Edinburgh fire festival

May Queen Procession

The Witches Next Door travelled to Edinburgh, Scotland in 2022. We were in the United Kingdom for several weeks visiting all sorts of sacred sites, witch shops, pub moots and all sorts of fun and random occult places.

​One highlight for sure, like for sure, for sure, was attending the legendary Edinburg Beltane Fire Festival. 

Now to set the stage a bit. Our apartment was right at the bottom of Calton Hill. The festival takes place on top of Calton Hill, so we were going to be part of it even if we sat at home. But we did NOT sit at home. Far from it.

We headed up to the top of the hill, which I might say is a pretty intense amble. Lots of deep breaths and "hold on a minutes" on the way up. There were probably a thousand people already there - organizers, performers, witches, pagans, and lookie-loos. By the end of the event, there were well over three thousand participants. As this was the first festival since the pandemic lock downs, it was smaller than usual but still very attended.

An hour or so before dark, the wind picked up, the rain pelted down, and umbrellas popped up like mushrooms. Except for my umbrella, of course, because it was back at the apartment, in my backpack, keeping my rain jacket company! Fortunately, the lovely Phoenix LeFae had her brolly with her, so I was able to keep a wee bit dry. But being the bouncy Sagittarius which I am, I couldn't really commit to staying under safety of the umbrella, and quickly became muddy, soaked, and generally very happy about it.

Then came the drama...

Suddenly the National monument was ablaze, a veritable thunderstorm of drums started pounding their rhythm into the night, and the crowd began to sway, the ritualists began their dance, the May Queen appeared - and she was absolutely mesmerizing - and her consort escorted her along the walkway right above the thrumming masses.

After, I don't know how long, she and her retinue began making their circuit around the hill, lighting fire sculptures at each elemental station. If you watch the video below, you'll see some of that, but it doesn't really capture the pageantry and power of it all.

Before you know it, we were dancing with naked, red-painted fire fae, stomping and singing and clapping and cavorting with the Earth drummers, crying and shouting into the rain with the water elementals, and we probably did something with the air folks, but I can't really recall that because, well, because drums, naked fae, the May queen and the all of it!

Hours later, a little muddy, a lot blissfully overwhelmed, we retired to a nearby pub for quick whiskey, purely to fend of the cold and rain, you understand, and then we collapsed on the sofas in our flat, well and truly "ritualed out".

Well, that's not entirely true. One of our cohorts didn't make it back until five O'clock in the morning but that's their story to tell.

Anyway, enjoy the vids and definitely add this to your Witch Travel Buck List (tm).

Live life deliciously,

Gwion

The May Queen

The Drumming Begins