Hitting Send

It is the eve of May Day, as it is known by the Catholic Church, or Beltane (most commonly pronounced BELL-tayn), as the Celts called it, which is derived from the Irish Gaelic ‘Bealtaine’ or the Scottish Gaelic ‘Bealtaine’, meaning ‘Bel-fire’, the fire of the Celtic God of Light (Bel, Beli, Belinus or Belinos being one name for the Sun God). Celtic festivals often tied in with the needs of the community; and since Spring was the beginning of the farming calendar, the community was hopeful for a fruitful year ahead for their families and fields. This festival celebrates the start of the Light Half of the Year, the coming of Summer, and the desire for fertility in crops, flocks, herds and humans. Beltane is the most overtly and unashamed sexual festival of flowers, fertility, love and lust. The baby animals are being born, new plants are growing shoots, flowers bloom, trees rebirth their leaves, and the God and Goddess are ready to unite as one.

The Maypole is the symbol for the union of God (the May King, Jack in the Green, Hod or Green God, which was also the name for Robin Hood) and Goddess (the May Queen, Flora, or Maid (May) Marian). Interestingly, it has been suggested that the Catholic Church made Mary the Queen of May as a way of promoting chastity rather than the sexuality of earlier Goddesses associated with May. The unity is represented by the weaving of ribbons (a web of life) around the Maypole, which is an obvious phallic symbol representing the God and the ribbons that encompass it are the Goddess. I remember as a little girl in Holland, dressed in traditional dress, garland upon my head, I just loved dancing around the Maypole, watching the ribbons weave together. Little did I know that it was a symbol for the sexual union of God and Goddess.

Another important ritual is the Beltane fire. Community bonfires were lit upon the mountain or hilltops, from which individual hearth fires were then lit. May boughs (Rowan) and May bushes (Hawthorn) were used. The fire was thought to cleanse, purify and increase fertility. Leaping over the fire is supposed to bring good fortune, happiness, and fertility of mind, body and spirit. Also, cattle were passed between two fires to ensure fertility. I hear one should be careful what one wishes for before leaping a Beltane fire, because the wish will come true.

In the British Isles young men and maidens would go a-Maying on the eve of May Day, spending all night in the forest and returning at day break “bringing in the May”, adorning villages with Spring boughs and blossoms. There was much criticism of this practice, as it was said that very few maidens returned in a pure state, so to speak. The children conceived on Beltane were considered to be gifts from the Gods and were known as ‘Merry-Be-Gots’.

Today, one can celebrate Beltane by sending flowers to a loved one, planting new gardens, or doing some Spring cleaning. Traditional foods associated with the Holiday are oat and dairy related, so making Oat Cakes, or custard are wonderful ways to share in the festival. This is a time of self-discovery, love, union and developing your potential for personal growth. It is a way of allowing for the fertility of our personal creativity, and thus, a perfect time to turn dreams into action. Wishing you a Blessed Beltane, my friends.

This has truly been a time of transformation for me. I am currently sitting on the floor, at the foot of my bed, laptop perched on a box, the closest thing I currently have to a desk. I’ll soon journey out in search of internet access, as I have not yet gotten mine up and running at my new locale. Ahh, yes. The joys of moving! And, one would think me to be a pro at this by now. After all, my mom and I took the time to count out every house I have ever lived in and this is at least my 43rd in this lifetime! Nomadic? You think? I come by it naturally. I am the fifth generation of nomadic women all the way back to my great-great-grandmother.

I had been advised that my move would take place at the end of the month, and I had trusted in that date and the knowledge that I, in my perfected procrastination would be fully prepared to move by then. So, I was surprised to learn on Friday (almost two weeks prior to my estimated move date) that circumstances dictated that I would need to move on Monday. Well, let’s just say that all logical, organization skills were shot and the move became about just getting the stuff thrown into bags and boxes. Let the chaos begin!

I have learned to organize some “must have’s” into bags which then go into the front of my car. Practical items such as paper towels/toilet paper, a sponge, all-purpose cleaner, a towel, washcloth, and those sorts of things. But, I also make certain that I’ll have what I need to care for and rejuvenate myself, such as bubble bath, an essential oil (lavender for relaxation is my favorite) and of course, a cup, tea bags, sugar and a spoon. Must have tea!

