Jenny Heston

Claim Your Power and Step Into Your Magick

Beltane

Well Hello Mercury Retrograde! And Beltane is almost Here!

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Happy, happy Magickal, Miraculous, Magnificent, Musical, Majestic, Mighty Monday! 

How are you most delicious, lovely?  How did the eclipse treat you?

Isn’t it just oh so much fun to have that intense of an eclipse and then flop into mercury retrograde?  Part of me has been hugely confused as if I’m coming or going to be honest!

Throw into the mix of eclipse and retrograde,  I welcomed a wee 8 week old English Labrador puppy into our pack on the eclipse, so sleep has become a delicious commodity!  

Thus, I am very thankful I booked off the last few days of work last week as it’s been like walking around in a very peculiar alternate universe.

Okay, let’s have a look at this first Mercury retrograde for 2023.  

On April 21st (so last Friday) in the sign of Taurus Mercury went retrograde, so this will be our “cosmic” energy for the next 3 weeks.   

Mercury retrogrades tend to cyclically happen in signs of the same element and during 2023, all mercury retrogrades are going to happen in Earth signs.

Earth is our connection, our foundation, our stability – so rather important wouldn’t you say?

This eclipse can be seen as an invitation to reflect on, renovate, and reset our relationship with Nature, with our physical body, with matter, with our resources and possessions, as well as with money, receptivity and abundance.

Taurus is the first Earth sign, a simple, grounded, and practical archetype. 

Taurus is concerned with creating conditions that allow life to continue, creating stable and steady foundations and creating space to fully savour the present moment through our bodies.  This sign correlates with our value system, with our self-worth and with survival themes.

So this current Mercury retrograde is inviting you to reflect on your values and how they have been changing.  It’s an invitation to explore different ways of perceiving wealth and abundance and to question your habitual way of thinking about your body and sensuality.  

Basically, we are being inspired to slow down and practice feeling more and speaking less.  

Then on May 1st we welcome in Beltane!  Whoot!

I love Beltane, I love it because it is fiery, passionate, intentional and produces results!  I especially love it as it’s the time when the veil between this Earth and the Fae is exceptionally thin.  So Magick abounds!

Beltane is thought to be one of the more important festivals of the Gaelic calendar.  Beltane is a Fire Festival. The word ‘Beltane’ originates from the Celtic God ‘Bel’, meaning ‘the bright one’ and the Gaelic word ‘teine’ meaning fire. Together they make ‘Bright Fire’, or ‘Goodly Fire’ and traditionally bonfires were lit to honour the Sun and encourage the support of Bel and the Sun’s light to nurture the emerging future harvest and protect the community.

Beltane is the halfway point between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice, making it easy to see why Beltane is typically associated with creativity, prosperity, hope, fertility, and sexuality.

The Beltane fires of yore were a time of revelry, pairing and celebrating fertility (there were lots of babies born 9 months after the celebrations!)  Also, cattle would be led between two fires for protection and to encourage a strong, fertile herd.  Holy wells were visited and feasts were had. 

Rowan was often used in Beltane festivals as it’s a tree of protection and healing. Branches of Rowan were placed as protection over the doors of houses and barns at Beltane to protect from increased Faery activity as they woke from their winter slumber.  (As they can be rather cheeky!)

Sprigs were worn for protection also. Rowan berries have a tiny five-pointed star on the bottom reminiscent of the pentagram.

So all in all a great time to celebrate, set intentions, fertilise either self or ideas and have a grand jolly time and invite the Fae to support you!  

So later this week, for all you glorious souls who are part of our email community, I will have a wee Beltane giftie for you to help you dance with the Fae and ignite your inner fire.

But for now, let’s crack on with the reading shall we?

When I went to the cards and asked who wanted to come play I laughed.  

The reason I laughed is these glorious guides are playful, but deep.  They think outside the box and invite you to do the same. 

 If you have never met these glorious guides, please let me introduce you.  “What is life if not a Divine Circus?  Life might seem ordinary at times, yet when we look more closely, it is bursting with creative diversity, constantly evolving, pulling rugs out from underneath our feet (usually just at the moment we think we have everything under control) and opening doors we couldn’t even see were right there before us  moments earlier.  Life is magical, thrilling, sometimes strange and even scary.  It can inspire you and touch your soul, inviting you to discover the unique magic within you, to dare to live it, to express it, to play with possibilities and embrace what sets you apart from the crowd. “

Ha!  Perfect for these delicious energetic times, wouldn’t you say?

