Beltaine is an anglicisation of the Irish "Bealtaine" or the Scottish "Bealtuinn." While "tene" clearly means "fire," nobody really knows whether Bel refers to Belenus, a pastoral god of the Gauls, or is from "bel," simply meaning "brilliant." It might even derive from "bil tene" or "lucky fire" because to jump between two Beltane fires was sure to bring good fortune, health to your livestock, and prosperity.
When the Druids and their successors raised the Beltaine fires on hilltops throughout the British Isles on May Eve, they were performing a real act of magic, for the fires were lit in order to bring the sun’s light down to earth. In Scotland, every fire in the household was extinguished, and the great fires were lit from the need-fire which was kindled by 3 times 3 men using wood from the nine sacred trees. When the wood burst into flames, it proclaimed the triumph of the light over the dark half of the year.
Then the whole hillside came alive as people thrust brands into the newly roaring flames and whirled them about their heads in imitation of the circling of the sun. If any man there was planning a long journey or dangerous undertaking, he leaped backwards and forwards three times through the fire for luck. As the fire sunk low, the girls jumped across it to procure good husbands; pregnant women stepped through it to ensure an easy birth, and children were also carried across the smoldering ashes. When the fire died down, the embers were thrown among the sprouting crops to protect them, while each household carried some back to kindle a new fire in their hearth. When the sun rose that dawn, those who had stayed up to watch it might see it whirl three times upon the horizon before leaping up in all its summer glory.
The Rites of Spring
Beltaine was a time of fertility and unbridled merrymaking, when young and old would spend the night making love in the Greenwood. In the morning, they would return to the village bearing huge budding boughs of hawthorn (the may-tree) and other spring flowers with which to bedeck themselves, their families, and their houses. They would process back home, stopping at each house to leave flowers, and enjoy the best of food and drink that the home had to offer. In every village, the maypole—usually a birch or ash pole—was raised, and dancing and feasting began. Festivities were led by the May Queen and her consort, the King who was sometimes Jack-in-the-Green, or the Green Man, the old god of the wildwood. They were borne in state through the village in a cart covered with flowers and enthroned in a leafy arbor as the divine couple whose unity symbolized the sacred marriage of earth and sun.
Sadly many people seem to think that power is something to be used over other people. This is abuse of friendship, relationship or any other bond that we may have with someone. People are entitled to lead their lives how they wish so long as it is bound by the laws of ethics, never mind the laws of the land. Slavery as the news has reminded us is both illegal and immoral yet controlling another's actions is making them into a small part slave, a slave to your wishes. At this point I should remind you I am talking about making someone do something they don't want to by using your power over them not asking them to do something and them agreeing. This is using some kind of force whether it be physical or mental to make someone bend to your will.
It is something though we are all guilty of on times but it is only something that becomes an issue if it is something that is regularly occurring or there is a perceived or implied threat to the person being domineered into doing what they don't want to do. It isn't a good friendship really if the one side has more power than the other, however on the other side of the coin it is something that if both sides occasionally do it then is acceptable, after all we all have those reluctant moments that we really don't want to do something but do it anyway but we go along with it for the sake of our friendships.
It is also of course something that families are good at, it's emotional blackmail on times making us do things we don't want to do because "I'm your mother" or the like is thrown at us. We usually comply under protest or cause a blazing argument why we won't do it and seven times out of ten we comply reluctantly.
It can also be done in work of course, because someone is superior to ourselves. We agree there because of the unspoken hierarchy. For example if my boss asks me to photocopy something it is using their power. It isn't abusing it except for the fact that I may be busy with other things and this now has to take priority. But then this is why these people are above us some would say. Personally if I can do it I will however I am not adverse to asking to defer the task or seeing if it can be delegated it elsewhere.
The final area which I am going to look at is power abuse in a relationship, something I have much personal experience of. Power can be admittedly an aphrodisiac in a relationship, but it can also be a major turn off when it becomes all what the relationship is about. No one has the right to tell anyone who for example they talk to, what to wear, what they spend, what they spend their time doing whilst in a relationship. We all have friends who don't like our significant others. My last significant other for example could not stand my best friend and made a point of being a pain in the ass about it. I have friends where their significant other doesn't like me but they accept that I am friends with their significant other. I have friends conversely who I don't like their significant other but accept they are with them, it's their choice. I once had a date with a girl who didn't like the clothes I wore and tried to use her power to make me change. "I'll only see you again if you wear jeans and a t-shirt" were her words at the end of the date. Needless to say 9 years on she is still probably waiting for the call back.
One person I was involved with hated the fact I spent money on electronics and at one point tried to destroy my bank card. She felt there were better hobbies than computing. Funny thing is 12 years on I am still using a computer and she is long since history, last I heard of unemployed with no prospects of the admin work she hankers for as she has no computer experience.
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In summary power can be used and abused by every person we know and relate to on a regular basis, it's whether we choose to or not is the question.
