Blessed Beltane

Beltane (or May Day) is the last Sabbat of the waxing year. The next holiday is Summer Solstice, the zenith of the light from which the year begins to wane. Beltane is the approaching height of fertility and is a feast of fires and flowers...the Goddess’s and the Earth’s passion to bloom and bear fruit. 


Brightness and abundance are present everywhere at Beltane...in the greening and blooming of the land...the colors of the May pole...the candles and brightness of the women’s clothes. Where Spring Equinox colors were pastels, Beltane’s are rose for new love or primary colors that emphasize brightness and fertility.

Beltane Starts: the evening of April 30th, concluding at sunset of May 1st, Actual Day: the date on which the sun is at 15 degrees Taurus.


Activities and Rituals:
fertilize, nurture and boost existing goals, games, activities of pleasure, leaping bonfires, making garlands, May Pole dance, planting seeds, walking one’s property, feasting


Colors:
Red, White, Brown, Pink, Green


Tools:
Broom, May Pole, cauldron


Stones/Gems:
Emerald, malachite, amber, orange carnelian, sapphire, rose
quartz


Symbols and Decorations:
May Pole, fires, fertility, flowers, growing things, ploughs, cauldrons of flowers

A Fairy Spell for Beltane

In a woodland clearing, spread a clean green cloth. On it place
small cakes or offerings and flowers, especially  roses and primroses, in a circle. Imagine the magic around you and say:


“O Fairy Queen,
Upon your white steed,
Within me plant
A magic seed.
From you may spring
Many new beginnings.
Great Queen,
Accept these offerings.”


Leave the items and walk around the cloth three times, then slowly
walk the path back to your home. Listen for the sound of laughter and bells and know you are blessed. Beltane is the time when fairies return from their winter rest, carefree and full of mischief and delight. 

On the night before Beltane, it is said, people would place Rowan branches at their windows and doors for protection. This is also a perfect time for night or predawn rituals to draw down power to promote fertility in body and mind. 


At Beltane, the Pleiades star cluster rises just before sunrise on the morning horizon. The Pleiades is known as the seven sisters, and resembles a tiny dipper-shaped pattern of six moderately bright stars in the constellation of Taurus, near the shoulder. If weather permitting, watch for it low in the east-northeast sky.. just a few minutes before sunrise.

Prosperity

Prosperity- a successful, flourishing, or thriving condition, esp. in financial respects; good fortune.


Abundance- an extremely plentiful or oversufficient quantity or supply.


At first glance, these two words seem remarkably similar but upon closer examination you can see that prosperity is to flourish and abundance is to have a lot of.....I never really put much thought into these words and their use but until I started trying to bring about a more prosperous environment around me, I began to realize there is a world of difference between these words and I started to delve into how to bring about the good things in my life.

There are many ways to be prosperous, financially, spiritually, materially and these are the ways in which most of us wish to manifest in our lives. I prefer to use the word prosperity rather than abundance because it brings to mind the impression of having too much...like bills, rain or even worries and that is usually why we ask to be prosperous in the first place.

There are several theories as to "the secret" of prosperity and I have been one of those individuals myself on occasion. The law of return is a good one, it goes like this: what we give out will return to us, so if we become active in our communities and  show concern and kindness to our neighbors...the thought is that those good deeds shall return to us.  But what if that does not happen? Then we are sent right back to the drawing board to see just where we might have gone wrong.

I have made the observation that maybe deep down inside, we don't feel like we may be worthy of asking for prosperity. The Universe and the Gods will provide for us, but often times only if we ask. You just have to remind yourself that you are deserving of good times. We are part of divinity and as such are more than worthy to ask and recieve prosperity in our lives.

I also noticed that people tend to focus on the negative things that happen to them and also expect them as a regular thing. If they would just start expecting good things, than good things would have a chance to arrive. A great way to shift our focus from the negative to the positive it a gratitude list....Make it a point to write down five things that you are grateful for every day. Do this for a couple months and you will start to notice that rather seeing only negative,  we are more apt to start seeing all the things in our lives that are good. 

Every Sunday I have a post called "Serenity Sunday" this is my gratitude list. Each day I write down ten things I am thankful for and on Sunday I pick out a few from the week and post them on my blog. I can honestly say my focus has shifted and I no longer see the glass as half empty but half full instead.  I ask you today, why not start a gratitude journal and see if that doesn't help change your perspectives of prosperity and abundance...?

Tarot Tuesday

Flowering

In this card we see an image of a beautiful woman sitting upon a lotus flower with rainbow colors around her... Osho Zen calls her the Queen of the Rainbows. In comparison to a traditional tarot deck, she is the equivalent of The Queen of Pentacles (or Disks.) She sits on her lotus blossom and gives the impression of possibilities, , vitality and sexuality and overflowing abundance.

The abundance that this card is speaking of is that of sharing your abundance with others...open yourself up and share your bliss and sense of wholeness not just in material matters but those of the heart and soul. Is there someone in your life that is in need ...whether it be spiritually, emotionally or physically...? Can you send your bliss, your abundance with someone in need...?

