Wheel of Beltane screen print

Wheels and magic circles have been used by magical practitioners dating back to ancient cultures. The wheel acts as a graphical microcosm of the universe itself and represents the sorceress’s relation to her surroundings and available energies. The Wheel of Beltane embodies the origins, traditions, lore, and symbols pertaining to fire festivals practiced on and around May 1st to mark the return of spring and summer. At the wheel’s core is a depiction of Flora, the roman goddess of flowers, sexuality, fertility, and vegetation. Her festival, Floralia, is one of the oldest recorded holidays in which Mayday-like traditions arose. The fire festivals of Beltaine, Mayday, and Walpurgisnacht all hark back to having roots in Floralia traditions making Flora the perfect centerpiece for the Wheel of Beltane. The first inner circle of the wheel touches upon common traditions practiced during Beltane including erecting a Maypole, gathering flowers, building bonfires, crowning the May queen, hand f