Every year, my husband, daughter, and I sit down and discuss how we want to celebrate key HolyDays and Festivals in our home. We have some of the usual suspects that you’d expect in a home with an 8-year old girl (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Birthdays, Halloween, etc.). Per her request, we also have Diwali and Spring Equinox on the calendar, and for me personally, we’ve added in things like Quinquatria, Samhain, Brigid’s Day, and the birthdays and feast days of assorted Goddesses. My husband’s requests usually slant to the Norse, with the exceptions of Summer Solstice and Beltaine. He says he’s “partial to fire festivals”.
As a result, we spend the week leading up to Beltaine in preparation. This year, in spite of the lockdown orders here in Colorado, was no different. I had built a small tabletop Maypole a few years ago, and that’s always the centerpiece of our Beltaine feast! Given the current situation, we started pulling things we had around the house already and putting them together a few days ago. In our grocery order (for pickup) we made sure to add extra fruits and veggies, and I popped in a bouquet of mixed daisies at the last second. We tend to have fake florals in our home since allergies are a Thing here, but fresh daisies and the occasional rose and lily arrangement sometimes mysteriously make their way into our grocery shopping trips.
We also decided that this year, we were going to try a few new things. We found this delicious-looking cinnamon sugar bread recipe that we could make in our bread machine. It would be the perfect accompaniment to our fruit salad, grilled chicken kebabs, and fresh sliced tomatoes.
This morning, as everyone was still waking up, we pulled some cards from the Goddess Guidance Oracle from Doreen Virtue for our Beltaine Altar, and I set the stage with some of our favorite Springtime sprays from Murphy’s Essentials and RED Priestess. Between the fresh flowers and the silk floral crowns that we made last year, the beautiful Goddesses stood out and sent a clear message to us. This was a time for love, renewal, prosperity, and creative energy!
We’ll spend time this afternoon playing dress-up (as fairies, of course!), stringing up twinkle lights on every available surface within reach of an electrical outlet, and we’ll round out the night with a Family Dance Party. After our daughter goes to bed, the hubby and I will have some quiet time together. Tomorrow, if there’s anything left from our loaf of bread, I’ll make french toast and we’ll likely have another round of dance parties. We’ve been looking forward to a bright day of light-hearted celebrating for the last few weeks, and this is the perfect timing (and weather!) for it!
Since we drew Pele as our last Beltaine Goddess, I wanted to find a sentiment that spoke to my Hawaiian heritage, while still expressing our joined feelings this Beltaine. Normally, we’d take a bowl of fruit salad to my mom’s house, and spend the day in the park nearby. Those things will have to wait until a better time, but we’ll still have an opportunity to do video calls with our loved ones, both near and far.
One phrase that really stood out to me was `A`ohe loa i ka hana a ke aloha, which means “Distance is ignored by love.” No matter where you are, or who you’re sheltered-in-place with, I hope that you are able to pause and find some little light today, and all days, and that you’re able to ignite some creative fire in your soul!
From my family to yours – Beltaine Blessings!