Okay dear one, let’s get grounded and present.  Take a glorious deep breath and invite you to see in your mind’s eye abundance.  With Mercury retrograde in Taurus we are being invited to re envision what abundance means.  So what does abundance look like, feel like, smell like to you?  Allow whatever images float up to just swirl in a lovely vortex of colour.  Remember to keep breathing.  

If you need a deeper dive I have a lovely guided visualisation for you where we go on a little trip, don’t fret, you won’t have to pack much.

Then when you are ready, pick the card or cards that tug at your soul strings.

Did you remember to pick?

Let’s go have a look, shall we?

RA! RA! RA!

Have you had enough of the dark side of life?  Fear, doubt, uncertainty, anxiety, frustration and believing that you cannot manifest your dreams are signs you’ve been in the darkness for too long.  It’s your time to step out of the darkness and into the light.  

It takes a lot of courage to leave darkness behind and embrace the light.  To step into the light means that you give up attachment to drama, the stories of suffering and the pain of the past.  You don’t deny your struggles or your pain, but you know it is possible to let it go in favour of trust, reassurance, comfort and commitment to what holds meaning for you, again and again and again, for as often as needs be until you are free.

Sometimes the courage of stepping into the light means a willingness to set aside the mental anguish and say, “Today I just choose to trust that everything is going to work out according to a higher and unconditionally-loving divine plan that has my best interests at heart.”  It means that you acknowledge what you have gone through without needing to keep score.  It means that you are willing to pay more attention to what is happening in this moment, and to believe wholeheartedly that the universe is working with you and for you, not against you.  

Like the sun cracking through the night to bring the dawn of a new day, this is your divine wake-up call.  Your dark days are numbered and  your time in the divine spotlight is upon you.  Be willing to shine your light, even if no-one else around you seems to understand, acknowledge or recognise it at first, or even for a long time!  

You are brave enough to shine true with or without others holding your hand and encouraging you.  Maybe others need to find their way to you, so they can help you or be helped by your light.  For that to happen, you are going to need to stand in the dark and shine with trust, patience and courage.  

If you’ve been in the dark, so to speak, for a while, you might find it hard to trust in the light at first.  You might worry that the goodness won’t last and that it’s better to be pessimistic now than disappointed later.  Those are tricks of darkness.  Don’t believe in them.  

Trust in the power of light within you and don’t be afraid to let it shine bright.  

GYPSY COLOMBINE

The free spirit in you is rewilding itself, shedding social conditioning and past patterns of behaviour.  It is shaking off socialisation and emerging anew like a snake shedding a skin.  

The wild one within isn’t a save.  It is raw, yes, but also wise, authentic, beautiful and with a deep instinctive knowing as to what you must be. 

Can a bird ever be truly happy whilst trying to be a fish?  True freedom is to be truthfully yourself.

Politeness and people-pleasing, not out of respect but out of fear you will otherwise be rejected, is a form of social conditioning that dulls the wild one within.  

If you reject that conditioning in favour of rewilding, of getting in touch with your true instincts and nature, you will exchange lukewarm tolerance from others for their passionate admiration and love.  

And for those that cannot love you, that are afraid of how much life is in you, then let them be.  They do not belong in your world, nor you in theirs.  

The jungle of life is a vibrant, colourful and exciting place, but not everyone is ready to live there as yet.  That is just the way of things sometimes.

It’s now time to let yourself off the hook, to forgive and forget, to allow what’s been to have been and to start again.  No regrets.  No fear.  No doubt. 

 It’s time to heed the call of the wild and ask yourself, “What would set my spirit free?”

LADY LUCK

Lady Luck is on your side.  A change of fortune is in store for you, a twist of fate that is meant to be.  You’re a winner baby!  You are about to hit the jackpot.

Do you think that luck is something that only happens to other, luckier people?  Your attitude can attract luck to your side, no matter if you once thought you were the unluckiest person alive!

