Apr 30, 2014

Dancing Into May


"Come with prong, and come with fork,
Like the devil of their talk,
And with wildly rattling sound,
Prowl the desert rocks around!
Screechowl, owl,
Join in chorus with our howl!"

~exerpt from The First Walpurgis Night (1835)
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The owls have been calling.  The dragons (in boat form) have come out onto the water. I've even come across a serpent by the riverside, sunning itself in the unseasonable heat.

The in-between time is here again.  While others excitedly watch the snow melt and give thanks for the green returning, we are already watering our lawns and gardens here in the desert end of The Valley.  We are at the tipping point of summer already. Spring has been a lightening bolt. A bright flash of color, and now the blossoms have become leaves and the strawberries are rapidly forming tiny fruit.

Even the flowers blooming this time of year speak of liminal spaces (if you buy into flower symbolism and magic.)  According to Tess Whitehurst's "The Magic of Flowers: A Guide to Their Metaphysical Uses and Properties," both Lilac and Narcissus (daffodil) open the doorway between the phyical realm and the otherworld.

"...while lilac is more about the connection between us and our deceased loved ones, narcissus is more about life, springtime, rebirth, and the beneficent beings of light associated with these energies, such as angels and faeries."

A little last minute advice: if you stay up to greet the faeries (or other wiley folk) tonight feel free to give them libations, but don't partake of what they might offer. Not all otherworldy folk are "beneficent beings of light." There is plenty of folklore to caution that if you eat or drink otherworldy offerings, you may find yourself very far from home.

As we dance our way into May, I wish you a festive and fertile spring and a vibrant and fruitful growing season ahead.  May your crops be healthy and plentiful.  May your projects and passions bring you all you desire.

SlĂ inte!

4 comments:

mxtodis123 said...

Happy May Day to you and yours. This is such a very special day.
Mary

jaz@octoberfarm said...

happy may!

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Walpurgis/Beltane blessings to you, Rue!

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

What a lovely May Day blessing sent our way. Thank you and the same and more to you. Oma Linda