I tried to set aside my sadness at leaving the house that had served me so well and its magnificent yard with its palms, roses, and hummingbirds I loved so, and in which I had taken such pleasure, to focus upon what my new abode had to offer. The first thing that I experienced is the tremendous energy differences. I have moved much closer to metropolis and boy can I ever feel it! And speaking of energies, I am unwilling to live with the old, and possibly negative ones left behind. So, I took the sage out of my purse and moved from room to room, lovingly smudging the house. (I highly recommend this practice.) I am fortunate to have a large patch of grass, some orange trees and an avocado tree here, so next I went outside, got barefoot and hung out on the lawn for awhile. I looked at the sky, took in some sun, and let in my new surroundings.

Now, it was time to get some unpacking done. I first chose to create a place of solace for myself, and for me, that was going to be a bathroom. I removed everything and got to cleaning. I personally am unwilling to exist with not only prior energies, but also dirt, so I scrubbed the bathroom down top to bottom: the walls, floors, door and everything in between. Then I unpacked my bathroom stuff, placed my angel decal on the mirror and viola! I now had one room that needed no work and in which I could soak in a bubble bath and restore myself. Yay!

With that completed, I went back outside to relax. That’s when I found the swing! It was exactly like the one my grandmother always had in her yard. A place to kick off your shoes, sit by yourself or loved ones and just chill. I rocked myself back and forth and looked up at the sky. I thought of the supportive note my girlfriend had recently sent me, which said, “Don’t forget that home is where you are.” That’s when I saw it! A hummingbird! I laughed to myself with the realization that I was indeed home.

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Whenever a friend or family member is going through a challenging time, I will use the expression, “This too shall pass”. These four words bring me comfort, and seem to do so for others as well. It is a way to offer condolences, or sympathy to someone in pain or suffering. A reminder that whatever is happening is temporary, because the one constant in this Universe is that everything is changing. A key concept in Buddhism is impermanence, and reminds us that everything in this world is in fact transitory. Even we ourselves are impermanent in that our bodies (from a cellular level up), our appearance, personality, feelings, emotions, and state of BE-ing, are all constantly changing. I very much agree with Buddha’s assessment that when we fail to accept the temporary nature of things, we cause ourselves more suffering. This lack of acceptance that things are temporary and always changing is one of the greatest sources of suffering in humanity. Thus, “This too shall pass” encapsulates what I would choose to remind loved ones in their time of suffering/grief. Which got me wondering from where the expression derived.

Honestly, I had a vague notion that it was a Biblical reference, but this is not so. The Bible does, however, say, “it came to pass” over four hundred and fifty times. Or, so I’m told. The origin of the expression “This too shall pass” has been attributed to many sources, including King Solomon, a Middle Eastern tale of a potentate, and American President Abraham Lincoln. In the King Solomon parable, the powerful and wealthy king chooses to test his most loyal and trusted minister, Benaiah Ben Yehoyada, by asking of him an impossible task. The king asks Benaiah to find for him a ring, knowing full well that the ring does not exist, which has magick powers. “If a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy,” he tells him. He expresses his desire to wear the ring for Sukkot, which is six months away. After months of searching, Benaiah finds himself, the night before Sukkot, walking through the poorest neighborhood of Jerusalem. He happens upon a jeweler, who, when asked if he’s heard of such a ring, produces from his pocket a plain gold ring, to which he adds an engravement. Benaiah returns just in time on the eve of Sukkot to give the king the ring he has requested. When the king looks at the engraving, he reads four words: “gam zeh ya’avor”, which translates to, “This too shall pass” or “This too will pass”. At that moment, Solomon realizes that his wisdom, tremendous wealth, and power are fleeting things, for one day he will be nothing but dust.

In another version of the phrase, a Middle Eastern potentate wishes for his two sons to be the most intelligent people in the world. He calls a meeting of all the wise men in the Kingdom and orders them to gather all of the world’s knowledge together in one place for his sons to read. After one year, the wise men bring to him twenty-five volumes of knowledge, which they are told to condense further. They return in another year with the knowledge condensed to just one volume. This too, they are told, is far too much information for the sons, and they are ordered to par it down again. After yet another year, the wise men return with a piece of paper with a single sentence on it. The sentence read “This too shall pass”.

Abraham Lincoln supposedly used the expression as a mantra to help him through the intense stress of troubled times during his administration. In his address to the Wisconsin State Agriculture Society, on September 30, 1859, he said, “It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence, to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words, “And this, too, shall pass away.” How much it expresses! How chastened in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depth of affliction!”

