The summer may feel at its height, yet the days are slowly shortening. The flowers are few and the fruits are swelling. The season shifts and the Cailleach stirs.

The Blues are seeking people to step forward and embody the Cailleach and the Kings for this year’s Samhuinn celebration.

The online-focussed format of this year’s celebration imposes different constraints and requirements. However, as we are not tied to a physical event, in many ways it also frees us. We invite you to explore new ways in which the Goddess and the Kings may manifest to suit these times, be that a singular representation or a group one. Please consider the following:

• In a break from tradition, those who have previously embodied the Cailleach or Kings are also welcome to reapply or be nominated.
• We would welcome proposals from people who may have felt that they were not able to answer the call in previous years due to the limitations imposed by our usual format. Perhaps an online format in the virtual world is your thing.
• Given the lack of a physical event, it may also open opportunities for those not based physically within, or within easy distance, of Edinburgh. However, applicants from outwith Edinburgh (or nearby) should carefully consider and demonstrate in their submission, how they would be able to interact with the society and receive support from the blues.
• We would also consider joint Cailleach and Kings applications.

We are seeking people who are familiar with the society, have excellent communication skills, are comfortable interacting online and, in particular, who feel a personal connection with the Goddess or Kings.

In your note of interest, we would like to hear how you imagine interacting with the society (and in what formats), how you would see yourself manifesting the Goddess or Kings (bearing in mind that there will be an element of online presence required) and what has drawn you to apply. Please do consider that what makes someone a great candidate for in regular times might not be the same for this festival.

We are also open to the idea of there not being a court this year.

We also want to make it clear that whilst we have suspended the traditional approach due to exceptional circumstances this year, the nature of these roles is for this festival only and will not be carried over to future festivals.

We are happy to accept community nominations for Cailleach. The deadline for this is Friday 14 August as we will need time to approach them so that they can consider the nomination. Please do give us a full name, phone number and email, plus any other names they are known as, to save any confusion.

If you are interested in applying yourself, please submit a Note of interest to blues[at]beltane[dot]org by Wednesday 19 August.

Featured image by Vince Graham for Beltane Fire Society. All rights reserved.