On this special day, we celebrate the height of spring, the apex of fertility and awakening. It's palpable in the air, the flowers blooming and the bees busily and joyfully enjoying their nectar. The season is ripe, and I can feel it in my body.
As we emerge from the darkness of the past year, we have the opportunity to embrace a new way of being. Life will never go back to the way it was before, that has always been an illusion. But somehow, in the darkest of years, the spark of light shines brighter than ever before. The glimmer of awakening which many have experienced amidst the global consensus reality crumbling and decaying before our eyes. Everything that we have experienced internally is bring played out collectively. The shifting balance of light and dark, life and death.
On this day, emerge from the darkness. Step into the light. Dance, sing, move your body -- it is a very supportive time to clear physical/emotional wounds through use of the body. Light is the greatest disinfectant, let it in on all levels. Ritualize your presence on this day, however grand or humble an offering.
Last year, we celebrated May Day in a different way. The solitude brought sorrow, enlightenment, joy and change, all at the same time. In March of last year, a group of incredible women came together the day before the official lockdown. We gathered for a photo shoot -- a vision I had manifested. I asked these women to be my muses, to bring this vision to life in celebration of the Celtic Wheel of the Year and of the many earth rituals of our ancestors. We entered a portal on that day, moving and flowing in another dimension entirely. It was the most incredible experience, and in contrast to the outside world, it surely felt like we were in a whole other universe. The very next day, the world changed immensely.
I was recently looking over these photos and wanted to share with you. The depth of the experience is hard to capture in single moments, but the shoot in its entirety tells a magical story. A story of women and growth, fertility and abundance, sacrifice and death. The entire day played itself out and it wasn't until I saw the photos that I realized how deep we had traveled into the myths that inspired the project in the first place. What an incredible gift to be held in a community of women, co-creating, sharing, exploring, philosophizing and supporting each other. I am so grateful for these women, to whom I have only grown closer since this shoot. You are loved. And I am so grateful for you.
Beltane Blessings!
You can read more about Beltane rituals and traditions here.
Photography by Stephanie Plomarity
Styled by Joslyn Lawrence
