Beltane ( Bell- tayn) Starts on The evening of April 30th, concluding at sunset of May 1st
Greater Sabbat
This Sabbat is also called: Cetsamhain (opposite Samhain), May Day, Fairy Day, Sacred Thorn Day, Rood Day, Roodmas (the Christian term for Rood Day, Old Beltane, Beltaine, Beltain, Beltane, Walpurgis Night, Florida (Roman feast of flowers from April 29 to May 1), Walpurgisnacht (Germanic-feast of St. Walpurga), Thrimilce (Anglo-Saxon), Bloumaand (Old Dutch)
Correspondences for Beltane
Activities and Rituals: fertilize, nurture and boost existing goals, games, activities of pleasure, leaping bonfires, making garlands, May Pole dance, planting seeds, walking one’s property, feasting, making May Day baskets, and giving them to friends
Colors: Red, White, Brown, Pink, Green
Stones/Gems: Emerald, Malachite, Amber, Carnelian, Sapphire, Rose Quartz
Symbols & Decorations: The Maypole, bonfires, flowers, trees, plants, plows, cauldrons of flowers, broom
Foods: Dairy, bread, cereals
Flowers, Herbs: Lily of the valley, foxglove, rose, broom, hawthorn, dittany of crete, elder, mint, mugwort, thyme, yarrow, almond, tree/shrub, clover, ivy, marigold, meadowsweet, rowan, sorrel, woodruff
Deities: Aphrodite, Artemis, Bast, Diana, Faunus, Flora, Maia, Pan, the Horned God, Venus, and all Gods and Goddesses of fertility.
Animals: Swallow, dove, swan, cats, lynx, leopard
bonfire by john-p freeimages.com
The Beltane Fire
The lighting of the Beltane fire is one of the most widely known Celtic traditions for this Sabbat. On May Eve (April 30) people would put out their hearth fires, then on Beltane (May 1) they would relight them from the celebratory bonfires. The dousing and relighting of the hearth fires were done on each of the fire festivals not just Beltane as according to druid lore.
The Beltane bonfires were lit as a symbol of the return of the sun for the summer half of the year. Nine sacred woods were used to start the fires and each wood has its own magickal properties. The names of the wood to be used appears in the song versions of the Witches Rede, while the shorter versions contain the first sentence.
“Nine woods in the Cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow. Birchwood in the fire goes to represent what the Lady knows. Oak in the forest, towers with might in the fire it brings the God’s insight. Rowan is a tree of power causing life and magick to flower. Willows at the waterside stand ready to help us to the Summerland. Hawthorn is burned to purify and to draw faerie to your eye. Hazel-the tree of wisdom and learning- adds its strength to the bright fire burning. White are the flowers of Apple tree that brings us fruits of fertility. Grapes grow upon the vine giving us both joy and wine. Fir does mark the evergreen to represent immortality seen. But – Elder is the Lady’s tree burn it not or cursed you’ll be.”
When the fires were lit the people would gather and the dancing would begin. They would dance around the fires, spiraling in and out. The next custom involved jumping the bonfires this would ensure a successful growing season and a prosperous summer. according to Druid lore, the men would jump first, followed by the women. Lastly, the herd animals would be driven through the embers for protection and purification.
Oak~ symbolizes the God and male energy Birch~ symbolizes the Goddess and female energy Rowan or Mountian Ash~ Symbolizes life Hazel~ symbolizes wisdom and knowledge Willow~ symbolizes death and the otherworld Hawthorn~ symbolizes fairy magick and purity Vine~ symbolizes happiness and joy Fir~ symbolizes birth and rebirth Apple~ symbolizes family and love
The sacred Beltane fire can also be made in your altar cauldron and you would only need a few chips or shavings from each of the 9 woods. Since not everyone has access to wood chips let alone 9 different kinds, you could use herbs instead. Choose herbs that correspond with each of the woods needed. Believe me, the Lady and Lord understand and will smile upon your effort!
Good Morning Beautiful Souls! Grab a cup of your favorite morning brew and start things off with “Today’s Inspirations”. I hope you find something here that will make you feel good or help you on your path today.
Blessings, Cat
_________________
April Quotes
“In snowbound, voiceless, mountain depths, to herald spring, pine trees sound in tune.”
Princess Shikishi
gardendigest.com
_________________
April 2022 Events
April 1 April Fools Day/ New Moon at 11: 24 pm PST/ 12:24 am MST/ 2:24 am EST
April 15 Celtic Tree Month of Willow begins
April 16 Full Wind Moon at 11:55 am PST/ 12:55 pm MST/ 2:55 pm EST
April 17 Easter
April 19 Sun enters Taurus
April 22 Earth Day
April 30 Solar Eclipse 4:28 pm EST
May 1 Beltane / May Day
_____________________
Spirit Library: Refilling Your Emotional Reservoir Brenda Hoffman
Dear Ones,
You have entered a new epoch in earth history. What was is no more. And what will be is joy and love.
You cannot comprehend that such is true, for the drums of fear seem to be beating stronger than ever because of your new sensitivity to fear and all that fear entails.
Spirituality& Health:3 Limpias to Turn Your Luck Around BY J. ALLEN CROSS Anyone can try the Mexican rituals known as limpias. These three employ bundled herbs, candlelight, lime, and salt to reverse negative energy
Beltane is a time to celebrate the fertility of the earth, and the return of spring blossoms and blooms. It’s a season of fire and passion, and when many of us honor the wild and lusty god of the forests. Beltane is a time for planting and sowing of seeds
MBG:What It Means If You Keep Seeing Angel Number 555 + What To Do About It
Keep glancing at the clock at 5:55, or noticing 555 on billboards and license plates? From 111 to 999, angel numbers are all around us, and in the case of 555, seeing this angel number indicates change is heading your way. Here’s what to know next time you see it, plus what to do about it.
What Constellations Mean to Different Cultures | Fate & Fabled
_________________
Thought For The Day
_____________________
Treehugger:10 Impressive Facts About Mesa Verde National Park, a Natural Archeological Wonder
Located in the southwestern corner of Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park is one of the most well-preserved archaeological sites in the United States. The national park, established in 1906, is home to the ruins of about 600 cliff dwellings built by the Ancestral Puebloan people
EarthSky News: The ecliptic is the sun’s path in our sky
The ecliptic is the sun’s path Maybe you’ve noticed that the moon and planets follow the sun’s path across your sky? Unless you live in the high Arctic or Antarctic, you see the sun arc across your sky each day from east to west. The moon follows the sun’s path. And so do the major planets in our solar system.
Patheos-Pagan:Shooting the Breeze with Dead Relatives. Like You Do. APRIL 21, 2022 BY THUMPER FORGE
My niece has a lot of love for her grandmother, and according to my brother, they talk on a fairly regular basis. The fact that her grandmother died three years ago has not put a damper on their relationship whatsoever.
