Beltane is the real love holiday – no cards and candy, just raw, sensual passion. Forget about innocent maidens dancing around the May Pole – on the Celtic Isles, this ancient festival marked the emergence of a young god into manhood. Awakened by the forces of nature, he and his goddess succumb to love’s pleasures as they lie down to “fertilize” the fields. On this day, all existing obligations are set aside and a woman can choose any man she fancies. Children born of these unions were considered holy, blessed by the gods.

Beltane, like its counterpart Samhain (aka the Day of the Dead), divides the year into two main seasons – summer and winter. In olden times on May 1, people rose at dawn to welcome the return of the sun god Bel by gathering blossoms and branches to decorate their homes. Women braided flowers in their hair. Giant bonfires were lit that night, and there was much feasting. Food was always set aside for the faery folk, as the veil between the two worlds became thin at this seasonal turning point. Legend claims that if you sit beneath a tree on Beltane Eve, you may catch a glimpse of the Queen of the Faeries riding by on her white horse – but don’t look her in the eye or she may spirit you away to her realm.

Plan a sensuous Beltane love fest for this Saturday, May 1, with the sun in earthy Taurus and the moon in free-spirited Sagittarius. Get out into nature and let its lushness stir your blood. Take your significant other – or someone you’d like to know better – to a special outdoors spot. Bring a picnic lunch of delicious finger food, and feed each other slowly and sensually. Or, if you prefer more privacy, enjoy a love celebration at home. Strew the bed with flowers, and massage each other with scented oils. Let nature take its course.

Passions are heightened at Beltane. I’ve enjoyed especially intense lovemaking on this holiday. Yet Beltane can also be a mixed blessing. Another May Day, a male friend and I drove out to the high desert to see the blooming wildflowers. As if drunk, we fell into a dreamy infatuation. For me, the spell wore off the next day – but not for him, which created an awkward situation. Beltane can bind people tightly together. If you want to get pregnant, this is the time. If not, take care!

Indulge your senses this Beltane in whatever way seems most fitting. Plant a garden, do an art project, take your kids to the park, make a sumptuous meal. Let yourself experience pleasure as you celebrate the union of the god and goddess within. Enjoy!

Watch for more on using astrology and ritual to enhance love in Simone Butler’s forthcoming ebook, AstroAlchemy for Amour. Simone is a San Diego-based astrologer with clients worldwide. She writes the lunar forecasts for Tarot.com, and contributes regularly to The Mountain Astrologer. Check out her entertaining monthly essays and find out about her Astro Feng Shui report at www.AstroAlchemy.com.

The ancient alchemists had some scarily effective tricks for manifestation. They could calculate when a planet was at its peak of power, and produce almost instant results by crafting a talisman at that exact moment. To manifest love, for instance, it must be a Friday (Venus’ sacred day), Venus must be in her own sign (Taurus or Libra), in good aspect to the Moon, and either rising or culminating in the heavens.

Soon after I discovered this technique, I made a talisman (in this case, a pink crystal wrapped in pink rawhide) at the appointed hour on Nov. 16, 2007–and TWO DAYS LATER had a love-at-first-sight encounter at the grocery store with the man who would be my partner for two years. It didn’t last forever, but boy was it passionate!

Some years, there are several of these Venus Portals, as I call them. In 2010, there’s only one–and it’s happening this Friday, April 16, from 7:30 to 7:35 a.m. (Pacific time). The Moon will join Venus in stable, sensual Taurus, making a fabulous aspect to Jupiter in Pisces (an added plus for longevity and spiritual compatibility).

Join me in creating something special to honor Venus at this hour, and invoke for a new mate–or bring new life to your current partnership. Your talisman can be anything from a pink or red candle dressed in rose oil, to a necklace with a heart-shaped stone, to a fan sprayed with perfume. Get creative! Prepare your materials ahead of time so you can add the finishing touches and bless your creation during the five-minute portal. Then, leave it on your altar, wear it, or otherwise give it an honored place in your life. And, think thoughts of love each time you look at it.

One caveat: Mercury turns retrograde the following day, April 17, so this ritual may be particularly effective for bringing back a lost love or reviving a current one. Or, it might take a few weeks till your manifestation occurs. Be patient, because with such positive Venus aspects afoot, your relationship is apt to be long-lasting and fruitful.

Please keep me posted on your results! I’m collecting stories for my upcoming e-book, AstroAlchemy for Amour.

There’s a sizzling New Moon in Aries tomorrow morning, April 14 (5:29 a.m. Pacific time). This is an opportunity to put your best foot forward! I associate Aries and the first house with the Career and Life Purpose gua in Feng Shui. For most of us, this is the area surrounding the front door, inside and out. If your career or sense of purpose could use a boost, take a close look at this area. Is anything blocking the path to your front door? Is it clean and inviting? Does it make you feel professional and prosperous?

The Career gua favors water elements, deep rich colors and undulating forms. You can add a fountain or new welcome mat. Or, paint your door a vibrant shade of red! At the very least, sweep the porch, bless the area and speak affirmative words about your career and direction tomorrow morning. You can make more extensive changes up till the Full Moon of April 28. Order my 60-page, personalized Astro Feng Shui report, on sale through the end of April at only $45 (reg. $50) to find out how to work the system in more specific ways geared to your individual chart.

Here’s how one of my clients “worked” her Career gua. “My front entrance is a bit problematic, as the dogs are always racing to the door and knocking things over. I also realized I had not really cleaned the blinds and windows since ??? and the front door needed a wash-down and oil. I replaced the old entrance mat, added a new bench in a fabulous dark green, and a water image of a heron. After working most of the day on it, I had solved the dog issue by allowing a space for them, transformed the whole area and blessed it at the New Moon by smudging with sage. And, imagine my smile as I went online and found I’d received a much-needed $400 order at my web-based retail store!”