Are you feeling the portal to Summer opening

Once Beltane hits the natural world around me always feels like it’s kicking everything up a notch. The last budding trees have finally begun to leaf out and my roses are exploding. 
The pink jasmine is in full bloom and the white jasmine is starting to create little buds that come mid June will likely be fully awake. 

This is the time of year when I feel the Fae folk peeking out from their realm and into ours. This is the time opposite Samhain when the thin veils allow easier passage between worlds. 
The word fairy only dates back to the Middle ages, but the Fae folk and their ilk have been popping into folklore across cultures and time, under different names and manifestations. 

I have always been fascinated by the Fae. There is something so alluring about their mystical nature.

Some believe the Fae are otherworldly or other dimensional beings, some believe they are the spirits of the land, and others believe they are another race of humanoid creatures that we share space with on this planet. 

Lore suggests that the Fae folk can be seen as both friend or foe. They are full of trickster and often playful energy. 
Leaving offerings for the Fae is said to be a helpful way of keeping in their good graces. Such offerings include cake, honey and cream. Tending the natural world is an offering too! So plant your gardens and amend your soil. 

Whether or not you believe fairies to be real, there is a certain magic and delight in delving into these stories. Spend some time outside and you might just spy these beings peeking out of the foliage just there in your peripheral vision. 

Beltane crafts
This year to celebrate Beltane I tried something new.
I harvested roses petals from my burgeoning bushes and make rose beads. 
The process was simple and it was wonderful way to honor the season in a way that will carry this energy through the year. 
You can check out the reel I made about the process on instagram or just follow the recipe here
You will need:
2 lightly packed cups of rose petals (the more scented the better!)
¼ cup water
A food processor
A pot and stove and spoon
wire/pins/paperclips

Blitz the rose petals and water in the food processor until it reaches a gel like consistency
Cook this mixture on medium heat storring almost constantly until it become clay like
Roll mixture into beads (these will shrink by at least half when they dry)
If crumbly-blot water out with cloth or paper towels
And insert wire or pins to create hole and hold them until they dry
Let air dry for a couple days rotating periodically to keep air flow even
Use for jewelry projects. 

Gather the Witches
By now you have likely read about the outdoor retreat I’m hosting here in Sonoma County in early June. 

If you’ve been thinking about joining but not sure if it’s for you, let me share a few of the sweet details about this event. 

We have our own private group campground complete with private bathrooms and showers as well as an ample fire ring.

We have loads of space to spread out including areas for altars and our morning yoga (led by the fab Veronica Wade Lewis), a big fire pit and outdoor kitchen. 

I provide meals and snacks and can help with camping gear if needed. 

We will be stepping out of the day to day and into a sacred space, where we will connect with the earth and each other, through ceremony, spell work, divination and a little crafting too!

Although the retreat is scheduled for June 7th-9th, I’ve rented the space a day early so you are welcome to come before we officially begin and take part in a new moon ceremony with me on the 6th. 

You can find all the details and sign up form here 

And finally my friends, I am once more offering Priestessing in the Modern World, a free 45 min workshop that invites you to explore the concept of Priestessing and takes you on a journey to meet your Priestess Self. This year I also have a companion guide for you all that includes journal prompts and a tarot spread. 

You can sign up of the first round of this class on May 13th is here

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