~ Happy Beltane ~

A daisy ritual for the heart sampler on Beltane Eve.

The bottom left wanted to become a balloon ~

I'm still avoiding working the heart edges and am waiting

to understand why that is.

Preparing a 'playground'. The darker shade is linen from a pair

of thrifted trousers and the paler one is heavy, open weave cotton

from a thrifted shirt. They both feel so soft and good. The base

material is very lightweight cotton from curtain lining material

that I keep finding in bootsales, and enjoy working with.

It's going to be a cosy winter in my studio after all :~)

There was a lot of jumping up and down in the bootsale this morning when 

My Man spotted this little wood~stove made from a gas bottle.

We had one very similar in our camper van when we lived in her years ago.

We called that one Alice and I've decided to keep the same name for this one.

That hotplate is going to allow me to have tea or coffee right

there in my workplace....and that bain~marie will be keeping wax

 melted for all sorts of artwork....oh! and I might get to make creams again....

I'm thinking of painting her Jotul Green.

Later, I used Alice to honour Beltane Eve. I carried her out to the garden and lit a fire in her from a pile of prunings that have been drying out since the autumn. We had willow, rosemary, Elder, hibi, blackthorn, and bramble billowing their inimitable aromas over us and our garden  in a giant smudging ceremony.

We boiled water on the hotplate and had ginger and lemon tea...I had meant to get wine, but we drink so infrequently I forgot!

Throughout our little ceremony, until darkness fell, we had the company of one of our sweet friends
who live in our pond. Later we heard the 'plop' as he jumped back in :~)
It was rather apt that he be there  on this night due to frogs' association with fertility.
 Mr Blackbird also serenaded us until dark, then the stars and the bats
 (miniature dragons to the medieval people) came out to play.
My Man softly strummed his guitar and we said 'hello' to Taurus, Gemini, Leo,
The Plough, and Saturn...who looked magnificent through the telescope tonight.

 Earlier I had watched, enthralled, as Mr Frog had climbed out of the pond and sat under the sorrel and red campion leaves with such patience, and in complete stillness, until his dinner had flown or crawled  near him,
then moved his head and flicked out his tongue so quickly, it was almost too fast for my eyes to keep up.


We have had a lovely Beltane Eve with the four elements of earth, air, fire and water represented, and the powerful medicine of frog, blackbird and bat surrounding us.
  Have you done anything to celebrate Beltane Eve?