Luck is attracted to a certain type of consciousness, an attitude, a belief that life wants to help you, and has the infinite power and creative imagination to do that in endless ways.  Attracting luck means being open to the genius of life, which works itself out perfectly, bringing benefits to us again and again, even if we have no clue how, where or why it operates the way it does.  

You are being given a golden ticket, a lucky break, a change in fortune that was always meant to be for you, that was in your stars.  You can turn this lucky break into a lucky streak that stays with you for a long, long time, or even forever, with your attitude, your belief in the goodness of life and the generosity of your spirit.

Feel the thrill, the gratitude, the joy of being a winner, and thank the universe for it daily!  Luck will visit you soon and it will love being around you so much, it will decide to stay.

Woosah!  What delicious guides for the energies right now, yes?  So my glorious one, remember to slow it down a tad, re=envision what abundance and sensuality mean to you.  Be gentle with your wonderful self, and let’s get ready to welcome Beltane in!  Have a stupendous week and remember to stop and see the flowers (and smell them).  Big hugs and squeezes.

4 Easy Rituals to Celebrate Beltane – and a Visualisation!

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I love Beltane, I love it because it is fiery, passionate, intentional and produces results!  

Beltane was thought to be one of the more important festivals of the Gaelic calendar.  Beltane is a Fire Festival. The word ‘Beltane’ originates from the Celtic God ‘Bel’, meaning ‘the bright one’ and the Gaelic word ‘teine’ meaning fire. Together they make ‘Bright Fire’, or ‘Goodly Fire’ and traditionally bonfires were lit to honour the Sun and encourage the support of Bel and the Sun’s light to nurture the emerging future harvest and protect the community.

Beltane celebrates the height of Spring and the flowering of life. Earth energies are at their strongest and most active.  All of life is bursting with potent fertility, look at the trees around you – (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere), they are bursting forth with bright green leaves and the little sparrows are back as well as the robins.  Abundant fertility, on all levels, is the central theme.

The Goddess has reached her fullness and is the manifestation of growth and renewal and shows up as the May Queen, Flora, the Goddess of Spring. The God emerges as the Young Oak, May King  or as Jack in the Green. They fall in love, the union is consummated and the May Queen becomes pregnant. Together the May Queen and the May King are symbols of the Sacred Marriage, the union of Earth and Sky.  If you have ever read “The Mists of Avalon” you will know what I am talking about. “This is the night of the Greenwood Marriage. It is about sexuality and sensuality, passion, vitality and joy. And about conception. A brilliant moment in the Wheel of the Year to bring ideas, hopes and dreams into action. And have some fun!”

On Beltane we honor nature’s oldest love story. Beltane means bright fire, and in earth-based traditions, it represents the handfasting, or marriage, of the God and Goddess and their eternal embrace. In ancient lore, the two are separated all winter long, and their reunion on Beltane is celebrated with food, drink, and multi-colored maypoles, which symbolize female energies wrapping themselves around the male form. The world comes alive in color to celebrate their love. This is a holiday of union, a celebration of the divine balance in the union of masculine and feminine. Having reached maturity through their long separation, Lord and Lady now come together as one.

Have you ever seen a Maypole dance?  If you have never seen a proper Maypole dance done, I highly recommend it!  A phallic pole, often made from Birch (why Birch you ask –  Birch is regarded as a feminine tree and Deities associated with Birch are mostly love and fertility goddesses. It is one of the first trees to show its leaf in Spring), was inserted into the Earth representing the potency of the God. At the top there would be a glorious wreath, most often Hawthorn flowers and the flowers represented the Goddess.  Hawthorn is a deeply magical tree and is one of the three trees at the heart of the Celtic Tree Alphabet, the Faery Triad, ‘by Oak, Ash and Thorn’. Traditionally Beltane began when the Hawthorn, the May, blossomed. It is the tree of sexuality and fertility and is the classic flower to decorate a Maypole with.

The dance around the Maypole represented Their unity.  Ribbons of Green, White and Red hung down from the top of the pole and each young woman would take an end and dance.  As they danced around the pole they would weave in and out and through whilst holding onto their gorgeous ribbon. This weaving represented the Spiral of Life and the union between the God and the Goddess.  It’s moving artistry and glorious fun!