Pagan Playlist: Friends of the Forest 🌿 Relax Lofi Beats
_____________________
Inner Journey:
HARD WORK
“Work should be in order to live. We don’t live in order to work. That shift in awareness is necessary.” — Matthew Fox
What are your beliefs around work? Do you believe it’s necessary to work hard to earn a living? No pain, no gain? Do you believe women’s work is never done? That play is a waste of time?
While there are merits to the work ethic, over-work takes a serious toll on the quality of our lives. Our ability to contribute to life requires us to have a sense of balance, joy, playfulness, time to stop and smell the flowers.
“Learning to let go of the ways we inadvertently and unconsciously contribute to our own pain is the key to finding radiant physical and emotional health.” — Ingrid Bacci
“To do great work a man must be very idle as well as very industrious.” — Samuel Butler
“The true object of all human life is play.” — G.K. Chesterton
higherawareness.com
_______________
A Note from the Universe
Confusion, indecision, and uncertainty often mean that if you wait a little longer before deciding, an even better option will emerge, with such clarity it may bite you on the nose and sweep you off your feet.
The nice kind of bite.
I’d say wait a little longer,
The Universe
tut.com
_______________________
Today’s Recipe: Coleslaw Recipes Great-tasting coleslaw from scratch, plus new twists on bagged slaw, and slaw from apples, carrots, even beets.
Magickal Intentions: Love, Romance, Marriage, Sexual Matters, Physical Beauty, Friendship and Partnerships, Strangers and Matters of the Heart
Element: Earth
Incense: Strawberry, Sandalwood, Rose, Saffron and Vanilla Planet: Venus Star Signs: Libra and Taurus Angel: Ariel Power Colors: Green, Pink, Aqua Herbs & Plants: Pink Rose, Ivy, Birch, Heather, Clematis, Sage, Violet and Water Lilly
Sacred Stones: Rose Quartz, Moonstone, Pink Tourmaline, Peridot, Emerald and Jade Oil: (Venus) Cardamom, Palmarosa, Rose, Yarrow
Deities include Aphrodite, Eros, Freya, Venus
___________________
Daily Wisdom April 22 , 2022
Work “All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work. Work is not a curse; it is the prerogative of intelligence… the measure of civilization.”
-Calvin Coolidge
It’s great to plan, to pay attention, to have intention, to dream, wish, and visualize. Yet there comes a time when we must take action! Work is how things get done. Because we live on this human plane, work is how we learn and grow. Whether it is by studying or through our experiences, our activities take us to new places mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
-Lissa Coffey coffeytalk.com
____________________
Daily Tarot:The Star
Despite any confusion of the day, you’ll be the calm and serene center of any activities. Your calmness will be contagious, too, so look forward to being surrounded by people who want to cooperate with you and be helpful before being directly asked. Take your calm state of mind into the evening, rest well, and see how much you can take with you into tomorrow.
astrology.com
____________________
About Cat’s Morning Bits: These daily posts are reblogged from various email newsletters that I receive each day.
Good Morning Beautiful Souls! Grab a cup of your favorite morning brew and start things off with “Today’s Inspirations”. I hope you find something here that will make you feel good or help you on your path today.
Blessings, Cat
_________________
April Quotes
“Every spring is the only spring – a perpetual astonishment.”
Ellis Peters
gardendigest.com
_________________
April 2022 Events
April 1 April Fools Day/ New Moon at 11: 24 pm PST/ 12:24 am MST/ 2:24 am EST
April 15 Celtic Tree Month of Willow begins
April 16 Full Wind Moon at 11:55 am PST/ 12:55 pm MST/ 2:55 pm EST
April 17 Easter
April 19 Sun enters Taurus
April 22 Earth Day
April 30 Solar Eclipse 4:28 pm EST
May 1 Beltane / May Day
_____________________
Spirit Library: Weekly Forecast: April 17 – 23, 2022 Kelly M. Beard
This is a great opportunity to beautify your ideas, improve or deepen them so they are expressing more of your unique authenticity. Communication in relationships usually goes well under this influence.
April’s showers have given way to rich and fertile earth, and as the land greens, there are few celebrations as representative of fertility as Beltane. Observed on May 1st (or October 31-November 1 for our Southern Hemisphere readers)
MBG:What To Know About April’s Birthstone + How To Care For It
Each month has its designated birthstone (along with a birth month flower), and April’s is none other than the diamond. Here’s what to know about this highly sought-after gemstone, from its spiritual significance to how to care for it, according to a crystal expert.
Today’s DIY: [Ohuhu] I made viola buttons from shrink plastic. Metallic pen for accent! [Resin]
_________________
Elephant Journal:The One Trick Every Lucid Dreamer Should Know. ~ Nick Atlas
As a dream researcher and avid astral explorer of more than a decade, people often write to me seeking advice about their lucid experiences. In a recent email, for example, my friend J. said that one night he became lucid and began to fly.
Suddenly, he remembered a conversation we’d had about dream yoga.
Treehugger:RepurposedMascara Wands Help Orphaned Wildlife Earth Day “wandraiser” is collecting used wands to help rehab groups.
When tiny turtles, baby birds, or itsy opossums are rescued, they often need a lot of specialized care. They can have fly eggs, larvae, and other pests in their fur and on their skin and it can be painstaking work to remove them.
EarthSky News: Daytime moon is up after sunrise now
This month’s full moon came on the night of April 16, 2022. By April 17, the moon is in a waning gibbous phase, rising later and later on each successive night. For those at temperate latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, there’s an especially long time between moonrises on successive evenings around now. The April 17 moon will rise more than an hour after sunset. The April 18 moon will rise roughly two to three hours after sunset.
“We have the need to be accepted and to be loved by others, but we cannot accept and love ourselves. The more self-love we have, the less we will experience self-abuse. Self-abuse comes from self-rejection, and self-rejection comes from having an image of what it means to be perfect and never measuring up to that ideal. Our image of perfection is the reason we reject ourselves the way we are, and why we don’t accept others the way they are.” — Don Miguel Ruiz
“The maxim ‘Nothing but perfection’ may be spelled ‘Paralysis.'” — Winston Churchill
“After enough mirror gazing, we all develop our ‘cosmic sense of humor.’ We no longer try to be perfect, or try to get all our work done in time. We become content with whatever life brings. Just to deal with what comes up without crucifying ourselves or others is enough of a challenge.” — Paul Ferrini
“Good enough never is.” — Debbi Fields
higherawareness.com
_______________
A Note from the Universe
Here’s how to view every decision you’ve ever made It was right.
Here’s how to view every path you’ve ever chosen: It was perfect.
Here’s how to view every trend, friend, and dance you’ve ever moved with: You were amazing.
And here’s how to view the fact that you even exist at all: “I” was totally on fire.
Ts-s-s-s-s!
The Universe
tut.com
_______________________
Today’s Recipe: Rich and Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin
These are the easiest, creamiest potatoes au gratin I have ever had… YUM!
