Journal Prompts for Beltane
Beltane, celebrated at the beginning of May in the northern hemisphere (and November in the southern hemisphere), is a spring Wheel of the Year festival marking the blossoming of life, love, and fertility.
Beltane honors the sacred union of the God and Goddess, symbolizing passion, creativity, and abundance in all forms. Through rituals of fire, dance, and feasting, Beltane invites us to connect with nature’s vitality, celebrate the joy of life, and embrace the creative energy that propels new beginnings. (More on the Wheel of the Year here.)
In your Beltane journaling, celebrate the joy of spring and your gratitude for the abundance and productivity of the season. Let’s get started with some journal prompts!
25 Journal Prompts for Beltane
How do you connect with the energy of spring? What feelings do you feel as you witness nature coming into bloom?
How is your spiritual life? In the spirit of spring growth, how are you looking to experience spiritual growth?
Beltane is a holiday that celebrates passion. What in your life are you most passionate about right now?
What is a creative project or other creative endeavor that has brought joy to your life recently? How can you nurture it further, in honor of Beltane creativity?
The festival of Beltane honors both masculine and feminine energies. What do these energies mean to you, and how do they show up in your life?
How do you balance your spiritual life with your everyday life?
How can you honor the earth during this season of growth? Is there a small ritual or practice you could incorporate into your daily routine during the Beltane season?
What does "vitality" feel like to you? When do you feel most alive and energized?
How does the idea of fertility resonate with you at this point in your life? (It doesn’t have to be literal fertility.)
What new energy would you like to invite into your life during this season?
What are three things you are grateful for right now that help you feel connected to the earth’s abundance?
What ways can you celebrate your own creativity or self-expression this season?
How does the idea of community and connection show up in your life? What are the ways you can deepen your connection with others this Beltane?
Do you have any passions that have you been putting off or not giving space to in your life? What is one small step you can take to ignite them?
Beltane celebrates unity. How can you foster more unity in your relationships or in your community?
Reflect on a time when you experienced a powerful connection with someone or something. What made that connection feel so strong?
The Celtic traditions of Beltane honor the sun. How can you bring more light into your life, metaphorically?
Have you ever experienced a moment where you felt truly aligned with nature? What did it teach you about yourself?
What would it look like for you to “leap over the fire” and take a bold step forward in your life? What would you be hoping to manifest by doing so?
Reflecting on the practice of lighting bonfires, what does fire symbolize for you? What in your life needs to be purified or reignited?
How can you incorporate playfulness or celebration into your routine this season?
The Maypole dance represents unity and rhythm. What would your life look like if you embraced more flow and rhythm in your day-to-day existence?
How do you nurture the things you want to grow in your life? What care and attention do they need from you?
As we transition into the warmth of summer, what is one thing you want to let go of in order to embrace new energy?
What qualities of the earth and sky do you want to bring more of into your life this Beltane? How can you embody them more fully?
The Wheel of the Year
The Wheel of the Year is a spiritual calendar that underscores the cycle of the seasons. It details a web of holidays, or sabbats, that celebrate the natural rhythms of the earth. By honoring this calendar, we can reflect on how the world around us changes, and we can think deeply about the same changes in ourselves.
Living in harmony with the Wheel of the Year can uplift our spiritual practice and ground us in the cycles of the natural world. It's a trip filled with joy, introspection, and interpersonal connections that enhances our lives and provides us with profoundly beautiful and thought-provoking moments. Celebrating the Wheel of the Year invites a deeper, more meaningful life experience characterized by a rhythm that nourishes the spirit and develops a deep appreciation for the wonder around us on earth during every season that passes.
The festive season of Yule, or the winter solstice, marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. The Wheel then turns to Imbolc (February in the northern hemisphere; August in the southern hemisphere), when the earth begins to awaken from its slumber and the sun begins to drive back the shadows. It's the depth of winter, so Imbolc is a perfect tie to review the lessons learned last year and set intentions for the coming seasons. Next is Ostara, the spring equinox, when light and darkness are balanced and the earth officially greets the spring season. The winter season of reflection represented by Imbolc turns to spring celebration at Ostara.
Beltane (May in the northern hemisphere; November in the southern hemisphere) marks the beginning of the summer season. The sun is strong, light abounds, and the earth is full of life. The Wheel of the Year then turns to Litha, or Midsummer (the summer solstice), the longest day and shortest night of the year. The light of the sun is at its strongest and the bright summer season is in full swing. Fire rituals and community celebrations fill the air!
The first harvest festival, Lammas, arrives at the end of summer (August in the northern hemisphere; February in the southern hemisphere). Lammas marks the start of the harvest season, a time of giving thanks and recognizing the yield of our efforts. The sun is starting to shine less every day and the shadows are starting to stretch longer. The second harvest festival, Mabon, is another festive season. The autumnal equinox brings balance to the earth once again, as day and night equalize, inviting us to reflect on harmony and thankfulness.
Finally, the Wheel of the Year's end and beginning is at Samhain, the final community harvest festival. The veil between worlds is thinnest, the world is in shadows, and it is a time for reflection on the past and looking to the future with wisdom. The sun is appearing less every day, and we must light a fire to perform our harvest rituals.
More About Beltane
Now that you have plenty of Beltane journal prompts, would you like to learn more about this festive season? Here are some places to start.
