joints and prepare them for the day ahead.

I think after this trip away, I should ring the hospital to find out x-ray results, as it’s been so long and no word yet.

I got myself some nice false nails, but it’s debatable if I’ll wear for Beltane at Thornborough, as that is camping, however they are beautiful and it’s nice to have them available for upcoming days out or events. They are all from Shein, I bought online as around here, good prices press on nails are just not available if you love a more alternative style.

Some small coffin shaped spiderweb ones

Almond shaped with moons, stars and nude colouring.

Plain black almond shaped nails

My favourite ones I think I will save for Solstice and Glastonbury in June. As the detail is incredible.

Almond shaped again, but highly detailed and truly stunning.

I can’t wait to wear them, I don’t use the glue pads provided, I use a brush on glue that I used when I was an acrylic nail tech. I find it holds better and for longer. All prices £1.75 and under so truly good value for money.

What a fantastic time away, much needed for mental health, and to re balance ourselves. We arrived Friday and we used that day to set up and relax, we ended our evening with a fire and marshmallows.

Saturday we were up early to chase Waterfalls, we had a few in mind, Like Aysgarth, Harmby and Cauldron falls. Didn’t walk too much as hips aren’t being friendly.

We ended our Saturday with fish and chips to munch in a local town, and once back at the campsite we walked to the communal Beltane fire, to listen to tales, songs and drummers.

Sunday arrived and it’s the opening ceremony, so we gathered in the centre of the Henge. We called the quarters and cast the circle, energies raised, lit the Beltane fire and watched some Handfastings.

Wandered around the Northern henge, which was quite a struggle to walk too for me, so we took it slow and made many stops. It was a wooded henge, ie inside the woods, so the bluebells are all out.

We had a closing ceremony and then onto the last communal fire. So sad to be ending, but what an experience. We had the Wind for Air/East, the Henge for Earth/North, Waterfalls for Water/West and the Beltane Fire for Fire/South and we felt mentally cleansed and close to these like minded people around us.

Originally we had thought we had to cancel this, but luck was upon us and we actually made it!! Adventure starts on Friday 29th April, this is one event I’ve wanted to do for years!

Each year they gather on these sacred henges to celebrate and honour the Goddess Brigantia. These henges are 5,000 years old and constructed for what they believe to be ritual purposes. And these henges are in the middle of the area where the tribe of Brigantines lived, so Hail Brigantia. Find out more Here

Side note at the winter solstice the 3 henges line up with the Orion’s belt.

We can’t arrive until midday, so no need to get up too early, at least. But I’m sure we will get up early anyways, from excitement.

It’s a New Moon Solar Eclipse this 30th April and that’s all about stepping out of your comfort zone, and it’s safe to say we are definitely doing that. Usually when we camp, we are insular and quiet, and not into making friends or being social. This is a huge leap away from that.

So what is Beltane, well it’s May day to most folk, it’s the middle between the spring equinox and summer solstice, so the peak of spring, and a time of new life, fresh energies, and the Sun god takes the reins. So think maypoles, flower crowns and Green Man figures. And of course the Fires, in which the farmers of old would drive their cattle through the smoke, to cleanse them.