On May 5th at 7:28 UT EarthGaia, as we may name our Planet, crosses the midpoint in Her orbit between Equinox and Solstice. In the Southern Hemisphere it is the Season of Samhain/Deep Autumn – in the darkest quarter of the year, moving into Winter. In the Northern Hemisphere it is the Season of Beltaine/High Spring – in the lightest quarter of the year, moving into Summer. All planetary times for this Moment may be found at archaeoastronomy.com . Many around the globe will celebrate it on the traditional date of April 30 or May 1st, and some at a time when the season feels right, and some when it can be fitted into tick-tock time – and there are yet other cultural variations of celebrating this transition of our Planet’s orbit around Sun.

Samhain altar – MoonCourt

Samhain/Deep Autumn is a celebration of the trans-formation of life, a time for remembering and honouring all who have gone before and for dreaming and conceiving the new; as the dark part of the day continues to grow and to dominate.

Beltaine/High Spring is a celebration of the dance of life and sweet desire for it … a celebration of Allurement, as cosmologist Brian Swimme names this Cosmic power; as the light part of the day continues to grow and to dominate.

Beltaine altar – MoonCourt

Samhain and Beltaine are essential to each other – one cannot be without the other, and they occur at the same time (!) … are co-incidental. Enjoying the moment of Now in all its beauty is intimate with a sense of death – the knowing of the passing. What’s more, Life is built on Death – we would not be here if many/all had not passed before us. Death is actually the Mother of us all.

Samhain and Beltaine may both be celebrations of the “event-ual” nature of existence: that is, that this Place and Moment is an Event – always in flux … nothing stays the same. At Samhain we may celebrate the passing of the old and dreaming up the new, the trans-forming. The compost and the rot is not so pretty, but if you have the eyes to see, there are threads of gold: Samhain is about the gold of transformation. At Beltaine we may celebrate the beauty and passion of this present form and moment – the Now: its preciousness and rich diversity.

They say “the veil is thin that divides the worlds” at this time: I take that to mean that the SENSE of the seamless connection of “the worlds” is more apparent … it is a kind of intimacy with our place, which is exciting; just prior to the promise of fullness of dark or light at the Solstices. Samhain/Beltaine @ EarthGaia is a time for contemplating and feeling this intimacy, for celebrating and communing with this Event that we find ourselves in; and contemplating our place – personal and collective – in its unfolding. The exuberant fertility of both realms may be celebrated – one a genetic fertility of form and being (manifest), and the other a trans-genetic fertility of the void and becoming (manifesting).

a Samhain Poetic video: PaGaian Samhain 2009 

 a Beltaine Poetic video: PaGaian Beltaine 2009

Here in the Blue Mountains of Australia we will celebrate Samhain ceremony on the 6th May, gathering in our “MoonCourt” – ceremonial space for Goddess – at 7pm. The invitation reads:

Earth’s tilt leans us further into the Dark –
 this is the time for conceiving the new …

You are invited to celebrate

SAMHAIN


In this Moment, between the old and the new,

all is possible:

the veil is thin that divides the worlds.

We remember the dead, let go of the past,

conceive the Not-Yet.

We remember that we are More, much More.

We meet to trans-form yet again,

in the Womb of the Dark Shining One,


of our own bodyminds.

If you wish to attend, you may email me (Glenys) for an invitation and details

PaGaian Cosmology blogs for Samhain/Deep Autumn

PaGaian Cosmology blogs for Beltaine/High Spring

Samhain and Beltaine meditations are offered on PaGaian Cosmology Meditations CDs to nurture your participation in this Seasonal transition – either for yourself or for a group. The tracks may be purchased individually in digital format, or you may enjoy to purchase the whole set – digitally or as CDs.

Samhain and Beltaine preparation e-notes, images and meditations are offered: Celebrating PaGaian Cosmology On-Line .

Samhain and Beltaine story may be found in Appendix F of PaGaian Cosmology, or if you have a paper version of the book there is an Index for references throughout. These Seasonal Moments in relationship to the whole Wheel of the Year, from a PaGaian perspective, may be found in Chapter 5, and ritual/ceremonial scripts are offered in Chapter 7, though they of course have always evolved and been  adapted to personal and regional poetics. The on-line versions  are different from those in the paper copy of the book, as I sometimes update them.

There is a PaGaian Cosmology Facebook group where all members may initiate discussion and/or respond, and also a Pagaian Cosmology Facebook Page … which you are welcome to “Like”.

To be on the invitation list, or for notice of events, please contact Glenys.