The Rites of Spring in the High Rocky Mountains.

The sunny birds have stirred me from my winter hibernation to embrace the fertility of Spring. Immediately my eyes lift heavenward to the Rocky Mountains towering above. My heart is like a magnet, as it yearns to be reunited with the wilds of my youth. As soon as I could walk on my own, I was introduced to the near-by mountains and have gone back again and again for the rest of my life. I feel such a strong and peaceful bond with all of nature. It ignited a life-long passion for nature that burns brighter with each passing year. Soon, it will be time to perform my "Consecration of Spring" ritual.

It involves finding a secluded woods far away from camp sites to strip naked. Nudity is our natural form--it is what Mother Nature intended us to wear in our natural habitat. But, since we can't walk around naked all the time, I like to incorporate it into many of my Neo-Pagan rituals. In those hidden woods, I dig a small hole with my hands. I don't use a man-made object because it lacks the personal connection to the fertile dirt that feeds us and gives us resources for shelter and fuel.

I like to raise a scoop of dirt in my hands to my nose and smell of its richness. It is a gesture of respect to the soil's power. At the same time, it's soft yet rich scent relaxes my body and mind, allowing the chaotic stress of modernity to melt away quicker. It's a ritual that shakes the grime of city life off my mind so I can get into spiritual state worthy of Mother Nature's beauty. It's a ritual that reminds me I don't have to carry the baggage of my daily life out in nature. It disintegrates the knots of stress, so that I can fully embrace the experience of nature. I don't believe in rituals without preparing your spirit first because otherwise you rush through it and miss the messages Mother Nature has for you because you weren't in the right frame of mind.

This is where I will be adding some new rituals to my "Consecration of Spring" ceremony. I like to bath in mountain streams when I go backpacking far away from human contact. So, I was thinking that before I strip naked in a secluded grove, and dig the hole that I'll bath in a mountain stream to ritualistically cleanse the grime of materialism from my body. Then when I'm naked I am pure for the rituals to come. Finally, upon completion of the bathing and digging, I drop some wildflower seeds in the hole. Then, I begin to masturbate.

I really loose myself in it, without drawing too much attention. I thank Mother Nature for giving me such a beautiful tool, as my aroused phallus to spread fertility. I thank her for making me a man and with it the enjoyment a sexually horny male can enjoy. I dedicate myself to supporting all ideas that further the birth of revolutionary changes that improve life for humans and animals. Then, when I've extended my masturbating for as long as I can, I unload my streaming man seed (cum) into the hole (womb) as a symbolic ritual of rebirth.

A dedication to a Springtime of renewal and stewardship of nature. It is a ritual where I symbolically impregnate nature and thus feel a deeper bond to the land--and to protect it like I would my own family. It represents a renewed hope and dedication to give birth to new and positive changes in my life. It helps me feel like I am re-connecting with my "natural man" instincts, too. Then I fill in the hole with the soil dug out and cover the sacrificial area with leaves, in a nod to the environmentalists creed, "Leave nature as pristine as you found it." Leave no trace of human activity behind. Feel free to adopt anything that calls to from my "Consecration of Spring" ritual...I believe in communal co-operation and sharing of spiritual expression. That's all for now...

~The Green Man Has Spoken~

The Spirituality Behind Phallic Worship.

A swollen, full, veiny, throbbing hard penis is a work of art to me, and as a bisexual man, I am a proud adherent of the ancient practice of phallic worship. I can not gaze upon a masterpiece of a cock without feeling my own manhood swell in brotherhood unity. Humanity has long been enthralled by the spellbinding nature of the phallus, from the ancient obelisks of Egypt to the modern age of pornography. It stands proud and noble pointing to the heavens to remind all that we descend from the cosmic seed of the stars. A firm erection demands attention as it protrudes out from the male body mesmerizing those who gaze upon as if they were looking upon a holy relic. It is to be handled like a religious icon as it is delicate and precious to all who enjoy it.


