One of my favourite memories as a kid was running out to the garden and picking daisies and primroses for my mom. She praised my efforts like she had received a gift straight from the Gods. Said flowers were placed in the obligatory eggcup, and placed on the hall table in front of the statue of Holy Mary. I didn’t grow up in a religious house. However, every May there was always a certain emphasis placed on our Holy Mother, and that hall table always became a sacred place of worship – which I’m very proud to say my child picked flowers played a role.
While Mom wasn’t religious, she was worshipping and honouring the feminine. She was playing homage to something that represented love, compassion, understanding even in the midst of hardship. It was a worship to the sacred that birthed an incredible human into this Earth. She, who continued to be a symbol of hope and peace even in the face of hardship.
As I’ve grown through life finding and developing my own spiritual path which has taken many routes from Irish Catholicism to something that has no definition. I become more and more fascinated by the meaning and association behind the pagan festivals, their deep association with nature, and the intertwining of Christianity into these festivals.
Bealtaine the halfway point between the equinox and the summer solstice. It symbolises new life, creation & fertility it is the beginning of the Celtic summer, the light season of the year ahead. It is a time to connect with nature spirits. People celebrated by wearing flowers in their hair and placing them around their doors and windows. Our childhood May altar, was no coincidence.
The tradition was to build fires and jump over the flames. Young women would leap into it to ensure their fertility, and couples would leap to strengthen the bond. The fires were also a symbol of protection and an honour to the Gods in the hopes for the bountiful harvest to come; and of course, feeding that evolutionary human need to sit around the fire and have the chats. They partied, bartered in cattle & did some mad stuff with sacrificing. They believed in Bealtaine like in Samhain (Halloween), the veils between the 2 worlds, was at its thinnest.
Our ancestors depended on nature in a way that we don’t, in a way that I don’t think our modern life can even fully comprehend. They were stargazers and astrologers, and build places of worship for each of the seasons, surrounded by wells and magic trees. They understood and worshiped the light, accepting the dark, and being at one with our divine Earth Mother. Herein lies the connection between the 2 beliefs, and how both were in fact, honouring the same thing – the feminine!
In our modern world can we find a way of connecting with the changing seasons and these festivals in a way that is fitting with ourselves? Rituals can be very complex or as simple as picking a daisy with an intention or evoking a fond memory. It can be as easy to celebrate by taking pleasure in life and enjoying the gifts of nature and the goddess.
It’s a very personal path, and for some of us, we live in a world where we are blessed to have freedom to find meaning & get our spiritual cup filled in a way that suits us. Ironically for me, once I began to understand the deeper meaning behind the pagan festivals, I developed a new appreciation for the Christian celebrations attached.
I’ve included some really straight forward and easy rituals to help get you started or to try something new, and remember intention is everything!!
Ways to celebrate
- Celebrate by lighting a fire or lighting a red, orange or yellow candle to symbolise the fire.
- Spend some time in nature observing the growing season .
- Create a May altar by picking flowers from your garden or the roadside, include a candle and an object of devotion.
- Do some journalling on what is bountiful in your life.
- Have a party & wear some flowers in your hair.
- Make a daisy chain.
A gentle reminder if you are going out into nature picking flowers, only take what you need as these are food sources and homes for Earths little creatures.
I’d love to hear your feedback, so please feel free to share your experiences or if you have any other fond memories or rituals of your own that you would like to share, please email them to sharon@apricitywellbeing.ie