So if you haven’t gotten it yet, Beltane is a festival of flowers, fertility, sensuality, and delight.  The Beltane fires of yore were a time of revelry, pairing and celebrating fertility (there were lots of babies born 9 months after the celebrations!)  Also, cattle would be led between two fires for protection and to encourage a strong, fertile herd. People believed the smoke and the ashes from the Beltane fires offered protection and fertility.  Holy wells were visited and feasts were had. Rowan was often used in Beltane festivals as it’s a tree of protection and healing. Branches of Rowan were placed as protection over the doors of houses and barns at Beltane to protect from increased Faery activity as they woke from their winter slumber. Sprigs were worn for protection also. Rowan berries have a tiny five-pointed star on the bottom reminiscent of the pentagram.

So all in all a great time to celebrate, set intention, fertilise either self or ideas and have a grand jolly time!  

But I guess the question some people have is – “Why bother marking the day?”  Good question, and my answer would be because it connects you to something bigger, older and deeper than our modern day to day.  

I love the way Donna Henes puts it:-  Ceremonial observance adds lucid layers — depth, dimension, drama and distinction — to our lives, making the ordinary seem special, and the special, extraordinary. Through the practice of ritual we are privileged to experience ourselves as prepared, present, passionate, principled and potent. When we set aside the quality time and claim the psychic space for ceremony, when we assume the authority to do so, we are able to transform our perceptions, our perspectives, our experiences, and in the process, our reality.

Does ritual have to be long, drawn out, complicated and require a shed ton of things you don’t have in your home?  Some people believe so, but I don’t. To me ritual is performed when I make food for those I love with the intention of it being nourishing and a dish of connection.  It’s also in when I routinely smudge and energetically cleanse my home, or in the Epsom salt tub that I draw up for one of the boys with the oils that will help them.

So with all that being said let’s go explore 3 simple rituals for Beltane.  The first one is the egg charm (and I most certainly do this at Easter) and it is so easy to do.  The second is a tree blessing, which I love and will be doing. There’s also a very simple dandelion renewal ritual – if spring has sprung early enough for you.  And a glorious fun thing to do is a Faery offering! 

Here is a lovely guided visualisation/meditation to help you really release and tap into this amazing time.  Enjoy!

 

Pick what resonates for you, or create your own.  The key elements are Intention, Willingness and Openness.  

Enjoy and have fun!

4 Easy Rituals to Celebrate Beltane – and a Visualisation!

· ·

I love Beltane, I love it because it is fiery, passionate, intentional and produces results!  

Beltane was thought to be one of the more important festivals of the Gaelic calendar.  Beltane is a Fire Festival. The word ‘Beltane’ originates from the Celtic God ‘Bel’, meaning ‘the bright one’ and the Gaelic word ‘teine’ meaning fire. Together they make ‘Bright Fire’, or ‘Goodly Fire’ and traditionally bonfires were lit to honour the Sun and encourage the support of Bel and the Sun’s light to nurture the emerging future harvest and protect the community.

Beltane celebrates the height of Spring and the flowering of life. Earth energies are at their strongest and most active.  All of life is bursting with potent fertility, look at the trees around you – (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere), they are bursting forth with bright green leaves and the little sparrows are back as well as the robins.  Abundant fertility, on all levels, is the central theme.

The Goddess has reached her fullness and is the manifestation of growth and renewal and shows up as the May Queen, Flora, the Goddess of Spring. The God emerges as the Young Oak, May King  or as Jack in the Green. They fall in love, the union is consummated and the May Queen becomes pregnant. Together the May Queen and the May King are symbols of the Sacred Marriage, the union of Earth and Sky.  If you have ever read “The Mists of Avalon” you will know what I am talking about. “This is the night of the Greenwood Marriage. It is about sexuality and sensuality, passion, vitality and joy. And about conception. A brilliant moment in the Wheel of the Year to bring ideas, hopes and dreams into action. And have some fun!”

On Beltane we honor nature’s oldest love story. Beltane means bright fire, and in earth-based traditions, it represents the handfasting, or marriage, of the God and Goddess and their eternal embrace. In ancient lore, the two are separated all winter long, and their reunion on Beltane is celebrated with food, drink, and multi-colored maypoles, which symbolize female energies wrapping themselves around the male form. The world comes alive in color to celebrate their love. This is a holiday of union, a celebration of the divine balance in the union of masculine and feminine. Having reached maturity through their long separation, Lord and Lady now come together as one.