(The phallic rock in Kharkhorin, Mongolia)The kneeling on the floor to suck on a phallus is a very devotional act which shows great reverence as one is quite literally bowing before it and giving all of oneself to its glory. From an early age every male becomes intimately aware of the power and magic between his legs. The young man stands in awe of his cock growing with touch to the point of powerfully ejecting his hot seed of life. From his first orgasm he becomes devoted to pleasing it for the rest of his life. He fondles it with care in recognition of how special a gift it is to him. It is his sacred scepter of manhood. His fleshy magic-wand that when stroked transforms the mundane into the transcendental. Connecting with his penis is a devotional act of submission, submission to the passion that stirs the fire of his being. His sensitive balls carry the weight of creation and raw manhood.

(Phallus fountain in the Netherlands)I cannot resist the beckon of my phallus when it begins to stir, I must touch it and make it happy or I cannot think about anything else. I am devoted to the power of the cock and devoted to its celebration and adoration. A swollen cock ejaculating is a beautiful, magical sight as it is watching the raw power of creation surging forth to find the receptacle of the feminine chalice like vagina. I love to watch my cock pulse as it strains to eject my seed as far as possible to ensure the best chances of achieving union with the yoni energy inside the sacred temple that is the vagina.

Pagan phallic altar at "Graveyard Dirt: Two Worlds and In-between"

One final note, don't let anyone tell you that adoration of phallus is "dirty" or "immoral." Nor the same about masturbation. The various pagan religious traditions consider the human phallus to be immensely sacred (as is the vagina) and they are the oldest and longest surviving religions of humanity!! Often the response you hear is that you just want to indulge your sexual desires and "justify it" by calling it religion. But, if those people aren't experiencing sexuality in an intensely spiritual way then I'd say that they're doing it wrong!! Sexuality is the height of spiritual ecstasy. For the pagan, sexuality and spirituality are not separate because sexuality is the source of life itself!! So, it is perfectly normal to celebrate life through sexual adoration and ritual. Without sexual desires, there wouldn't be religion in the first place. So, for myself, I am not embarrassed or ashamed to worship sexuality, eroticism and the naked, aroused human body.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Turk Mason: My New Man Crush.

Great Odin's beard!! Look who wandered into the grove?! It's Turk (heavy breathing) Mason!! Ok, ok, you caught me -- I lured him here, but can you blame me??? Don't give me that judging look, I told you in the profile that the grove would be a sanctuary for sexuality from time to time!! You'll find no shame in this grove over nudity -- we encourage it!! It is how Mother Nature delivered us, so there is nothing to feel ashamed about. We are supposed to ogle each other, that's why our sexual organs look so amazingly beautiful!! If you want sentient beings to reproduce, then it's only natural to make their bodies works of art to entice copulation. Phew, it's getting steamy in here!!

So, Turk, do you like bisexual men? Well, seeing how you are gay, I'm betting that my "Republic of Bisexualopolis" passport should qualify me as a "guest" in "gaytopia" long enough for us to bond.

Maybe lie down in the tall, soft, grass at the edge of the grove together naked, to bask in the glory of our aroused male sex organs. Watch the sunshine glisten off the tight, shiny, pink skin. Let the cool breeze relax the tension as we express our shared raw, masculine, sexuality. Cuddling, fondling and caressing. Savoring the intoxicating, musky scent of an aroused man. Stroke our masculine pride with absolute enjoyment and no hint of shame, until we explode with blissful ecstasy all over each other and the grove.

Mmmmm, yes, the Green Man has a crush on a gorgeous boy and his name is Turk Mason.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Of Christians and Pagans: Yule Tide, Not Christmas.

After breaking the Christan shackles of my youth, I gorged myself on the spiritual feast that was forbidden in my brainwashed youth. They took advantage of a naive and sensitive child to program with their narrow-minded views. When someone wakes up from that kind of delusional reality, it tends to cause some anger and resentment. It's baggage that I'm still sorting out. 

So, I strongly protest making children adopt a spiritual belief system that they are too young yet to understand. I feel that way with any belief system -- including Buddhism and Paganism, which are my two shared belief systems. But, I've rudely drawn us off course from the core of what I wished to share with you good people.

So, it's Yule!! Otherwise known as Winter Solstice, but I call it Yule being of Scandinavian heritage. Like so much of Pagan spirituality, it was forcibly assimilated into the Christian celebrations of Christmas. Typical of Christianity, they stole a lot from the Pagans (the tree and Santa Claus to name a few of the big ones). Yeah, you heard that right. Did you honestly buy that story that Santa Claus was a Christian "Saint?" Uh, no.

