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.

Joyous Spring Equinox my friends,

This year in the Northern Hemisphere, the Vernal Equinox is March 19^th, at almost midnight, as the Sun enters Aries. It means that day and night will be balanced at the equator. Also known as Ostara or Eostre (the origin of the name Easter), the hours of light and dark will be equal.

In ancient traditions this is known as the time of Green Fire.

Green Fire refers to the sap rising in trees and to the electrical energy pulsing through the rapidly growing plants. This is not a metaphor; green fire is literally electrical, same as our nervous system: humans and plants have the same oscillation frequency. This mutual receptivity is a survival strategy, certainly plants have offered healing for humans long before modern medicines and humans have exhaled carbon dioxide for the plants.

Celebrate the Return of the Light, My Friends

In the US, most people think of February 2^nd as Groundhog Day, the portent of how many more weeks of winter are in store. However, for thousands of years, Imbolc, meaning “in the belly” was a sign of hope for other very specific reasons. There would be lambs born in the spring because the ewes had milk coming in. There are also noticeable signs that little by little the days are lengthening. Imbolc is the time of hope for new life and the return of the light.

Just before Imbolc this time is the Chinese New Year on January 25^th. Let us welcome in the year of the White Metal Rat.