Beltaine and Arbor Day: Celebration of Earth in bloom
By Cris McCullough Beltaine. May Day. Many of us associate mid-spring with the quaint traditions of dancing around a May Pole or the crowning of the May Queen. This is a time of exchange with nature, a time to celebrate renewal in all its forms. Buds begin to form on the trees, encouraging us to slow down and pay attention. Celebrating Beltaine and trees is an ancient tradition, one that translates contemporarily to a sweet stop in the woods. Anyone who has placed a hand on a tree to intuitively “listen” to the sap beginning to flow can agree. Even exchange: Celebrating Beltaine and trees Beltaine is an ancient Celtic festival of renewal and fertility dating from Roman times. Entire villages would gather and sleep under the stars,...