Again, typical of Christians, they replaced the Pagan Odin with one of the their Saints, Saint Nicholas or Sinterklaas. The character and mythology of Sinterklaass was a major influence for the development of Saint Nicholas. Santa is an old man with a long, white, beard? Odin, was an old man with a long, white, beard. Santa Claus wears a cloak? Odin wore a cloak, too. Santa Claus flies through the sky with his 8 reindeer. Oden, flies through the sky on a horse with 8 legs. Santa delivers gifts through the chimney to the children. Children in the some Pagan regions would leave their boots (Christmas stockings) by the chimney filled with sugar or carrots to feed Odin's horse. Then came the "Christmas" tradition of hanging the stocking by the chimney hoping for gifts from Santa. Along with the "Christmas" tradition of leaving cookies for Santa and his reindeer. Santa Claus is said to mysteriously know whether you're been bad or good. Odin, the supreme god of Norse Pagan mythology had this same magical ability.

As for the tree, in Pagan times, evergreen trees and plants were brought into homes during Winter Solstice (Yule). They helped remind them that some life (evergreens) continues to live, even in the dark of winter, and that spring's life will soon arrive!! Yule was unceremoniously changed to Christmas and some bullshit about the star being the star the shepherds saw when Jesus was born. Yeah, well, that may be their story but originally it represented the stars in the universe, along with the candles attached to the tree. The star on top of the tree was originally a pentagram representing the five seasons with spirit being the fifth element. I wanted to write this all out so you know where I am coming from when I saw I made a star for our tree!! The star I made is the star in this post's picture at the top!!

I collected the twigs from one of my favorite nature areas here in the Colorado mountains. As I chose them carefully, I thanked Mother Earth for her bounty. When I came home, I glued the pentagram together and wrapped it in raffia twine. Thus, our Yule Tree is complete!! To combine it with my Buddhist tradition of celebrating Buddha's enlightenment under the Pipal tree on December 8th, a Buddha statue sits under the tree, at the base. May you all have a very find holiday season whether that be Yule, Christmas, Hanukkah or Bodhi Day!!

~The Green Man Has Spoken~

The Shaman Will See You Now.

PHOTO CREDIT: "Lush Rain Forest" by porbital

Being a novice Shaman, tonight, I am enjoying a show about Amazonian healing methods. I was called to serve by the spirit energy that comes with surviving a severe medical condition. It is said that shamans are called by one of two ways: by your grandparent or parent, or from surviving a severe illness, which gave you access to the vision-realm. I have been both blessed and cursed to carry, "the fire" within myself. Modern medicine would call it "schizoaffective disorder," but in most earth traditions, being able to straddle that mental netherworld is an asset to the Shaman.

It is through my visions or "hallucinations" that I am able to transcend the confines of the mind and intuit deeper understanding. I walk through this world with one foot in "Earth-realm" and another foot in the "Greater Consciousness." When I am most in-tune between those dimensions, I literally see what's happening in my earthy present moment from one eye, and a world of pure transcendence from the other. The vision realm sends me family relatives who have died and now reside in another dimension of consciousness to guide me through lucid dream travels.

The other night, I spoke with my recently deceased uncle in a dream following a week of mental strain. This often happens before a vision, I'll get bad headaches and successive nights before the vision, a purge of bad dreams. It's as though the Shaman is cleansing themselves of all the heavy energy before making contact, so that the connection is strong to allow the best transfer of information. In that dream, my uncle told me that my great-great-grandfather also had the "fire" (schizoaffective) and his energy wanted to tell me that he understands the hardship of the bad effects that come with the "fire" but that it is so worth having. And, to keep courage not to fully cross over into the vision realm before it's time (death).

My grandmother who died has visited me twice in lucid dream travels. Once, directly following her passing. She was (and always will be) my hero in many ways and we were very alike in our energies. So, I was not the least bit shocked when I awoke early one morning around 6a.m. and knew that someone in the family had died. Then, as if on cue, the phone rang. "Hello?" It was my mom, "Grandma just died." I replied, "I know, I just was woken up by her energy as it fluttered off." After about a week following the funeral, I had a lucid dream vision where I spoke with her. It was in a classy, F. Scott Fitzgerald, roaring '20s style hotel, which was a great selection on her part since she was a flapper. I remember being aware I was "dreaming" while floating in the elevator heading up to her apartment.

