THE MAY QUEEN & KING

All hail
Queen Chisuzu
2024 - 2025

All hail
King Dark Wolf
2024 - 2025

Think you want to be May Queen or King?

For those of you who are considering going out for May Queen or King, we want to be sure you understand what it means. The May Queen is chosen by the Goddess. It can be a powerful experience, both to witness and to be chosen. We use a lottery to determine the Goddess’ wishes. Each May Queen decides how her lottery will proceed. Once a May Queen is chosen, she may pick her King in whatever fashion she chooses. She may simply call his name or kiss all the willing contenders to decide. She can offer a challenge, a race, or a song contest. The method is limited only by her imagination!

Once chosen and the May Pole has been danced, the Queen is taken away by the women and the King is taken away by the men. They each go to a private area dedicated to them both (the Queen’s Temple and the King’s Temple, respectively). They are pampered, instructed by the Elders, and dressed for presentation to the community.

The Queen and King are then expected to retire to the beautiful Tantric Temple to complete the fertility rites in private, consummating their union. To shirk this role and responsibility, by not culminating the union of the Queen and King with physical love, would be a sacrilege and could bring bad luck to the community. It is taken very seriously. So, please be in the right frame of mind if approaching the May Queen’s throne is your desire. You may get just what you wish for!

Who is eligible?

The May Queen is traditionally a Maiden. A Maiden is a youthful woman under the age of 35. This is an ideal and it is not required that the May Queen be a Maiden. We will not keep those older than 35 from participating if they feel the desire to try for the lottery. She may or may not be married. She may or may not have had children. However, the May Queen represents spring, fertility, youth, fecundity, and should be full of this type of energy. Please meditate on these requirements before you step forward. The May Queen must be 18 or older.

The May King may be of any age, 18 and over. He must be willing to participate in the Sacred Marriage in the Tantric Temple with the May Queen.

What are the responsibilities?

Both the May Queen and King are responsible for blessing each campsite and attendee, and for consummating the Sacred Marriage at least once during the Festival Weekend. It is mandatory that this year’s May Queen and King agree to help plan and conduct next year’s Beltaine in the Grove Festival, and impart the knowledge they gain through the coming year to next year’s May Queen and King.

After Beltaine, they will be requested to attend any Sabbat or ritual function of the community to which they are invited whenever possible. As May Queen and King, they are ambassadors of the community at large. To mark this station, the May Queen is given a crown and a cup for the extent of her reign. She will then pass these items down to the next Queen. The May King has items he will pass down as well. He is given a sacred staff and a crown.

The May Queen and King will be the ‘Hosts’ of the Festival until the new May Queen is chosen! Once this happens, both the Old May Queen and King relinquish their roles and return to the community as a ‘regular’ member. Spiral Grove Coven will help guide the new Queen and King and assist in getting all the preparations done.

When the May Queen passes down her crown, she and her consort will always be regarded with respect for having been chosen by the Gods. Every May Queen or King we have met has said that their reign brought many changes, most of them good. The Universe opens to the chosen ones in mysterious ways which can only be experienced by the May Queen and King.