Set at the beginning of Summer when new plants and animals begin to grow, Beltane Fire Festival is in part a fertility festival centred around a divine mother goddess, the May Queen. Bringing that theme to the fore are the Gaia Filiae, who will embody the birth of the new season through the sacred, ancient dance of fertility, the belly dance.

They are the daughters of Mother Earth, and celebrate her life-giving qualities through their dance. As the wheel of the seasons turns and the Earth orbits the sun, so the Gaia Filiae draw circles with their hips.

Emerging from Winter, new life will grow in abundance on the Earth all through the Summer. The land, like the Gaia Filiae, becomes more fertile, and they look forward to a future fruitful harvest in the Autumn.

The Gaia Filiae dance all over the Hill, bringing the Earth’s energy to their onlookers. They worship nature in their dance, who reveals herself to them in the shape of the May Queen. She nourishes them and helps them grow into their lush summery selves.

Featured image by Kasia Sowinska for Beltane Fire Society. All rights reserved.

Tickets for Beltane Fire Festival are available to buy online from Citizen Ticket. Join the Facebook event here.