Beltane                                                 Wedding Moon

This is the first day of the growing season, the time when the old Celtic calendar turned over from Samhain, or Summer’s End, to Beltane, the day that marks the end of the fallow time. At some point, too, the Celts began to observe the solar holidays, solstices and equinoxes. Their distinctive holidays fall between these 4 solar events and hence are known as cross quarter days. It was only later in the evolution of the Celtic calendar that two other cross quarter holidays, Imbolc on February 1st and Lughnasa on August 1st were added.

That we’re not living in Ireland is apparent today since we’ve just received around 10 inches or so of new snow. No start of the growing season on Shadow Mountain. We’re both far away from the oceans, Ireland has a maritime climate, and high above it’s mostly sea level altitude.

But, close enough. Soon the weather here will slip out of the fallow season’s cold and snow into the growing season’s warmth. Sort of. At altitude the nights are never as warm and the temperature averages not as high as they are at sea level. Too, here in the West the precipitation comes largely in the fallow time. That means the growing season here on Shadow mountain is both shorter and cooler as well as drier. That defines the montane ecosystem in which we live.

The market week and celebrations of Beltane included the Maypole, fire jumping (for fertility), driving cattle between two bonfires for health, and those who wanted making love in the fields to draw the fertility of the fields into themselves and add their own to the fields in return. It was known then that human life and the life of the fields and forests were one. This knowledge remains essential to the health of our species and is one reason a pagan outlook continues to nourish me.

The fallow time is a long time of inwardness, six months or so. If they’re perennials, plants die back above ground and focus on storage of energy in their root system. They also interact vigorously with the soil around them. The human spirit goes inward, too, evidenced in the felt need for the holidays of light that fill up the two months plus of holiseason. In that time we humans interact with our roots, family and friends and tradition, nourishing them and being nourished by them.

So, when the lambs are in the belly at Imbolc (in the belly), the ewes freshen and milk becomes available. Memories of lambs frolicing in the spring return. By Beltane the lambs have strengthened and the fields are ready for planting. In old Ireland, that is. Those in the farther northern and southern latitudes and in high altitudes can appreciate the sunburst of life without snow and cold, of life with the promise of fresh vegetables, grain crops, fattened animals, of relaxing outside on a warm evening.

This is a time to celebrate. Dig deep into your fallow time ruminations, seek out what needs the sun to flourish. Make sure it’s planted in the right soil and gets the nourishment it needs, then grab your loved ones and dance, dance, dance. (or, if you’re more Celtic and less northern European, reverse the order.)