Hello, dear ones -

Happy Bealtainn (on the Gregorian calendar and in the Northern Hemisphere) and Full Moon in Scorpio (in the Tropical zodiac).

Many of our ancient ancestors seem to have recognized two main seasons - summer and winter. The light half of the year and the dark half. Their understandings of what this means precisely would have varied based on how the seasons showed up for them on the lands where they lived. But in the far north Gaelic world, they marked these transitions not on equinoxes, but on cross-quarter days - specifically Bealtainn and Samhain.

Mythologically, around the world, we see evidence that our ancestors understood their lives to play out on and within an eternal dance between the Lords and Ladies of Death (as Stephanie MacKay calls them) and of Life.

As we cross the threshold of Bealtainn, perhaps we celebrate having survived our encounter of the Lords and Ladies of Death and their season, and the rebirth of Life that happens through their (temporary) vanquishing.

Perhaps, like ancestors from the far north, you light two candles or fires and walk between them, asking for the flames to purify and protect you as you cross the threshold into the light half of the year - letting what's dead turn to compost for whatever is fleshing itself out at this time.

Or perhaps you simply pause for a moment today to watch the light dance on water or on foliage. You can smell flowers or listen to the birds. But just notice how Life is expressing itself around you. And offer up some thanks. Some wonder. Some acknowledgement of beauty.

Thanking Beauty for existing is its own form of prayer and blessing.

And remember - if you don't do it exactly on May 1st, it's not a big deal. These moments were aligned more with solar, lunar, and agricultural markers (not the universalized Gregorian calendar) and extended over days and sometimes weeks - portals, not single moments.

May Updates:

I apologize that you didn't hear from me at all in April. March felt like it encompassed whole lifetimes while April was a blink of an eye. Between getting taxes done and then a trip up to NYC to offer some workshops and share my work with new communities of people, I was focused in. I've also been connecting with the natural world through practicing foraging (letting the bitter greens of spring help get my blood and bile moving again after the stagnancy of winter); fermenting things like spruce tip syrup and dandelion wine; and making oregano and lavender tinctures. A highlight was making Green Nettle Cake with Spruce Tip-Lemon Buttercream Frosting. Yum!

But, as we know from the natural world, there's the growth that happens below the soil and within the plant before blossom or fruit appears. So, although I've been saying it a lot lately, that's where I've been with my work.

A flash of fruiting for you, though: The gatherings in NYC went well, and now there's a newly refined iteration of the workshop I'm looking to practice. This is a workshop introducing the foundations of my work and understanding of what it is to live as creature, not machine in these times. Honing these workshops is also helping me refine the course I'm building, as well as other offerings. You'll see below where I've put some trial runs up on the calendar and you're invited to come check them out. It's helpful for me to see the work interact with actual humans.

Beyond the trial runs, I have an actual in-person workshop coming up on Mother's Day, too. If you're near to Lorton, VA, it would be lovely to see you there.

The "Wild Sacred Journey Podcast" and "Creature Comfort videos" (Recent episodes):

None since our last email, though I'll try to make one today or tomorrow for Bealtainn. So keep an eye out. <3

Upcoming Events and Offers:

#1

ONLINE - THREE, FREE TRIAL RUNS of Living as Creature, Not Machine introductory workshop: animist and ancestral guidance for when you’re cracking from the constant pressure of being the rock for everyone else and you want to try loving yourself and your humanness instead.

Here's the current write up on it:

An introductory workshop to explore what expecting yourself to be a consistent, super-human, productivity-no-matter-what-you’re-feeling machine is costing you. And to begin remembering the animist and ancestral wisdom and practices which can help us:

• ground into our bodies and live more in rhythm with the seasons and the natural world;
• relate from our hearts and nervous systems, not our heads, so we feel deeper, truer connection;
• and remember the gifts of our ancestors, not just their wounds, so we experience more meaning and belonging in this wondrous world.

For humans who’ve spent their whole lives trying to get stability and support through giving it and are now cracking under the strain of trying to be everyone’s rock through wave after wave of crisis.

Whose usual go-to strategies, routines and steadying tools aren’t working anymore (and they don't know what to do do about it).

Who are snapping, spiraling, exhausted, overwhelmed, falling apart (and instead of getting support are ending up with the opposite of what they want - more walls, more self-reliance, and more self-hatred. Ouch).

And who are f*cking tired of ending up here, again and again - who are finally ready to try letting go of being superhuman and remember how to love their humanness instead.

Dates of these trial runs:

• Mon May 4th 5-6pm ET (2pm Pacific, 10pm UK)
• Fri May 8th 12:15-1:15pm ET (9:15am Pacific, 5:15pm UK)
• Sat May 9th 10-11am ET (7am Pacific, 3pm UK)

Aiming for a tight 60min. Come for one or for more.

I'll be recording them for my use, but not sending the recordings out. So please plan to attend live.

Register here for your chosen date and time to get the zoom link and reminder emails. These are free to attend. I'll have a questionnaire at the end with just a couple of questions and it would help me greatly to get your feedback.

#2

IN-PERSON (Lorton, VA) On May 10th at the Workhouse Arst Center in Lorton, VA, I’ll be joining their Sunday Wellness Series to offer another Living as Creature, Not Machine workshop/ transmission. The event is 4-5:30pm ET. Cost is $35.

The content here will be similar to the trial runs, in many ways (though the write-up on their website is an older explanation of the workshop). But it'll be in-person, with an altar you can see and participate in building. And 90min, not 60. So there will be a bit more spaciousness with the material. It'll also be the "Mother's Day" edition. So we'll honor our creature selves by honoring our creature-Mother: the Earth.

You can register for my workshop specifically here.

You can also listen to Karen, the human behind the vision for the series, share about it on a local news station here.

iNSPIRATION and Beauty:

A lovely traditional song in Irish Gaelic - celebrating summer and the bright arrival of Bealtainn. I listened to this song a lot last year, driving through the lush green fields, peppered with fluffy, white, blossoming hawthorn trees at the center of Ireland and the Hill of Uisneach.

"Samhradh, Samhradh" - version by The Gloaming:

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with Big Love and prayers for wild mercy upon us,

Kate