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

1. Review, refine, and shift:

The full moon shines a bright light on everything, and I might experience intuitive and creative breakthroughs. I might be shocked by the clarity of my insights. I might see some ugliness - the full moon illuminates all the things I've left in the shadows, some heavy truths and some embarrassing mistakes.

Today I access a shift of my spirit: I begin by reviewing my progress on the intentions I set at the new moon, asking "why?" and "why not?".

Then I settle into silence and access my intuitive mind - my connection to the Creator and the Inner Guide - by putting myself into a relaxed, trance-like state, and seeking a leading of the spirit with an open mind and heart, and perhaps writing a new intention.

Today I call on the Spirit of Light to guide me, bring me clarity and open my eyes. What is the Truth that is coming into focus for me now? 

What is the creation that is growing and blooming in my life? How are things changing or transitioning?

Can I see it clearly or is it foggy? Is it a gentle, flowing change or a bumpy ride? 

What is the right action I'm taking to move in the direction of paradise?

How do I remain flexible and open to changes?

Full moon journal: I've made very good progress on my intentions. The key words are paring down, delegation, care-taking, and community-building. The shift I want to make is towards clear, actionable next-steps.

Full moon intention: I intend to list clear actionable steps towards paring down, resilience habits, delegation, care-taking, and community-building because the next 2-weeks are our boot camp for the long haul of recovery.

2. Celebrate synergy:

My theme this month is synergy - the ability to seek unity, embrace teamwork, live holistically, and work tirelessly towards a better end. Synergy is the eternally active primal force of creation: No matter what the conditions are, they will change. You create synergy in your life when you make the effort to see clearly, stay open-minded, and take persistent right action. Synergy will allow you to experience the people in your life as angels, and the places you live, work, and play as paradise.

Today I remind myself of my intentions for the month, and then celebrate how far I've come, give thanks for the lessons learned and the blessings received, and reaffirm this theme for the next two weeks. Each month I choose a different way to celebrate the full moon, and I am ready to celebrate synergy today in these ways:

1. Wash windows as a ritual of "clear action"
2. Go to a May Day rally for solidarity
3. Celebrate a birthday with my family

3. Proaction and reciprocity plans:

On Fridays I often journal a bit about the future, and my dreams and goals: What GREAT things do I want to accomplish? How will I serve people? How will I use my talents? How will I stretch myself? How can I become an “island of excellence”? What is essential?

Then I try to define achievable, meaningful goals and prioritize the goals and tasks with the greatest long-term impact.

In the next week I hope to:

• Write the next two posts for my Nature-Culture blog.
• Research moths! Start a hands-on moth project.
• Make a QR code to share my N-C blog.
• Send out the EC action news.
• Meet with my Earth-care team, and define some meaningful goals for summer; delegate the next month's meeting to maintain momentum.
• Go on a walk just to pick up plastic trash.
• Turtle Flats work party

4. Bring in the May:

 

Hawthorn is called the May bush, because it blooms now in England; ours is just on the verge.

Cutting the may blossom symbolizes the beginning of new life. I will hang a sprig of hawthorn at our front door to protect and purify our home.

5. May baskets: 

When I was very young, my siblings and I used to run around our neighborhood on May Day morning with flowers from our yard. We would put the flowers on the mat, ring the doorbell, and run and hide. It was scary and exciting!

Last year we made simple may baskets and collected flowers from our garden to share.

Supplies: Wallpaper, hot glue gun, lace, scissors.

1. Cut a square of wallpaper. 

2. Roll it into a cone and hot glue one edge and the bottom.

3. Cut slits at the top and tie on a piece of lace.

4. Fill with flowers and hang on a door.

6. Make Tippaleivät (Finnish May Day Fritters):
The recipe is here.

7. Maypole Dances!
I have a clothesline post in my yard that we have used as a Maypole. My friend Georgia and I made ribbons from 4-inch strips of cloth sewn together, and attached one end of each to a plastic salsa container lid. We rolled the ribbons up for easy storage. When it is time to dance, I nail the plastic lid onto the top of my clothesline pole, and unrolled the ribbons.

I did have Maypole dances one year with my art class students, but I didn't get photos. It was very disorganized - we could have used some practice. I will try it again someday.

Here are the dances we tried. 

8. Truth walk ceremony:

When I receive a full moon truth, I like to mark it with a simple ceremony, preferably under the light of the full moon. Tonight I will be outside with family, so I'll perform this quiet bonding ceremony with no fanfare: 

This full moon spell will help ground me in the knowledge that I am not alone. Filling a glass with cider or wine, I will walk to each of my family and anoint them saying, "we are together in this." Go outside in the moonlight and drain the final drink into the earth, invite the moon's energy to bring me clarity and focus in the next weeks.