Make a list of the abundances in your life, things that you are blessed with....Are you spiritually abundant... are you thanful for your spirituality...do you express it in everything you do? Is your abundance of the emotional type, are you a good listener... can you be a shoulder to cry on? Is time where you are abundant...do you have a few spare hours each week to give a hand at a local charity, animal shelter or nursing home?

Real abundance reflects, compassion, sharing your enlightenment, not reacting to anger with anger. We are all connected in this world, not one thing happens that does not ripple back to us in various ways. Why don't we send out some positive, abundant ripples and see just how it returns to us?

Osho Zen Tarot

Tarot Tuesday

In the Three of Cups we can see three maidens, one dark haired wearing a blue dress, one fair haired wearing a mauve dress (in some decks her dress is red) and one red haired wearing a green dress, each holding a golden cup and appearing very jovial and festive. In the foreground there are baskets filled with ripe fruits of all kinds and gives the impression of mid to late summer.

The Three of Cups is all about harmony, fullfillment and possibly a festive get together. Good times, good friends and scarcely a care in the world and on occasion, good luck. You may be feeling filled with gratitude for life's gifts and want to celebrate with those you care about around you. This is a time when enjoying yourself is as important as working hard.

While the three maidens salute the three graces, they are different colors..white representing the source of all things and unity, since white light contains all colors, blue is the color of the element water, and the subconscious mind, green is the color of the element earth, and represents life, nature, abundance, and all growth.

The Three of Cups is a very positive card and indicates happy times to come but on occasion, it can indicate that maybe you are working so hard that it is a great time to cut yourself some slack and enjoy the goodness and fun times life has to offer.

* This card is from The Robin Wood Tarot*

Mother Earth's Finest Gifts

I have this stone from Ireland....right off the cliffs of Moher. It's my most prized stone in my collection because it is a small tangible piece of where my family and I came from.

To me it symbolizes a foundation, an origin as well roots and direction. My little piece of Ireland, that my good friend Peggy so bravely retrieved from the cliffs for me on her trip to Ireland, rests in an honored spot on my altar and I use it often as my pendulum.

Even as a child I collected small stones from mother earth at plowing time and I remember how truly great it felt to dig deeply in the soil and feel at one with nature. To see the seeds, planted in the spring, grow all during the summer and at harvest... get to enjoy their goodness at the dinner table. This is truly one of life's finest pleasures indeed.

My children now gather stones, some are quite pretty and some are more plain but I'm beginning to notice that I'm getting an abundance of old coffee cans, brimming with odds and ends of stones, building up behind my shed. I don't mind, not at all...in fact as I look at the overflowing cans of stones I begin to smile to myself remembering doing that very same thing many years ago.

Four Of Pentacles

In this card we see a little fox looking as if he might be clinging tightly to what he has. He fears that if he lets go even a little that he may lose everything. That mindset can lead to conditions of limit and lack. Where we shift our focus determines what we perceive. This little fox serves as a reminder to focus on abundance not lack. Time to surrender that false sense of control that comes with centering ourselves too much around the material world.

Focus on gratitude and abundance, not only on an intellectual level - but partake in prayers and ritual that allow you to feel that abundance and gratitude in your heart... these are the things that we need to cling to...not to conditions or things of the material world. By focusing our whole being on abundance we draw it to us on all levels materially, spiritually, emotionally, and we become a vessel of true wealth.

Sometimes we have to move into the new and unknown even when it is scary if we want to further our growth and progress. Sticking with old ways out of fimiliarity is stagnation. Don't be so hard on yourself over "failures" that you talk yourself out of getting up and trying again. Release the need to try to control situations out of fear. Let the Divine will step in and lead you into the proper direction. Now is not a good time to become to fixated on the material world... doing so will keep you in a perpetual state of feeling that "something's missing"

I usually find that if this card appears in a reading for myself, I need to focus on what I can do for others. By focusing on this aspect, things beggin to unstick and flow much easier.

The Nine Of Cups

The little rabbit on the Nine of Cups cards reminds me of "the cat who ate the canary." Now, a canary is a pet strictly off limits to hungry felines. Any cat who manages to catch one is going to feel pretty smug about it. This is the impression that the Nine of Cups implies ... nothing but indulgence and self-satisfaction.

At the physical level, the Nine of Cups is a sign of bliss in all the senses. Sights, sounds, tastes, feelings. This card encourages you to seek out pleasure and enjoy your life in every way. You can meditate with the natural world as well.... Mother Earth herself. She too enjoys in sharing her abundance and delights.

At the personal level, the Nine of Cups indicates contentment with the way things are. Notice how the man is seated confidently with his arms folded and a smile on his face. He has everything he wants and couldn't be happier about it. "See all my cups!" he seems to say. "Aren't they great?"

Sometimes it's wonderful to sit back and revel in the knowledge that all's right with the world. But a word of caution. You may be tempted to indulge yourself at the cost of someone else (like our mischievous cat!). This may feel great at the time, but sooner or later the feathers around your mouth will be discovered, and regret will set in. Chasing pleasures without regard to what the consequences are is never satisfying in the long run.

In many tarot traditions, the Nine of Cups is known as the Wish Card. It shows your wish will come true. A wonderful prospect, but remember your fairy tale lessons. You must be sure you know what you really want and accept the responsibilities that go with your wish. If that is the case, then enjoy your good fortune!