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Gone A-Maying
Joyous, pleasurable, a little transgressive, and underneath all that, sacred. That’s May Day to me. Historically in Europe, May Day was the beginning of summer–the time when freezes were generally over and spring foliage was leafing out. It was the time of the custom of “going a-Maying”, wherein young adults would go into the forests to “gather wildflowers” and get some unsupervised time together. It was a wink-nudge practice and everyone was in on the joke, so there are many ribald poems, songs and stories about it: So the coming of summer also meant an opportunity to slip out from under the watchful gaze of Mum and Dad for some…
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May Eve, the Darkness Before the Splendor
So it’s Walpurgisnacht, the night before May Day. Traditionally, a sort of transposed Hallows, with ghosts and spirits loose in the world before the brilliant dawn of the May. I sometimes think of May Day as the dawning of the World. There is something so grand and magnificent about dawn at this time of year, with the bird chorus and dew-spangled grasses, the cool-but-not-cold that will fade to kissed-skin temperate breezes. It’s luscious, and filled with wonderful memories for me. This year, May morning will fall squarely in the midst of the work week and there is exciting stuff happening at work that I must attend to, so I won’t…
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May Day: What do YOU Think?
Atheopaganism is a religious path in a general sense, but it’s really a diverse set of individual paths that each of us crafts for ourselves, using pieces of my work or the work of other community members and our own creativity and spirituality. That’s the way we want it! I hope your Atheopagan practice is exactly as you want it to be so it brings you the most meaning, wonder, joy and inspiration possible. You can hear about the diverse ideas, rituals and observances of some Atheopagans on our YouTube channel and through the guest posts here and on the Wonder podcast; feel free to borrow anything that strikes your…
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A Walpurgisnacht/May Day Vigil Ritual Menu
As we collectively shelter in place to slow the advance of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, the world and the Wheel continue to turn. Spring is rolling around into summer (at least, in many places in the Northern Hemisphere), and we have come to that major pillar of the annual celebrations of many Pagans, May Day or Beltane, and the night before, which is known by many as Walpurgisnacht. While we may not be able to conduct the usual festivities, we can still observe this Sabbath in all its richness while sheltering in place. This ritual is a vigil: staying up all night either alone or with a partner or family. If…
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Walpurgisnacht and the Veil of Memory
In Northern European folklore from Ireland to the Czech Republic, the 30th of April is “May Eve”, which the Germans named for the Catholic St. Walpurga as Walpurgisnacht and believed to be a time when witches and evil spirits were abroad. It is believed—like Hallows in October—to be a time when the “veil” between the world and “the spirit world” is thin and passage between them in both directions is possible: a time when, just before the joy and lightness of May Day, there is exposure to dark dealings and presences. Huge bonfires are burned on Walpurgisnacht, serving—as fires have since before modern humans even existed—to keep the Scary Monsters…
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May Celebrations That Aren’t About Sex
Hooray, hooray, the first of May Outdoor fucking begins today! —old saw So, Atheopaganism is a pleasure-positive path. That’s Atheopagan Principle #10: so long as others and the Sacred Earth are respected, we believe that joy and fun and feeling good are our birthrights as humans. And that includes sex. Not for us, the furtive shame around sexuality that characterizes our Abrahamic brethren and sistren! We seek to be healthy in our boundaries, communications and behaviors, and happy in our enjoyment of our appetites. Sexuality—the ritual by which each of us is created—is Sacred, and it is a Good Thing. And. And that’s great,…
