(see what I did there?)
I don't have a lot to say this week, but, there is always something to celebrate this time of year, so here is a handy guide for May Day and other events to celebrate May 1, 2021 in style! The least I can do is get you started. Among the festivities (some national and some international)- getting a homebrew, chocolate parfait, see fine horses (Kentucky derby), play outside, beer pong, mariachis and monarchs (butterflies), global world love, save the rhinos, and world naked gardening day (you read that right).
Some traditional May holy days this year:
Beltane, (May 1st) Blessed Beltane is a fire festival with Gaelic/Celtic origins, from ancient times that marked the start of summer, with rituals to ensure fertility of both humans and of the earth at the start of the growing season. It's the great wedding day of the Goddess of Spring and the Oak King, the Green Man, called the sacred marriage. It is a celebration of life and the living; a time to put strong intention into your hopes and dreams. Celebrants make maypoles or floral wreaths to wear, dance around bonfires, make a May basket and fill it with their highest energy of goodwill to give as a gift to within the community. Traditionally, May baskets were made for those in need. Beltane Bread: Bannocks Traditional drink: honey mead. The link at the beginning of this section also has instructions for making a good luck egg charm and for making a wish box.
Li Xia (May 5th) is the solar term that marks the official start of summer on the Chinese calendar. "The character 立 lì in 立夏 lìxià can indicate both “setting a mark” or “standing up," while 夏 xià can mean "big" as well as "summer," as the crops sowed in spring should at this point have broken through the soil and grown straight and tall in the fields." This is also the time of year when the Big Dipper handle moves to point upward from its spring position. (The Beijinger). Some traditional activities: have a picnic to enjoy the last of the spring flowers, some children play egg smashing games - last kid standing with an intact egg wins the game. Other things to do: listen to the crickets, watch earthworms, lots of eggs to eat (though not necessarily a seasonal activity), and weigh yourself (maybe not in that order)
Orthodox Easter (Greek & Russian) (May 2nd) The Orthodox Church celebration of Easter still follows the Julian Calendar, which is why it is celebrated a little later in the year from the Western Easter holiday. Traditions: Bread: Tsoureki Paschalino, a sweet bread, and lamb. Eggs are hard-boiled and decorated with red dye to represent the blood of Christ. Also, there is an cool tie in to the egg smashing games of li xia in China:
" The Easter egg is hard-boiled and often dyed red to symbolize the blood of Christ. It was an important symbol connected with spring fertility rituals in many early civilizations. Many Greek Orthodox Christians rap their eggs against their friends' eggs and the owner of the last uncracked egg is considered lucky." (Web: TimeandDate)
We are never truly that far from each other, are we?
Later in May:
We await the massive emergence of the 17 year cicadas (animal of the month) here in Middle Tennessee sometime around May 15th.
On the 26th, Flower Full Moon (a super blood moon, with an eclipse, no less).
You can't say the universe is not spectacular. This week's meditations on: the sun, the moon, the stars, dancing, drinking, dreaming, and the "incredible, edible, egg".
I hope your week is beautiful. Just brace yourself for those cicadas, y'all.
Cyndi
Next week: more on sound and sound healing
Yijing project: April 25th to May 1
Zibu symbol for May: "Rakumi"- Clarity of Purpose (perfect for the coming summer season, with its 5 Element association to the Heart. Drawn from my new Zibu deck'o'cards.
Animal for May: Cicadas, of course! From Jumping bugs to leaf hoppers, in the Order of Hemiptera, these critters are in the family of true bugs. Some of us will get to know them quite well this summer.