From the inimitable Ariel Spilsbury:

Happy Beltane, Beloveds...

Our culture has it so backwards. Get your work done, then if there is any time left in your day, find a moment of pleasure or joy. Over time, I have found that the more I stay in my joy and ecstasy and out of struggling with the 3D world, the more the Universe, in its delight, is magnetized to joyfully support my life! 

A friend's letter that arrived a couple of days ago (that follows) is a prime example of this divine truth. She had been struggling financially to keep up with her daughter's college education expenses, and her ex partner continued to be unresponsive. Though her fear and anxiety were escalating, one day she made a conscious choice to give up her worrying, and instead put her intention on her creative expression. When she allowed herself to do that, she spontaneously entered an ecstatic state with her writing. 

When she had finished writing and opened her email, there was an email from her ex partner saying he had changed his mind and would help her! So what turned things around? We need to start asking ourselves that question and get on with doing whatever that is with whatever appears to make us contract or thwart our living in joy. 

In my interpretation the hallmark of that turnaround is clearly ecstasy... the choosing to enter the ecstasy of hearing the rejoicing dawn birds singing, the ecstasy of bringing form to the mystery in writing, "dancing a jig", building an altar... anointing oneself... etc.

Here is the friend's email so you can decide the answer for yourselves:

Though I was feeling downhearted, I decided to drink " joy juice” yesterday, focusing my intentions on the largesse and abundance that surrounds me at all times.

"I woke up this morning at 4:45 am to the sound of a woman in ecstasy somewhere in the neighborhood. It made me smile. The pre-dawn breeze was so delicious that I could not, would not go back to sleep. The Muse appeared at my bedside, with pen and pad in hand. She had a bemused, and slightly piqued expression that said, “Let’s get back to it, shall we?!?” I took the paper and wrote page after page until sunlight drenched my room and the song of birds rejoicing was too overpowering to dismiss. 

I got out of bed and danced a jig, anointed myself, and proceeded to create an altar on top of my dresser of bird nests and flowers and beeswax candles. It was decidedly a most excellent start to the day. After taking a walk in the impossibly verdant hills near my home, I came home and booted up the computer. Two emails stood out: One was from my ex partner, saying that he was willing to pitch in with our daughter's extra college expenses (!) and the other was from a friend offering a part-time job I could do from home (!!!) All I can say as I laugh out loud is “Goddess is Good!!!”

So if you are heads down getting your work done, blatantly ignoring the fact that it is Spring... Beltane... the season of Ecstasy Exalted... you might want to reconsider your choice generally in your life or at the very least to take a day off to celebrate Her High Holy Day of Beltane on May 1st for Goddess' sake! Consider celebrating this Turn of the 8-spoked wheel, the precious Holy Day of Beltane, simply by choosing to do whatever gives YOU ecstasy, pleasure and delight... enacting and bringing to life the Celtic tenet: "All acts of love and pleasure are Her rituals!"

                             In Delight, Ariel

Beltane: Light Night of the Soul

We're all familiar with the classic "dark night of the soul", even if we don't know the terminology: the last few years, especially these past few weeks, everyone's felt the energies ramped up to gale force as lunar/solar eclipses, meteor showers and a Cardinal Grand Cross (the 5^th of 7 Uranus/Pluto squares plus) buffet the planet and liberate us from old beliefs and behaviors. We're being cleaned out and burnished to roar our "YES!"

May 1^st ushers in Beltane, one of eight Shabbats on the Nature-based Wheel of the Year. [The others are the Solstices and Equinoxes, Lammas (August 1st), Samhain (October 31st), and Imbolc (February 2nd).] Beltane breathes renewal into our cells as we acknowledge the elemental world and the advent of summer. For our Southern Hemisphere allies, the Wheel of the Year is reversed: they now celebrate Samhain. 

As Stargazer Li reminds us, May 1^st also commences the time cycle known as the Night, "to source what is from our own deep dreaming depths... which carries us the following day into the Moon of Liberation, to release the old stories and live at the next level...

As Samhain honors the power of death, so Beltane honors the cycles of life and rebirth. Beltane takes place in Taurus, the zodiac's earthiest, sensual sign, and focuses on exuberant sexuality: the pollinating of flowers, the lush cornucopia of fruit-bearing plants and trees, the reproductive cycle of the entire natural world, from birds and bees to people and trees. It's a fire festival of fertility in all its forms — and thus we dance in homage to Aphrodite, the Goddess Herself.

Are you ready to dive into a Light Night of the Soul, a sacred reUnion of our masculine and feminine selves? The temperatures are soaring into the 90s this week, welcoming the solar eclipse and activating our solar/cellular recognition of the Light we are.

Ignite your Light, and let it shine. As Pharrell sings, clap along if you feel like a room without a roof…

Beltane: Celebrate Your Planet, Yourself

May 1st is Beltane: a time for celebrating the beauty and sanctity of all life. Today is a moment for reclaiming your power, balance, and inner strength.

