Spring Has 'Sprung'...

Today was Beltane. May Day to some. It signifies the end of cold weather, and the start of the warmer months. Fertility is a key theme. The spring begins a rebirth. Those things that remained dormant during the winter months, are growing with new life now that the Earth is warming once again. Beltane signifies a renewal. A fresh start. I certainly need one.

Probably the most well known symbol of May Day (May 1st) is the Maypole. The single men of a village would venture out to the forest and bring back a pole fashioned most often from a fir tree. On the first day of May, the villagers would dance around the pole clockwise, to bring fertility and good luck. Over time, there was the addition of brightly colored ribbons that the dancers would hold. The dance represented both the masculine and the feminine energies. It represented the duality of life. Once the May Day festivities were completed, the ribbons were removed from the pole and kept until the next year's celebration when they would be burned. Part of the cycle...the burning of the old to give way to the new.

Beltane begins on the night of April 30th, the eve of Beltane. A Bonfire is erected and lit, and is burned until the sun goes down on May 1st. Historically, the fire is lit with a bundle of various woods wrapped with the colorful ribbons (Maypole ribbons) from the previous year. Once lit, pieces of the smoldering wood would be carried to homes throughout the village to insure fertility for the coming year.

(Walpurgis Night is a similar celebration that is held in a number of places in Europe.)

From the Scottish Fire Festival on Beltane Eve.

(Photo: lesault.net)

During the Beltane festivities, a young woman is chosen to be the "May Queen", a representation of the Virgin Queen passing from Maiden to Mother...all part of the fertitlity aspect.

A man was also chosen to represent the "Green Man", her consort.

From the Scottish Fire Festival Beltane Eve.

(Photo: lesault.net)

Spring. Renewal. We also have the Taurus New Moon coming up on May 3rd...another representation of renewal. I have been working on a personal cleansing...letting go of a lot of mental and emotional baggage. I have needed to for awhile now. The last number of years have been difficult in many ways, and I feel that my mothers passing was kind of the culmination of...so much. There is so much that I have held onto, and stuffed deep down. I've had a tendency to do that for most of my life...self preservation, mostly. The last couple of years brought it all to a head. This spring...this rebirth...well, it's coming at the right time.

Beltane ~ A time for the new to take root and grow.

Taurus New Moon ~ A clean slate; a rebirth. A time to raise ones energies to a higher spiritual level. It offers a centering and a sense of stability.

It's all welcome. I can almost feel the transition. Looking within and feeling contented with who and where I am is key right now. We always have the answers inside of us. Even though I've always known that, I keep having to remind myself.

Happy Beltane/May Day to all.