Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we celebrated Beltane - believed to mean 'bright fire' - on May 1. This ancient Celtic festival welcomes the start of summer - and from now until Lughnasadh, when the dark half of the year gently returns with the autumn leaves, we can bask in the warm glow of the season.
Halfway between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice, Beltane is a time when we can be inspired by the radiance and illumination of summertime.
Traditionally a time when farmers would take their cattle and sheep out to new pastures, we too may feel within us a stirring of energy, a desire to shake off any last vestiges of winter's sleepiness, and a craving to seek out movement and adventure.
In what ways might we be called to take ourselves off to pastures new, tread new ground, and explore new places, ideas, and ways of being?
Beltane was a time, too, when people might choose to decorate a May Bush with pretty ribbons. Often the branches of a small hawthorn tree would be wreathed in brightly coloured garlands as a way to reflect the beauty of summer's blossoms and blooms.
What buds feel as if they are about to burst into flower in your life, and how can you celebrate all that has brought you to this moment?
How can you take a few seconds to be grateful for all the beauty that surrounds you?
Beltane was also a time when bonfires were lit on hilltops and folk would put out their hearth fires, relighting them with a small flame from the larger blaze.
As we steadily approach the summer months, the sun is gathering in strength, and the power of fire, heat, and light are symbolised and honoured in this ritual lighting of bonfires and candles.
Summer is a joyful celebration of the glow and plenty of the season, and we are invited to ponder these qualities within us now.
Now is a time for us to consider how we can be inspired by the warmth and abundance of nature at this moment in the year, and in what ways we are called to shine like the 'bright fire' of Beltane?