Getting ready for Beltane
Friends,
Just so you know, I did buy a lawn mower. It took me three hours to debate the price difference between a 120-horsepower and 121-horsepower model and whether I wanted ‘assist’ or not, but in the end, I went for the upgraded model and then had my husband cut the yard.
On the other hand, I decided to stain our weathered porch into something that didn’t look like a scene from a horror movie. It took three hours to rehome all the spiders and snails, and hours of kicking myself in the ass for taking on the project- but by the end of the day I had passed on the paint brush to my oldest and told him to finish it.
Really- I think it was a very productive day!
It is a race to the finish line. What finish line? I’m glad you asked. The Beltane festival is coming up on 1 May, and this year, instead of saying I want to participate in the traditional ways of celebration, I am making myself do it.
It is a time of year when our ancestors believed the veil between the living and the dead was at its thinnest, allowing spirits to visit for a quick visit.
I’ll be damn if my home is a mess when they show up.
While Beltane is not necessarily my favorite—I prefer the darkness of Mabon—I am intrigued by its basic principles. This is the time of year when the earth is fertile, flowing with life and color, and you can physically watch Mother Nature take control.
It’s a busy time of year—cleaning, dusting, planting, mowing the lawn—but it is also the time of year when you can put down the phone and think. I was staining my deck yesterday. There was no music, no distractions, just me and the spiders discussing new living arrangements. But in those quiet moments, I also thought about what I wanted to do this summer.
Not necessarily projects around the house, but what did I want to do to better myself? Beltane celebrates the arrival of summer and new beginnings. It reminds us that we all must embrace life, a beautiful cycle of giving and taking, sharing and consuming, living and remembering the dead.
Some people might balk at the idea of making a spell jar, but for me, it is an intentional action that focuses on a desired outcome. This year, I would like to work on relationships. Not necessarily my marriage, but with my friends and family. I am not great at wanting to go out, nor do I remember where I put my phone half the time, so I miss out on phone calls and text messages, but I do want the people in my life to know that I care.
At the same time, I feel that I need to slow down and take time to reengage with nature. It’s been a weird year of constant sensational news, civil unrest, and general hatred between people- I don’t want to focus on it anymore. I want to walk the forests and hear the wind blow through the trees. I want to sit by the ocean and watch the tide change. I want to drink coffee in my backyard, watch the sun rise, and drink rum when the stars come out to play.
In other words, I want to find the beauty of life again.
Isn’t that what Beltane is about? It’s about finding your center, your personal May Pole, and grounding it. I hope these next few weeks of preparation for spring center you. I hope to spend a little more time talking about my first true Beltane experience, but then, on the other hand, I may just want to stay in the moment.
Until next time, Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.
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