“Weave a tapestry with dew, flowers, fire, spring's threads and your sacred body."
I wish you a wonderful first day of summer. We are half way between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Summer is the peak of expansion; the most Yang season and we move towards this expansion until the Summer Solstice on 21st June. What does summer mean to you? Do you love summer and embrace the increasing warmth and light? Or do you find the increasing warmth and light too much. We are all different. It is good to take time to honour your relationship to summer.
I have posted some ideas for May Day rituals you can do for yourself on my Instagram page. One idea is to connect with your inner May Pole and weave your own tapestry.
Different cultures celebrated summer in different ways but they all honour and celebrate fertility. Birds make their nests, the fruit trees set their fruits, and new life emerges from the earth. In cultures where they looked after cattle, it was the time to take cattle to the summer pastures and this would be accompanied by celebrations.
The Celts called it Beltane and celebrated with the union of the May Queen and the Green Man and sacred bonfires. Their bonfires were lit to honour the sun and people would leap over the flames to bring good fortune for themselves and their livestock.
The Romans honoured Floralia, the Goddess of flowers and fertility.
Germanic traditions celebrated with a May Pole: possibly some reference to a sacred tree. People dance around a decorated pole, weaving ribbons in intricate patterns. It is believe to symbolise the union of male and female energies.
In the 20th century Labour day was created on 1st May to support workers’ rights for an 8 hour day.
We also have an inner summer. In your inner cycle summer is the peak of your fertile and physical energy. For the ancient Chinese this is around your 5th cycle of 7 years for women, 35, and 8 years for men, 40. That doesn’t mean however your energy declines negatively: it transforms. We go through this gradual transformation over the next few cycles, at 42/ 48 you enter your inner autumn, the harvesting of your fruits and in the next cycle (49 and 56 years) move into winter, a gathering in and resting phase. You then emerge from your 56/64 years into your second spring: an opportunity to repattern and live in your wisdom years, revisting your inner summer, autumn and winter.
I have a chart and download on my website with explains more these inner cycles.
https://www.wellmother.uk/discover-the-cycles-of-life-and-the-8-extraordinary-vessels/
I am meeting my group for the Pregnancy massage and shiatsu immersion at EarthSpirit which is near Glastonbury this evening. It feels very apt partly because it is about pregnancy but also because Glastonbury is the only town in the UK where I have seen road closure signs marked “Beltane”.
Enjoy your May Day.
The Earthspirit centre is lovely - I have fond memories … But always, if you want to connect with any kind of spirit… you can’t go wrong with Glastonbury!