Element: Water Incense: African Violet, Honeysuckle, Myrtle, Willow, Wormwood Planet: Moon Star Sign: Cancer Angel: Gabriel Power Colors: Silver, White and Gray Herbs& Plants: Night Blooming Flowers, Willow Root, Orris Root, Birch, Motherwort, Vervain, White Rose and White Iris Sacred Stones: Carnelian, Moonstone, Aquamarine, Pearl, Clear Quartz, Flourite, Geodes Oil: (Moon) Jasmine, Lemon, Sandalwood
Deities include Artemis, Diana, Luna, Selene, Thoth
___________________
Daily Wisdom April 18, 2022
Work “I believe in hard work. It keeps the wrinkles out of the mind and the spirit.”
-Helena Rubinstein
Helena Rubinstein is the famous cosmetics mogul. She is a great example of a businesswoman ahead of her time! It is obvious that she enjoyed her profession and was very successful with it. It is true that doing work that we love helps to keep us young and feeling good about ourselves.
-Lissa Coffey coffeytalk.com
____________________
Daily Tarot:Strength
Although it may be a peaceful day, that calm may all be on the surface. If dissatisfaction or anger is brewing at depth, there could be thoughts or fantasies of revenge or anger to fuel the bad feelings. Face everyone and everything with great care and respect. You have more than enough strength to deal with whatever comes up. Obviously, don’t bait or antagonize anyone. Kindness wins out.
astrology.com
____________________
About Cat’s Morning Bits: These daily posts are reblogged from various email newsletters that I receive each day.
Cat’s Morning Bits for April 30- May 1, 2021 “Beltane Edition”
Good Morning Beautiful Souls and welcome to a new year! Grab a cup of your favorite morning brew and start things off with “Today’s Inspirations”. I hope you find something here that will make you feel good or help you on your path today.
Blessings, Cat
_______________________________
“Sweet April showers Do spring May flowers.”
Thomas Tusser, A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry, 1557
April 1 April Fools Day
April 11 New Moon at 7:30 pm PST/ 8:30 pm MST/ 10:30 pm EST
April 15 Celtic tree Month of Willow begins
*The Lyrids meteor shower appears on April 16 – April 26
April 17 Herbalist Day
*Eta Aquariids meteor shower also appears in April. It is visible from about April 21 to about May 20
April 22 Earth Day
April 26 Full Wind Moon at 8:31 pm PST/ 9:31 pm MST/ 11:31 pm EST
April 30 Walpurgis Night / Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
May 1 Beltane / May Day
‘But I must gather knots of flowers, And buds and garlands gay, For I’m to be Queen o’ the May, mother, I’m to be Queen o’ the May.’
Alfred Lord Tennyson
The Zen Pagan: Happy Walpurgisnacht!
While the idea of Beltane – especially its sexual and fertility aspects ‘ has become the dominant way of thinking of this cross-quarter time in American Neo- Paganism,
Beltane is a time of great fertility—for the earth itself, for animals, and of course for people as well. This season has been celebrated by cultures going back thousands of years, in a variety of ways, but nearly all shared the fertility aspect.
Wise Woman Herbal Ezine: Spring Tonics By: Jessica Godino, Red Moon Herbs
Spring has finally arrived, and you are enjoying a lovely walk along the creek. Suddenly, something stings your ankle! No, its not a wasp, its the stinging nettle plant, known to botanists as Urtica dioica. But before you curse this common weed, you should know that it is one of the most nutrient dense foods available. Nettle greens are a rich source of calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, cobalt, copper, potassium, trace minerals, chlorophyll, the B-complex vitamins, and more.
In most modern Pagan traditions, plants and their folklore are an integral part of belief and practice. In particular, many of the Sabbats are associated with the magical properties of different plants
Beltane: Six Ways To Inspire Fertility In Your Life
The word fertility kept coming to mind as I look forward to this year’s Beltane’s celebrations. Fertility is key in Beltane celebrations, of course, and usually involves rituals for…..
For many Pagans, Beltane is traditionally a time when the veil between our world and that of the Fae is thin. In most European folktales, the Fae kept to themselves unless they wanted something from their human neighbors.
Spring morphs into summer with bursts of heat and flushes of flowers. The green of the grass brightens. The trees, once skeletal and reaching like spindly fingers to the gray sky, turn the hills into rolling swells of leaves and life.
At Beltane, spring is beginning to get seriously underway. Gardens are being planted, sprouts are beginning to appear, and the earth is returning to life once again.
Treehugger: 9 Enchanting and Uncommon Types of Deer
There are 47 species of deer, and very few of those look like the white-tailed deer that fill North American forests and backyards. In fact, some types are much smaller or much larger than the most common cervid species; many adapt to a wide range of habitats, as well, from the arctic to the tropics.
As we reach the celebration of Beltane, spring has peaked and we are heading into summer. The Earth is warming up and has an energy bursting with strength and fertility. The word Beltane is thought to originate from the Celtic god, Bal, meaning ‘the bright one’ and the Gaelic word ‘teine,’ which means fire.
Pagan Playlist: Lisa Thiel – Beltane (Lord & Lady Song)
_____________________
Inner Journey: WONDER-FULL!
“…we can’t survive without enchantment… the loss of it is killing us.” — Thomas Moore
“There is one thing that all true spirituality has in common, whether that spirituality is derived from faith, from science, from nature or from the arts – a sense of wonder.” — Andrew Schneider
“There are only two ways to live your life: One is as though nothing is a miracle, The other is as though everything is a miracle. I believe in the latter.” — Albert Einstein
“We live in a world of theophanies. Holiness comes wrapped in the ordinary. There are burning bushes all around you. Every tree is full of angels. Hidden beauty is waiting in every crumb. Life wants to lead you from crumbs to angels, but this can happen only if you are willing to unwrap the ordinary by staying with it long enough to harvest its treasure.” — Macrina Wiederkehr
higherawareness.com
_______________
“The new earth quickens as you rise. The May Queen is waiting. Feel the pulsing ground call you to journey, To know the depths of your desire. The May Queen is waiting. Moving through the night, the bright moon’s flight. In green and silver on the plain. She waits for you to return again. Do not keep Her waiting. Her temper stings if you refuse to taste Her honey. Surrender as enchantment brings The first light of dawning. Move with Her in sacred dance, through fear to feeling. Bringing ecstasy to those who dare. Living earth is breathing. Loving through the night in the bright moonlight, As seedlings open with the rain. She’ll long for you to return again. Do not keep Her waiting.”
Ruth Barren, The May Queen is Waiting
_______________________
Today’s Recipe: Honey-Cream Pie || Beltane Recipe || Kitchen Witchery
Activities and Rituals: fertilize, nurture and boost existing goals, games, activities of pleasure, leaping bonfires, making garlands, May Pole dance, planting seeds, walking one’s property, feasting, making May Day baskets and giving them to friends
Colors: Red, White, Brown, Pink, Green
Stones/Gems: Emerald, Malachite, Amber, Carnelian, Sapphire, Rose Quartz
Symbols & Decorations: The Maypole, bonfires, flowers, trees, plants, ploughs, cauldrons of flowers, broom
Foods: Dairy, bread, cereals
Flowers, Herbs: Lily of the valley, foxglove, rose, broom, Hawthorne, dittany of Crete, elder, mint, mugwort, thyme, yarrow, almond, tree/shrub, clover, ivy, marigold, meadowsweet, rowan, sorrel, woodruff
Deities: Aphrodite, Artemis, Bast, Diana, Faunus, Flora, Maia, Pan, the Horned God, Venus, and all Gods and Goddesses of fertility.