I realized that I could go up or down with the elevator simply by thinking the direction!! So, "whoosh" I sped up to her floor, high atop this building. I knew it was very high in altitude because I could see clouds passing by the window at the end of the hallway. I continued to float down the hallway toward her room and instinctively knew which door opened to her apartment. I motioned my hand at the door and it glided open, and naturally, I floated smoothly into this suite that looked as though it was forever floating in the dimension of '20s America. I first saw the back of her head in the bob style of her younger pictures, and a cloud of cigarette smoke billowing forth. She smoked for 60 years but died of old age at 94!! As I rounded the couch and gazed upon her face, she looked happier than I'd ever seen her. She was glowing and told me not to worry about her dying but that she'd always be in my visions. I have relied upon her spirit many times to endure the side effects of "mental illness."

I had another dream of her later at the shore of a lake where she was wearing a red cloak and we discussed the importance of love and we shared the beauty of the water around us. How do I know that these dreams are different than any other? Firstly, when I normally dream I don't know that I am dreaming. I'm buried in the context of the dream, which usually is a big murky and sometimes random. But when I have my "visions" I am aware that I am "dreaming." And the lighting is always different in them. It's brighter but not painfully so, and there is always this rainbow sparkling aura or crown of light around nearly every little pixel. The essence of them are crisper and clearer in intensity. In those dreams, I always remark to myself, how different the feeling is from my other dreams.

I know and acknowledge a completely different sensation and understanding when I'm having a "hallucination" versus a "vision." I have them both and they are very distinguishable. When I hallucinate, there isn't a purpose behind them except to flash random sounds or visuals in my vision. However, with a vision, there is always a specific message to be heard. Usually the visions erupt out of a dream in progress. I have a regular dream and then it's from that regular dream where I feel like I open a door out of the dream, while asleep, and enter a whole other dimension where time is occurring just as equally as it is in earth time!!

Anyway, I'll wrap this one up. While watching this shamanic show, the Amazonian priest told of how the plants teach them what powers they have to heal. He uses a machete to make a small cut to a certain tree, and tastes the milk inside it's roots. He says that is how the plants give them insight into their healing properties for the Shaman must try all these medicines before giving them out to others. That is why a Shaman will not leave you alone during a hallucinogenic experience. They walk through the vision with you, every step of the way. That is when their experience with the vision realm comes into value -- to guide you in a realm that can often be disorienting if one isn't use to navigating in a non-earth realm.

--

The Sacred Chamber of Ruby Falls.

Deep in the bowels of Lookout Mountain, in Tennessee, hides an ancient cave system named, Ruby Falls caverns. The dank, and musty air within its serpentine passages whisper secrets of eons gone by that remind you that you are a guest in this otherworldly realm. You are at the mercy of nature, sitting deep below a mountain such as this one. The low ceilings require you to humbly bow your head, in respect, for the spirit of the cave. Upon showing this submission, the seeker may enter the inner sanctum of the cave; a vaulted chamber carved out of solid rock by the spirit of the cave--the goddess waterfall.

The roaring of the falls humble you with the overwhelming power of her archaic magic, while the delicate and lacy dance of the water rejuvenates you with her sensual femininity. As I stood at her feet, I raised my arms and head into the spray of her aquatic magic, to honor her energy and be cleansed by it. I left that cave deeply grateful to exist on a planet with natural temples such as the one safe-guarded 1,120 feet below, Lookout mountain.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

The Grove Celebrates Marriage Equality Being Legal in New York State.

The grove is alive with jubilation with the news that New York state has legalized marriage equality. This won't just benefit New York citizens; as New York will marry those from out of state. In addition, the example of New York will have strong influence on other states due to its size and political influence. My Neo-Pagan beliefs allow and call for acceptance of all sexual preferences. I like the Pagan influence of seeing sexuality, in general, as a gift of this life to be shared and lauded in all it's forms (except, obviously, things like pedophilia).America has for too long been a "sex negative" culture. In that, a lot of Americans see the celebration of sexuality as immoral. I couldn't disagree more; sexuality is at the core of humanity, which is the "sex positive" view. It feels wonderful for a reason!! It's time that Americans wake up to the gift of sexual pleasure; rather than seeing it as a "sin" to be avoided except for pro-creation purposes. Of course, marriage equality isn't just about sexual pleasure, however, here in the secret grove, that's often how we celebrate!!

