Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Clearing a path for the Wheel to turn (or, don’t be holy day road kill)


                In a short time we will be standing at the gates of Beltane, readying ourselves for the Wheel to turn again and bring in the period of fertility and rebirth for which we light the fires.  

                But are we ready for it?  

                A few years ago I had a truly disappointing Beltane.  Looking at it then I blamed a myriad of elements for the lack of complete success of the circle, but then I thought about it a little more and a thought occurred to me – was I ready for it?  Had I made room in myself for the Wheel to turn, or was the Wheel stuck in mire in my soul?  Turns out, it was stuck. 

                Now yes, the Wheel turns with or without us.  We could wake up on Beltane, have some massive emergency (Goddess forbid, but life happens) and spend the whole of the day dealing with mundane necessities and not spending it celebrating our holy day.  You could remember for two seconds before collapsing into bed to thank the Goddess and God for Beltane and then pass out from the exhaustion of the day and Beltane would still have happened – the Wheel would still have turned.  (I’m reminded of the Grinch here… “It came without ribbons, it came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags!” I have a soft spot for animated Dr. Seuss) But seriously, it still comes, even without chalice and broom and ceremony. 

                However, we have a choice here – the Wheel can turn without us, with us, or over us.  What happened to me was the last option, over me.  I wasn’t ready, I hadn’t prepared for it, and the Gods knew that.  When I was being taught, for the short time I had a teacher in the Druidic arts, I was taught to meditate and clear my mind and heart before entering the circle of stones and so to be perfectly open to the voices of the Gods.  I learned that this means more than a quick grounding before you walk into the circle.  That is like standing at the door to a friend’s house and remembering that you’re covered with mud, so you flick a little off before you enter.  Not totally useful.  

                What this means is spending time in the days leading up to the holy day in meditation (however long you need – minutes, hours, moments) cleaning house on your soul.  When spring comes we throw open the windows, get out the brooms and mops and clean house.  We sweep and dust and clear out the staleness of winter, readying our homes for the warmth of spring and the beauty of the sun.  But how often do we do that to our souls?  We throw out things we haven’t used in a while when we spring clean, but do we also let go of the emotional connections we might have to those things?  When we give away what we’re not using to those who can use it, do we let go of that energy too or do we hold on to it, leaving a loose end flopping around?  How many cobwebs are in your soul that you could wipe away to let in the sun?  

                This coming Beltane marks the beginning of my month of packing as I ready to move back to the east coast.  The movers who are collecting the furniture I’m not taking with me come hard on the heels of Beltane in fact – May 3rd to be exact.  So soon after the holy day I’ll also have a relatively empty apartment, and boxes will take the place of furniture.  This is symbolic for me of letting go of emotions I’ve held on to all winter, clearing out room in my soul for not only the turn of the Wheel but also making room for whatever the Gods will send me when I reach my new home.  

                Every Beltane is different, flavored by the types of people attending the ceremony, the mood of the moment, the weather, the foods, the drink.  I am fortunate to have experienced the lust and the joining of the Beltane fires, and also to practice solitary and open myself to the love of the God and Goddess and their influence in my heart as I danced.  This Beltane I am celebrating with a group of friends and am very much looking forward to the fires and circle.  Will it be as others have been?  Probably not.  This is a new group of people for me, and unless I travel back here next year this will be my only year with them.  It will be unique, as all holy days are, and my soul will be ready for it.  

                Now, since this is a kitchen druid blog, let’s talk food for a minute before I go!  Spring cleaning the house, spring cleaning the soul… what about spring cleaning the body?  Saltwater Bath!   I love these, and magically speaking they’re astounding.  Now, Beltane has a few of its own cleaning rites, one of which I’ve been doing for years.  At dawn, a maiden washes her face in the morning dew to bring beauty and youth through the year – a young man washes his hands to bring strength and honor.  I’ve done this every year for a few now, and it is more for me than the beauty or youth aspect.  It is solemn ritual – you are washing in the water come naturally from the joining of the elements.  Dew is condensation on ground, made more by the coming sun… earth, air, fire, water.  Sitting alone in a field, running my hands over the ground and then over my body is a ritual cleansing and an excellent way to start Beltane.  The night before I’ll take a saltwater bath, usually laced with lavender, oatmeal and honey, to purify myself in preparation for the next day.  If you like you can also eat cleansing foods – cooking with rosemary is excellent for this, as rosemary is a cleansing herb.  Olive oil should be included in your cooking the day before as well.  Other herbs to use the day (or week) before would be herbs of purification, healing and spring – thyme, parsley, anise, peppermint, lavender, allspice, bay, cinnamon and fennel to name a few of my favorites.  When you’re cooking, use ingredients that can only be found in the spring, to bring that warmth and growth inside.  Get garden fresh in your cooking!  It will awaken the season inside of you as you eat and really get you invigorated for the coming festival.  

                Really, the important thing is to be ready for it.  Be ready for the Wheel – not just in thought and word, but in actuality.  Look at the holy day (whichever it may be, this applies to more than just Beltane) and see what it is telling us, what is it heralding?  What lesson are we to take away from it, or perhaps more importantly, what is it trying to tell us?  All of this is as important as memorizing the words to the ceremony or knowing who’s bringing what.  Don’t let the details of planning the day overshadow the importance of the day itself – or the Wheel might turn over you instead of with you. 

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