Fires of passion and purification burn bright this Beltane. The natural world awakens.
One of the four cross-quarters of the solar year, Beltane marks the transition from spring to summer in the northern hemisphere. The maypole anchors spring's spirited dance while a crackling Beltane fire promises deep transformation. We celebrate new life in spring with community festivals,the planting of the gardens.
Our neighbors south of the equator notice the Sun's light receding in fall. Attention turns inward in preparation for winter. Darkness encroaches. The veils between worlds become thin through the shamanic gateway of Samhain.
The Beltane cross-quarter is the mid-point between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice in the north. The gateway extends from traditional Beltane (May Day or May Faire) on May 1 through the zodiacal alignment on May 5 when the Sun crosses 15 Taurus. The potential for transformation goes quantum as outgoing energies and forms are released to make way for the new.
The ongoing T-square of Uranus, Saturn and Pluto erupts in sudden, deep change as we prepare for the initiatory gateway of the Grand Cardinal Crosses of summer. This potent planetary configuration promises to transform our lives and our world.
Those who are participating in our new 2010 Ascension Activation teleclasses have noticed the quickening of the fire's transformation already this spring. What's changing, rearranging, in your world?
The Sabbats
Cross-quarters are special alignments of the Earth and Sun called Greater Sabbats. In pagan traditions they're considered even more powerful than the Solstices and Equinoxes, which are known as the Lesser Sabbats. All eight Sabbats are points of balance in the solar wheel and remind us of the turning of the seasons. In honoring the Sabbats, we harmonize our lives with the rhythms of nature, the divinity that flows through all of creation.
Traditionally observed on May 1, Beltane is the pagan celebration of spring and the flowering of life. The maypole represents the merging of masculine and feminine, the god and goddess whose union creates life. We dance the maypole and jump the Beltane fire in celebration of the infinite blessings bestowed on our home, our family and community.
We commune with the nature spirits, the devas, elementals and the plant kingdom who help us bring forth a rich harvest through the warmer months of the year. Dance, chant, drumming and ritual are traditional activities that help us attune to the natural world as we gather with friends and family.
New life bursts forth at Beltane. We plant for a future harvest. What's blooming in your life? What is it time to release? What does community mean to you?
More about the Sabbats:
The solar wheel established long ago by pagans in the north is inverted in the southern hemisphere. So in May, our sisters and brothers in southern latitudes are celebrating Samhain and the onset of winter. Here are some articles that offer a taste of Sabbat experiences below the equator.
A Word About Wesak
The solar festival of Beltane falls on the same dates each year, but Wesak Festival is a lunar observance and the date changes from year to year. In esoteric tradition, the Wesak Moon is always the Full Moon during the Sun's transit of Taurus, which was April 28 this year. The Buddhist calendar is calculated differently, though, and the religious holiday will be observed at the Full Moon in May.
In Buddhism, Wesak (Vesak) celebrates the birth, death and enlightenment of the Buddha. In the esoteric teachings rooted in Buddhist and Vedic traditions, Wesak Festival is the second of the three great spring lunar festivals, a focal point for humanity to receive the cosmic energies of enlightenment.
Throughout the Wesak passage, especially this year, it's appropriate to prepare by quieting the mind and opening the heart, perhaps reserving extra time for meditation, contemplation, journaling and healing, alone and with others.
Ah, Mercury
And so it goes. Mixed-up dates, techno glitches and missed appointments are normal during Mercury's retrograde transit. The planet of communication and transportation returns to direct motion May 11. Is anyone else counting the days?
2010 Ascension Activation
A beautiful circle began gathering on the Scorpio Moon this past week for a collective journey through the powerful planetary alignments this spring and summer. The idea for the weekly 2010 Ascension Activation Teleclasses is to align with the potent celestial and Earth energies in coming months and transform our lives and our world through positive, focused intent.
The circle is open, and you may still register if you feel called to join with others around the world who are actively engaged in personal and planetary transformation. As a participant you can access the recordings even if you can't be live on the calls.
Details and registration:
Monthly Astro Updates
Beginning with the Taurus New Moon on May 13, I'll be offering a preview of upcoming astrological highlights as we make our way through the volatile spring and summer months of 2010. We'll preview the New and Full Moons, Eclipses, June Solstice, Cross-Quarter Gateways and the potent Grand Cardinal Crosses of summer. We won't just share what the upcoming astrology is, we'll explain what it might mean in your life and your world.
These calls feature an interview-style forecast plus Q&A with call participants, moderated by Bob Keeton of Living Successfully radio (http://www.LivingSuccesfully.com). You can access the recordings even if you can't be live on the calls.
Details and registration:
