The First of May

The fair maid who, the first of May
Goes to the fields at break of day
And washes in dew from the hawthorn tree
Will ever after handsome be.

- Mother Goose, as quoted on School of the Seasons

Early this morning I rose, as I do each Beltane morning, and washed my face in the dew of the magickal hawthorn tree that lives in my front yard. (See the photo above -- it's our Northwest native hawthorn, Crataegus douglasii). Will I "ever after handsome be"? I don't know, but I haven't missed this ritual for twenty years.

May Day is most definitely my favorite holiday of the year, especially when it dawns sunny and full of flowers!

Now I'm singing my favorite Beltane song, "Hal-an Tow," along with the old recording by Tempest:

Hal-an-tow, jolly rumble-O
We were up, long before the day-O
To welcome in the summertime, welcome in the May-O
For summer is a-comin' in and winter's gone away!

(For those of you interested in such things, I understand that the term "halan" means "calends," or the first of the month, and "tow" means "garland." So "Hal-an Tow" is the first day of the month of garlands.)

For everything you ever wanted to know about Beltane, visit Kathleen Jenks' wonderful site, Mything Links and explore the links on her Beltane page.

Meanwhile, I'll be whipping up a batch of May Wine, using the sweet woodruff from my garden (which bloomed again, right on time for May Day!), using the recipe from Mara Freeman's book Kindling the Celtic Spirit:

May Wine

*1 bottle white wine (non-alcoholic wine is a fine substitute)
*Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
*Fresh organic strawberries, preferably wild
*Bunch of fresh woodruff (dried for two days in a well-covered china bowl) or green-dried whole woodruff leaves

Method
1. Add 1/3 bottle wine to the woodruff leaves.
2. Allow to steep for 1 hour.
3. Filter and add remaining wine. Flavor with lemon juice and rind.
4. Add sliced strawberries.
5. If you have fresh woodruff flowers, float them on top.

And now I'm headed off to town for a May Day celebration, to make garlands and head wreaths, and dance the Maypole dance!

A most blessed May to you all!