Animals:Swallow, dove, swan, cats, lynx, leopard
___________________
Daily Tarot: The Fool
Expect the unexpected, in fact don’t even expect that much. Today could be a wild ride, and you may instigate some of it in the spirit of fun, suggests the Fool card. Play it safe and stay out of trouble if you can, but it could be hard at times. Don’t fret over any little mistakes today. By tonight or at least tomorrow it may be hard to tell who made them if anyone even recalls them.
astrology.com
____________________
About Cat’s Morning Bits: These daily post are reblogged from various email newsletters that I receive each day.
Good Morning Beautiful Souls and welcome to a new year! Grab a cup of your favorite morning brew and start things off with “Today’s Inspirations”. I hope you find something here that will make you feel good or help you on your path today.
Blessings, Cat
_______________________________
“Sweet April showers Do spring May flowers.”
Thomas Tusser, A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry, 1557
April 1 April Fools Day
April 11 New Moon at 7:30 pm PST/ 8:30 pm MST/ 10:30 pm EST
April 15 Celtic tree Month of Willow begins
*The Lyrids meteor shower appears on April 16 – April 26
April 17 Herbalist Day
*Eta Aquariids meteor shower also appears in April. It is visible from about April 21 to about May 20
April 22 Earth Day
April 26 Full Wind Moon at 8:31 pm PST/ 9:31 pm MST/ 11:31 pm EST
April 30 Walprgis Night / Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
May 1 Beltane / May Day
Spirit Library: Pluto Retrograde (a message from Kate Spreckley)
Currently, with the Full Moon energies powerfully activating our inner world and with Pluto moving retrograde today, we are entering into a time of major transformation, revelation and rebirth. As such we can expect deeper insights and revelations to emerge that will enable us to break free from any confusion and stagnation
Plantain Salve – How to make it, and why you’d want to
______________
Spiritual Unite: Meaning Of Life Path Number 16
People born on the 16th day of any month or have a 16 life purpose number or destiny number, or even 79,88,97 or 169 inherit the qualities of number 16.
One of the hallmarks of any Beltane celebration is the bonfire, or the Bale Fire (this can be spelled a number of ways, including Beal Fire and Bel Fire). This tradition has its roots in early Ireland
MBG: How To Keep Moon Cactuses Alive For As Long As Possible + Propagation Tips
Any succulent fan will love the look of the bright, colorful moon cactus.
Interestingly enough, these unique plants don’t produce their own chlorophyll, and they have to be “grafted” onto another plant to survive. So when you spot a moon cactus in the store, it’s actually two plants in one.
A mongoose is a small, dynamic mammal with a long body and short legs. Mongooses are famous for standing their ground against venomous snakes, both in literature and in real life, but they are also complex creatures with many other interesting quirks.
EarthSky News: Best month to see Mercury after sunset
Live in the Northern Hemisphere? If so, May 2021 presents the year’s best month for spotting the planet Mercury, the solar system’s innermost planet, in the evening sky. You can also catch Mercury from the Southern Hemisphere, though the view won’t be as favorable as at more northerly latitudes. From the Southern Hemisphere, the year’s best evening apparition of Mercury will be coming in September 2021
Ten cards on the table, and the perceptive woman in love will note the following: ‘I’m not in the picture at all. There isn’t a single card here that represents me. “
“All the people we call ‘geniuses’ are men and women who somehow escaped having to put that curious, wondering child in themselves to sleep.” — Barbara Sher
How willing are you to learn something new? How open are you to new perspectives?
Only when we’re open can we really hear what’s being said or really see what’s happening or really experience the moment.
Openness demands that we be willing to move to places we’ve never been before. It asks us to continually challenge the foundations of our belief systems so we can test out new ideas. And to do that, we need to accept insecurity.
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” — Alvin Toffler
higherawareness.com
_______________
A Note from the Universe
Wow, time sure does fly, huh?
I mean, it seems like yesterday you and your friends were wearing fig-leaves, rubbing sticks for fire, and asking me for the things you wanted as if you couldn’t just give them to yourself.
Phew! Talk about funny tan lines.
Hail to the Sun –
The Universe
tut.com
_______________________
Today’s Recipe: Baked Chicken Wings
Easy, crispy, and delicious. I normally serve with a side of rice, chicken gravy, and a vegetable or salad
Magickal Intentions: Communication, Divination, Writing, Knowledge, Business Transactions, Debt, Fear, Loss, Travel and Money Matters
Element: Air
Incense: Jasmine, Lavender, Sweet Pea Planets: Mercury and Chiron (though this is a moon of Pluto) Star Sign: Virgo Angel: Raphael Power Colors: Orange, Light Blue, Grey, Yellow and Violet Herbs & Plants: Fern, Lavender, Hazel, Cherry, Periwinkle Sacred Stones: Aventurine, Bloodstone, Hematite, Moss Agate and Sodalite Oil: (Mercury) Benzoin, Clary Sage, Eucalyptus, Lavender
Deities include Athena, Hermes, Lugh, Mercury, Odin
Wednesday is ruled by Mercury. Wednesday’s vibration adds power to spell work involving inspiration, communication, writers, poets, the written and spoken word, and all matters of study, learning, and teaching. This day also provides a good time to begin efforts involving self-improvement or understanding.
___________________
Daily Wisdom April 28, 2021
Age “I never feel age. If you have creative work, you don’t have age or time.” -Louise Nevelson (1980)
In the spirit world, there is no time, so there is no age. When we lose our awareness of time, then we feel no age. We feel no burdens. We need to spend more time doing those things that make us so happy that we lost track of time. Creative work gives a lot of us that very feeling.
-Lissa Coffey coffeytalk.com
____________________
Daily Tarot: The Empress
Everything you touch or talk about today is going to get bigger, so be careful with your words and actions. While today will be easygoing and agreeable, a few days from now something you set in motion today may come back in a bigger form. Watch out for exaggeration, even about good things. Go light on the flattery, and even sincere compliments, since it all may become grander than you intend
astrology.com
____________________
About Cat’s Morning Bits: These daily post are reblogged from various email newsletters that I receive each day.
Good Morning Beautiful Souls and welcome to a new year! Grab a cup of your favorite morning brew and start things off with “Today’s Inspirations”. I hope you find something here that will make you feel good or help you on your path today.
Blessings, Cat
_______________________________
“Sweet April showers Do spring May flowers.”
