rowan and willow and spring flowers

 Happy May Day to you!

 Recently, I discovered the work of Danica Child over at Fair Folk Podcast. She is a writer, "Rediscovering and sharing the sacred song and folk traditions of Europe". My curiosity was stirred and so I checked out her website. A few days ago I listened to Big Beltane:May Day Song and Custom. Here is a link to the fascinating Soundcloud podcast.

After I listened to the podcast, Batman and I wandered around the yard with clippers in hand. We took a few clippings from one of our magical Rowans, and some willow too. Thought to ward off evil spirits that may be stirred up between midnight and dawn on May Day, I crafted a protective swag from the branches for our front door. I tucked tet-a-tet daffodils and Scilla into a birchbark collar I fashioned for the spray.

It remains a very chilly and wet spring here in Vermont, and even the plants in the hoop house are sluggish. The spinach, kale and mixed greens are coming along, but everything else is still in the utility room, under grow lights. The seed potatoes arrived and are waiting till the soil is a bit warmer.

But friends, all these growing things are reminders of hope. Fragile, slowly creeping hope. And that is certainly something to hang onto these days!

xo

(And just to be clear, I wholeheartedly support the other version of May Day...a day to honor and stand in solidarity with laborers and essential workers everywhere, especially now).