Have you ever seen a Maypole dance?  If you have never seen a proper Maypole dance done, I highly recommend it!  A phallic pole, often made from Birch (why Birch you ask –  Birch is regarded as a feminine tree and Deities associated with Birch are mostly love and fertility goddesses. It is one of the first trees to show its leaf in Spring), was inserted into the Earth representing the potency of the God. At the top there would be a glorious wreath, most often Hawthorn flowers and the flowers represented the Goddess.  Hawthorn is a deeply magical tree and is one of the three trees at the heart of the Celtic Tree Alphabet, the Faery Triad, ‘by Oak, Ash and Thorn’. Traditionally Beltane began when the Hawthorn, the May, blossomed. It is the tree of sexuality and fertility and is the classic flower to decorate a Maypole with.

The dance around the Maypole represented Their unity.  Ribbons of Green, White and Red hung down from the top of the pole and each young woman would take an end and dance.  As they danced around the pole they would weave in and out and through whilst holding onto their gorgeous ribbon. This weaving represented the Spiral of Life and the union between the God and the Goddess.  It’s moving artistry and glorious fun!

So if you haven’t gotten it yet, Beltane is a festival of flowers, fertility, sensuality, and delight.  The Beltane fires of yore were a time of revelry, pairing and celebrating fertility (there were lots of babies born 9 months after the celebrations!)  Also, cattle would be led between two fires for protection and to encourage a strong, fertile herd. People believed the smoke and the ashes from the Beltane fires offered protection and fertility.  Holy wells were visited and feasts were had. Rowan was often used in Beltane festivals as it’s a tree of protection and healing. Branches of Rowan were placed as protection over the doors of houses and barns at Beltane to protect from increased Faery activity as they woke from their winter slumber. Sprigs were worn for protection also. Rowan berries have a tiny five-pointed star on the bottom reminiscent of the pentagram.

So all in all a great time to celebrate, set intention, fertilise either self or ideas and have a grand jolly time!  

But I guess the question some people have is – “Why bother marking the day?”  Good question, and my answer would be because it connects you to something bigger, older and deeper than our modern day to day.  

I love the way Donna Henes puts it:-  Ceremonial observance adds lucid layers — depth, dimension, drama and distinction — to our lives, making the ordinary seem special, and the special, extraordinary. Through the practice of ritual we are privileged to experience ourselves as prepared, present, passionate, principled and potent. When we set aside the quality time and claim the psychic space for ceremony, when we assume the authority to do so, we are able to transform our perceptions, our perspectives, our experiences, and in the process, our reality.

Does ritual have to be long, drawn out, complicated and require a shed ton of things you don’t have in your home?  Some people believe so, but I don’t. To me ritual is performed when I make food for those I love with the intention of it being nourishing and a dish of connection.  It’s also in when I routinely smudge and energetically cleanse my home, or in the Epsom salt tub that I draw up for one of the boys with the oils that will help them.

So with all that being said let’s go explore 3 simple rituals for Beltane.  The first one is the egg charm (and I most certainly do this at Easter) and it is so easy to do.  The second is a tree blessing, which I love and will be doing. There’s also a very simple dandelion renewal ritual – if spring has sprung early enough for you.  And a glorious fun thing to do is a Faery offering! 

Here is a lovely guided visualisation/meditation to help you really release and tap into this amazing time.  Enjoy!

 

Pick what resonates for you, or create your own.  The key elements are Intention, Willingness and Openness.  

Enjoy and have fun!

Beltane is almost here!

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Happy Magickal, Mystical, Merry, Magnificent, Marvelous, Merry, Manifesting Monday!

So good to be back!  It feels like it has been forever since we last connected, but in fact it has only been two weeks!  How was your Easter? Did you get out and play, hunt for choccie eggs and do something fun? I hope so!  We had a lovely family (family that is here) dinner, however, due to my son very kindly insisting that he would by a ham, and then not getting it to me until 6pm.  Dinner wasn’t until 9pm! Ah well, we went and played on the beach, had skipping stone competitions, water fights and when we came home and walked in the door the smell was divine, it was quite lovely!

