Boozhoo - today is May Day and in my family it was a tradition for my mom and I to exchange May baskets. Often I would hang a basket on her door knob and then knock and wait to watch her reaction. Sometimes our baskets included more than flowers but flowers were always a component. I remember once when I moved into a townhouse with my boys during a trial separation from their dad, she had my boys hide a basket in their room and promise they would put it outside my bedroom door for me to find the next morning. We celebrated May Day instead of Mother’s Day. I’m not sure how that started and in spite of the fact that my mother would often tell me not to be contrary (I didn’t realize until I was 50 that this was one of my mother’s character traits) the apple did not fall very far from the tree. We joyfully celebrated our own holiday. So this picture of emerging Dutchman’s Breeches is my May basket to you.
Last month we had our first Deep Dive class and in spite of the fact that some of the people who had signed up were unable to attend we had a lovely day among the White Pines and later the Sweet Birch. Lots of information to carry home and some sensory memories too of tasting teas, oxymels, syrups and taking the fragrance of Sweet Birch essential oil in. We hope you can attend one of these classes if it fits your schedule. We try to include as many ways of interacting with the plants as possible including the senses, stories, journeys and of course loads of information.
We also had our first apprenticeship meeting. What a wonderful group of people. I am so grateful that we will be able to spend time with each other and with the spirits of the land as we craft, tell stories, share dreams and insights and do ceremony.
In my personal life I am learning to be patient. When I first heard about the idea of not cleaning up your gardens in winter so that the birds had more protection and could still hunt for seed I embraced it fully and then when I heard that you should not clean up the garden until late in the spring so that the insects would not be disturbed I greeted that news with cheers of joy. Now is the time to garden! Guess who broke her toe? I am moving slowly and carefully. I am learning to be flexible and not be frustrated because I can’t do what I want to do. I am learning to ask for help and not just try to do it all by myself. I honor the lessons of my poor toe and now ask it with all kind regard to heal the hell up! Just kidding…kinda.
Well with all the challenges of life right now and this last year we had to reschedule some happenings and let some of them go for this year, so I want to give you the new teaching calendar for the year.
As always we hope to see you there.
Mii’iw