Lorri@Mabon_House 4/12/22 Lorri@Mabon_House 4/12/22

Beltane & Slow Living

Disclaimer: This website uses affiliate links, meaning: at no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate or other affiliate program participant, I earn from qualifying purchases. Mabon House only features products that I believe in and use myself. Thank you!

According to the Wheel of the Year, Beltane marks the high point of springtime, falling exactly halfway between the vernal equinox celebration of Ostara and the summer solstice celebration of Litha. Later renamed May Day by Christians, traditional Beltane activities focused on reconnecting with nature to take advantage of the renewed energy of springtime.

In the agrarian cycle, Beltane was a time of great activity, when pastures were cleared and fields planted. Beltane rituals were performed to ensure abundant harvests and healthy livestock. In modern times, May is still a time of great activity and preparation. People hurry to get their yards in order before the start of summer; schools get ready for finals and graduation ceremonies; bridal showers are thrown for all the summer brides. There is a sense of hurry up and get it done, so we can relax in summer.

Slow living during Beltane may seem counter-productive, given this emphasis on activity and production. But slow living isn’t always about literally slowing down and doing less. Slow living is about slowing down and being in the moment, focusing on the activity at hand. Slow living during Beltane could be simply trimming your spring to-do list, to give you time to focus on a few key projects or activities.

GROW YOUR GARDEN

Now is the time to plant the seeds you started at Ostara. These can be literal seeds that are now strong enough to be planted outside, or these could be seeds of an idea or a change you wish to make in your life. Either way, if you are trying to plant too many seeds at one time in your life, it can feel overwhelming as you think about all that must happen to turn the tiny seedlings into a full garden. Same for thinking about the seemingly endless to-do list of things you must accomplish to bring a goal into reality. As you tend to your garden, if you feel overwhelmed try slowing down. Just focus on one thing at a time. A flower doesn’t force itself into the world. It grows bit by bit, each day. Consistency is just as important as action.

HONOR YOUR HOME

According to Judy Ann Nock in her book The Modern Witchcraft Guide to the Wheel of the Year, in ancient days Beltane fires were lit on hilltops and then cattle were driven through the smoke, as a way to ward off pestilence and disease. Embers from these fires were carried home and used to light the hearth fires for spring and summer. This was believed to offer protection and prosperity for the approaching harvest season. It was also believed to be good luck to walk the perimeter of one's property on Beltane.

While you may not have the space for a hilltop bonfire (or have any cattle to pass through the smoke) you can light a small fire via a fire pit, woodstove, fireplace or even a candle and give a quiet thank you to the universe and mother earth for your home and all it provides for you. Or give thanks while walking the entirety of your property.

CULTIVATE ABUNDANCE & PROSPERITY

Manifesting and visualizing what you would like to be, do, or have life is another way to harness the energy of Beltane, which is often associated with prosperity and money. In keeping with slow living, think about what abundance and prosperity mean to you. What is it that you desire out of life? You can absolutely desire more money or material things like a new car or house. Or perhaps abundance for you means more feelings of peace, calm, joy, stability, love in your everyday life. Slowing down and getting clear on why you want the things you want can help you take action toward these goals.

In her book The Modern Witchcraft Grimoire: Your Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Book of Shadows, author Skye Alexander offers some creative and easy Beltane spells that harness visualization and manifesting properties.

CREATIVITY AND NATURE

Artists have long been inspired by the beauty of nature. Beltane and its renewed energy, longer days and warmer weather are ideal for connecting with nature and your creative side. Spend time outdoors with your creative tools of choice. This could be your journal, paint and canvas or other handiwork.

Grab the new Beltane Creative Guide to help you get started.

SLOW CELEBRATIONS FOR BELTANE

There are many ways to celebrate Beltane that are simple, low cost or even free.

Gather friends and family for a traditional Beltane bonfire. Write your intentions for the season on a slip of paper with green ink. Toss the paper into the fire and visualize your intentions being absorbed into the universe.
Prepare a special Beltane meal. This is a great way to celebrate Beltane by yourself or with a group. Popular Beltane dishes include dairy foods, honey, oats, mead, and early greens. Here is a free Beltane Meal Planner to help you get started.
Take a walk in the early morning of May 1st, in keeping with the old May Day custom of gathering flowers with morning dew, which was believed to hold magical properties.

How are you celebrating Beltane this year? Share in the comments below!

Lorri@Mabon_House 4/6/22 Lorri@Mabon_House 4/6/22

Beltane & The Season of Creativity

Soon it will be the season of Beltane, which marks the mid-point of spring. Celebrated on May 1st, Beltane is when the Wheel of the Year turns fully from winter towards summer. I love this time of year because of the natural energy that abounds. While Beltane is often associated with fertility, it’s also a time to focus on abundance and creativity. Beltane fires are the first harkening of the summer season to come. Why not use this time to reconnect with your own fire? What lights you up? What excites you? What do you want more of in the season to come?

