Cat’s Morning Bits for April 30, 2022 ~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 Quotes
The May-pole is up,
Now give me the cup;
I’ll drink to the garlands around it;
But first unto those
Whose hands did compose
The glory of flowers that crown’d it.”
Robert Herrick, The Maypole, 1660
gardendigest.com
_________________
April/ May 2022 Events
April 30 New Moon at 1:28 pm PST/ 2:28 pm MST / 4:28 pm EST / Solar Eclipse 4:28 pm EST/ Walpurgis Night
May 1 Beltane / May Day
May 5 Cinco de Mayo
May 8 Mother’s Day
May 10 – June 3 Mercury Retrograde
May 13 Celtic Tree Month of Hawthorn begins
May 16 Full Moon at 9:14 pm PST/ 10:14 pm MST/ 12:14 am EST
May 30 Memorial Day (USA)
May 30 New Moon at 4:30 am PST/ 5:30 am MST/ 7:30 am EST
_____________________
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. The word Beltane is thought to originate from the Celtic god, Bal, meaning ‘the bright one’ and the Gaelic word ‘teine,’ which means fire.
_______________
Mini maypole Beltane altar decoration
______________
Beltane
“Beltane is the last of the three spring fertility festivals, the others being Imbolc and Ostara. Beltane is the second principal Celtic festival (the other being Samhain). Celebrated approximately halfway between Vernal (spring) equinox and the midsummer (Summer Solstice). Beltane traditionally marked the arrival if summer in ancient times. At Beltane the Pleiades star cluster rises just before sunrise on the morning horizon, whereas winter (Samhain) begins when the Pleiades rises at sunset. The Pleiades is a cluster of seven closely placed stars, the seven sisters, in the constellation of Taurus, near his shoulder. When looking for the Pleiades with the naked eye, remember it looks like a tiny dipper-shaped pattern of six moderately bright stars (the seventh can be seen on very dark nights) in the constellation of Taurus. It stands very low in the east-northeast sky for just a few minutes before sunrise. Beltane, and its counterpart Samhain, divide the year into its two primary seasons, winter (Dark Part) and summer (Light Part). As Samhain is about honoring Death, Beltane, its counter part, is about honoring Life. It is the time when the sun is fully released from his bondage of winter and able to rule over summer and life once again. Beltane, like Samhain, is a time of “no time” when the veils between the two worlds are at their thinnest. No time is when the two worlds intermingle and unite and the magic abounds! It is the time when the Faeries return from their winter respite, carefree and full of faery mischief and faery delight. On the night before Beltane, in times past, folks would place rowan branches at their windows and doors for protection, many otherworldly occurrences could transpire during this time of “no time”. Traditionally on the Isle of Man, the youngest member of the family gathers primroses on the eve before Beltane and throws the flowers at the door of the home for protection. In Ireland it is believed that food left over from May Eve must not be eaten, but rather buried or left as an offering to the faery instead. Much like the tradition of leaving of whatever is not harvested from the fields on Samhain, food on the time of no time is treated with great care. When the veils are so thin it is an extremely magical time, it is said that the Queen of the Faeries rides out on her white horse. Roving about on Beltane eve She will try to entice people away to the Faeryland. Legend has it that if you sit beneath a tree on Beltane night, you may see the Faery Queen or hear the sound of Her horse’s bells as She rides through the night. Legend says if you hide your face, She will pass you by but if you look at Her, She may choose you. There is a Scottish ballad of this called Thomas the Rhymer, in which Thomas chooses to go the Faeryland with the Queen and has not been seen since.”
– Christina Aubin, Beltane
http://www.gardendigest.com/monmay.htm
____________________
Learn Religions: Beltane Magic
By Patti Wigington
Updated on June 25, 2019
Beltane is a season of fertility and fire, and we often find this reflected in the magic of the season. Let’s look at some of that spring magic, from ritual sex to fertility magic, along with the magic found in gardens and nature
___________________
The Pagan Library: Beltane Union
LadyAmhranai
A woman stands, Alone in the woods, Awaiting her fate once more, Returning to her place in the cycle of life.
What is that? A rustling in the forest, Closer and closer the noise creeps, Is this the one to seal her destiny?
____________________
A Pagan Love Song (Beltane)
_________________
Beltane/Mayday Correspondences
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)
_____________________
Treehugger: 10 Beautifully Surreal Forests Fit for a Fairy Tale
Forests cover around 30% of the Earth’s land surface and play an integral role in the planet’s health, but they also offer a storied place of mystery and enchantment. Rarely is a classic fairy tale told without the woods serving in a supporting role. While there are forests and woods of every stripe, some stand out for their uniqueness
____________________
EarthSky News: Partial solar eclipse of April 30, 2022
Partial solar eclipse
The partial solar eclipse of April 30, 2022, is visible from the southeast Pacific and southern South America.
When and where to watch: The April 30, 2022, partial solar eclipse starts in the far southeastern Pacific near the coast of Antarctica at 18:45 UTC. The deepest part of the eclipse is almost due south of the southern tip of South America at 20:41 UTC.
______________
Patheos-Pagan: Insane in the Brain: Balance & Beltane
APRIL 29, 2022 BY ASH
Scroll to the end for some chants I made up for Beltane!
This weekend I’ll be celebrating Beltane with my coven and there’s been a lot of preparation going into it. For starters, our coven is broken down into Outer and Inner Courts, which means we plan for two separate Beltane rituals.
____________________
Pagan Playlist: Beltane by Lisa Thiel
_____________________
Pagan Library: The Beltane Chase
Traditional
Ladies:
I shall go as a wren in spring
With sorrow and sighing on silent wing
And I shall go in our Lady’s name
Aye, till I come home again.
Men:
And we shall follow as falcons grey
And hunt thee cruelly as our prey
And we shall go in our Master’s name
Aye, to fetch thee home again.
______________________
“The fair maid who, the first of May
Goes to the fields at break of day
And washes the dew from the hawthorn tree
Will ever after handsome be.”
Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme
gardendigest.com
_______________________
Today’s Recipe: Beltane Marigold Custard /Anon
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
____________________
Magical Correspondences for May
Nature Spirits:
Faeries & Elves
Herbs: Dittany of Crete; Elder; Mint; Mugwort; Rose; Thyme &Yarrow
Colours: Green-Brown & Pink
Flowers: Broom; Foxglove; Lily of the Valley & Rose
Scents: Rose & Sandalwood
Stones: Amber; Carnelian; Emerald; & Malachite
Trees: Hawthorn
Animals: Cat; Leopard & Lynx
Birds: Dove; Swallow & Swan
Deities: Aphrodite; Artemis; Bast; Diana; Maia; Pan; The Horned God& Venus
Power Flow: Contract with Faeries and other supernatural beings; Intuition; Power flowing from Greenwood Gods and trees &Propagation
http://mystiksangelrealm.com/months.html
____________________
Pagan Gate: Beltane Tarot Card Spread
This is a good tarot spread that will help you realize and use the energy that surrounds you during the Beltane Sabbat. For the following tarot spread you will need both major and minor arcana cards.
____________________
About Cat’s Morning Bits: These daily posts are reblogged from various email newsletters that I receive each day.
I invite you to check out my websites!
The Desert Path: The dusty ramblings of a desert pagan. https://thedesertpath.com/
Cat’s Treasure Trove …. an eclectic collection of jewelry & gifts! https://thedesertpath.com
Sacred Spirals (the place where all paths meet)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SacredSpirals/
The Desert Path 
You must be logged in to post a comment.