How I Celebrated Beltane - Mother Moon

As many of you know one of my fondest activities is tending my garden.  I have long awaited this spring and the warmth to return so that I could once more venture outdoors.  This spring I have planted more than in previous years.  Also as the fruits of my previous years efforts began to spring forth, I realized that it was going to be quite a colorful spring.  It seems that my efforts to harvest and replant as many seeds as I could from the previous year is starting to show some progress.   The pond is encircled with a variety of wild flowers as well as the small gardens I have scattered throughout my yard.  I will say that I give much credit for my great abundance to the wee folk or faery that reside in the woods that surround me.  I have asked that they help to tend my gardens and in turn I have helped them when needed as much as one can.  It seemed only fitting that the bulk of my festivities this Beltane be focused towards them.

I had tended my garden under the Elm, a special place of theirs.  Earlier in the season I had cleared out an area and planted more of a variety of flowers for them to enjoy.  Foxglove, english daisies, Bleeding hearts, and many more were scattered across the area.  Throughout the area I set up small solar lights  to give a subtle glow.  As May Eve began, I was sure to set out an extra special treat for them to enjoy as they celebrated the coming of Beltane.  Fresh cream and freshly made butter with honey drizzled across the top were nestled underneath the tree where I always place my offerings to the fae.  I lay some choice flowers along side for decoration as well as for an extra edible treat.  Before exiting I gave a quick blessing and bid them a hearty celebration and left them to their festivities.

The next morning cleaning up from the night before, I found a shiny red stone.  Occasionally they leave treats for me.  I have found special bird feathers, stones, and other things with no explanation as to how it could have gotten there.  I keep them all in a special place as I truly beleive they are gifts from the wee folk.  I then hung the ribbon, beads, and other colorful items from the branches of the trees.  I made sure that ample seed was there for the birds to enjoy as I also think they enjoy this time also.  Once again a short blessing as well as a request for blessings on the planting that had been done. 

I know that it is not how most spend their Beltane, yet it was a delight for me to share it with the fairy.  I feel I have been blessed with a magical place to enjoy and because of this I wish to do what I can to help it thrive.  I did enjoy a nice glass of wine with my choosen "consort" (Vincent of course).  And in our own manner we enjoyed the time and what it represents.  It was a pleasant way to welcome in the growing season.  I hope that all of you likewise had a joyful and fulfilling experience.  Each enjoying it in your own unique manner.  Blessings

The Wee Folk

I was to have written last week yet due to a trip to see my grandkids, I was not as productive as possibly I should have been. I did manage to get much done before I left and many of the post on my other blogs were done ahead of time and set to schedule. However this one was never finished. I started it many times, as writing about the wee folk is one of my favorite subjects. Yet I did not wish to rush it and thus it was never completed. In saying this, I hope you will excuse my tardiness.

As I stated earlier the wee folk, or fairies as many know them by, are one of my favorite subjects. I have always had a dear fondness for them. Their presence has always been evident to me yet it has only been in the last few years that I think I can truly say that I have been graced with feeling that I have truly been welcomed into their ways. I owe much of these encounters to area in which we live. From the moment we moved here, I felt it was a special magical place. I tended the yard as I always do yet it seemed that my efforts were greatly appreciated and at times even rewarded.

A pond lies just to the south of our home. It has always been a busy place for wildlife to flourish. A large colony of frogs calls it home. The first spring we lived here we had heavy rains which caused the pond to overflow and run out of its banks. That morning as the sun came out from behind the clouds, and I looked down at the water as it ran downhill to the bottom, I could see the faint flicker of what appeared to be silver. I went outside to investigate and found it to be a multitude of tadpoles which had been washed out of the pond. They wiggled in the shallow water unable to venture back to the safety of the deeper water. With bucket in hand I quickly gathered them up. I gently put them back into the pond, hoping that they would be ok. This task took me some time and in rough estimate I calculated a few hundred tadpoles were saved that day. Yes my neighbors I am sure wondered what I was doing, yet I would do it again if needed.

You may wonder what my rescue of tadpoles has to do with fairies. After this, the population of frogs flourished and each time I would be working out in the yard near the water’s edge, the frogs would gather near me. They would sit and watch me as I worked. I found this fascinating to the point that I attempted to approach them even closer. There were a few that I could walk right up to and kneel down and actually pet. At this time also, Vincent had built a tree house in the nearby Elm for our grandkids. I had cleared the area out beneath it and planted flowers and such. After this was done, I began to find small items beneath the tree. These items ranged from shiny stones, small mirrors, and any brightly colored object.

In reading I found that the fairies are often befriended by frogs and are grateful to those who tend their area and encourage flowers to grow. Since then I have continued to enjoy my relationship with my fellow frogs as well as upkeep the area beneath the elm. I am sure to leave cream and honey for the fairy on occasion and often scatter cake and such for their treat. They in turn continue to leave me gifts of trinkets as well as help in the tending of the garden. At times as I work busily I catch a glimpse of them fluttering about.

I know that many questions the existence of such things yet for me I believe them to be quite real. They have allowed me a tiny piece of their world to experience and hopefully as time passes they will allow me more. I believe that it is not because they do not exist that most do not have the wonder of such experiences with them, but because most do not take the time to stop and listen. Most wonders are quiet and still and often overlooked because one chooses to overlook them. Next time you have the chance to sit quietly and enjoy a spring day… close your eyes and allow yourself to listen.. maybe if you are lucky you too will experience a little of the wee folk.