Thoughts

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!

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

Enjoy and have fun!

What’s Your Word of the Year?

Jenny Heston · 7:00 pm ·

What is Word of the Year you may be asking and why work with it?

Now if Word of The Year is new to you, let me tell you it is frigging amazing!

I happily released New Years Resolutions and have been doing this for nearly 14 years. Great Jenny, what the heck is it? Let me share my experience.

Can one word make a difference? Heck Yes! Is it different from New Year’s Resolutions – oh heck yes!

Resolutions are normally, “I will quit this, I will start that, I need to stop being sarcastic, etc. etc.” All coming from a place of lack, fear, feeling that you need to be better as obviously you aren’t enough at this moment in time. I don’t agree with that. You are whole, complete and there are some areas you may need to grow, but grow them from a place of strength, spirit and grow your whole life. That’s where Word of The Year comes in!

Word of the Year is finding the word that really resonates through every aspect of your being and letting it become your touchstone for the year as you move through work, life, family, exploring and growing. I first learned this process from Christine Kane, and if you would like to download her workbook and find out more about it, you can right here.

Last year, my word was “Possibilities”. We are so often taught that there aren’t possibilities (which feels constricting) or that there is possibility A or possibility B – bullshit! As Pam Grout shares in her books – to live and work with the Divine/Universe there are infinite possibilities!!! I am so thankful that was my word for last year, as she certainly opened a lot of doors and helped me through some very challenging times.

This year my word is “Expansive” – in other words as I approach situations, places, people, events etc. I get to ask myself -”Does this make me feel Expansive?” And I will be honest, if it’s not a Hell Yes, it’s a No!

So what’s Your Word of The Year? What calls to you and invites you to be bigger, clearer and bolder?

Yule time is here and welcome to B.O.W.S!

Jenny Heston · 1:01 am ·

Has it occurred to you that this is the last Yule time (Northern Hemisphere) or Litha time (Southern Hemisphere) of this decade!! Wowzers! Let alone the fact that we are entering Eclipse time, but that’s for another day.

I love Winter Solstice and I can feel the energy of it for a few weeks before it even arrives. It’s dark far earlier, much colder outside and there is a desire to cocoon, wear warmer clothes and eat soup (at least for me). There is a sensation of reflection, going inwards and questioning that arrives naturally from this energy. To me this is a time where I notice those “meh” moments more and really examine my life and ask the question “Am I showing up and embodying what I am called to do?” That’s why, to me, I feel it vital to take some time out to honour this energy and work with it which in turn allows me to feel aligned. In fact I feel more balanced, connected and inspired after I have taken some time.

As a kid I used to be scared of the dark, I felt it held things that were terrifying and uncomfortable. As an adult I have learned that’s not true and have become willing to walk into the darkness and allow myself to get comfortably uncomfortable and dig deep, explore the mysteries and embrace all aspects of being human. Light and dark. You can’t have one without the other! Winter Solstice invites us with a safe open hand to step into the place of mystery, the warm comforting dark that wraps around us like a cosy blankie. Whispering in our ear – rest, be, embrace, release, create, imagine, grow ……….

So what is Winter Solstice and why celebrate it? Why take the time to honour it? The Pagan celebration of Winter Solstice (also known as Yule) is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. Winter Solstice takes place on the day where the night is the longest and the hours of sun or daylight are the shortest. In fact “Solstice” comes from two Latin words: sol meaning “sun” and sistere meaning “to stand still” because it appeared as though the sun and moon had stopped moving across the sky. This longest night of the year, followed by a renewal of the sun, demonstrates the cyclical order of the cosmos. In this way, celebrating the solstice can be a beautiful remembrance that our lives are part of a larger order, always changing, always renewing. It’s a gorgeous invitation to not be afraid of the dark or the shadow, as it is in that place is where we shift, grow and recharge.

Winter Solstice has been celebrated in various forms and for thousands of years across a myriad of cultures, all who are willing to step into the darkness and wait to welcome back the light. (And if you lived in medieval times that’s pretty ballsy!) So as I promised gorgeous one, my gift to you for this Yule time is B.O.W.S

I have been so thrilled to create this wonderful package, packed with information, rituals, intentions, magick and a glorious guided visualisation, just for you. You would have received the password for it in your email.

For my glorious ones in the South, I haven’t forgotten, let me introduce you to B.O.S.S. (Your Book of Summer Solstice). Again, packed with rituals, intentions, magick and a glorious guided visualisation.

Whether you are North or South wishing you a Blessed Solstice. So Be It.

New Moon Bowl Ritual

Jenny Heston · 6:02 pm ·

Hello gorgeous one, welcome to the New Moon Bowl Ritual.

