Queen of Heaven May Celebrations: Honouring the Great Goddess

I said a rosary for the first time in a long time this morning, and it felt so good, like a gentle hug from Mama. The reason I decided to go with a rosary instead of my regular morning meditation is that the month of May is dedicated to the Queen of Heaven. The spirit of the season has always belong the Her, under many names and guises. As a failed Catholic, I still like to refer to her as Mother Mary but I also know her as the Great Goddess and have no problem with using many of her other names.

“At its simplest, May Crowning is a ritual celebrated in the month of May where an image or statue of Mary is crowned with a wreath of flowers and honoured as the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of God. But this simple ceremony carries deep meaning for the Catholic faith.” Verso Ministries

Each May, across gardens, grottos, chapels, and cathedrals, flowers are tenderly woven into crowns and placed upon statues of the Virgin Mary. Known as the May Crowning, this beloved Catholic tradition honours Mary as the Queen of Heaven — a title as ancient as time itself.

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The Rose Crown of the Queen of Heaven Tarot Spread

While the custom of crowning Mary doesn’t have a fixed date, it usually takes place early in May, sometimes aligned with Mother’s Day or the day after Pentecost (as Pope Francis decreed in 2018, dedicating it as the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church). The crowning is often performed during Mass or after a Marian procession, with hymns such as “Hail Holy Queen” or “Bring Flowers of the Rarest” sung joyfully by the faithful.

From Pagan Grove to Church Altar: The Eternal Queen of May

But Mary did not rise alone. Her image, her titles, and her floral offerings are deeply rooted in ancient rites. May was already the month of the goddess before it became Mary’s. In pre-Christian Europe, Beltane (May 1st) marked the height of spring — a festival of flowers, fertility, and feminine power.

The archetype of the Queen of Heaven spans cultures and centuries. Long before Mary was crowned, goddesses such as:

• Isis of Egypt — often depicted with a throne-shaped crown and venerated as the Great Mother and protector of the dead
• Astarte of the Levant — a celestial goddess associated with fertility, war, and the moon
• Flora or Maia of ancient Rome — goddesses of springtime and rebirth

were honoured with flowers, sacred groves, and seasonal rites. These divine figures were also called Queen of Heaven — not as competitors to Mary, but as foremothers of her sacred lineage in the collective psyche of humanity.

When the early Church embraced Mary with titles like Theotokos (“God-bearer”) and Regina Caeli (“Queen of Heaven”), they were, knowingly or not, giving new life to these ancient themes of divine motherhood and sacred queenship. It was a seamless continuation — and for many modern mystics, a divine reunion.

Celebrating the Queen of Heaven — for All Paths

Whether you’re Catholic, Pagan, Christian Mystic, eclectic witch, or spiritual but allergic to labels, you can embrace the sacred energy of the Divine Feminine in her Queen of Heaven aspect this May.

Here are a few inclusive and magical ways to celebrate:

1. Create a Flower Crown Offering

Weave a crown of fresh or dried flowers (roses, hawthorn, lily-of-the-valley, and marigolds are especially sacred). Place it on a statue, icon, or symbolic image of Mary or any goddess you feel drawn to — Isis, Astarte, or Sophia, to name a few.

2. Host a Sacred Fire or Candle Ceremony

Invoke the Divine Feminine under the stars. Light candles, sing hymns or chants, and share intentions for the flowering of your soul. You might wish to anoint yourself with some rose or jasmine essential oil and burn herbs like rose, mugwort, or frankincense as offerings.

3. Flower Magic for Intentions

Assign meanings to different flowers and create simple flower sigils or mandalas. Use them on your altar or as focal points for meditation. For example:

• Red rose = divine love
• White lily = purity and guidance
• Lavender = peace and healing

4. Bee-Loved Offerings

The bee is sacred to many Mother Goddesses. Offer honey, plant pollinator-friendly flowers, or meditate with the hum of bees to tune into the Queen’s frequency of unconditional love and unity consciousness.

A Devotional Queen of Heaven Tarot Spread

Before you lay out the cards, prepare your sacred space. Light a candle, place a rose (or symbolic flower) on your altar, and take a few deep breaths. Then, recite the following prayer.

