Beltaine's Calling

The stormy rains of April has brought forth luscious and fertile ground for May!  Beltaine celebrates life, the height of Spring and the sacred union of the God and Goddess as the Green Man and the May Queen!  It is a sabbat literally impregnated with love, lust, fertility, dance, bonfires and making love in the moonlight (quite literally – some cultures do this to bless and thank the land for it’s amazing abundance this time of the year).  The maiden has flowered and the lord is on the hunt to find and claim the May Queen as his own – as such, the Earth is in full bloom and all of her glory as the Green Man claims her as his pallet once again!  It’s the wedding and consummation of our blessed Lord and Lady once more.  We celebrate with the Earth as she bursts forth into color and life! You get the idea.

Beltaine asks us to love, to live out loud, and to party!  It’s a celebration of the sexual union of the God and Goddess and the creative energies born from their love-making.  These energies bless the land, animals and people, bestowing health and fertility to all!

I want to offer a different perspective on all this fertility, creativity and growth.  Fertility isn’t just for the lovers – but for the thinkers as well.  What has been growing in the garden of your mind?  What is it that has been lying dormant all winter but is yearning to burst forth?  What is it that would feed your soul and allow you to grow?  Listen to your very essence and bring forth your own unique life-force!

I believe we are all creators, and I think sometimes, we forget that.  We create art, music, books, programs, experiences – anything and everything we share with the world.  Let it be written… or painted… or cooked… or danced!  Looking for some inspiration to get those creative juices flowing?  Here’s a few things that I’ve found useful…

1.      Listen to some music – I hear classical works great, but if you can put together a playlist of songs that lift your spirits/make you feel empowered, I think it’s even better!  Not only will the music get you moving (mine does), but it’ll boost your mood and that helps creative ideas flow!

2.      Let go of perfection – this is a rough one to me, but at the end of the day, nothing is perfect, but everything and everyone is unique! Besides putting pressure on yourself to produce something outstanding can actually make it harder to create anything at all.

3.      Play games – doesn’t sound right, does it?  But playing games, even video games, promotes creativity by boosting our problem-solving skills and our cognitive function!  That’s a win/win in my book!

4.      Daydream…and journal it!  We tend to take a more creative approach to things when our mind is wandering – and it also make sense to write these ventures down.  This way, we’re taking our imagination into reality and creating our own surrealism!  Whoa…

5.      Wait a minute, we’re all energetically magickal beings – so why not incorporate other creative energies into our space?  Herbs and oils that can help get those creative juices flowing include sage (known for its cleansing properties, but it’s also the herb of wisdom and inspiration), honeysuckle, and blue vervain.  Crystals can charge up those creative muscles too!  Try citrine, moonkaite jasper, or carnelian.  Color magic?  Why not?  Orange and yellow will boost creativity – some suggest blue because blue helps with expression.  The Universe has gifted us with limitless tools, might as well put them to good use!

So, I wish you the brightest of Beltaine, no matter how you choose to celebrate!  And invite you to share in the comments – and especially if you decided to get crafty, post some pics!

Bright blessing, my lovelies!