Beltane

It's Beltane! Also known as May Day, the first of May. A day where we celebrate the rebirth of the land, spring is in full swing; in myth and lore, the thought is that this turning point in the year represents the merging of Goddess and God in the passion that drives all of creation.

Last week I saw a bit of spring folklore that states, "When the forsythia blooms, there will be three more snows." I have a special love of forsythia; I recall seeing it in huge sprays all along the streets in New Jersey decades ago when I went to visit my aunt and uncle, and thinking it was the prettiest shrub I'd ever seen. I wanted to plant one the moment I bought my house, and did so, two years ago.

It's a fast grower, forsythia. In two years it's come to about five feet around and this spring, it gave me the most beautiful yellow blooms, branches of sunshine that lift my heart every time I look out the kitchen window.

But this is Colorado, and the lore is certainly proving to be true. It's snowing today, and has in fact been snowing for the last three days. It's that lovely kind of spring snow that is only accumulating on the grass and merely wetting the streets. It hasn't been too cold and I am confident my tulips and irises, so beautiful in the last few weeks, will continue to bloom after this round passes.

Things that mark Beltane:

Colors - pink, red, white, green, yellow
Plants - daisy, bluebell, ivy, lilac, strawberry, rose
Stones - emerald, amethyst, rose quartz, amber, malachite, sapphire

Things to do to celebrate Beltane:

This is a fire festival. If you're blessed to have a group to celebrate with, it's a day to light a bonfire and dance around the Maypole, skipping along with the brightly colored ribbons of spring. When I was a little girl, we did this at the park in a lovely spring festival that took place in the morning... because the afternoons in the mountains tend toward clouds and thunderstorms. Traditional wood for the bonfire includes hazel, ash, rowan, willow, birch, hawthorn, alder, holly.

(Or whatever is around you. Practically none of these are native to my home.)

If you're a solitary like me, there are other ways to celebrate.

Write your intentions for the new season on ribbons, and tie them to a tree; Air releases them into the universe, while the tree grounds them into the Earth.

Light a candle on your altar, say a prayer to the gods and goddesses of spring - Persephone, Nerthus, Flora, Freyja, Idun, Pomona, Rhea, Dionysus, Ceres, whoever speaks to you.

Bake bread, or any other creative cooking craft.

Greet the Sun at its rising or setting. (If you can see it... I won't be doing that today.)

Above all, experience the joy that is the turning of the wheel. Winter is over, though in these northern climates it will continue to tease us, reminding us it is never far off. But with May comes the shift toward warmth and light and the flourishing of the Earth.

I can't think of a better reason to celebrate.