Connect with Nature on May Day

May Day is the time when nature has truly come alive. Our ancestors joyfully embraced the fertility of Mother Earth because growth and pollination was everywhere, providing abundant harvests in the fall. The Celtic name for this period is Beltane, which means bright or sacred fire. During the festival, great bonfires were lit and animals and fields were blessed in hopes for an abundant year. Traditionally May Day began on the eve of May 1st and lasted throughout the next day. It was often celebrated with feasting, dancing, and merriment all the way through May 15th.

Beltane was a time when lovers ran off to the fields and woods together to honor the Goddess with ecstatic lovemaking. The Maypole, symbolizing the phallic energy of the season, was festooned with ribbons; dancing around it celebrated the sacred power of sexuality. The May Basket is actually a symbol of the womb and the fertile union of male and female. For as far back as we know, periodic gathering as a community was an essential part of human life. In the Americas, we know gatherings of many tribes took place during the warm weather.

This May Day we are at a planetary still point; most of us are in shelter in place. Yet, as global citizens we are cooperating to find health and stability in this crisis. Never has there been more need for community and so many are finding creative ways to gather on virtual platforms to feel the connection of loved ones, friends and colleagues. Just this weekend, my family hosted a Zoom birthday party for my 75th year.

Every morning as part of my meditation practice, I read a statement that helps me connect with all of us. It is from Taita Juanito, a Columbian Shaman I met in Costa Rica last May.

“Everything is already getting better . . .what is happening was always going to happen because it is part of humanity’s return home. All the events taking place are guiding humanity back to Source, to balanced living, to the Ancestral Memory . . .it is returning humanity, as a single race, back to the flow of creation, it is returning you, me, all of us, back to Love.”

An important way to find comfort is to walk out in nature, even a small backyard or tree will do. Nature is continuing to thrive and will always be one of the best ways to connect us to Source. Once you feel calmer, reach out to those you love and share that comfort with them. It is what we can do and it really makes a difference.

May you find comfort and peace,
Much love, Linda