Happy May Day! A Wee Bit Late

Ox Eye Daisy, Wild Hyacinth, Blooms from Rose Verbena, Leaves from Wild Bergamot.

With all the rain and storms that have washed over the Midwest of late, it didn't surprise me that I lost my internet for some time. That was the extent of damage from the storms that we faced. I'm quite fortunate that my hearth and home stayed dry unlike so many unfortunate folks who've faced recent flooding. So I've got some catching up to do here.

A week back was the 1st of May, May Day, or Beltane. On the old Celtic Calendar, which is wheel shaped rather than linear and based on the cycles and rhythms of the earth and plants, May 1st is the beginning of summer. It is a day to celebrate sunshine and blossoms, the return of the green, fertile earth. There are many folk traditions, such as bonfires, the May Pole and Jack in the Green, that still persist across Celtic lands, many are remnants from much older traditions. Below are a few sites that provide a lovely peak into the persistence of the old world in the modern day.

http://windling.typepad.com/blog/2013/05/wild-folklore.html

http://www.terriwindling.com/blog/2015/05/beltane.html

http://intothehermitage.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/the-rites-of-spring.html 

May Day Post from Traveling Chariot a few years ago HERE

You can read more about the old calendar wheel here:
Irish Central
Living Myths