Beltane Associations.
The God Belanus.
Beltane Meditation. A spring planting meditation perfect for the Beltane season.
Why Keep a Journal?
Journaling is surprisingly beneficial! Writing down your thoughts and experiences can help you process emotions, track personal growth, and even spark creativity. Journal prompts are a good way to get started.
Writing Practice
First, in case this needs to be said, writing more improves your writing skills. Like anything, practice matters when it comes to writing. That means choosing each word as you are writing in your journal can help improve the writing you do in other areas of your life! And these journal prompts are a great place to start your practice.
Reflect on Your Goals
Depending on what you journal about, writing can be an opportunity to focus on your dreams, goals, and in-the-moment progress. Set intentions and write about why you want to achieve the goals you’ve set and brainstorm ways to achieve them. Write about the lessons you learn along the way, too. And don’t forget to track your progress in your journal!
Similarly, you can use your journaling time to think through an aspect of or situation in your life—even simply yourself—to sort out how you feel about it and how you want to address it.
Improve Your Health
Studies are showing that writing in your journal may also reduce stress, improve your immune system response, and even boost your memory. Here’s an article from Intermountain Healthcare about how writing in your journal can improve your life.
How to Start Your Journal
Fortunately, you don’t need much. You need something to write with and something to write on, and at journaling’s most basic, that’s it.
Choose a journal that you like, because if it makes you happy, it will be easier to pick it up and start to fill it with your writing. Consider selecting a journal that reflects something you set intentions on for the winter solstice season and beyond.
If you want to use your journal as a book of shadows (a collection of resources for your spiritual craft), look for a book where you can add pages.
Physical Journals
If at all possible, wait before ordering and try to hold your journal in person before you buy it so your expectations are accurate. Get a sense of whether you will reach for it and enjoy using it for your journal prompts. If you must buy it online, read the review section carefully and listen to the specific ones.
Journal Binding
Determine if the journal will lay flat. That is, can you open it to start writing and have it rest open? This will go a long way toward a more pleasant experience for you.
Is the journal’s binding sturdy? It might be difficult to tell when the journal is new, but check reviews or try to get a sense of whether the cover is going to get detached from the block of pages as you write.
Careful with spiral bindings, too. They lay flat really well, but sometimes they’re too loose and pages start to fall out. Look for a sturdy one.
Journal Size
Think about whether your journal’s size suits you. If you’re going to leave it on your desk and write there, maybe you want a bigger trim size. If you’re going to be writing your journal prompts in the coffee shop or reflect on life and art at the art museum, does the journal fit into the space in your purse?
Journal Paper
Consider the paper texture. If it’s too glossy, that limits your pen options. A standard ballpoint will probably write well, but if you want to use pencil or other type of pen, it might not make a mark or it might smear easily. Check the pages too; is there enough space between lines for your words to fit?
Journal Extras
This isn’t necessary, but a ribbon marker is a nice touch on a journal.
If this is going to be a portable journal, an elastic closure keeps it from splaying open inside your bag. Other clasps can be bulkier, so make sure the journal still lays open comfortably for writing if you look at those.
Digital Journals
What the world of digital journals lacks in book-nerd cache, it more than makes up for in portability and convenience. (And you'll never fill all the space and have to buy another!)
They’re especially handy if you’re journaling about ideas you might want to use later—don’t underestimate a good search feature.
You also have plenty of free and very inexpensive options, from Google docs to specialized apps like Penzu.
Tips for Establishing a Journaling Habit
Establishing a habit can take time, and that amount of time varies. So while you are starting out, it’s worth it to focus on intentionally creating space and time for your new practice and exploring some journaling ideas that you might like to incorporate. There's really no perfect time or right moment on the wheel of the year to get started. So set intentions, grab some journal prompts, and just try to just start in the moment.
Preparing a Journaling Spot
Think about what will invite you in. Create an irresistibly comfortable place to write. Stock it with your favorite pens and journal (and journal prompts!). Will you fill your mug with tea while you write? What else will help you get writing in your journal?
While you’re at it, remove any obstacles that will keep you from your writing rituals.
Setting an alarm
Pick a time of day to write and set up a recurring calendar appointment to remind you.
Intentionally make space to write at that exact time for the next few weeks, until you’re comfortable enough with the habit to vary it. The perfect time may vary after that, but you'll always remember to spend time with your writing.
Setting a timer
If it feels overwhelming to sit down and write for an indeterminate amount of time, explore setting a timer for 10 minutes and telling yourself to write that long.
Too long? Try to write for 5 minutes.
Still too long? Try writing one line a day.
Trying a habit tracker
Add journal prompts to your favorite habit tracker, be it standalone or in your planner. There’s nothing that brings as much joy as filling in another habit tracker box! Do check in with yourself occasionally to see if the tracker is still serving you or if you can give it a rest. In the meantime, make your rituals second nature by tracking them.
(We have a few downloadable habit trackers if you need one!)
Make Journaling Your Future
Please feel free to try and discard—or just use for inspiration—any of these journaling ideas. Personalize your practice, choose prompts to write on if you want to, and create something that works for you throughout the entire wheel of the year. Happy journaling!
More Journal Prompts
If you have set intentions about journaling and are looking for more journal prompts after Beltane, you can find plenty of options here.