Now before we dive into Beltane and what it is and how to celebrate let’s talk about monthly energy.  As you are aware the energy of each month shifts and invites us to be a bit more aware about certain ways we are showing up in our lives and where we can get taken off track and blindly carry on down the road of humdrum, same old, same old.  I shared with some of you that every month I do a gorgeous monthly reading for myself. This reading gives me personally the energy of the month for me, then what to focus on each week. Quite a few of you responded that you would like that made available to you, so I am.  Starting now there is a glorious Monthly energy reading that is available to you here! Which feels very appropriate with Beltane (May day) approaching – like on Wednesday! I’m also offering a May mini message which you can read about here as well.

Okay let’s take a little dip into what the heck Beltane is and whether you should pay attention to it or not.  Beltane was thought to be one of the more important festivals of the Gaelic calendar.  Beltane is a Fire Festival. The word ‘Beltane’ originates from the Celtic God ‘Bel’, meaning ‘the bright one’ and the Gaelic word ‘teine’ meaning fire. Together they make ‘Bright Fire’, or ‘Goodly Fire’ and traditionally bonfires were lit to honour the Sun and encourage the support of Bel and the Sun’s light to nurture the emerging future harvest and protect the community.

Beltane celebrates the height of Spring and the flowering of life. Earth energies are at their strongest and most active.  All of life is bursting with potent fertility, look at the trees around you – (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere), they are bursting forth with bright green leaves and the little sparrows are back as well as the robins.  Abundant fertility, on all levels, is the central theme. My brother came to visit this weekend from Alberta, and was blown away by all the flowers and the smells that are happening as we are a good 7 weeks ahead of them. Rhododendrons are in bloom, there are fields of Camus lilies, Sea breeze is bobbing their little pink heads, the Iris’s are up and there are carpets galore of bluebells.  Spring is here!  Which is no surprise as Beltane is the festival that heralds in the fertility and growth of Spring. This is the time of unity between the Goddess and the God and massive celebration.  For those of you who are on the email list there will be more information on Beltane tomorrow and a couple of super simple (we like simple) rituals to mark this fantabulous day.  The colours of Beltane are red, green, white or silver and the ritual trees of this celebration are Birch, Hawthorn (which I planted two of) and of course Rowan.  Speaking of Rowan, when my fourth child was born I had a ring made of Celtic knot work with Rowan leaves on it to celebrate his arrival.

Okay, enough chuntering, let’s crack on with the reading!  When I went and asked which cards wanted to come out. The cards that wiggled and jiggled to come and guide this week are the glorious Oracle of the Dragonfae.  Now if these delicious guides are new to you, please let me introduce them:-  These guides are the magickal and mystical that weave through the threads of every day, they are the Dragonfae, Gods and Goddesses who dwelt in dimensional lands….Eden, Avalon, Ys, Atlantis and Mu, they are Morgan, Guenevere, Merlin and others – fully alive and filled with magick! They are the deliciously magickal beings that have always been there, we just forgot, and when we connect with them, we reconnect with the lost parts of ourselves, allowing us to fully explore the gift of life on this beautiful green and blue planet, known by some as Gaia, by others as Dana, and by many other names. The most positively perfect guides as we enter this magickal time of Beltane and an energy shift for May, plus the New Moon.

The crystals and flowers that were adamant it was their time to shine and share are:- Chrysocolla – revitalises and balances the base, navel and solar plexus chakras. Amethyst – aid healing and intense spiritual growth.  Last but not least,  Angelite – transmutes pain and disorder into wholeness and healing, opening the way for spiritual inspiration.  The lovely rhododendron flower, bluebells and pansy were most adamant to participate.  

Okay, take a moment to come back into your body, allow your shoulders to nestle down your spine and just breathe long and deep.  When you are ready pick the card or cards that whisper at you.

Did you remember to pick?

 

 

Let’s go have a look shall we?

 

 

GRANDMOTHER MAGICKS

At this time of life change, you are drawing to you other beings and people, including divinities, who bring you solace, comfort and their unconditional love.  You are surrounded by this comfort even in the beings of this Earth known as pets, but who are truly your guardians nd beloved companions…these pets are those who comfort you with their love and warmth, and their desire for your well-being, your company and your happiness, come what may.  You may draw to you new friends at this time, or just be gifted with the kindness of strangers.

