Meditation: May 1, 2025

"The wheel turns and the fires rise, ancient dance of shadow and flame. What sleeps in winter awakens in summer's embrace; what whispers in darkness sings in the light." -- Wendy

Physical Setting & Preparation

Ideally, position yourself where you can see or be near a fire—whether a candle, hearth fire, or outdoor fire pit. If weather permits, practice this meditation outdoors with your bare feet touching the earth. Place flowers, particularly yellow ones like primrose or marigold, around your meditation space. Have something sweet nearby—honey, fruit, or sweet bread—to taste at the end of your practice as a symbol of summer's sweetness. Wear something red, orange, or yellow if possible to embody the fire energy of Beltane.

Opening Invocation | Fosgladh

Air a' chiad latha den Chèitean, tha mi a' gairm air teine Bealltainn
On the first day of May, I call upon the fire of Beltane

An teine a ghlanadh, an teine a leigheas
The fire that cleanses, the fire that heals

Tha mi a' gairm air an t-samhradh ùr
I call upon the new summer

A' gairm air dathan, blàths, agus beatha
Calling upon colors, warmth, and life

Take three deep breaths, feeling the potent energy of Beltane, the great fire festival that marks summer's arrival. Today the veil between worlds thins once again, allowing communion with nature spirits awakened from winter's sleep. Feel the strengthening sun's warmth upon your skin. Notice how the world has transformed—trees fully leafed, flowers abundantly blooming, birdsong reaching crescendo. You stand at the gateway to summer's half of the year.

Body of the Working | Corp

Tha mi a' faireachdainn teine beatha annam fhìn
I feel the fire of life within myself

Tha mi a' faireachdainn blàths na gréine air mo chraiceann
I feel the warmth of the sun on my skin

Tha mi a' faicinn òr solais air gach duilleag is flùr
I see the gold of light on every leaf and flower

Allow your awareness to settle on the confidence rising within you. Like the flames of Beltane fires leaping skyward, there is a power awakening that knows its own strength. The natural world embodies this confidence in May—the bold unfurling of leaves that now fully claim their space, the assertive growth of stems pushing upward, the territorial songs of birds who know exactly where they belong.

Feel how this confidence connects you to your own rightful place in the world. You need not justify your existence or apologize for the space you occupy. Like the oak spreading its branches wide, your presence is necessary and purposeful in the great web of life.

Now, allow your attention to shift toward wonder. Feel the astonishment of witnessing life's explosion in fullness—the impossible green of new leaves, the intricate perfection of each blossom, the miraculous regeneration of the world after winter's dormancy. This wonder is the natural response to beauty that exceeds our expectations.

The earth herself manifests wonder in the diversity of forms she produces—each unique, each essential to the whole. This wonder is not naïveté but profound recognition of the mystery at the heart of existence.

The Deep Working | An Obair Dhomhain

Tha mi a' leigeil le mo mhisneachd agus m' iongnadh a bhith mar phàirt de m' shlighe
I allow my confidence and wonder to be part of my journey

Mar an teine a' dannsa ris a' ghealaich, tha neart agus maise ag aontachadh
Like the fire dancing with the moon, strength and beauty unite

Mar bhlàth na bealtainn a' fosgladh don ghréin, fosglaidh mi do dhraoidheachd an là
Like the Beltane blossom opening to the sun, I open to the magic of the day

Visualize yourself standing beside a great Beltane fire on a hilltop. The flames rise high, gold and red against the twilight sky. This fire represents your confidence—bright, powerful, transformative. Feel its heat on your face, its light illuminating your true nature.

Around the fire bloom countless flowers of white and yellow, representing your wonder—open, receptive, marveling at beauty. Their scent carries on the evening breeze, subtle yet pervasive.

Feel the Mother Earth beneath your feet, her body warming after winter's chill. She whispers: "Your confidence is my summer strength. Your wonder is my endless creativity. Both are sacred."

Imagine drawing the fire's energy into your solar plexus, feeling it stabilize and strengthen your sense of self. Simultaneously, draw the flowers' essence into your heart, feeling it open your capacity for appreciation and awe. Let these energies circulate and dance together within you—the assertive flame and the receptive blossom, the powerful and the beautiful.

Tha mi a' gabhail ri mo nàdar ioma-fhillte
I accept my complex nature

A' tuigsinn gum faod misneachd agus iongnadh co-fhàs
Understanding that confidence and wonder can grow together

Afterthought | Smuain Dheiridh

Take a moment to contemplate:

How might embodying confidence without arrogance allow you to take up your rightful place in the world, just as each plant and animal has its niche in the ecosystem? In what ways might cultivating wonder keep your confidence flexible and your heart open to the continuous unfolding of life's mystery?

Closing Blessing | Beannachd Dheiridh

Tha mi a' tilleadh don t-saoghal làitheil
I return to the daily world

Le teine Bealltainn a' dannsa nam chuislean
With Beltane's fire dancing in my veins

Gun toir Màthair na Talmhainn dhomh a neart
May the Mother of Earth give me her strength

Gun toir i dhomh a h-ioghnadh ri linn
May she give me her wonder through the ages

Gun toir i dhomh a gliocas gus an dà chuid a chothromachadh
May she give me her wisdom to balance both

Biodh e mar sin
So be it