Beltane & International Workers' Day

Happy May Day - Beltane - International Workers' Day

I have some thoughts about the power of connection, and collaboration, and how that's been tapped into by witches and workers. I love how this ancient fire feast is evolving into a deeper meaning, by sharing a date with Workers' Day.

Today we're more free, more individuated than other times in known history and that is a direct result of the work put in by our ancestors who fought for this freedom. It's thanks to the workers who stood up and demanded a fair wage and 8-hour days that we have a weekend and labor laws. And it's thanks to the people who practiced their ancient religions despite persecution, that we can reconnect with these practices centuries later. And I don't mean that these witches and workers were merely taunted or had to work a lot and got tired. They were robbed, beaten, murdered.

But you know what, they won.

They endured suffering and made a lasting difference, even if they didn't know what effect their actions would have. Most likely, they didn't have any idea of the outcome, but they knew what step they had to take in the moment, and they took it. They understood the importance of the human spirit, and the power of human connection, and they acted to protect those rights.

Your ancestors gave this life to you.

And know that you aren't here just to spend the privileges they worked for. You're here because you, too, can make a lasting impact on the world. That's the best way to honor your ancestors, to continue the work of supporting and connecting other people, and lifting up the human spirit.

Take time today to feel your inner fire, how it connects you to all other people who did this work in other times, who are doing this work now. Light a candle and meditate on the flame, or make a bonfire if you have the space. Feel the fire enter your eyes, and move to your heart. You are carrying the same sacred flame as your ancestors, as your living family.

You have the ability to know what is right, and act on it, even without knowing the outcome. You have the ability to warm and protect other people with every act. Use it well.