Time of brightness

May, the gateway to summer. Fire, fertility and folklore. A time to dance and revel and perhaps encounter the Otherworld whilst the veil is thin in this time of transformation. Every spare bit of time I am now outside in the wilds. There is so much to see and hear and the buzz and busyness of it all carries you along.

The landscape is now bursting out in a burst of energy and growth in the rush to reach for the now warm sunshine. The hedgerows are frothy with the confetti of the may blossoms, around which much superstition abounds.

May morning is the only day you can safely bring it inside without it casting bad luck upon hearth and home. Once folk went out to ‘bring in the May’ which was the gathering of the spring greenery as a celebration and also a spell. A joyful welcoming of natures abundance bringing with it life and luck.

Lone hawthorn trees growing alone on hillsides or near wells were considered doorways to the realm of the Faery and any human who slept near one was on danger of being spirited away. Hawthorn is entwined with the mysteries of the Goddess and should be treated with much care.

The apple orchards are also in bloom and busy with bees, busy creating apples through their pollinating visit for autumns bounty. We have a local community orchard nearby that has a great selection of varitites and I look forward to pooping one in my pocket later in the year. May morning is the best time to rise early and seek out a quiet place to hear the birds call the sun to rise. You will be entranced by the magic that still lies in the land for those that seek it. It always feels special.

Beltane, the bright fire celebrates the return of another summer. Bonfires were once lit to encourage the sun and the smoke and ashes were used to bless homes and livestock.

Many celebrations take place on May Day, with May Queens being crowned in a timeless honouring of the Goddess. Sometimes she is accompanied by a King who is the Green Man, representing Winter now taking a backseat for summers glory. You may find a local event with maypole dancing, with the dancers holding ribbons connected to the pole representing the world tree and it’s connection to all time. They circle and whirl, some dancing sunwise and some widdershins showing the balance between death and rebirth.

Other larger events include

The Obby Oss festival in Padstow

Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh

Jack in the Green in Hastings

and many smaller village events with Morris dancing, with much fun and feeling of community.

The May moon is called the flower moon or bright moon.

The days should be warm enough to craft outside. Why not make a little corner of your garden into your crafting nook? Find a garden chair that you can add cushions to as you’re going to be here a while, so get comfy. Place pots of perennials or annuals around you, a small table for pen, summery drink and get crafting. Listen to the noises of the garden, notice the insects and birds and just enjoy the moment.

If you don’t have a garden, surround your inside nook with flowers and plants, bring the outside in, open the window. More is more on this one, cocoon yourself in nature.

There is a palpable potency to May, you can feel the energy and optimism as this is final cycle to bring us to the peak light of the Solstice. Everything is in the process of becoming, so why shouldn’t we join in and use the buzzing active earth energies too.

Let’s reach out for what we would like to manifest and ride the energy of growth forward. Open up like the wildflowers in bloom and create our own positive environments in which to grow the seeds of ourselves. Now is a time when the veils are thin, so lets take ourselves on a warm dusky evening or mist filled early dawn out in the wilds. Let’s be open to what we might see or hear and let insights and understanding flow to enhance our consciousness.