This ancient festival of fertility and its manifestation in nature, literally growing under our feet, falls halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. As with most things relating to the natural world, trees coming into leaf, flowers bursting into bloom or indeed the grass growing under our feet (I’m thankful that I no longer have a lawn to cut) I see this celebration as a period in time lasting for more than one day.
In honour of Mother Earth’s seasonal cycle, I choose to write and draw according to her timetable, hopefully, also living by her example. Unfortunately for this post, I struggled with my artwork. It lies unfinished in a folder ready to be refreshed and completed for next year, maybe! (As some of my regular followers already know, the last 6 months have been traumatic and unsettling, as my beloved recovers from major heart surgery. That journey for her has of course impacted my routines, especially regarding my own creative activity, so with small steps, mirroring her progress, I too recover).
So, a photo this time must suffice.
The oak tree in the photo is bursting with new leaves and soon I won’t be able to see the many branches. It is in a neighbour’s garden and I see this tree as being ready to embrace the light and warmth of the summer sun. Like most oaks in the UK she acts as a host to over 2300 different species who live on or within her being, from birds and squirrels to insects and fungi. Whilst sometimes referred to as being male I believe the oak tree embodies so much that is female, a mother indeed to so many new lives. I thank Brigitte on a recent Zoom meeting (The Ogham Grove)* for mentioning that she envisaged the shape of an oak tree as being similar to that of a womb. Wow!
With her branches held ready
for an embrace,
the oak tree.
A vessel, an ark,
welcoming all;
a doorway home.
The Oak tree is sacred to the Druids; in fact the word Druid means Oak Person. Also, the words for oak and door have ancient connections.
In the Celtic Tree Ogham the letter D (Duir) is represented by the symbol shown in the photo below. I whittled a piece of oak to show the symbol.
I will note at the end some of the books I refer to for my writing here. One that I am still reading is Galahad and the Grail;; a story told in ballad form, which I find irresistible! For now I should mention a new book that will be coming from the poet, singer and priest Malcolm Guite. The easiest way to do this is to include a short video from YouTube but here’s a taster of his words (I hope Malcolm will forgive me if I’ve got the line breaks wrong):
“…he knew each living oak is not itself alone // its roots reach out to other trees // a woven web of mysteries // from darkest soil to lightest breeze // embodying the memories of every year its grown…”
Thank you, Malcolm!
Here are the books that I look to for help:
Sacred Earth Celebrations by Glennie Kindred
The Ogham Grove by Yuri Leitch
Voices from the Grove by Yuri Leitch
*If you search on YouTube you will also find a series of videosmcalled The Ogham Grove*
For now, happy Beltaine to everyone who visits here.
Ashley 🌿
A Different View 
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I’m sorry to hear that your wife has undergone surgery. I must have missed your blogs. My blogging and art have also been erratic and I totally understand how we impact each other within the couple union. I hope that the two of you will make steady progress back to health again 🤗🌈🌻🌺
Dear Morag, thank you for your good wishes. It has certainly been a testing period for us. Carol recovers well but very slowly. We look forward to the warmth of the sun in the next few months. 💓🙇♂️💓
I am glad to hear that she is recovering. I’m sure the warmer weather will be good for both of you 🙋💝 keep well.
Dear Ashley, happy Beltain to you . It is a wonderful ancient festival. My favourite as it is Spring. The picture looks amazing and so beautiful with the fresh green and colours around.
Do take time with things and life, as long as your wife recovers, even slowly, you are there for her and that is the most important!
All the best for furhter recovery.
Love Ute
Thank you dear Ute, 7 hours of surgery is a lot for anyone to recover from and last week the cardiologist gave her the thumbs-up, even though she has still not recovered her appetite. Small steps! Thank you for your lovely comments. 💓🙇♂️💓
Happy Beltane Ashley, I spent it at Butser Ancient Farm Beltane Celtic festival.