Invocation Prayer to the Queen of Heaven

O Queen of Heaven, Mother of Compassion,
I crown you with the roses of my heart.
Teach me to walk the path of grace,
To trust in divine timing,
To nourish what is good and true within me.
Guide my hands as I draw these cards,
That I may receive your wisdom,
And remember my divine inheritance as your beloved child.
Amen / So mote it be / And it is so.

The Rose Crown of the Queen of Heaven Tarot Spread

1. The Rose of the Heart – What does the Queen of Heaven wish me to know about my heart right now?
2. The Stem of Strength – What hidden strength is blossoming within me?
3. The Thorn of Truth – What truth must I acknowledge, even if it pricks?
4. The Leaf of Devotion – How can I deepen my spiritual practice this May?
5. The Petal of Grace – What gift or blessing is unfolding?
6. The Bee’s Message – What guidance comes from the collective consciousness (Hive Mind)?
7. The Crown Itself – How can I honour the Queen of Heaven in my daily life?

Rose Crown Queen of Heaven Devotional Sample Tarot Reading

1. The Rose of the Heart – 2 of Swords

At the heart lies a choice not yet made. The Queen of Heaven gently invites you to put down the sword of indecision and come back to your heart’s knowing. You may be holding yourself in a liminal space, trying to weigh logic and emotion equally. Mary whispers that peace will not be found in overthinking, but in trusting the still, small voice within. Silence is sacred—use it as a gateway to clarity.

2. The Stem of Strength – 8 of Wands (Candles)

Your hidden strength is your ability to move swiftly when Spirit gives the green light. You may surprise yourself this month with bursts of energy, momentum, or even creative fire that propels you forward. The Queen of Heaven says: when your inner yes is strong, don’t hesitate. Light all your candles at once and go. Your strength is in divine timing, and right now, the current favours action.

3. The Thorn of Truth – 3 of Swords (Feathers)

Ah, the sacred thorn. A heartbreak or old grief still lingers in your aura. This card asks you not to bypass pain but to honour it as part of your becoming. The Queen wears a crown of roses and thorns—she teaches that sorrow, too, can be an offering. Let this be the month you let that pain breathe, speak, and finally begin to transmute into wisdom.

4. The Leaf of Devotion – 10 of Swords (Feathers)

Your devotional path this May may begin with surrender. A cycle is ending—perhaps dramatically—but it’s a sacred death, not a defeat. The Queen of Heaven urges you to let go of martyrdom and release all that no longer serves your higher purpose. What rituals, thoughts, or burdens are ready to be laid down? Begin again, lighter and freer. Your renewal is her blessing.

5. The Petal of Grace – The Empress (Mother Mary)

How perfect that Mother Mary herself appears here as The Empress. Grace abounds. She blesses your May with fertility—of ideas, creations, relationships, and healing. This is a month to receive, to nourish yourself, and to extend nurturing to others. Whatever you are growing—whether a new venture, a healing path, or your own sense of worth—Mary is holding it in her immaculate heart. Trust that beauty will bloom.

6. The Bee’s Message – 5 of Swords (Feathers)

The hive hums with a message: choose your battles wisely. There may be tension or mental conflict around you, but the Queen of Heaven calls you to rise above the fray. Not every sword is worth lifting. Sometimes, peace is the braver choice. Consider how your thoughts or words contribute to—or soothe—the collective. What if you could be a channel for unity, not division?

7. The Crown Itself – 5 of Wands (Candles)

The crown is not forged in comfort—it is earned through rising to the challenge. This card speaks of inner conflict or creative competition, but also of passion. You are being refined by fire. The Queen of Heaven offers this crown not to the most perfect, but to the one who keeps showing up with heart and integrity. Let your light shine uniquely. Collaboration, not comparison, is the true coronation.

Let this May be a month of flowering — of soul, of spirit, and of sacred remembrance. However you name Her — Mary, Isis, Astarte, Sophia, or simply “Mother” — may her rose-crowned presence be a balm and a beacon on your path.

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