Beltane Fire Society

Hello members

As will be clear from the flurry of activity, we’re ready to come out of hibernation and get that Wheel of the Year turning towards Beltane once more.

What better way to get everyone’s creative juices flowing than to announce our annual search for this year’s Beltane Poster?  Over the years there has been an array of beautiful visions of Beltane that have then been printed and distributed around the city and beyond to showcase our event.

So if you would like to submit a piece of artwork, be it a painting, illustration, design, photograph or something truly unique, let us know.

Please send submissions in .jpeg, .pdf or similar format to Zander at sacredhart@gmail.com (sacredhart null@null gmail NULL.com) [1] by 5th February 2012.  

Any questions?  Just ask!

*Beltane Fire Society* is a charity registered in Scotland, Charity Number: SC040137 Company Number SC341753

Registered address is Art’s Complex, St. Margaret’s House, 151 London Road, Edinburgh, EH7 6AE

www.beltane.org (http://www NULL.beltane NULL.org)

Links:

Hello again

It is that time of year again and 25th Anniversary Beltane Fire Festival 2012 organisation has already begun. Would you like to be a part of it too as a Group Organiser?

We are now taking applications for Group Organisers for any one of the many groups that create Beltane 2011. Between yourself and your group of volunteers you will create your own piece of the magic that is the Beltane festival & community.

This role will see you involved in everything from recruitment, artistic direction, time & budget management, plus inspiring, supporting & facilitating your group. From my own experience I can highly recommend it

If this prospect excites & inspires you then please get in touch.

Please email your completed application form to ‘scribe@beltane.org’ *no later than SUNDAY 5TH FEBRUARY*

Please email ‘scribe@beltane.org’ for the application form, with an example form & guidance to assist in completion also available. Please also email if you have any questions or would like any feedback.

You will need to be available initially for the following dates: – Group Organisers’ Weekend – 11&12th February – Beltane 2011 Open Meeting – Sunday 26th February

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Beltane Fire Society Board

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So you’re thinking of being a Group Organiser?

On Sunday the 15th of January at 4pm in the Holyrood 9a, the Blues will be gathering to have an informal chat with anyone who is contemplating being a GO for this year’s Beltane. We’ll be talking about anything and everything – from filling in the application form, specifics of running groups, 25th anniversary celebrations, to aspects of story, ritual and performance skills.

Whether you’re an old-hand GO, who just wants to get back into the swing of things, or someone who’s completely new to Group Organising, but has always fancied a go, do come along with any questions you might have.

And don’t worry – coming along isn’t any kind of commitment to being a GO… though we can’t guarantee we won’t convince you to take the plunge!

Hope to see you there!

The Blues

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Dear Beltane Fire Society Members

The time has come once again, although it may seem early in the year, for us to begin the search for the Green Man to take part in Beltane Fire Festival 2012.

This email is therefore an invitation to those who feel this role is for them, to step forward and note their interest for the role.

But what is role, you may ask?

We cannot completely define this for you. Each Green Man has their own journey, their own story to lay down. But we can give you some ideas for the purposes of context.

Our Beltane celebrates the turning of the wheel of the year, from spring into the beginning of summer. We celebrate this one step of the cycle with our festivities. Our festivities change from year to year, but as an element of ritual some things stay the same.

One of these unchanging points is the presence of the Green Man. For our festival the Green Man is the embodiment of the earth, the personification of the world around us. People’s lives have always depended upon the condition of the earth; upon how we treat it and upon the way it behaves.

Intrinsic to how we behave upon the earth are the cycles, the seasons which change throughout the year. Our Green Man on Beltane night demonstrates for us one of the changes within this year of changes.

The Green Man character is common the world over, present in many different cultures. As global location changes so does the personality and traits of the Green Man of that locality. But always there is this link between humankind and the earth we live upon.

The main purpose of the Green Man is observed by all at the Festival, and is shown through a ‘death/rebirth’ or ‘sacrifice/resurrection’ ritual at the end of the procession. This ‘death/rebirth’ ritual is also common to the Green Man character. This is representative of the old giving way to the new, of a leading figure giving up something for the continuity of the community. It is a very powerful depiction of not only seasonal change but also of a spiritual belief.

Therefore this role is intrinsically important to our Festival as it represents the change, the potential, and the future.

That is just a snippet of information about the Green Man, and we encourage you seek out information if this topic interests you.

The role of Green Man is both solitary and social, and it is as much of either as you wish it to be. However, we ask two things of you:

1) The Green Man is expected to be involved in actively preparing the main storyline along with the May Queen. This assists the whole society vision and also the understanding of the Green Man’s journey.

2) A Green Man applicant should consider their entire journey and should be prepared to share their character vision with the society and also to share their preparation plans with the Blues and producer.

All Applicants MUST be available for interview on the evening of TUESDAY 31ST JANUARY.

If you are considering this role but are swithering we suggest that you contact blues@beltane.orgfor (blues null@null beltane NULL.orgfor) a chat about the role. As always, email us if you have any questions.

Notes of interest should be made formally to us via email to blues@beltane.org (blues null@null beltane NULL.org) by 6pm on SUNDAY 29th JANUARY. We’ll acknowledge receipt of your application.

Applicants are all individually interviewed and are selected following careful consideration. Should there be a multitude of applications we may not be able to interview all applicants.

Thanks The Blues.