Happy Beltane!
As opposed to the Socialist Party in America and other parts of the world, May Day, or as it was originally known, Mayday - the first of May denotes not “solidarity” with the Communists of the world but rather an ancient practice of ringing in the Spring time.
In the ancient world, Beltane (spelled in several different ways) was considered “the first of Spring time” and was planting season, and ’twas the new day for new life to come to the world.
Many years ago our Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) fighting group took on the persona of various Irish and Scottish fighting persons from ancient times. We worked out our histories (of the assumed-persona) so that we might “live in the time of those who went before us” and we fought on the field of battle in armor against various and sundry foes. During all of this we learned much of the history of the real Irish and Scottish ancestors of our families. We also learned, and spent time living in the woods of Virginia and Pennsylvania to practice these “rites”.
Now, of course we had our real lives, our work and families (most of our families were part of this so as to participate in the battles and see first-hand how medieval persons might have lived). Over the course of twenty-five years, some of us today still practice some of the “rituals” that we learned of to this day. I think the learned public might call us “Neopagans” - though most of us are Christian in faith.
In truth, we are all conservatives but, we do harken back to the days of yesteryear where a Spring Festival was a time of renewal, planting time and at night to break open a bottle of mead and to drink of the Nectar of the gods… thus have these practices brought my wife and I around to the skill of making honey wine, or mead.
Today - this evening for us, will be both a day of celebration for Spring and a sad day in the passing of another part of our lives. Three of our grandchildren will leave the state and move on to another state today with their mother, our son’s ex-wife and her new husband. Between them they have seven children from both families and one more on the way.
For them this move perhaps will be a good one and all my wife and I can do is hope and pray that our grandchildren will again return to visit us some day or that we may visit them in their new home in the future. So, tonight we visit with the children for the last time before they leave and we will, with the rest of our remaining children and grandchildren celebrate the coming of a new Spring and planting season… and what the hell, open a bottle of mead and raise it to the heavens in thanks for another year on this planet.
May you all have a Happy and Blessed Beltane!
(Or)
Bealtaine Shona!
