As some of you know, I celebrate many non-traditional holidays. What are commonly called the cross quarter holidays are some of my favorite. I have written about Lammas and Imbolc. (see below) It is now the season of Beltane in the northern hemisphere and Samhain (pronounced sah-win) in the southern hemisphere. The generally accepted date is May 1 or May Day. The actual date, using astrology, is May 5, 2013. We are compromising and saying that this is the season of Beltane or Samhain.
Beltane: I keep wanting to spell it Beltaine, it is only preference. This is the celebration of the coming of summer. We light fires, indoors or outdoors. We ask for the blessings of our crops and livestock. We ask for fertility in all that is. Taking time to acknowledge our relationship to Spirit and to Earth and their interaction with each other is fundamentally vital our sense of place upon this planet.
Our food doesn’t come from the grocery. It is the loving gift from Mother Earth and Mother Water. We take little time to connect with the life force and the love that is offered in each bite of food and drink of water. This is the time of year to step out your door, light a candle and be in the arms of the Mothers with gratitude and reverence. It is little to offer for the gift of life and beauty beyond our wildest dreams.
Samhain: Also known as Psychic New Year. The end and the beginning. The letting go and the gathering. I love this holiday. I always feel a sense of well-being and excitement as I look to the next year. There is a beautiful ritual a friend offered me. In short, on each Samhain, I first write my goals for the new year. Then, and only then, I open last year’s envelope and see how many things I have actually accomplished from last year’s list. The beauty of this is that, after I have written and reviewed, I put the new list in an envelope, seal it and don’t look at it until next year. We are much more creative when not pressured by our perfection and when we allow Spirit to co-create with us.
Wishing you all the best of this holiday season where ever you stand.