May Day

May Day, on May 1st, is a spring celebration of the blooming flowers. It's an ancient holiday that originated with the festival of Floralia which honored Flora, the Flourishing One, the Roman goddess of spring. Flora is a bright nature goddess who makes trees bloom- she is a “lady of pleasure", but also a symbol of motherhood. She wears a garland of flowers in her hair, and in her right hand she holds a columbine, for fertility.

Maying is what we call the things we do to celebrate this beautiful month-- going on picnics, picking flowers, dancing around a maypole, and sharing our love. In England a young woman is still chosen as May Queen, representing Flora, and is crowned with hawthorn blossoms. She is often accompanied by a May King.

Today is also the full moon called atantal, the "camas blooming time", by the Kalapuya of our area, and the Flower Moon by others, because - well - May flowers!

The flowers in my garden are a delicate reminder to me to project a gentle, honest spirit (less cactus, more columbine).

We are now at the peak of the strong-energy yang phase of the waxing moon, and will soon begin the shift to the quiet-energy yin time of the waning moon.

Agenda today:

1. Review, refine, and shift

2. Celebrate synergy

3. Proaction and reciprocity plans

4. Bring in the May
5. May baskets
6. Make Tippaleivät (Finnish May Day Fritters)
7. Maypole Dances

8. Truth walk ceremony