There are many wonderful beings in this world, some of whom are being sent directly to you to bring you comfort, to hold you, and to rock you safely to sleep each night.  You are a being who is valuable, and who is loved beyond measure. Allow us to come close to you, and let us in. Bre prepared for kindnesses, small gifts and valuable windfalls when I make an appearance.  Also, know that the old way of viewing this stage of life has fallen away….there is no need to take the lie up again. Let it be, and come forth into this new stage as beautiful as we know you are.

I also wish you to know that the time for change is coming: that you are passing from childhood of a kind, to a true deep maturity…this is a fine thing, and we will celebrate this together, you and I, together with the friends who want so very much to meet you!

AINE AND THE GUARDIAN

Here I stand, offering to you the protection and safety of my guardian being, wanting you to know how very protected you truly are.  Never need you fear again those who have done you harm. This is over, and never again will disrespect and tyranny blight your path and light.  Know that from this moment on, I stand with you, as does this magnificent Moondragonfae guardian, and together we say you may live as you wish, you may love as you wish, you may worship as you wish.  No longer will others who feel they know best have their way with you, in spirit, in your heart, in your body, in your eternal soul. You are a radiant being of moonlit power, and the Goddess, our Mother, is overjoyed at your brilliance, your wit, your beauty, your freedom.  I repeat. You are safe. You are protected. You are divine. All else is a lie.

Allow yourself to take flight, and explore the night and the freedoms it holds.  The Moon cycles have much to reveal to you now, and as she wanes and waxes, and shines fully, you may stand beneath her and feel her rays shining through your every cell, filling you with natural magick that sustains your freedom, your true soul self, and brings you a warrior strength that by no means decreases your brilliances as a woman, or your femininity.  Be receptive, and Aine will guide you to her magickal places, and this galactic Dragonfae being will help you see beyond our own star, the Sun, into the realms beyond. Your freedom and your self is as boundless as the night sky.

NIMUE

Between my two hands lies the power of all that is; the connections between the Earth and the stars, the realms through which you can move to bring about your deepest desires and dreams.  But do you dare to dream it? Are you courageous enough to declare your desire? I can create, but I will not be brought froth when you do not have the fortitude to commit to your change. Make a commitment to thy own self now – she, who you truly are, is worth this trust, this pledge, this courage you must have to birth your own changing self.  For I am gentle, but I too have no more time to spend if you wish to waste the jewels life has given you. I will turn away, because it may not yet be your time. Only you can say it is not so, and walk forth into your new self, with me as guide and light, with transformation as your nature, with your incarnation without material death as your truth.  

Do this with me:  Bless theyself. Love thyself.  Know that you are beyond your own imaginings.  Act this day, this hour, this minute, and change will flow.  Do not hesitate. Be transformed now!

It is time for you to free yourself from the confines of others’ expectations and investigate other less conventional ways of making a living.  You may be drawn to a particular crystal at this time, and may enjoy simply entering into more regular communion with the element of earth and its minerals.  Wear jewelry that has been cleansed by you, and energised by you, and understand its significance and power for you. Make each piece you choose to wear a totem symbolising your own self, adorning and expressing who you truly are.  Above all, the message of Nimue is to free yourself. Stop expecting others to unshackle the chains and force you to walk free. You, and only you, can remove that which is holding you back.

What a delicious reading!  Talk about the perfect energies to go along with Beltane and the fiery, passion!  Okay delicious lovely, remember to check out the monthly reading and the May mini message.  If you want to receive information about Beltane and some easy rituals make sure you are on the email list.  Wishing you a stupendous, fertile, abundant week filled with flowers, song, and laughter. Huge hugs and squeezes!  See you next week!

It’s Beltane!

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I love Beltane, I love it because it is fiery, passionate, intentional and produces results!  

Beltane was thought to be one of the more important festivals of the Gaelic calendar.  Beltane is a Fire Festival. The word ‘Beltane’ originates from the Celtic God ‘Bel’, meaning ‘the bright one’ and the Gaelic word ‘teine’ meaning fire. Together they make ‘Bright Fire’, or ‘Goodly Fire’ and traditionally bonfires were lit to honour the Sun and encourage the support of Bel and the Sun’s light to nurture the emerging future harvest and protect the community.