I hope the weather was as good as it was here! 👍
happy Beltaine! i do very much like this time of the year too – when the effects of the spring equinox have matured! Mike
Many thanks Mike for your visit here and your comment. It’s good to feel some warmth….at last! 🙏
Happy Beltane Ashley! Your photos are gorgeous. Sending healing to your wife❤️
Hi Cindy, thank you for your good wishes. Happy Beltane to you and those you love. 🤗💓
You’re so very welcome, Ashley! Oh, thank you very much❣️
With you in prayer for the full recovery of your beloved ❤ Happy Beltaine to you, too, Ashley!
Dear Rosaliene, thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Much appreciated. Wishing you a happy summertime. 🤗💓🙏
🙂 ❤
Lovely post and photo. I’m so sorry to hear about your wife’s heart surgery. Sending on love and energy to her for a comfortable and gentle recovery.
I love trees. When I walk by budding trees, bushes, plants, I welcome them and thank them for showing up again and bringing their beauty to us.
May your spring be joyous and comforting Ashley.Ashley.uu
Dear Katelon, thank you for your good wishes. I hope the warmer weather and brighter skies will also lift our spirits. It feels like it has been such a long winter. 🤗💓🙏
Enjoyed the poem, Malcolm Guite’s video, and the oak Ogham stick. I’ve watched that oak tree in your neighbor’s garden grow older with time, a beautiful tree. Let’s enjoy this transition into summer and appreciate life with our loved ones!
As always, so good to hear from you. Yes, we’ve managed to be out in the garden this last week although I’ve ended up hurting my back again! Doh! When will I learn NOT to lift those heavy pots? Some warm days ahead, we hope, for everyone. 🌿🙇♂️
Trees keep us grounded, but none more so than the oak.
Sending the best for your wife’s recovery. (K)
Dear Kerfe, thank you for your lovely comments. We’re hoping the warmer weather will also act as a medication for us. The cold dark days of winter have lingered to long!🤗💓🙇♂️
Beltaine was new to me, in our country we celebrate Walpurgis with bonfires, but perhaps it is the same thing, a way of greeting everything that is waking up to life again.
I hope that your wife continues to recover from her important surgery and that the two of you soon can enjoy the beauty of nature that is waking up together. Oaks are mighty trees.
Thank you Jag, I’m sure St. Walpurga would not approve of the earlier Celtic pagan festival but yes, it is a time to celebrate the potency of life on earth.. I agree about oaks, they are certainly a mighty tree indeed. 🤗💓🌿
And happy Beltane to you, Ashley! Loreena McKennitt has a beautiful song about it in The Mummers Dance. Her music used to put me almost in a trance.
And of course I do know The importance of the oak in Druidic lore. As much as I am bonded to mother nature, I am very slightly ashamed how much I have forgotten. Thanks for the memory jog.
And why didn’t I realize your own beloved had gone through some sort of major health event with her heart? Sending love and condolences for her Healing. 🙏🌏🍃
Dear Bela, thank you for your lovely comments. With the brighter warmer weather we hope it will also bring a renewed energy back to our lives. 🤗💓🙏
I hope your other half is on the mend Ashley. Your lovely garden with the magnificent oak tree must be a comfort to you both as she heals. Xx
Dear Sharon, thank you for your good wishes for my beloved. She is progressing slowly although her loss of weight is a concern. Now we’re on extra full-fat milk in her milk shakes and hoping that will help (it is a big change from the “healthy” diet we’ve had for years). Actually, this morning we’ve been out to a farm where they sell non-homogenised milk with a total fat content of 6.30% (can’t buy Gold-Top here anymore), I think usual full-fat is around 3.25-3.50%. Sorry, I’m dumping all these figures here but that’s how it’s been. Imagine! Going to the dietitian and requesting a weight-gain diet; it seems contradictory. I’d best stop or I’ll still be here next week! 🤗💓🙏
Now spring comes forth to greet us; from the south, a gentle breeze is blowing…
That’s a lovely way to put it! Thank you for visiting my blog. 🙏
An old German spring song. It dates back to the Middle Ages.
