Beltane Dream Magic: The Ribbon Charm
Happy almost-Beltane, y’all!
If you don’t know, Beltane is a Pagan festival of Gaelic origin traditionally celebrated on May 1st. It draws its name from the root word for bright fire, and is observed as both a rite of protection and purification, and of fertility and prosperity.
Not every witch celebrates Beltane, and it’s absolutely not mandatory to observe the festival. During the first neo-Pagan revival (between the 1950s-1970s), festivals like Beltane were added to the Wheel of the Year and are today observed by many Wiccans, Neo Pagans, and nebulously spiritual/New Age folks. However, there are just as many witches who don’t observe these holidays. So if you’re feeling pressured to do something lest ye be charged with the cardinal sin of not being a real witch, fear not.
It’s rare that I personally do much on Beltane. While I like the idea of lighting a big bonfire, smoke gives me allergies and New Orleans is really wet in late spring. The other notable Beltane tradition, which involves tying ribbons or scraps of fabric to tree branches, is pretty to look at but not great for the environment. The practice, which was popular throughout the UK and Ireland at notable holy wells (or “clootie wells“), is observed both to honor the spirit/s of the land/well and to petition for healing. Unfortunately, it’s really bad for the trees and the local wildlife!
The background photograph in this post was taken by me at St. Madron’s Well in Cornwall in 2023. While the wells themselves aren’t associated specifically with Beltane, the ribbon (or clootie) tying is. And while Beltane is not ‘a dream festival’, its association with protection from nefarious spirits and its position opposite Samhain on the Wheel of the Year does mark it as a time of unusually high psychic and spirit activity.
In fact, this time of year (the end of April to the first week of March) contains quite a few spiritually significant holidays for the occult inclined. There are a great many traditional May Day practices, including of course the dancing around the May pole and crowning of the May Queen, a folk tradition that has been immortalized in several notable folk horror movies. April 30th is also Walpurgisnacht, or the feast of St. Walburga, and was thought to be a time where witches engaged in spirit flight to the black Sabbat in order to sign their name in the devil’s book and cavort with demons.
(It took absolutely everything in me not to use the “NOT THE BEES!” image from the Nic Cage adaptation of Wicker Man. I have shown great restraint this day.)
What I’m getting at is this: the folklore, storytelling, and myth around this time of year is potent and full of imagery and symbolism you can absolutely modify and use for your spiritual practice. Even if you’re not strictly reconstructing Beltane rites (which would be difficult to do with any degree of historical accuracy), you can use the energy stirred up around this time of year, and the turning of the seasons, to your advantage.
Which brings me to The Dream Ribbon.
I love the clootie tradition. Cord, thread, and weaving magic is particularly near and dear to my heart, and is a staple in many folk practices. So instead of tying that clootie to a poor, unsuspecting tree, why not braid it into a beautiful dream talisman to help you protect your sleep space and/or help capture your dreams, improve dream recall, and assist with lucidity?
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Three equal-length pieces of ribbon or cord, preferably in silver, purple, or blue
A strip of paper (thin, but large enough to write on)
Consecrated spring water (you can perform a simplified consecration by passing your index and middle finger over the water in an equal-armed cross shape and saying “I baptize this water as a vessel for spirit”)
(Optional) sprigs of dried lavender or mugwort
(Optional) oils suitable for dreaming, astral projection, OR protection (I recommend Sphere + Sundry oils, for future reference! Their Luna in Cancer series is great for dream work!)
WHAT TO DO
On either the night of April 30th or the night of May 1st, take the paper and write on it your desired outcome. There are two ways to perform this rite: as a protection charm (in which case you might write something like “my dreams are peaceful and no spirit can enter my dreamspace”), or as a talisman for lucidity and spirit contact (in which case you might write “my dreams are vivid, memorable, and lucid”). Feel free to use phrasing that is meaningful to you, but try to make it fairly simple and direct.
Once you’ve written your petition on the charm, you want to consecrate the ribbon strips in the water. Submerge the ribbon in the water and recite the following:
thread of fate, clootie cord
be a vessel for my word
wrap around and tie in knots
let no dream be here forgot
It is important to braid with the ribbon while it is still damp. Since you are braiding in the paper, you may find that the ink runs. That is okay! The water is your spirit vessel, and as it causes the ink to run, symbolically we see your words/petition absorbed into the subtle real of spirit.
Take the three ends of the ribbon and tie them together in a knot. Then, set about plaiting/braiding them around the paper petition. As you braid, recite the following:
In and out the ribbon goes
warding me against my foes
back and forth the cord is spun
all my dreams to me belong
If you are using dried lavender and mugwort you would braid them into the ribbon charm at the same time. It may look a bit messy and chaotic when you are done - that’s okay! Not everything has to be Pinterest-perfect! Witchcraft is messy and ugly sometimes.
If you have oils, sprays, or other magical materia you wish to anoint the charm with, you can do so now as well.
Spend a little time holding your newly braided charm in both palms, pressed flat together, as you meditate on the the purpose of the talisman you have just crafted.
With that, the charm is made and ready to do its job! You may place it under your pillow, hang it over your bed, or even over the doorframe to your room.
If you try this out, please report back - I’d love to hear how it works for you!