This year, I want to embrace the energy of Beltane and springtime and delve into my creativity more fully. Specifically I want to explore: What does creativity look like in my life? What can I learn about myself through creativity? How can I harness my creativity to find more joy and purpose in the everyday?

I had thought about doing some kind of writing challenge with myself for the month of May, but I don’t really like the term challenge. I feel like it sets you up to fail if you don’t do the thing every single day.

Instead, I’m thinking I’d like to go on a creative adventure to celebrate Beltane. There is no winning or losing; there is only exploring.

Finding Your Creative Flow

I think creativity should give you a sense of accomplishment and bring you joy and, at times, put you in a state of flow - where time stops and you are just IN the moment. For me, writing does that. Not all the time, mind you. There are days when I have to force myself to put something on the page.

But when I stumble upon something that sparks a light inside my soul - I am able to go all in for a period of time - usually no more than a couple of hours at a time. And when I am finished I feel the greatest sense of accomplishment - even if the end result is just a rough draft of gobbly-gook. I know there is something there. That’s how Mabon House started. I had a kernel of an idea that I just let it lead me to where it wanted to go. I followed and here we are. All because of creativity.

Everyone is Creative

I am a firm believer that everybody is creative in their own way. And everyone can benefit from stretching their creative muscles. We do not need to be the best painter, writer, fill-in-the-blank whatever to be creative. Elizabeth Gilbert captures this idea beautifully in her book Big Magic:

“A creative life is an amplified life. It’s a bigger life, a happier life, an expanded life, and a hell of a lot more interesting life. Living in this manner—continually and stubbornly bringing forth the jewels that are hidden within you—is a fine art, in and of itself.”

Choose Your Own Creative Adventure

So in the spirit of Beltane and Springtime, this week’s free printable is a choose-you-own-creative-adventure worksheet, plus a list of ideas to help you get started. I hope you like it!

I’ll be sharing some other creative resources, including more about Beltane and Creativity in the coming weeks. If you are interested in participation in some sort of community adventure around creativity, let me know in the comments section below.

Take care and I’ll see you next week!

Slow Living Guide for Imbolc & Ostara

Welcome to Part Two of the Mabon House Guide to Slow Living: Imbolc & Ostara. You can read Part 1 - Samhain & Yule here.

Imbolc & Slow Living

Imbolc marks the midpoint of winter. The days are steadily growing longer and the sun is getting stronger. In ancient cultures Imbolc was a time to celebrate Brigid, Celtic Goddess of crafts, learning and healing. Early Celtic celebrations included lighting fires to warm the frozen land, hanging a four cornered Brigid’s Cross above doorways to bless and protect a home, and practicing weather divination as a way to predict the future. Similar to the idea of Groundhog’s Day, ancient Celts would listen for a lark to sing on Imbolc. If they heard the bird, it meant that the God had returned to the Goddess and spring would be early.

With lengthening days and more sunlight, Imbolc offers a time for clarity. You have rested through the early part of winter following Samhain and spent time with friends and family during Yule. Now is the time to plan and start moving toward your goals and cultivate a lifestyle that fulfills you. Take time to refine and reconnect to your daily practices, whether that is journaling, movement, meditation or other activities that nurture your spirit. This is a time to explore what you need to do and learn in order to fulfill your passion and purpose. Follow along on Pinterest for more Wheel of the Year Inspiration

Ostara and Slow Living

Ostara is the celebration of the Spring Equinox. Day and night are equal in length and from this point forward the days are longer and the air warmer. Like animals coming out of hibernation and the trees stirring with sap and buds, our natural inclination is to do more. This is a good time to take advantage of the warming temperatures and soak up the spring air after a long winter. Take note of how nature is changing. What is blooming? What is growing in your corner of the world?

After the rest period of winter it can feel good to move and be busy once more. And while Ostara is a time for more action and more activity, there can also be pressure to do.all.the.things when spring arrives. There's a rush to clean up the yard, spring clean the house, get your summer wardrobe ready, go on a vacation, etc… Spring cleaning, decluttering, and digging in the dirt are all great Ostara slow living activities, but ultimately slow living during Ostara (and the rest of the year) is about following your unique cadence, your natural rhythm.

10 ways to Live Slowly & a Free Checklist

You do not have to cross off a giant to-do list or produce Pinterest-worthy flower beds to enjoy the beginning of springtime. The season of Ostara is a good time to choose some projects that will bring you joy, not stress. Perhaps start a container garden on your front porch, rather than a giant ground garden that will take you all summer to maintain. Or apply a fresh coat of paint for your favorite spaces in the home, rather than a full remodel. Or prepare a special Ostara meal with fresh springtime ingredients, rather than hosting a large gathering.

Going inward, Ostara is a good time to set some intentions for yourself. Just as you take action around your home, what actions should you be thinking about in other areas of your life? What kind of actions will help uplift you? Bring you more joy? Help move you in the direction you want to go? This could be a continuation of what you started during Imbolc or something new in your life.

Looking for some Ostara Inspiration (I mean, who isn’t?) Be sure to check out the free Mabon House Ostara Course.