The nymphs and fairies (of all sexual preferences) giggle with glee and erotically frolic with the half-naked satyrs throughout the woods. The grove isn't a place for prudish beliefs about nudity. I almost always wear next to nothing in the grove; often, just my mask and crown of leaves, a gentle smile and a proud erection.

I'm not ashamed of it--why should I be? Having a healthy erection is a very natural celebration of life!! A strong erection is as apart of being a man as growing a beard--I welcome them and honor every one as a gift from Mother Nature and the Horned God, Cernunnos (pictured, right).

I know some might not like how I'm including sex in a discussion about marriage equality, but marriage and sex go hand in hand!! America is about freedom; and not being able to love freely or have sex freely with consenting adults of the same-sex isn't in keeping with that tradition. I'm glad our society is broadening it's view of marriage and sexuality.

I feel, we need a sex liberation movement as much as a gay marriage movement. We got the ball rolling in the 1960s and then the trend of "traditional values" took over; despite the reality that there is no such thing as "traditional values" or "traditional marriage." Ancient Greeks were very accepting of homosexuality and sexual freedom. In the Bible, having multiple wives was considered, "traditional!!"

So, Sitting upon my throne of supple, green, saplings, I savor the moment and take pride in my bisexuality. The grove will always be a sanctuary for those with different sexual identities, gender identities and sexual preferences. We are a jovial and accepting clan who focus on unconditional love; over who you love or how you love. We are so proud and happy for our friends in New York.

In the meantime, the grove will continue to welcome refugees with open arms from the sexual orientation wars; provided you aren't uncomfortable with seeing the natural, naked, human form from time to time. If you accept those conditions, come on in, grab some wine and celebrate with us by watching the artful, natural beauty and talent of honorary grove member, Steve Retchless!!

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Frolicking in the Woods.

I do sincerely apologize for neglecting the grove of late. Green man has been frolicking in the woods, high in the Rocky Mountains for the waning days of Autumn. We have some friends who live up there in a secluded cabin on a chunk of land that is hidden and guarded by a phalanx of strong, noble, pine trees.

They are a couple of good ole hippies who we have somewhat adopted (my wife and I) as part of their family. It's very meaningful to us because our own families are conservative, Mormons who we just can't relate too very well (my parents are awesome -- it's my siblings where the tension rises).

They are conservative, and we are liberals (Social Democrats of the European style, actually). They are Mormons and we are Zen Buddhist Pagan free spirits. They wouldn't touch coffee let alone pot and we're neo-hippies who praise the heavens when we are blessed with sacred marijuana. So, to have an adopted family where we can be ourselves is worth, so much to these two, young, recovering, ex-Mormon outcasts. They let us come up to their land all the time and camp out to wash the "conservative crazy" off our skin from living in such a conservative town down in the valley. There's nothing like the whisper magic of the pines to cleanse you of that chaos.

So, we were honored to watch their cabin for them while they went down to Arizona to visit family. It's a cozy, warm, inviting cabin that feels like a mountain cottage. Green man enjoyed getting back to his pagan roots by unleashing the fire breather within. You see, I am mesmerized by fire being a fire sign (Sagittarius). I must admit (a bit sheepishly) that when there's a forest fire here, my first concern is for everyone's safety but another part of me stands in awe at the awesome show of power from the twisting, roaring flames. It's a beautiful show from Mother Nature, and while I mourn the charred trees, I must say that I find the beauty in the process of destruction. And, it is also a process of rebirth because the soil left behind by forest fires is very rich and fertile ground for new life to grow and thrive.

I believe that when we are fully, awakened (in the enlightened sense) that we learn to see the beauty in everything--even shit. Yes, shit. My Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh sees the beauty in shit because without it he wouldn't be blessed with his lovely rose bushes. The first time I heard that, it changed my whole view on things. However, I digress.

Our friend's cabin is totally "off-the-grid" meaning they haven't paid a utility bill is years. They get their energy from two wind turbines on the property and a stand of next-generation solar panels from Abound. So, they look at wind a whole different way; when everyone grumbles about the anxious wind--they celebrate all the free energy they're saving away in their battery banks. So, it was cool to know that the internet we were surfing up there was wind and sun powered. Thank-you Mother Nature!! See, how nice life would be if we lived with Mother Nature instead of against her like a naughty neighbor? No, that will never do!! Bad form to treat a lady of her experience and sophistication in such a manner.