Beltane is one of eight Shabbats on the Wheel of the Year. The others include the Solstices and Equinoxes, Lammas (August 1st), Samhain (October 31st), and Imbolc (February 2nd). Beltane breathes renewal into our cells as we acknowledge the Nature Kingdom and the advent of summer. For our Southern Hemisphere allies, the Wheel of the Year is reversed: they now celebrate Samhain.

In the West, we often water down our sacred days to become mere children's celebrations: Samhain, ushering in the dark half of the year, becomes a specter of itself as Halloween; Imbolc, heralding the return of the light on February 2nd, morphs to Groundhog Day; Beltane becomes a chance to dance around the Maypole. Yet the deeper meanings reflect our lost connection with natural rhythms, with the seasonal shifts we actually embody.

As Samhain honors the power of death, so Beltane honors the cycles of life and rebirth. Beltane takes place in Taurus, the zodiac's most earthy, sensual sign, and focuses on exuberant sexuality: the pollinating of flowers, the lush cornucopia of fruit-bearing plants and trees, the reproductive cycle of the entire natural world, from birds and bees to humans. It's a celebration of fertility in all its forms — and thus we dance in homage to Aphrodite, the Goddess Herself.

Although traditionally observed on May 1st, astronomical Beltane arrives about the 5th, a nice sync-up with Cinco de Mayo, giving us an entire week in which to renew, dance the fire back into our beings, and open once again to a sacred reUnion of our masculine and feminine selves. Mythologist Kathleen Jenks provides a page rich in Beltane lore from around the globe.

Renowned ritualist Ffiona Morgan says of an anticipatory Beltane celebration, "As I walk through the blooming earth to join friends, I realize that passionate love takes many forms, and that the earth is my greatest lover. I bless my blue planet, vowing unchanging devotion and care for Her. Seeing Earth as a living, breathing female has changed me, and become the cornerstone of my commitment to Her." (from WeMoon Datebook © Mother Tongue Ink)

Beltane: Celebrate Your Planet, Yourself

In the West, we often water down our sacred days to become mere children's celebrations: Samhain, ushering in the dark half of the year, becomes a specter of itself as Halloween; Imbolc, heralding the return of the light on February 2nd, morphs to Groundhog Day; Beltane becomes a chance to dance around the Maypole.

Yet the deeper meanings reflect our lost connection with natural rhythms, with seasonal shifts we actually embody. READ THE REST!

Ultimate Surrender

Commitment precedes manifestation. I know this, and yet, sometimes it takes quite a while for my inner wisdom to prevail over monkey mind.

I've been questing a camper van in which to travel and serve for over 9 months now ~ yes, another birth process, and this baby's been overdue! Although I love northern California, it's been clear to me for some time that my service, which has been virtually-based for the past decade, is asking for a physical presence; while cyberspace is awesome (and I love connecting with people from all over the world!), bringing the activations to you directly adds a level of power and propulsion.

The day after I mentally committed to drive x-country, even if that meant taking my trusty but aged Toyota Corolla and tent camping all the way, the ideal vehicle showed up ~ in Texas. It was posted to Craig's List in San Francisco, however. Clearly, a spiritual test. I was the first to phone, the van seemed to meet all my specs, and I made plans to drive the 1300 miles (across the desert, no air conditioning) in 3 days.

As usual, the trip opened me in ways being stationary does not. While my body has rarely felt so abused, coursing through 100+ degree heat on almost no sleep or food, I simultaneously reaped numerous gifts, deepening my trust and surrender:

• Pulling into Ventura at 7 pm, timing my arrival as near as possible to receive a haircut from my former hair stylist (who is also a professional children's clown ~ and the one who shaved my head 6 years ago!), all avenues appeared blocked. Lucy had not shown up by 9 pm or returned my calls (turned out she got food poisoning that afternoon ~ and had left a note for me on her door, which I somehow failed to find). I also seemingly had no place to sleep. I remembered Lake Casitas near Ojai (about 12 miles away) and headed there, but couldn't find the turn-off where I'd thought it ought to be. Pulled into a gas station and went into the store to ask directions. There's my friend Phil working the counter. (When I lived in Ojai, he was doing graphic design and writing, but tough times prompted this temporary job.) For some reason (needing to catch up with Phil?) the Lake campground was closed, so Phil offered his couch, and I drove to his place, met his housemate, and prepared to get some shut-eye.

• En route to Phoenix, where I had a place to stay thanks to my departure-day Craig's post, requesting a bed or couch for the night, I stopped in a mini-mall just to get a break from the heat of the drive, and spied Wondercuts. Got my hair trimmed for the same price Lucy charges, and released another attachment: to a known hairdresser. Granted, my hairstyle's pretty easy to cut ~ and for someone who was once bald, it shouldn't have even been an issue :-) Interesting how attachments re-grow, like hair itself.

• On to Phoenix, which felt like the gift exchange it was: of the 3 people who responded to my post, Don was as eager for my visit as I was for a place to stay; he called me several times while I was en route to see what I like to eat, etc. I understood that he was lonely (his wife's been gone 4 years) and wanted to talk. I was blessed to be able to listen him into some healing around her passing, and he invited me to stay on as long as I wanted. I left in the morning, having made a new friend.

