Spring rains,
From grey skies;
Earth's greening.
Ashley
NB. I don’t understand why my uploaded photo appears to be out of focus. My original is perfect and if you click on the image is appears to be okay. Technology! I’m not coping well with it! It seems to change daily and sometimes it’s just too much! Is it just an age thing?
Beltain,
Welcome to summer;
Rain!
After weeks of grey skies and rain, we’re now seeing a change in the weather. Of course, change is never straightforward and whilst warmer days are on their way, there are sure to be some surprises! On the last day of April, it rained constantly, and today the first day of May, the sun is shining!
In the ancient agricultural calendar, Beltain, or the Festival of Fertility, is usually celebrated at the end of April and the beginning of May and marked as the beginning of summer. It is a time to celebrate the power of the life force; everything is growing and showing! The energy of unions, whether spiritual or physical is alive! The picture of the hawthorn tree, Crataegus monogyna, is relevant to this festival as it brings the spirit of wild places into our lives. The haunt of fairies makes it a magical tree!
The hawthorn is tolerant of strong winds, dry and wet conditions. A small , thorny deciduous tree with small white fragrant flowers; hermaphrodite (both male and female) reinforcing the association with balance and unions. It is also known as the Maythorn or May Tree. Its wood is tough and fine grained sometimes used as a veneer.
Midges,
Dancing above the May tree;
Summer.
I’m a bit late with this post as I was out all day yesterday on a garden visit. More of that soon! That is as long as my photos have come out; it was a very overcast day!
Happy May Day.
Ashley
Plish, plash,
The bird bath overflows;
Spring rain.
Spring rain,
Waters the earth;
Buds open.
Buds open,
Bright, in the dull day;
The spring equinox.
Yes! At last the Spring Equinox has arrived, the time when day and night are of equal length. So for a few months, from now until the Summer Solstice in June, the light of day will increase.
In the Pagan tradition the day is known as the Festival of Balance; inner and outer, the unconscious and the conscious worlds are in balance. What goes on in our minds is reflected in our actions, so we should try to understand this perspective and use it to bring healing between ourselves and the outer world.
~~~~~
It is a year since I began writing about and making a set of Celtic Tree Ogham sticks to sit alongside the eight festivals of the Wheel of the Year. For now, the last two trees that I shall write about, associated with the Spring Equinox, are Alder and Ash.
Alder: Alnus glutinosa. Alder is the third tree in the Celtic Tree Ogham: FEARN. F. The Alder loves to be by rivers and streams where its roots come into contact with water. Its roots are able to fix nitrogen from the air and the wood is very durable when constantly wet. It has been used in building bridges and the piles in medieval cathedrals.
Ash: Fraxinus excelsior. Ash is the fifth tree in the Celtic Tree Ogham: NION. N. Known in Norse mythology as Yggdrasil, the Tree of the World, which links all the levels of existence. With its straight growth and grain, Ash makes good walking sticks and staffs. It also makes beautifully straight arrows for traditional archery and whilst Yew (Taxus baccata) is considered the supreme wood for longbows, Ash will make a very serviceable longbow.
Here is a photo of all the Ogham sticks I’ve made over the year. You will be able to see where there are gaps in my set. Left to right, the first ten are all there but there are five missing from the next set of ten. I am reliant on friends and colleagues to keep me posted when suitable wood becomes available and I will never just cut into a tree without first asking permission and especially asking the tree for its blessing.
To finish this longer than usual post on a light-hearted note, I’m sure you will have guessed my favourite tree. Ash, of course! In Old English a ley was a meadow or grassland. Put the two together and I am a meadow with ash trees! 😉😂
Enjoy the Spring Equinox, this celebration of balance and awakening.
Ashley
A Different View 