So, we cozied up in that hippie haven for four days and even got to enjoy a mystical rain shower that saw the etheral, ghost-like clouds sink over the mountains and hang around like the smoke trailing off a wizard's wand. It was so nice to stoke up the wood burning furnace, throw on a blanket and read away the day. After we went to bed we woke up around 2a.m. to the sound of a mournful coyote crying at the full moon, and he/she wasn't very far away. I've grown up around wild animals from living in the Rockies my entire life, but it's always a gift to hear their calls. A few minutes later the coyote cried out again and this time it was much closer. I was sure it was on the property itself. We just curled down deeper under the blankets and dozed off again knowing we were safe and cozy inside that toasty cabin.

It was a very spiritual experience, and being a Pagan nature worshiper I saw that coyote as one of nature's shamans coming to us and announcing his presence. It was a reminder that we are just along for the ride when entering the sanctuary of nature. Despite living around wilderness for decades it never ceases to give me a sense of awe and spiritual reverence upon entering its sacred spaces. I often feel much deeper spiritual energy in nature's temples than in one's made by man. I am so blessed and honored to live so close to the spirituality of the wilds.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

The Green Man Cometh.

I am a very spiritual person -- always have been but unfortunately I was born into a family who was very loving but unfortunately for me they practiced Mormonism. Since I was born into the "system" I was programmed to be a loyal soldier for that strict religion. However, being a naturally inquisitive being I always had questions that would eventually grow into full blown doubts. That said, I was brainwashed well and especially trained to hate myself. So, whenever I thought about those doubts too much I guilted myself into remaining faithful to the religion but also by extension, my family.

Not wanting to let either down I dutifully marched off to Africa to serve as a missionary for two years. I might have had the guts not to go if it weren't that I was going to be able to live in Africa. Since a mission requires you know the religion inside and out I began to see a lot of things that didn't make any sense to my maturing mind. As I was trying to justify and explain why Mormons believed in polygamy. They don't practice it now but they believe they will in their version of "heaven." That and why Mormons believed that African-Americans didn't deserve nor were they qualified to hold the "power" of the priesthood. Needless to say I was asked the later one numerous times through each day being that I was in an African country. By the time I came home the carefully constructed psuedo world of "The Truman Show" Mormon version began to collapse.

I wandered about spiritually and eventually became an Atheist and I still have a strong streak of that in me but eventually I found Buddhism, which is my primary belief system. I probably won't talk about it much here being that this is a Pagan blog but suffice to say that I find Buddhism (especially the tradition of Zen that I practice) to blend well with many Pagan beliefs. One of which is the belief that all things are interconnected and interdependent and that obviously includes nature. I come to Paganism in part due to a life long love, respect and awe for nature -- especially the Rocky Mountains, which helped raise me. My father introduced us to the wilds when we were kids and it has been heavily imprinted into my life. I find that most man made religious sites and buildings aren't as impressive and those that nature can produce. You never experienced a sacred building until you've sat at the base of a high mountain cathedral formed by a 3/4 bowl of peaks circling a deep, volcanic lake. Or meditatively walked through the winding trails of a deep, dense forest and listened to the secrets that escape its lips.

This is why I am exploring the Pagan roots that stem from my Scottish/Celtic and Nordic ancestry. I'm especially interested in plants and greenery. Ironically and as a side note my favorite color is green. I am a bit of a "green thumb" and have beautiful plants scattered throughout the house to the point where our cozy abode feels a bit like a rain forest. I have a strong connection to forests especially having spent my lifetime camping in the woods and following enticing, meandering trails into them. So because of this connection to all things green I have decided to adopt the name "The Green Man's Grove" for the blog. The idea of a "Green Man" appeals greatly to me -- half man and half mythological forest magician. Also because I celebrate the essence of natural, pagan manhood.

Green Man is the god of the woodlands and vegetation who represents the rebirth of life and is associated with Spring. He symbolizes the life that exists in the plant world if not Earth itself. He is often associated with May Day (Beltane) celebrations.