• Traveling on to El Paso, I affirmed, "I travel only in love. From now on, new avenues of connection for spiritual service open to me, as I travel and serve in my Live Your Light mobile. And so it is!"

I look forward to seeing you in person soon, as the LiveYourLight mobile travels in service across the U.S. I am also considering painting or decal-ing my logo on the van ~ if you have experience in doing this, and might be interested in an energy exchange, please get in touch!

Beltane Benevolence

Today my favorite bank teller said, "Oh, it's the first of May ~ that's called May Day, isn't it?" And I had a perfect opening in which to explain to two intrigued bank employees (the teller next to him was all ears, too!) that the secular version of these holy days leaves a lot out.

May 1st is Beltane: a time for celebrating the beauty and sanctity of all life. No matter how challenging your life may be now, today is a moment for reclaiming your power, balance, and inner strength.

Beltane is one of eight Shabbats on the Wheel of the Year. The others include the Solstices and Equinoxes, Lammas (August 1st), Samhain (October 31st), and Imbolc (February 2nd). Beltane breathes renewal into our cells as we acknowledge the Nature Kingdom and the advent of summer. For our Southern Hemisphere allies, the Wheel of the Year is reversed: Myth*ing Links offers a fine page on the Southern Year.

Although traditionally observed on May 1st, astronomical Beltane arrives on the 5th, a nice sync-up with Cinco de Mayo, so we actually have an entire week in which to renew, dance the fire back into our beings, and open once again to a sacred reUnion of our masculine and feminine selves. Mythologist Kathleen Jenks provides a page rich in Beltane lore from around the globe.

Aftershocks

Astrologer Allison Rae offers a particularly lucid explanation of our current energetic flume ride in the latest issue of her newsletter, Cosmic Time. Here's an excerpt:

"Time seems to be speeding up even more than “usual.” Earth changes are on the rise. An ancient volcano explodes in Chile. Myanmar's delta region is decimated by a cyclone. A massive earthquake rocks central China. Killer tornadoes rip through the southern U.S., and a mysterious sinkhole opens in Texas. Food shortages. Rising oil prices. The political scene is transforming before our eyes. World markets are shaky, too, with all this volatility.

We live in times of extreme change, the crease period between world ages. The Earth is shifting. Paradigms are shifting. The transition is in full swing, and accelerating. The Hopi of North America call this the Great Purification. The Mayan calendar links the acceleration to the expansion of consciousness and the cosmos. The energies of back-to-back Scorpio Moons, with Beltane in between, amplify the effects. Everything's in flux. The energies of upheaval and manifestation are equally powerful, accompanied by waves of emotion."

Prepare to be recalibrated! Spend as much time in nature and in sacred, time-out-of-mind space as possible: it's the best action you can take for personal and global healing/evolution.

Beltane: Going A-Maying

Today heralds the official end of winter and advent of summer, in the Northern Hemisphere; for our Southern Hemisphere allies, it's the reverse. Personally, I'm reveling in the return of the Light and warmth! Here's a lovely article detailing the history of Beltane and why this is truly a time to say, "light my fire!"

Thanks to What Shines newsletter subscriber Eileen Balint for this fabulously perfect May Day offering:

The Springtime of Now

Yellow forsythia, periwinkle blue
Almond buds bursting, moist with pink dew.
SPRING shoots forth ... from Eros's quiver
Rushing and gushing like a raging river.
Woodruff nestled in shades of sublime
Beneath cedar and dogwood, blue spruce and pine.
Flaming red cardinals serenade the wild
Feathering their nests with the down of beguiled.
Annuals, complacent, cheery and tame
In bed with bohemian perennials just the same.
Wildflowers don't care where they seed or they grow
In the Garden of Eden, you go with the flow.
The Maypole decked with ribbons and bough
Spirals awareness to the threshold of Now.
"Life is the dancer and I AM the dance"
Spring is the lusty rhythm of romance
Caught off guard in the twilight is Presence,
By the fragrance of Being, we remember our Essence.

2 Scorpio Full Moons: Redefine Your Reality

We're approaching a rare and potent transformational gateway: a pair of full moons, both occurring in the sign of Scorpio. The first full moon, on Sunday, April 20th, ushers in both the Jewish holy week of Passover, commemorating the Israelites' liberation from slavery, and Wesak, celebrating the Buddha's birthday and enlightenment. The second full moon occurs Monday, May 19th.

In between, we also celebrate Earth Day on Tuesday, April 22nd, and the joyous cross-quarter Celtic holiday Beltane, known secularly as May Day, on May 1st. Beltane marks the mid-point between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice, and is traditionally a time of renewal, fertility, sensual expression and infinite blessings.

The co-creative energy is exponential now. The first full moon is an ideal time to clear our space, release what needs to die, till the Earth and plant the seeds for what we wish to manifest. During the second Scorpio full moon, we draw our new desire in. It's a magical, miraculous 6-week portal, a shamanic dance of death and rebirth.

Honor yourself and Mama Gaia in this amazing dance. Blessed Be!