Is it challenging? Is it expensive? Do you need to go buy a shed ton of stuff? Heck No! All it requires is a bowl you like, 14 little rocks and your intention.

Now with regards to these 14 rocks, they don’t have to be crystals, or blessed by a guru. These little rocks can be from the beach, the park, a gravelled yard – it doesn’t matter, it’s all about the intention you set with them. Mine are from the beach and they are different sizes and different colours.

So a brief recap. The New Moon sets the energy for the month, in otherwords until the next New Moon. So this is delicious strong energy that waxes and wanes to support you in what you want to attract more of, manifest or create in your life.

Have you ever done New Moon Wishes before? If you haven’t, I have a quick and dirty guide on how to write your 10 New Moon Wishes. My suggestion to you is to read it, write your Wishes and then look for a theme throughout all of them, and there will be one. Now what do I mean by a theme? If you review your wishes and they are all related to money for example, that is a theme. If they are related to attracting love into your life – theme. If they are about having more ease, support in your life – theme.

So if it were money for example that you had mainly written about then that could be encapsulated as “I easily and attract more wealth and abundance into my life from known and unknown sources.”

On the New Moon, write your wishes out, find the theme, come up with your intention statement (such as the example above that embodies your theme for you). Then every day from New Moon to Full Moon, and I highly suggest in the morning if that works for you, take one of your rocks, say your intention outloud and put the rock in the bowl. Now you may be asking “Why?”

As the New Moon blooms she waxes until the Full Moon, in other words she gets bigger and stronger. So every day you see your intention, as you put a rock in the bowl getting stronger and coming into existence for you. Then as the moon hits her glorious fullness you start to take a rock out of the bowl each morning and see your intention being brought into being and ready to harvest. Does that make sense?

But Jenn why can’t I just write my New Moon wishes down? You most certainly can of course! However, often I see people write them down and then within two days they have forgotten what they were. Thus, this lovely Ritual takes the theme of your New Moon wishes and makes it physical and a daily practice. And if you remember:- ritual takes an idea, thought or emotion and gives it a physical form in the world. ritual allows your body, your cells, you essence to understand your intention.

I highly invite you to try it because it is a delicious ritual and really ramps up the energy of your intention. Let me know how this works for you, try it for 2 months straight.

I would also love to hear what type of rocks you picked and which bowl!

Enjoy.

Mabon, Fall Equinox and a gorgeous giftie just for you.

Jenny Heston · 7:31 pm ·

I love Fall, the colours, it’s as if Nature is getting all dressed up and inviting us to celebrate and appreciate all the gifts and bounty we have received (think fields filled with gorgeous fat orange pumpkins). The smell of the air, and the crispness of the early mornings, the harvest fairs and there is a sense of urgency in the air. For me there is also a melancholy that goes with Fall as I watch the trees release their gorgeous leaves and the ground starting to frost and chill, there is a sense of loss as the snow is coming and the clouds are going to drop down.

Autumnal equinox offers us delicious lessons that run parallel with our lives. Think about it; the first lesson is the balance of the dark with the light. On the equinox night and day are in perfect equal balance and as human beings we are invited to balance our own inner dark and light. Joyce Rupp, a Catholic writer and poet challenges us to befriend our inner darkness: “I gratefully acknowledge how darkness has become less of an enemy for me and more of a place of silent nurturance, where the slow, steady gestation needed for my soul’s growth can occur. Not only is light a welcomed part of my life, but I am also developing a greater understanding of how much I need to befriend my inner darkness.”

Another lesson is that of Impermanence. Spring brought the glorious buds, Summer brought the flowers and expansion and now Autumn brings the leaves falling and bare branches. Things change and they move through their cycles, they don’t stay in one space. Imagine if you were a flower and you had gone through your budding process into your glorious blossoming period and then it was demanded of you that you continually stayed in that state. It isn’t sustainable, you need to be able to turn inward, nourish your roots, cocoon if you will so that you can go into another state of budding and blossoming.

The last lesson I see that autumnal equinox reminds us of is Letting Go. Think of the gorgeous leaves that gently flutter down to the ground. The tree isn’t trying to cling onto them, nor are the leaves struggling to stay where they are, they are gently released and offered back to the earth to nourish the soil. With this we are reminded that fall is a fabulous time for putting down our burdens, for letting go of things that no longer serve us and to get out of our way and allow Spirit/Universe/God to take charge for a while.

(Can you tell I am passionate about Fall and the Equinox!)

So as a birthday gift for you I have created the Mabon Magick Manual. It is packed with information, ideas, rituals and for those of you bold enough – a spell. Before you download, you might want to take a moment to centre, ground and get present. So I have a lovely visualisation for you. Imagine you are a tree!

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