Thomas Tusser, A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry, 1557
April 1 April Fools Day
April 11 New Moon at 7:30 pm PST/ 8:30 pm MST/ 10:30 pm EST
April 15 Celtic tree Month of Willow begins
*The Lyrids meteor shower appears on April 16 – April 26
April 17 Herbalist Day
*Eta Aquariids meteor shower also appears in April. It is visible from about April 21 to about May 20
April 22 Earth Day
April 26 Full Wind Moon at 8:31 pm PST/ 9:31 pm MST/ 11:31 pm EST
April 30 Walprgis Night / Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
May 1 Beltane / May Day
The Wonders of Nettle
______________
Spirituality & Health: Spirituality and Dogs
I have three great loves in my life: dogs, books, and a handful of people. In that order. Yes, I admit it: I love dogs more than books. You might be surprised by this since there are far more books in my life than dogs,
April’s showers have given way to rich and fertile earth, and as the land greens, there are few celebrations as representative of fertility as Beltane. Observed on May 1st (or October 31-November 1 for our Southern Hemisphere readers)
When I was on a podcast recently talking about animism, the subject of ghosts came up, and what I see as the difference between ghosts/hauntings and animistic souls that are the spaces themselves.
Daily Good: Gardening as Resistance: Notes on Building Paradise
I find more and more that attention is the elemental unit of time. Each moment we are fully paying attention is an atom of eternity.
Maria Popova –
Gardening as Resistance: Notes on Building Paradise
“The gardener digs in another time, without past or future, beginning or end…Here is the Amen beyond the prayer,” Derek Jarman wrote as he grieved his dying friends, faced his own death, and contemplated art, mortality, and resistance while planting a garden between an old lighthouse and a new nuclear plant on a barren shingled shore. Jarman is one of the artists whom Olivia Laing profiles and celebrates in Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency (public library) — her superb collection of meditations on art, activism, and our search for meaning, drawing on the lives of artists whose vision has changed the way we see the world, ourselves, and others.” Maria Popova shares more. { read more }
________________
Elephant Journal: Five ways to Support Independent Bookstores & 5 Quotes to make you Fall in Love with Them.
Some of my best early memories involve books. The smell of them. The touch. Turning those pages and brushing my fingers along the spines. It was a young word-lovers ritual.
Treehugger: 18 Magnificent Types of Hawks and Where to Find Them
Hawks and eagles are among the more than 200 species of the family Accipitridae, a group of swift, strong raptors that kill other animals for food and are diurnal, or active during the day.
Full moon happened on the night of April 26-27, 2021, and by April 29 the moon is in a waning gibbous phase, rising later and later at night. For the mainland United States, the April 28 moon rises in the southeast, roughly two to three hours after sunset. The days following full moon present a good time time to catch a nearly-full daytime moon over your western horizon after sunrise. Watch for it!
May 1st is World Labyrinth Day. While we are also celebrating Beltane, a walk in a labyrinth would be a lovely addition to your festivities. Whether you make your own or find a local one via the World -Wide Labyrinth Locator, walking a labyrinth can be a magical experience.
Pagan Playlist: Eivør – Into The Mist (Official Video)
_____________________
Inner Journey: TIME FOR STILLNESS
“We’re so engaged in doing things to achieve purposes of outer value that we forget that the inner value, the rapture that is associated with being alive, is what it’s all about.” — Joseph Campbell The sages all say that the path to liberation is found in entering the stillness within. To experience that stillness, we need to be willing to regularly stop the activity for a while. How do we do this in a busy life? We set our priorities. Perhaps it means giving up a TV program or using a coffee break to grab a few moments of solitude. Perhaps we have to ask our partner, relative or neighbour to give us 30 minutes of time away from the kids. If we really want something, we can make it happen. “Learn to pause… or nothing worthwhile will catch up to you.” — Doug King
higherawareness.com
_______________
A Note from the Universe
Of all the planets, of all the countries, of all the people, that you could have chosen to inhabit, call home, and become… that you chose as you did could only mean one thing: Being you, here and now, is what you most wanted when making such decisions from the absolute zenith of your divine magnificence.
Yeah, you knew exactly what you were doing.
Can’t fool me,
The Universe
tut.com
_______________________
Today’s Recipe: 8 Sweet and Savory Ways to Use Ricotta Cheese for Breakfast
Wonderfully creamy and thick, but mild in flavor, ricotta is the ultimate cheese for using in both sweet and savory capacities. Start your morning with a scoop on toast, whipped into waffle batter, or mixed in a frittata. Find out our 8 favorite ways to eat ricotta cheese with breakfast.
Magickal Intentions: Courage, Physical Strength, Revenge, Military Honors, Surgery and the Breaking of Negative Spells, Matrimony, War, Enemies, Prison, Vitality and Assertiveness
Element: Fire
Incense: Dragon’s Blood, Patchouli Planet: Mars Star Signs: Aries and Scorpio Angel: Samuel Power Colors: Red and Orange Herbs & Plants: Red Rose, Cock’s Comb, Pine, Daisy, Thyme and Pepper Sacred Stones: Carnelian, Bloodstone, Ruby, Garnet and Pink Tourmaline Oil: (Mars) Basil, Coriander, Ginger
Deities include Ares, Lilith, The Morrigan, Tiwaz, Tyr
Tuesday is ruled by Mars. Today’s energies align with all things masculine such as conflict, physical endurance and strength, lust, hunting, sports, and all types of competition. It can also be used for rituals involving surgical procedures or political ventures.
___________________
Daily Wisdom April 27, 2021
Age “Age doesn’t protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age.”
-Jeanne Moreau, in John Robert Columbo, Popcorn in Paradise (1979)
Ah, love! There’s nothing like it. Love keeps us young. Love is healing. Love is powerful medicine. But where does all this love come from? It’s right there inside of us, all the time. We can live a life in love. We can choose love every moment, we can express love, we can give love.
-Lissa Coffey coffeytalk.com
____________________
Daily Tarot: Justice
A past wrong against you might be set right today. It’s important that you give others a fair chance and don’t automatically discount what they have to say or offer. You don’t need to satisfy everyone but you do need to make the effort to let them have their say and their moment to contribute. Be confident and don’t feel threatened by anything.
Pick a New Card →
The stars have already mapped out your destiny. Find out where with a live psychic reading. Chat online now.
astrology.com
____________________
About Cat’s Morning Bits: These daily post are reblogged from various email newsletters that I receive each day.
Good Morning Beautiful Souls and welcome to a new year! Grab a cup of your favorite morning brew and start things off with “Today’s Inspirations”. I hope you find something here that will make you feel good or help you on your path today.
Blessings, Cat
_______________________________
“Sweet April showers Do spring May flowers.”
Thomas Tusser, A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry, 1557
April 1 April Fools Day
April 11 New Moon at 7:30 pm PST/ 8:30 pm MST/ 10:30 pm EST
April 15 Celtic tree Month of Willow begins
*The Lyrids meteor shower appears on April 16 – April 26
April 17 Herbalist Day
*Eta Aquariids meteor shower also appears in April. It is visible from about April 21 to about May 20
April 22 Earth Day
April 26 Full Wind Moon at 8:31 pm PST/ 9:31 pm MST/ 11:31 pm EST
April 30 Walprgis Night / Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
May 1 Beltane / May Day
Spirit Library: Hidden Influences Emerging (a message from Kate Spreckley)
Doors open and doors close as we are liberated from the past. This can be disconcerting and disruptive if we continue to hang onto the past or believe that we can control external events. Expecting there to be some semblance of stability is unwise as everything is constantly changing
Spiritual Unite: SYMPTOMS OF AN OVERACTIVE SACRAL CHAKRA
In this article we will be discussing how to heal an overactive sacral chakra. Sacral chakra one of the primal chakras also recognized as the Svadisthana in Sanskrit terms.
