pagan

Beltaine 2026

~ Ashley ~ 44 Comments

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 🌿


 





			

	


				
					


	

			
February 2025
		

				

						 ~ Ashley			 ~ 69 Comments					

				

		




February;
Springtime brings the light,
And hope.









Green tongues,
Sense the growing light;
New shoots.
 








Mid way between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox is Imbolc, a pagan festival of renewal; I read that in Old Irish the term means “the belly of the Mother” (Earth).  In Christianity this time is known as Candlemas, also a time of renewal and the returning light.  The earth is stirring from the cold of winter, plants are beginning to grow and since the Winter Solstice in December, the days are perceptibly longer.





All my photos were taken at Rowallane, near Saintfield, County Down.  It was a day for hat and gloves but every now and then the sun shone brightly.  As we entered the walled garden we could see the work already done by the many volunteers who joyfully tend these borders.  Whilst there were few flowers there was one exception, Daphne bholua “Alba” (see my first photo).  This shrub was covered in wonderful little flowers and in this walled garden the scent was heavenly.  If there had been a seat close by we might still be sitting there!





Have a wonderful Spring.





Ashley










#Note: WordPress have once again made changes, resulting in me not adding as many photos as usual and I found it very frustrating producing this blog. I know of one or two others who’ve had similar difficulties.





#Note: my email notifications were filled by someone “liking” many of my posts and as usual WP asks if I’d like to check out this other persons blog which I did and I was taken to a website that shows my blogs but on someone else’s page!  Beware of SPAM!