13. Light the Spring-Summer Fire

Seasonal Creativity contd…

Happy May! We’re here at the midpoint between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, celebrated in the Wheel of the Year as ‘Beltane’ on April 30-May 1 – a welcoming of the return of Summer.

In olden times, Beltane was a time for sending sheep out to pasture, lighting bonfires, dancing around Maypoles, making flower crowns, igniting romance and passion, and celebrating nature in full bloom. Ancient folk saw this time of the year, similarly to Halloween, as a time when the veil thins between the spirit and living world, but more particularly between human and faerie realms. It’s a season when I love to sink into some good fantasy, fairytale, and folklore themes in my reading and entertainment.

While reading about Beltane traditions, there was one in particular that I felt inspired by in relation to creative practice. Folks in the community would extinguish and clear out the fires they kept burning in hearths through the winter months, and hold a new communal bonfire with dancing and celebration, and at the end of the evening villagers would carry a burning piece of the Beltane fire to start their fires anew.

At this point between two seasons, the practice of extinguishing and clearing out the old and igniting the new feels like a good time to consider:

What projects from the winter and spring need wrapping up and tucking away? (Either for good, or to be picked up again next winter)

What ideas or projects am I feeling most passionate about at this time? (If passion feels too strong a word…more simply, what am I feeling drawn to right now?)

What project or idea could use a new fire lit under it? How can I approach it in a way that would feel the most fun?

Additionally, a good way to experience this season’s energy is in getting out of the regular routine to seek out or reconnect with creative community. Being around other artists and writers can spark new fires, giving each of us a fresh torch to carry back to our practices in the studio.

*for those in the Southern Hemisphere it’s the midpoint between the Autumn equinox & Winter Solstice, celebrated as Samhain in the Wheel of the Year