Beltane celebrates the height of Spring and the flowering of life. Earth energies are at their strongest and most active.  All of life is bursting with potent fertility, look at the trees around you – (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere), they are bursting forth with bright green leaves and the little sparrows are back as well as the robins.  Abundant fertility, on all levels, is the central theme.

The Goddess has reached her fullness and is the manifestation of growth and renewal and shows up as the May Queen, Flora, the Goddess of Spring. The God emerges as the Young Oak, May King  or as Jack in the Green. They fall in love, the union is consummated and the May Queen becomes pregnant. Together the May Queen and the May King are symbols of the Sacred Marriage, the union of Earth and Sky.  If you have ever read “The Mists of Avalon” you will know what I am talking about. “This is the night of the Greenwood Marriage. It is about sexuality and sensuality, passion, vitality and joy. And about conception. A brilliant moment in the Wheel of the Year to bring ideas, hopes and dreams into action. And have some fun!”

Have you ever seen a Maypole dance?  If you have never seen a proper Maypole dance done, I highly recommend it!  A phallic pole, often made from Birch (why Birch you ask –  Birch is regarded as a feminine tree and Deities associated with Birch are mostly love and fertility goddesses. It is one of the first trees to show its leaf in Spring), was inserted into the Earth representing the potency of the God. At the top there would be a glorious wreath, most often Hawthorn flowers and the flowers represented the Goddess.  Hawthorn is a deeply magical tree and is one of the three trees at the heart of the Celtic Tree Alphabet, the Faery Triad, ‘by Oak, Ash and Thorn’. Traditionally Beltane began when the Hawthorn, the May, blossomed. It is the tree of sexuality and fertility and is the classic flower to decorate a Maypole with.

The dance around the Maypole represented Their unity.  Ribbons of Green, White and Red hung down from the top of the pole and each young woman would take an end and dance.  As they danced around the pole they would weave in and out and through whilst holding onto their gorgeous ribbon. This weaving represented the Spiral of Life and the union between the God and the Goddess.  It’s moving artistry and glorious fun!

So if you haven’t gotten it yet, Beltane is a festival of flowers, fertility, sensuality, and delight.  The Beltane fires of yore were a time of revelry, pairing and celebrating fertility (there were lots of babies born 9 months after the celebrations!)  Also, cattle would be led between two fires for protection and to encourage a strong, fertile herd. People believed the smoke and the ashes from the Beltane fires offered protection and fertility.  Holy wells were visited and feasts were had. Rowan was often used in Beltane festivals as it’s a tree of protection and healing. Branches of Rowan were placed as protection over the doors of houses and barns at Beltane to protect from increased Faery activity as they woke from their winter slumber. Sprigs were worn for protection also. Rowan berries have a tiny five-pointed star on the bottom reminiscent of the pentagram.

So all in all a great time to celebrate, set intention, fertilise either self or ideas and have a grand jolly time!  

But I guess the question some people have is – “Why bother marking the day?”  Good question, and my answer would be because it connects you to something bigger, older and deeper than our modern day to day.  

I love the way Donna Henes puts it:-  Ceremonial observance adds lucid layers — depth, dimension, drama and distinction — to our lives, making the ordinary seem special, and the special, extraordinary. Through the practice of ritual we are privileged to experience ourselves as prepared, present, passionate, principled and potent. When we set aside the quality time and claim the psychic space for ceremony, when we assume the authority to do so, we are able to transform our perceptions, our perspectives, our experiences, and in the process, our reality.

Does ritual have to be long, drawn out, complicated and require a shed ton of things you don’t have in your home?  Some people believe so, but I don’t. To me ritual is performed when I make food for those I love with the intention of it being nourishing and a dish of connection.  It’s also in when I routinely smudge and energetically cleanse my home, or in the Epsom salt tub that I draw up for one of the boys with the oils that will help them.

So with all that being said let’s go explore 3 simple rituals for Beltane.  The first one is the egg charm (and I most certainly do this at Easter) and it is so easy to do.  The second is a tree blessing, which I love and will be doing. The last, but not least is a very simple dandelion renewal ritual – if spring has sprung early enough for you.   

Pick what resonates for you, or create your own.  The key elements are Intention, Willingness and Openness.  

Enjoy and have fun!

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