Irish Spring

A little bit of color while Old Man Winter makes one more visit to the Midwest. I plucked these blooms to save them from the cold and nestled them into an Irish tea tin I brought back from travels a few years back. 

Secret Spring Garden

A recent creation for a local shop inspired by some of Ireland's rock walls. 

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

Welcome Spring

Spring, or the Vernal Equinox, arrived yesterday in which day and night were equal. In Ireland many ancient portal tombs and cairns align with sunrises or sunsets of solstices & equinoxes. Loughcrew Cairns is one such ancient monument that aligns with the Spring Equinox. Watch the magical video below to see that sun illuminate the inside of a stone cairn. Read more about it HERE.

Here in the Midwest Spring arrived with a sultry 87 degrees and a gorgeous blood orange sunset. Back to normal today with rain (thank goodness) and 60s. Spring is such a delicious, refreshing season. I hope it lingers, though yesterday had me fearing it would get skipped altogether.

May Spring be beautiful, long, and green. May we be blessed with blooms and rain a plenty. May the season inspire your soul. Go outside and greet the it.

Countryside in County Kerry