Beltane is a time to celebrate the fertility of the earth, and the return of spring blossoms and blooms. It’s a season of fire and passion, and when many of us honor the wild and lusty god of the forests.
During this full moon we are lured to provocative thoughts of warm days and spring flowers. We see a decrease of the march snows which give way to April showers and windy days
Beltane recipe | Spring herb sandwich cake | Kitchen Witchery
_________________
Elephant Journal: Practicing the Art of Feng Shui: How & Why it Really Works.
Many people get caught up in the mystery of Feng Shui instead of focusing on the “magic” that results when you consciously and intentionally connect to what you want and desire.
A wetland is an area of land saturated with freshwater, saltwater, or a brackish mixture of the two. Marshes, estuaries, mangroves, bogs, and swamps are just a few examples of wetland ecosystems, which can often be found at transitional areas between bodies of water and land
EarthSky News: April full moon year’s 1st supermoon
Around the world, the moon will look full to the eye on the nights of April 26 and 27, 2021. However, the crest of the full moon will fall on April 27 at 3:31 UTC. At United States’ times zones, that translates to April 26, at 11:31 p.m Eastern Time, 10:31 p.m. Central Time, 9:31 p.m. Mountain Time and 8:31 p.m. Pacific Time. In North America, we call the April full moon the Pink Moon. This April full moon presents the first in a “season” of three straight full moon supermoons. Overall, this April full moon gives us second-closest full moon of the year.
“… no matter what our difficulties may be, we recognize that there is a deep untroubled stream flowing below all surface troubles and that we are of one substance with that stream. The soul knows no difficulties.” — James Thornton
Masters teach that we can experience two completely different states of reality at the same time — from the personality and from the soul.
Author Pema Chödron talks about being hungry, cold and tired but at that same time deeply content. Ram Dass speaks of how the emotional heart can be breaking while we recognize that all is unfolding perfectly.
Allowing our soul to be present with the discomforts of the personality shifts our experience of the discomforts.
“True self simply refers to the aspect of our being that is completely aware of its expanded nature no matter what we may be experiencing in our lives.” — Martia Nelson
higherawareness.com
_______________
A Note from the Universe
The answer is:
Because there will be flowers that only you can pick. Butterflies that only you will see. Laughter and tears that only you will know. And dreams that only you can dream.
The question was:
How does one know if they really are a prince or a princess?
Good question, your highness –
The Universe
tut.com
_______________________
Today’s Recipe: Pancake Lasagna for One (or More)
Until now if you wanted lasagna, you had to make a lot, but thanks to this easy technique, that’s all changed. This recipe makes 4 single-serve lasagnas, but you easily scale back and just make one, freezing the extra 3 pancakes for later use!
Incense: African Violet, Honeysuckle, Myrtle, Willow, Wormwood Planet: Moon Star Sign: Cancer Angel: Gabriel Power Colors: Silver, White and Gray Herbs& Plants: Night Blooming Flowers, Willow Root, Orris Root, Birch, Motherwort, Vervain, White Rose and White Iris Sacred Stones: Carnelian, Moonstone, Aquamarine, Pearl, Clear Quartz, Flourite, Geodes Oil: (Moon) Jasmine, Lemon, Sandalwood
Deities include Artemis, Diana, Luna, Selene, Thoth
Monday is ruled the Moon. Today’s energy best align with spell work that deals with women, home and hearth, the family, the garden, travel, and medicine. It also boosts rituals involving psychic development and prophetic dreaming.
___________________
Daily Wisdom April 26, 2021
Age “You stay young as long as you can learn, acquire new habits and suffer contradiction.”
-Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, Aphorisms (1893)
Learn and grow. This is our theme with WisdomNews. We are here to learn and to grow. That is our purpose. And by doing so, we are becoming better people, and making the world a better place. There’s a saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Maybe it’s more like “the old dog will learn the tricks he wants to learn.” Whatever we want to learn, we can learn that. Our choice.
-Lissa Coffey coffeytalk.com
____________________
Daily Tarot: The Star
You can make today memorable purely by the strength of your unfailing hope for all things to work out for the best. No matter how muddled the events of the day, how confused or how many mixed messages people give you, especially at work, your innate hopeful spirit will cut through most of the mist and give you good results. Look forward to many satisfying encounters, however little or much gets done.
astrology.com
____________________
About Cat’s Morning Bits: These daily post are reblogged from various email newsletters that I receive each day.
Good Morning Beautiful Souls and welcome to a new year! Grab a cup of your favorite morning brew and start things off with “Today’s Inspirations”. I hope you find something here that will make you feel good or help you on your path today.
Blessings, Cat
_______________________________
“Sweet April showers Do spring May flowers.”
Thomas Tusser, A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry, 1557
April 1 April Fools Day
April 11 New Moon at 7:30 pm PST/ 8:30 pm MST/ 10:30 pm EST
April 15 Celtic Tree Month of Willow begins
*The Lyrids meteor shower appears on April 16 – April 26
April 17 Herbalist Day
*Eta Aquariids meteor shower also appears in April. It is visible from about April 21 to about May 20
April 22 Earth Day
April 26 Full Wind Moon at 8:31 pm PST/ 9:31 pm MST/ 11:31 pm EST
April 30 Walprgis Night / Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
May 1 Beltane / May Day
Spirit Library: Keep Afloat (a message from Kate Spreckley)
In our world dualistic thinking has governed our experience of life. As such our lives have been divided into opposites of light / dark, joy / sorrow, love / fear. We have had to know each side in order to explore and reestablish balance.
The maypole dance is a spring ritual long known to Western Europeans. Usually performed on May 1 (May Day), the folk custom is done around a pole garnished with flowers and ribbon to symbolize a tree.
MBG: Thank The Stars — Venus Is Moving Into Taurus This Week & We’ll All Feel The Vibes
With Venus moving out of Aries and into Taurus, we can finally expect things in the love department to settle down in the best way. Here’s what the stars have in store this week.
“Interrelatedness is one of Brian Swimme’s powers of the universe that I have been contemplating. I could have accompanied this particular exploration with any picture I have. Every flower, every leaf, every tree trunk, every mushroom is only here because of a web of relationships. With air, water, fungi, microbes, insects. With their fellow plants, the soil their roots penetrate, the beings growing on those roots, the slowly dissolving stone forming the soil. And they know they have these relationships. They smell each other, reach out to each other, signal each other, warn of danger. Trees nurture and protect their offspring. They send messages along savvy fungal networks. A seed won’t open its case unless it senses that its necessary cohorts for growth are in place. It will wait decades, even centuries, for that to happen.” { read more }
________________
“Blessed Be!” Wiccan Daily Prayer for a Wake Up Ritual or Morning Protection Chant
_________________
Elephant Journal: A Gratitude Practice for when we feel Hopeless.
