The night of 30th April is known as Walpurgisnacht in Northern Europe & Valborgsmässoafton in Sweden. It’s a common folk belief that on this night witches flew from all quarters on broomsticks & on billygoats to eat, drink & dance until the Queen of the May appeared at midnight to mark the driving away of winter.
Throughout Europe & Scandinavia, songs are sung around bonfires to celebrate the arrival of spring.
It’s a lovely way to celebrate our transition from the dark half to the light half of the year.
I’m going to host an online ritual & celebration this year so we can enjoy Walpurgisnacht wherever we are. I will premiere a pre-recorded live performance of songs celebrating the old ways on YouTube at 10pm on Thursday 30th April followed by a Facebook Live candle ritual which you can take part in from your home to welcome in the light half of the year & to welcome good fortune in.
If you want to take part in the celebration email cunningfolkmusic@gmail.com & I will provide you with all the details you need.
Cunning Folk 
Hi George
This is amazing! I’d love to participate, but I don’t have a Facebook account. I assume you need one to do a Facebook Live? If nothing else, I’d love if you could share the YouTube video with me. Thanks George! Thanks,
Fergus
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Hi Fergus
lovely to have you on board. I will send you the YouTube video & ritual details so you can do it at the same time.
I will give that to younext week. In the meantime if you can source a candle & a bay leaf that would be great. If that isn’t possible it’s no problem, you can just draw a candle & a bay leaf!
Until next week
George
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Hi Fergus
I will be hosting the ritual on Zoom at 10pm tomorrow. Here are the details of the meeting
George Hoyle is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: May Eve, Walpurgisnacht
Time: Apr 30, 2020 10:00 PM London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/77276935512?pwd=cmFlR2Y0NFM5WmFaaXBYMkFpUEFSQT09
Meeting ID: 772 7693 5512
Password: 076953
& here is the ritual:
Light the candle
George: “This May Eve we move from the dark into the light”
Response: “Into the light”
George: “We pass our fingers through the flame”
Pass finger through flame (quickly now! No burning fingers!)
Response: “through the flame”
George: “& then we pass them back again”
Pass fingers the other way through the flame (Be very careful not to burn your fingers!)
Response: “through the flame”
George: “The fire guides our way”
Response: “our way to good fortune on this cross quarter day”
George: “& now we take our leaf of bay”
Response: “now we take our leaf of bay”
George: “9 times round the candle flame”
Response: “9 times for the universe”
Circle the bay leaf 9 times around the candle
George: “9 times on this May Eve, this Walpurgisnacht, this Beltane”
Response: “One & the same by different names”
Applause
Now put the bay leaf in your wallet & it will keep you safe.
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