Happy Beltane

For the last 15 years I have been celebrating Beltane around a fire with friends. For 13 of them it was around a fire, on a hill top, in costume and body paint with several thousand spectators. But still there was fire and friends. The last couple have been quieter affairs with those close to me, sharing whisky, memories, hopes and fears around the fire.

This year is very different. As I knew I wouldn't be able to get to my allotment on May 1st, I got up early, gathered some things and cycled out in the pouring rain. I stood in the heavy rain, put my hands in the dirt, felt the wind on my skin and dreamt of the warm sun on my face. Had a wee ritual, planted some seeds (it's a fertility festival after all), drank some chai, ate some bannock, made some wishes for the coming year and had a chat to all the plants.

In the evening a group of us got together over zoom. No ability to have a fire in my top floor flat so I had to make do with candles. Lockdown is certainly highlighting the things that are core to my being. Nature very much being one of them