Thank you. The tune is familiar (aren’t they all? that is traditional folk songs) but as I don’t speak German I WILL have to look the lyrics up and hopefully understand more. Thank you again: I love it when I can learn more from my visitors.
The video also has English subtitles. Check out the automatic translation.
A beautiful post, full of connection with nature.
You convey how, even in difficult times, life continues to blossom little by little, just like the trees in spring.
Ahh, thank you Lincol (?). I’m glad you enjoyed this post. Surprised also, as I really struggled to express myself and didn’t think it would work with a photo. I would have preferred to produce some artwork but my current state of mind is unsettled (as explained above). 🙏
A real feeling now that Spring is in the air.
Indeed, John, although in the ancient calendar, we’re now in summer! 🤔
Indeed, lovely and sunny up here, but not very warm at night.
I hope and wish your wife is recovering well 🌻💗
Dear Sara, thank you. It is a slow but steady progress. 🤗💓🙇♂️
You’re most welcome, Ashley 🌻💗
Dear Ashley, Your idea—not to break time down into individual days, but rather to understand it as a longer, organic process—fits beautifully with your attitude toward nature and life. I particularly love that you don’t merely observe the seasons, but in a sense, entrust yourself to them. This act of “living to the rhythm of the Earth” sounds simple, yet in reality, it represents a rather profound form of mindfulness. The fact that your drawings remained unfinished this time around doesn’t feel like a shortcoming at all; rather, it feels like an open breath. All the more striking is the quiet steadfastness with which you nonetheless keep moving forward—in small steps, just as you describe it yourself. I love the photo of your terrace; it offers a truly beautiful glimpse into the greenery of the trees and the natural world. I wish you continued strength and optimism on your journey—and, time and again, enough space for your own creative voice to re-emerge quite naturally, whenever the time is right.
I wish you all the best….Rosie from Germany
Lovely post, Ashley! The connection between the oak and a womb is beautiful. I’m reading this while waiting for the carpet cleaners to finish up—a different kind of “refreshing” for the home, but just as welcome as the spring blossoms you described. Best wishes for your wife’s recovery!
Thank you, Jeanie for your lovely comments here. 🙏
This is a beautiful reflection on Beltaine and Mother Earth’s gentle cycles. 🌸 Nature teaches us that healing and growth cannot be rushed, and it’s wonderful how you are aligning your creative steps with her rhythm. Sending lots of warmth, strength, and best wishes for your beloved’s steady recovery. Take all the time you need—your thoughtful presence and words are always a joy to read! ✨🌳
Thank you for your lovely comments. 🙏
Welcome dear Ashley ☺️☺️
A lovely post, Ashley. Your heart seems to be that of a poetic, artistic, Nature lover. Sending prayers to you & your beloved.☀️
Dear Lisa, thank you 🤗. Sending prayer filled wishes to you. 🤗💓🙇♂️
I like what you wrote about the oak-Tree. Especially that many insects find life inside and around the tree.
Last summer I visited a meadow up to 15 or 16 times to collect an astounding number of insects. I think it were 151 (or even more)
But one thing is somewhat frightening: Half of the insects of those 151 I found only once. That means: The variety is still there but the mass has tremendeously shrinked.
Stunning tree, beautiful post, wonderful poetry — all in all a delightful experience. Prayers up 🙏for your beloved.
Thank you, for your lovely comments. 🤗🙇♂️
Thank you, Gerhard. There was a time here, in the 1960’s after I learned to drive when my father’s car had to be washed after driving around the shores of Lough Neagh. Nowadays, the “midges” are still there (they don’t bite) but not in the great numbers of old! I assume that is down to an amount of habitat loss but more likely to be the careless use of pesticides and fertilizers.