I open my light blue notebook to a blank page and number it from one to five. Just the thought of writing down the “five things I’m grateful for today” exhausts me. I don’t feel like going through the motions or faking a smile.
You might not know this when you visit peacocks in nearby parks, farms, and zoos, but blue and green peacocks, those mythical creatures with iridescent plumage, are only native to Asia — though their remarkable beauty has led them to all corners of the world.
It’s not hard to see a green flash with the eye alone, when sky conditions are right, and when you’re looking toward a very clear and very distant horizon. That’s why those who live near an ocean tend to report green flashes most often. A sea horizon is the best place to see them.
Patheos-Pagan: What is Animism: Finding the Spirit of All Beings
Animism is both profoundly simple and incredibly powerful as a philosophy. It is as ancient as words and reborn constantly. It is the human understanding that “things” are actually “beings”.
“The voice of our original self is often muffled, overwhelmed, even strangled, by the voices of other people’s expectations.” — Julia Cameron
Many of us unconsciously believe that we’re unworthy or defective. We adopted this belief very early in our lives when the people we looked up to disapproved of our demands, wishes and behaviours. We concluded that we had to learn to be good.
Unfortunately, ‘being good’ usually meant giving up our own differences or uniqueness. We learned that we might get the love we wanted if we acted and felt like others wanted us to.
If we seek true joy and connection with life, we now need to remove these artificial masks and express our deep authentic nature.
“For all those years you’ve protected the seed. It’s time to become the beautiful flower.” — Stephen C. Paul
higherawareness.com
_______________
A Note from the Universe
Looking for the gift in a situation, typically means there’s a belief that the situation’s outcome could have been better.
And thinking that an outcome could have been better, only happens when there’s a belief that one’s joy could have been greater had there been a different outcome.
And thinking that one’s joy hinges on the outcome of any time-space occurrence, almost always means that some cool cat somewhere, has ever so briefly forgotten not to interpret events with their physical senses alone, that all the elements (then and now) are lining up in their favor, and that their own happy feet needn’t have missed a beat.
Bust a move –
The Universe
tut.com
_______________________
Today’s Recipe: Unstuffed Bell Peppers
A classic family favorite deconstructed. My kids love stuffed green peppers, but don’t like to eat the whole peppers, so I came up with this to make it more appealing to my picky eaters.
Incense: African Violet, Honeysuckle, Myrtle, Willow, Wormwood Planet: Moon Star Sign: Cancer Angel: Gabriel Power Colors: Silver, White and Gray Herbs& Plants: Night Blooming Flowers, Willow Root, Orris Root, Birch, Motherwort, Vervain, White Rose and White Iris Sacred Stones: Carnelian, Moonstone, Aquamarine, Pearl, Clear Quartz, Flourite, Geodes Oil: (Moon) Jasmine, Lemon, Sandalwood
Deities include Artemis, Diana, Luna, Selene, Thoth
Monday is ruled the Moon. Today’s energy best align with spell work that deals with women, home and hearth, the family, the garden, travel, and medicine. It also boosts rituals involving psychic development and prophetic dreaming.
___________________
Daily Wisdom April 12, 2021
Power “Power consists to a large extent in deciding what stories will be told.”
-Carolyn Heilbrun (1988)
This is where the power of the press comes in. Not just what stories will be told, but how they will be told. Words carry weight. The same holds true in other areas of life. What are our leaders telling us, and what are they leaving out? We exercise our power by becoming more informed, and by voting.
-Lissa Coffey coffeytalk.com
____________________
Daily Tarot: The Star
You enjoy an extra dose of protection today, so approach the day with confidence and a great sense of graciousness. Your angels are voluntarily working overtime on your behalf, so take advantage of all opportunities to do good and to make progress in your daily life. Do a nice deed for someone else and know you’ve been rewarded in advance. More blessings will be on the way
astrology.com
____________________
About Cat’s Morning Bits: These daily post are reblogged from various email newsletters that I receive each day.
Cat’s Morning Bits for May 1, 2020, *Beltane edition
Good Morning Beautiful Souls, grab a cup of your favorite morning brew and start things off with “Today’s Inspirations”. I hope you find something here that will make you feel good or help you on your path today.
Blessings, Cat
_________________________
May Events
May 1 Beltane / May Day
May 5 Cinco de Mayo
May 7 Full Flower Moon at 3:45 am PST/ 4:45 am MST/ 6:45 am EST
May 10 Mother’s Day
May 13 Celtic Tree Month of Hawthorn begins
May 14 Moon in 3rd Qtr. at 7:02 am PST /8:02 am MST/10:02 am EST
May 18 Victoria Day (Canada)
May 22 New Moon at 10:38 am PST/ 11:38 am MST/ 1:38 pm EST
May 25 Memorial Day (USA)
____________________________
Greenwood Marriage
Come my lover, take ribbon in hand and dance the Maypole round,
Over and under the colors are woven brilliant and breathless in Spring’s warm light.
Come my lover and dance with me, circle the Beltane fires,
A wink and smile as you pass by to make sure that I catch your eye.
Come my lover and walk with me into the magic night
Into the dark and silent trees where our greenwood marriage bed awaits
The Tetraktys: A Beltane Tale to Celebrate With the Fae
Hello witchy friends! Since Beltane is near, I wanted to write a post about it. To be honest, I wasn’t vey inspired by the idea. But then, I had a sudden burst of inspiration. The images came into my head, and the words started flowing.
Now, this isn’t your typical Wiccan post about Beltane. Here, you won’t find any correspondences chart about Beltane. You wont even find a list of things to do for May Day (if you pass way to much time on witchy blogs like myself, you surely know what I’m talking about)
A CELEBRATION OF MAY DAY : BELTANE by Mike Nichols
“Perhaps it’s just as well that you won’t be here …
to be offended by the sight of our May Day celebrations.”
—Lord Summerisle to Sgt. Howie from The Wicker Man
There are four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year and the modern Witches’ calendar, as well. The two greatest of these are Halloween (the beginning of winter) and May Day (the beginning of summer). Being opposite each other on the wheel of the year, they separate the year into halves. Halloween (also called Samhain) is the Celtic New Year and is generally considered the more important of the two, though May Day runs a close second. Indeed, in some areas—notably Wales—it is considered “the great holiday
In most modern Pagan traditions, plants and their folklore are an integral part of belief and practice. In particular, many of the Sabbats are associated with the magical properties of different plants.
MNN: What to see in the night sky in May
Meteor showers, an ancient comet, the Flower Moon, and more.
That giant sigh you just heard? The collective relief of the Northern Hemisphere that spring with all its beauty, sounds and smells is finally here. It’s also the perfect time for stargazers to throw on little more than a sweatshirt and enjoy warmer evenings of looking up into the heavens.
