This is Beltane (or May Day) in the northern hemisphere, Samhain in lands below the equator. As we in northern lands drift from winter into springtime, our kin in the south are moving from summer into autumn..
It was a long winter in the eastern Ontario highlands, and nights are still cool. It will be another week or two until colonies of bloodroot are up and blooming in our forest, but early specimens lift their gold and white heads in protected nooks here and there in the woods. In other years, wild yellow orchids were in bloom right about now, but it will be a while before they put in an appearance, soon to be followed by trout lilies, columbines and hepatica.
The shy white blooms with their golden centers are dear to my heart and something of a seasonal marker. Encountering this one in its flickering, stone-warmed alcove, I could have kissed the good dark earth where the flower made its home—it was that perfect. Down I went in the dead leaves and stayed there for a while, nose to nose with the little wonder and happy as a clam. Make no mistake about it, getting up again was quite an undertaking for this Old Thing.
The interval was a wild epiphany, one particular to springtime when the north woods are just coming to life. Call it a moment of kensho, one of the fleeting scraps of quiet knowing and connection that I call "aha" moments. Forget frills, ruffles and bagatelles - this is the ground of my being. As long as I can spend time with trees and rocks and wildflowers, I can handle big life stuff, most of the time anyway. Add lakes, loons, cormorants, herons and sunsets to the equation, please. Also geese, trumpeter swans and cranes.
Happy Beltane (or May Day), everyone. Bright blessings to you and your clan. May there be light and blooming in your own precious life and your corner of the great wide world. Wherever you make your home on the hallowed earth, may all good things come to you at this turning of the wheel in the Great Round.
5 comments:
And happy May to you to, for writing so beautifully and gladdening our hearts with superb photographs.
Happy Beltane from the American SouthWest, the Great Basin... I will celebrate by feeding sparrows, planting seeds and eating dandelions... have a beautiful day.
Happy Beltaine dear blogging friend. I understand the draw of the bloodroot blossom...and commensurate with the getting up shenanigans. Have a great day!
Blessed Beltane, dearest one, from the verdant woods of central North Carolina, where the bloodroot is long gone, but mountain laurels are crowned in splendor, and there is enough lemon balm already coming back that I can nibble all the way down the our drive.
May the ancient gifts of these longer, blossoming days inspire and nurture you body and soul.
Yes, as long as I can be here by the woods with nature, I can handle the big stuff.
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