These stories remind us that when you are having a bad day, or going through troubled times, it will pass. By reminding ourselves that everything in the Universe changes, and whatever worries you have today can be replaced with joy and happiness in the near future, we can suffer less in the moment. Circumstances change, and you will not be upset forever. Since this can be easy to forget while caught up in the middle of it, I find it lovely that a four word expression can remind us, reducing our stress. And, when you are having a good day, seize the moment, enjoy and appreciate it, because it too shall not last forever. Many blessings to you all on your path.

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The most potent muse of all is our own inner child.”

~Stephen Nachmanovitch~

On Saturday night I stayed home and therefore found myself actually taking the time to watch a movie. I had not done so in quite awhile, despite being a huge movie lover, and fortunately chose one with gorgeous cinematography, acting and directing. The next morning I awakened feeling artistically inspired. I was reminded of the need to set time aside specifically for nurturing my creative consciousness and inner artist. Ahh, yes! It is time to commit to going on Artist’s Dates with myself again.

If you’ve read The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (and I Highly recommend it!), then you are fully aware of not only what an Artist’s Date is, but the challenge and rewards involved. The idea behind it is that by spending a specific set time (at least two hours per week) with ourselves in an excursion (play date), we inspire the artist (child) within and gain insight and guidance into our craft/art form. It works beautifully too! Have you ever been to a film, the beach, a museum, or something like that and filled yourself with inspiration for your work? Or gained insight into how a role should be played, or a piece of art should come together? This is of what I speak. It’s a conscious choice to set aside time just for you and your child to play and have fun. This “visual therapy” can take many forms, but in doing something beautiful just for yourself, you will rejuvenate, feel energized, and fill yourself up again so you can hear what is longing to be expressed. The trick for me is in actually doing it!

I know I am not alone in my inability to routinely take these Artist’s Dates. It’s really sad actually; not being able to take time for ourselves! How can that be? Julia cameron suggests that resistance is a fear of intimacy with ourselves, but that we must take the time to care and cultivate a real relationship with our creativity in order for it to confide in us and bond with us. Perhaps the fear in being still is that we won’t like what we’ll hear. The objection I’ve most commonly heard is “guilt”. We freely give of our time to loved ones, friends and family members (or at least I hope you are!) but have trouble taking just a couple of hours per week to give to ourselves. Others say they have trouble finding an activity in which to participate each week, so I am going to attempt to make a few suggestions, and ask for yours as well, dear reader. My hope is to inspire myself, and you, to foster a relationship with that inner child/artist self within us all.

Taking out, pampering and listening to our inner child does not need to be expensive. In fact, you may be met with resistance if you choose a culturally sophisticated activity. This is about self-nurturing, play time. Anything which feeds your soul is an Artist’s Date. I love being outdoors, because I feel “connected” and the closer I am to “source” the more inspired I become. Quiet time at the beach, hiking a mountain, or a stroll around a local park are all great “me” time activities. Are there historical homes, botanical gardens or a local greenhouse you’ve always meant to explore? Can’t get away from the house? Grab your camera and climb a ladder to get a new perspective on your current surroundings!

Exploring other’s creations can be a lot of fun too. Whether it be at a local museum (I am blessed to have The Getty nearby and *that* is an incredible gift! It offers stunning architecture, world renowned art, a gorgeous garden and sweeping views! It’s one of my favorite places in Los Angeles) or local galleries; exploring the works of another can help us envisage our own creations more clearly. Visit a local bookshop and pour through their art or landscaping books. Go to story or art time at your local library. Spend a few hours perusing an antique shop. Rent some children’s movies!

Since we are talking about fostering inner child behavior, I think it is important for some dates to look a lot like preschool activities. Get out a box of crayons, coloured pencils or finger paints. This is not only a great expression of play, but can help us get in touch with our inner creator as well. Since we create our own reality, what we draw/paint can be a direct reflection of what we could create in our lives. As long as it looks like arts and crafts time, you’re on the right track. My favourite story was of the woman who had a play date with a can of shaving cream! I also love the idea of building sand castles on the beach, a snowman or swinging on the swing at the local playground. Or perhaps you want to bake cookies!

Let’s commit to taking two hours per week, because keeping these dates with yourself feels really amazing and will make your inner child very happy. When the inner child/artist is happy, our work will come through more easily. Do not judge yourself or feel guilty for reconnecting with you. Follow your passion and that which has magick for you! Create without rules and see how your work becomes more inspired. “Imagination at play is at the heart of all good work,” says Ms. Cameron. By taking time to care for and cultivate our creativity, we will renew our resources! Take this journey with me and see what we can accomplish!

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