1. If the rain is a gentle one, and especially if rainbows are present, this is a positive symbol, foreshadowing the coming of a peaceful interlude and much happiness.
2. If the rain is heavy, this indicates a change in the dreamer’s financial fortunes. Depending on his circumstances, it could be a windfall or a major setback.
3. A major thunderstorm with thunder and lightning indicates a sudden and unexpected increase in wealth, possibly through a legacy.
Astrological parallel: Venus.
Tarot parallel: The Wheel of Fortune
astrology.com
____________________________
Patheos Pagan: 8 Things To Do For Beltane As a Solitary Pagan
Many Pagans are solitary practitioners, either by choice or by necessity. But most traditional activities for Beltane are designed for either large groups or for couples (and straight couples at that).
“The new earth quickens as you rise.
The May Queen is waiting.
Feel the pulsing ground call you to journey,
To know the depths of your desire.
The May Queen is waiting.
Moving through the night, the bright moon’s flight.
In green and silver on the plain.
She waits for you to return again.
Do not keep Her waiting.
Her temper stings if you refuse to taste Her honey.
Surrender as enchantment brings
The first light of dawning.
Move with Her in sacred dance, through fear to feeling.
Bringing ecstasy to those who dare.
Living earth is breathing.
Loving through the night in the bright moonlight,
As seedlings open with the rain.
She’ll long for you to return again.
Do not keep Her waiting.”
– Ruth Barren, The May Queen is Waiting
gardendigest.com
_____________________________
“What Frolicks are here
So droll and so queer
How joyful appeareth the day
E’en Bunter and Bawd
Unite to applaud
And celebrate first of the May.”
– Song-Chant, circa 1770
gardendigest.com
____________________________
EarthSky News: Star-hop to the Hunting Dogs
Tonight, find the Hunting Dogs. The chart above looks directly overhead at nightfall or early evening in May, as seen from a mid-latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s as if we’re viewing the sky from the comfort of a reclining lawn chair,
________________________ Patheos-Pagan: A Solitary Beltane Rite: The Magick of Joining
I realize that the idea of “joining” is pretty far down the list of things that sound like a good idea right now. When I walk past someone on the way to store or when I’m simply out to get a breath of fresh air I give them a wide berth, much wider than the six feet recommended by the CDC.
Pagan Playlist: Lisa Thiel – Beltane (Lord & Lady Song)
___________________________
Inner Journey:
DANCE THROUGH YOUR DAY
“Mix a little foolishness with your serious plans: it’s lovely to be silly at the right moment.”
— Horace
Today, we invite you to do the Take-Your-Time Tango. In his book ‘Games for the Soul,’ Drew Leder challenges us to dance through our days with the graceful, slow elegance of a tango dancer.
“Slow down a notch,” Leder counsels. “Do whatever you do in a calm and leisurely fashion. … As much as possible, don’t be driven by inner fear, external deadlines, or rushed companions to stumble through a speeded-up dance. Act as if you have all the time in the world. Come to think of it, you do: No one else has any more hours.”
So stand (or sit) tall. Raise your chin as you gather your full concentration, dignity and self confidence to glide smoothly and beautifully through the day.
“We look at the dance to impart the sensation of living in an affirmation of life, to energize the spectator into keener awareness of the vigor, the mystery, the humor, the variety, and the wonder of life.”
— Martha Graham
higherawareness.com
_____________________________
Exemplore: Seven Crystals for Beltane
As we reach the celebration of Beltane, spring has peaked and we are heading into summer. The Earth is warming up and has an energy bursting with strength and fertility.
2 cups milk
1 cup unsprayed marigold petals
1/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. sugar
1 to 2-inch piece vanilla bean
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. rose water
whipped cream
Using a clean mortar and pestle reserved for cooking purposes, pound marigold petals. Or, crush with a spoon. Mix the salt, sugar and spices together. Scald milk with the marigolds and the vanilla bean. Remove the vanilla bean and add the slightly beaten yolks and dry ingredients. Cook on low heat. When the mixture coats a spoon, add rose water and cool.
Top with whipped cream, garnish with fresh marigold petals.
paganlibrary.com
__________________________________
“The name for the month of ‘May’ has been believed to derive from ‘Maia’, who was revered as the Roman ‘Goddess of Springtime, of Growth and Increase’, and the mother of ‘Mercury’, the winged messenger of the Gods. Yet this is disputed as before these deities featured in mythology the name ‘Maius’ or ‘Magius’, taken from the root ‘Mag’, meaning the ‘Growing month’ or ‘Shooting month’ was used.”
– May Mystical World Wide Web
______________________
Magical Correspondences for Beltane
*Activities and Rituals: fertilize, nurture and boost existing goals, games, activities of pleasure, leaping bonfires, making garlands, May Pole dance, planting seeds, walking one’s property, feasting
*Colors: Red, White, Brown, Pink, Green
*Tools: Broom, May Pole, Cauldron
*Sacred Stones: Emerald, Malachite, Amber, Carnelian, Sapphire, Rose Quartz *Symbols & Decorations: May Pole, fires, fertility, flowers, growing things, plows, cauldrons of flowers
*Food: Dairy, bread, cereals
*Flowers, Herbs: Lily of the valley, foxglove, rose, broom, Hawthorne, Dittany of Crete, elder, mint, mugwort, thyme, yarrow, almond tree/shrub, clover, ivy, marigold, meadowsweet, rowan, sorrel, woodruff
*Deities: Aphrodite, Artemis, Bast, Diana, Faunus, Flora, Maia, Pan, the Horned God, Venus, and all Gods and Goddesses who preside over fertility.
*Other Names: Cetsamhain (opposite Samhain), May Day, Fairy Day, Sacred Thorn Day, Rood Day, Roodmas (the Christian term for Rood Day, Old Beltane, Beltaine, Beltain, Floriala (Roman feast of flowers from April 29 to May 1), Walpurgisnacht (Germanic-feast of St. Walpurga), Thrimilce (Anglo-Saxon), Bloumaand (Old Dutch)
________________________________
Pagan Play List: Huron ‘Beltane’ Fire Dance (Live) – Loreena McKennitt.
_________________________________
Daily Tarot: The World
Take your place in the World and be in your element all day long. Your practical mind and easy nature let you cruise through the regular maze that is daily life. If anything out of the ordinary arises, you’ll know instinctively how to approach it and resolve things to your satisfaction. Today may not be easy or effortless but it will be rich in success and approval – from yourself and probably others as well.
astrology.com
___________________________
About Cat’s Morning Bits: These daily posts are reblogged from various email newsletters that I receive each day.
Today is May Day and the pagan fire festival of Beltane. Over the last few days, we have been talking about magic. On this day the veil between our world and the fairy realm is said to be thin. It is a day to make merry and embrace all things magical. See things with the eyes of the child that once were and let your spirit be free!
![Beltane_zps5ff38123[1]](https://thedesertpath.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/beltane_zps5ff381231.png)
The Desert Path 
You must be logged in to post a comment.