“This is how we bless ourselves. Not by waiting for someone else to do it. But by bending down to the grass in the early morning light and accepting what the earth is already offering.”
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I was on the road last week when I recorded this episode. I was hoping to post this on Friday, May 1st, but I couldn’t make it happen. So it’s a few days late, and that’s okay, because we’ve arrived at the great Celtic gate — Beltane, the fire festival that opens the light half of the year.
May 1st, with the sun newly in Taurus, Uranus freshly in Gemini, and the hawthorn just beginning to bloom, I will walk you through the old threshold of the year and the gentle rituals that carry us across it.
In this episode, we explore:
- Beltane is one of the two great doorways of the Celtic year (with Samhain as its mirror)
- The old bonfire tradition of the Bel-tene — the bright fire — and what it means for us now
- How the daily rhythms of April ripen into the rituals of Beltane
- Hawthorn is the Beltane tree and the plant of the heart’s threshold
- Red Clover as a Venus plant, a Taurus herb, and a gentle ally for women in midlife crossings
- The Sun in Taurus, the First Quarter Moon, and the historic ingress of Uranus into Gemini
- The Scottish and Irish May Dew ritual — how women on Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh greeted May morning for centuries, and how you can practice this old blessing yourself
- The kinship between the May Dew, Bach Flower Remedies, and modern moon water — all descending from the same ancient intuition
Source acknowledgment: Thank you to Scarlett McQuillan of Linked Magazine for her lovely piece on the Celtic May Dew ritual at Arthur’s Seat, which reminded me of this beautiful tradition. You can find her article at http://linkedmagazine.co.uk/celtic-ritual-may-dew/
🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools
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Herbs featured in this Show:
1. Dried Hawthorn Berries
2. Dried Red Clover Blossoms
My favorite tea-making tools:
BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker,
Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar,
Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars
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My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey.
Inside you’ll find:
- Simple planting guidance
- Space for drawings, photos, and notes
- Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden)
Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants.
✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey.
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🎶 Music Credits
A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the beautiful music featured in this episode. Alexander is a gifted musician whose work I have long admired — and I am proud to support him as a Patreon member.
🎼 Song: Planning – 320bit – September 5, 2021
🔗 https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/
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💬 I’d love to hear how this story landed for you. Feel free to share your reflections in the comments.