May Day

Oh, do not tell the Priest our plight,
Or he would call it a sin;
But - we have been out in the woods all night,
A-conjuring Summer in!
And we bring you news by word of mouth -
Good news for cattle and corn -
Now is the Sun come up from the South,
With Oak and Ash and Thorn!

Sing Oak and Ash and Thorn, good Sirs
(All of a Midsummer morn)!
England shall bide till Judgement Tide,
By Oak and Ash and Thorn!

The above is from Kipling's Tree Song. It is a favorite of mine this time of year.

I do take slight issue with Kipling's choice of timing for the "conjuring" of summer, however. He places it at midsummer while I, like many others, count the beginning of the seasons from the cross-quarter days.

Not everyone agrees on that point, of course. It is something even Chuck and I debate, as he prefers the solar calendar dates for the seasons as well. I just keep coming back to one point. How exactly do you count a day called MID-summer as the start of a season? He never has had an answer for that. But still he has is preferences, I have mine. We make it work.

Still, there is something special about May. If you've ever been fortunate enough to be out with someone you love under May's full moon you understand why. If not, put it on your list of things you must do before you die.

Take some good food and good drink and blanket, find a secluded spot far back in the woods or in an open field, preferably so far out you can feel the brightness of the moon. (If you are far enough away from the city lights, the light of the full moon really is bright as day.) Find a private place, savor the warmth and the gentle breeze and let the night take you.

No magic, no "heathen" rites, just savor what it means to be alive.

Happy

P.S. For those of you who might be interested, this year May's full moon with be the weekend of the 18th.