As we come towards the end of April, it’s time to prepare for May 1 as a time of new beginnings. The ancient Celts (as well as other civilizations) believed that after the Spring Equinox (March 21), there was a period of preparation for growth; a time of transition from being shut up inside for the cold of winter, to starting the cycle of renewal and growth again. Much like seeds being planted and pushing up through the earth to find the sun, they believed that in those six weeks following spring, we would come out of our “caves” and start putting into thought what our intentions, hopes and dreams would be for the coming year. May 1 is a day to really put the energy (like sunlight) into those ideas and plans.
In using the Celtic “turning of the wheel,” we attach what we want to create in our lives to the earth’s grow-and-harvest cycle of natural energies. This also helps us to find a focal point on the calendar that will help us gather steam to make those changes happen. There are millions of people all over the world that still use this system. Even quantum physics tells us that shared energy is more powerful. So not only do we have the natural energy of the sun and the earth, we join many others in using that calendar day to attract what we desire into our lives!
In the cycle of the wheel, the winter months are a time to meditate, and to review what your “harvest” of the last year was. What did you accomplish; what challenges were left on the table? In looking at that, we start to create a plan for what we want to create in our lives this year. How many of us have gotten through a year only to look back and wonder why we didn’t do what we wanted to do. This process can help you to make those things happen this year.
There are May Day celebrations all over the world, a delightful one in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park through the “Reclaiming” center there, and I know of at least two in Los Angeles that are open to the public. Many of these events have what is called a “May Pole” with ribbons and people dancing in both directions around the pole weaving their hopes, dreams and desires into the ribbons as they cross over and under each other, and in this way every person there helps to support the the wishes of every other person weaving a ribbon onto the May pole. There is a celebratory and party-like atmosphere that helps to “push” the energy out to the universe. Special shared foods, artwork, singing and music help to make the event bright with energy!
You can create your own celebration, and give your dreams wings to fly up and join with all the others!
