Dear Soul Friends,
I hope you had a wonderful Bealtaine weekend! Happy May, rejoice, for summer is arriving! I hope you all are well, life has been filled to the brim with new experiences at the moment, and I am currently adjusting my writing routine. Isn’t it funny how so often we don’t make space for what we truly love? Does the laundry really need to be done before we sit down and create? Do we really have to finish this one email before we can slip on the coat and venture out into nature? Often, time passes quickly and making the choice to create fades away as quickly as the sun that is about to sink into the horizon. I smile as I realise that the choice to focus on Love has a similarly narrow time frame. As soon as we let momentum pick up the speed when we witness something unwanted, keeping our heart open becomes more difficult. Slight annoyance turns into dissatisfaction, leading our focus astray, pulling us into the spiral of resentment, anger and despair. It’s the little moments that make up our day. Those tiny specks of hope, kindness and peace that we sow onto fertile ground soon enough germinate, sprout and grow into living towers of Love.
I had the most awesome Bealtaine celebrations. Sometimes, the spontaneous adventures are the best.
It has been a while since I’ve gathered with people and danced. When I was younger, I would drive to the club (in Germany we called that Disco) with my parent’s car, dance all night while fuelling mainly on caffeinated water (yes, that was a thing back then), only to drive home again in the morning - my body exhausted from the movement, my mind and spirit free. I loved to dance, and still often dance alone in my house, and while I always preferred silence and less crowded spaces, there was a certain comfort in dancing amongst others.
When a friend shared that she would attend a guided dance session in the forest called “Wild”, hosted by Damhsa, I was immediately intrigued. Dancing amongst trees? With the fairies? I didn’t think twice and spontaneously decided to join her even though it would mean that I’d have to drive back for quite a while in the middle of the night.
When we arrived, two of the three facilitators greeted us with a kind smile and some headphones. Through these, we would listen to the music and would be guided into the depths of our bodies. At first, I felt a tiny bit uneasy. After all, I am still human, and my ego made a clumsy attempt to protect me from this new and unknown experience. The soft music that already emerged from my headphones invited me to soak in the surroundings, feeling into the soul of the place where I was standing. I informed my nervous system through deep breathing that all is well and focused on the luscious greens and the sweet anticipation of exploring a new forest. I felt a slight resistance to cover my ears and miss out on the soothing forest sounds, but we were invited to only listen with one ear and let nature sounds step in through the other, so I started to play with this experience.
Luckily, the weather gods granted us a dry spell on an overall quite rainy day. The sun subtly smiled behind the clouds, encouraging us to trust the process.
Entering the forest is always a sacred moment. As soon as I step through the first trees, I wander off into a magical world of silence, awe and wonder. This time, my eyes immediately felt drawn to moss-covered tree trunks, cobbly stones in all sorts of shapes and colours and the fifty lush shades of spring green leaves. After a short walk a lake was stitched into the hem of the forest. I instantly followed my body’s urge to take off my shoes and dip my feet into the cold wet. Crossing spiky twigs and wobbly stones, the cold water cuddled my toes. The slow tunes from the headphones invited me to sway with the sweetgrass. Swans spiralled on the lake, starting to join our sacred dance.
As the music washed over into a more upbeat pace, I explored the smooth surface of fallen trees, uneven tree stumps and piles of leaves with the naked rawness of my soles. My hands reached out for branches, caressing the multitude of moss types, entwining my fingers with spiky holly twigs, rooted in the strong arms of oaks. I was amazed to realise that even a tiny branch could help me to find my balance. The sheer joy of moving my body without any restrictions culminated in an air guitar solo, back to back with a tall, sturdy pine. A thought crossed my head: How did I ever move inside an enclosed dark room, filled with sweat and smoke, crowded and far too loud, when the trees were always just reaching out their hands, inviting me to dance? Suddenly, the thought of a night club seemed completely unnatural to me. I watched the ivy tenderly filling the ridges of the pine’s wrinkled bark. My heart filled with utter bliss, I couldn’t help but kiss a tiny leaf.
When I returned to the spot the DJ was gathering us for a last round of leaning into the support of others and nature, I felt deeply and literally moved. The forest gifted me with a heart-shaped hole in a cute little sprout, and I decided to accept the divine offer and decided to plant it in my garden. I also found a beautiful feather and an incredibly good smelling young pine twig, as well as a miniature cone that was shaped like a pipe. These beauties will rest on my altar to remind me of this incredible, magical Bealtaine night.
Bealtaine
Your wild
green heart
reaches deep
down
into the soil
of my soul
playfully tickling
my wintered mind
alchemising dreams
from swirling
to unfurling
sprouting
a luscious laughter lifts
my heart
emerging from the roots of spine
peaking into the brine
of light
where sun and rain
dance
a savage primordial reel
holding hands
in sacred circle
spinning leaves
into the gold of night
while our complexion brightens
under the luminous
flowering
light
as we drink from the well
the tip of our noses
bedewed with liquid luck
we veer our life
bedazzled
by the seductive smell of
the blossoming roses
towards the distant shore
there
we rest our bodies
planted into fertile ground
the song of spirit sways through air
braiding our hair
into a knot of destiny
without a single sound
Sadhbh AdameaOn my way home, the Flower Moon accompanied my way. When I arrived, she decided to hide, but I captured this picture, to remind me that what’s hidden carries immense beauty. I trusted the unknown once more, and I was not disappointed. Mystery carries magic. This will always be true.
I hope your Bealtaine celebrations filled you with as much joy. If not, I am sending you some through these words, sharing my heArt with your soul. Thank you so much for being here in this blessed space! I am so grateful for each one of you.
May May be rich and sunny! May May treat you warmly! May May embrace your heART and ignite the spark of your soul! May May remind you that you are always enough, worthy and whole!
Have the best of days!
Lots of Love,
Always feel free to reach out if you need a helping hand, a kind word, encouraging conversation or simply someone who listens!
Your forest walk sounds enchanting. I live by a lake, leading into woodland, it's a joy to meander through it in all seasons. Belated Beltane blessings to you 🌿🤍
Day of days, the forest loves the dancers.