Beltane: fertility, renewal, and International Workers’ Day
Photo of Beltain 2019 Wickerman burning by Fiendfall, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license
May 1st is May Day—which is both the ancient Pagan holiday of Beltane that celebrates the burgeoning, flowering life force. This celebration is a precursor to May Day, or International Workers’ Day. On the Wheel of the Year, the wax and wane of the seasons are marked by the quarter and cross-quarter celebrations. Beltane is the cross-quarter holiday that marks the summer’s dawn.
This is the time of year when we begin planting in our gardens in the Northern Hemisphere—the Earth is rich and ready to grow what we want to bring to harvest this year. It’s also a good time for planting all the new hopes, dreams, plans, and intentions you want to bring to life in the coming weeks & months. What were you dreaming of at Imbolc, at the end of the Dreamtime when we turned back towards the light?
May 1st, or May Day is also International Workers’ Day. In the late 19th century, the working class was in constant struggle for an 8-hour work day. Working conditions were severe and it was quite common to work 10- to 16-hour days in unsafe conditions, and death and injury were commonplace. It wasn't until the late 1880s that organized labor was able to gather enough strength to declare the 8-hour workday. This proclamation was without the consent of employers.
A variety of socialist organizations formed throughout the later half of the 19th century, ranging from political parties to choir groups. Many socialists were elected into government roles by voters, but the majority of these socialists were hamstrung by the political process which was so evidently controlled by big business and the bi-partisan political machine.
Tens of thousands of socialists broke ranks from their parties, rebuffed the entire political process, which was seen as nothing more than protection for the wealthy, and created anarchist groups throughout the country. Literally thousands of working people embraced the ideals of anarchism, which sought to put an end to all hierarchical structures, including government.
This movement emphasized worker-controlled industry and valued direct action over the bureaucratic political process. It is inaccurate to say that labor unions were "taken over" by anarchists and socialists, but rather anarchists and socialists made up the labor unions.
Contrast this with the campus protests of this month, historic echoes of the protests of 1968, From coast to coast, university students in the United States are protesting against Israel’s war on Gaza, despite threats of suspension and arrest.
Left: in 1968, students protesting the Vietnam War occupied buildings and hundreds were arrested.
Right: Two weeks ago, Georgia State Patrol officers detain a demonstrator on the campus of Emory University during a pro-Palestinian demonstration.
With Columbia University at the heart of the movement, institutes including Harvard, Yale, Tufts, Northwestern, University of Michigan, Cal Poly Humboldt, and several campuses in the University of Texas system have seen students set up encampments, demanding their institutions divest from companies they say are enabling the brutal war on Gaza.
At least 34,356 Palestinians have been killed and 77,368 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attacks stands at 1,139, with dozens still held captive in Gaza.
Fifty-six years ago, in April 1968, students at Columbia University and its affiliate, Barnard College, staged a protest against the Vietnam war, which had begun in 1954 and would last until 1975. The protests resulted in students seizing five campus buildings and even briefly taking the dean hostage.
As we approach May Day, whose work are we recognizing and honoring? What do we stand for, as ourselves and as a people? Where are you placing your labor? For whom? And in this season of burgeoning life force, what life forces are you tracking and fertilizing?
Light a Bonfire:
Lighting a bonfire is a key part of Beltane celebrations. It represents the sun's growing strength and the return of warmth and abundance.
Create an Outdoor Altar:
If possible, take your ritual outdoors and create an altar in nature. Decorate it with symbols of Beltane, such as flowers, colorful ribbons, and fresh greenery.
Share an outdoor Feast:
Prepare a feast with seasonal foods like strawberries, fresh greens, and honey. Share it with friends or family as a way to celebrate together.
Raise your voice:
Join a protest or sit-in for Palestine or join Jewish Voices for Peace in direct action
Join us for a 25-mile walk for Palestine: Freedom From the River to the Sea
We are walking toward the world we yearn for: Indigenous sovereignty restored, land held as sacred, not as property, and an end to all systems that exploit, extract, and kill. We are walking for peace, life, and liberation, from every river to every sea.
Instagram post and updates and registration (optional)
Seasonal Foraging: Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)
Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), known as “Two Burning Houses,” has a long history as a food, medicine, and fiber and kin is highly valued worldwide. High in iron and protein, kin can be used to treat respiratory ailments and hay fever, asthma, and allergies, as well as aiding in dissolving kidney stones, clotting blood, capillary dilation, blood circulation. Kin is an anti-inflammatory.
This deciduous flowering plant is found worldwide, growing abundantly in regions with high annual rainfall. Nettle is commonly found near rivers and streams and along the edges of meadows, re-growing in the summer to a height of 3 to 7 feet from its deep and widespread rhizomes.
Rewild Salish Sea community map
Check out the many excellent community resources such as tool libraries, mutual-aid groups, learning orgs, and more on the Rewild Salish Sea community map. Are we missing something? Please contribute more resources!
Heron’s Nest Music Festival
1 - 9 pm, May 4th, 2024
Join us at The Heron’s Nest (4818 Puget Way in Seattle) for an outdoor ALL AGES music festival celebrating Spring with 15 local artists, performers, dance groups, educational booths, give aways, raffles, food and drink!
Tickets only $20!
Join us at Echoes in Time
A week-long ancestral skills conference, held every June in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and the traditional territory of the Kalapuya, near Monmouth, Echoes in Time is a sharing of common traditions of place-based ancestral living skills. Participants camp out on private property and enjoy five days of learning various skills from the “stone age” to the “iron age” (basketry, bows and arrows, wild edible plants, pottery, blacksmithing, stone tools, felting, animal tracking, and more). Families are welcome, and no previous experience is required. Echoes is a program of Rewild Portland, a nonprofit organization.
Empire of Normality Neurodiversity and Capitalism, by Robert Chapman
Neurodiversity is on the rise. Awareness and diagnoses have exploded in recent years, but we are still missing a wider understanding of how we got here and why. Beyond simplistic narratives of normativity and difference, this groundbreaking book exposes the very myth of the "normal" brain as a product of intensified capitalism.
Exploring the rich histories of the neurodiversity and disability movements, Robert Chapman (neurodivergent themself) shows how the rise of capitalism created an "empire of normality" that transformed our understanding of the body into that of a productivity machine. Neurodivergent liberation is possible—but only by challenging the deepest logics of capitalism. Empire of Normality is an essential guide to understanding the systems that shape our bodies, minds and deepest selves—and how we can undo them. (AK Press)
IP3 Creative Resistance Training Guide
Get this free download of an introduction to techniques and tools to aid you in creating a visual voice for social justice movements. Art is essential to organizing and demonstrates unity in ways that mere words can’t. When people feel good about a movement, it encourages them to get involved. Creative storytelling creates media buzz, tells the story of our moments, and helps build momentum and support. Art takes thought, time, and resources, and should always be included at all levels of planning.
(Download)
Camp Skykomish Biocultural Restoration Field Station
Join us for weekend camping on the Lower Skykomish River, near Monroe Washington and learn about native plants, environmental horticulture, and river restoration, restore forests, and develop forest gardens in neglected riparian forests. A project of of the Snohomish Conservation District, hosted by the Washington Farmland Trust, Werkhoven Dairy, and The Tulalip Tribes of Washington.
Upcoming events around the Salish Sea
Washington Native Plant Society
Washington (statewide)
Many varied events including land tending, plant identification, botanical drawing, and more
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Green Seattle Partnership
Burien, Des Moines, Everett, Redmond, SeaTac, Seattle, Shoreline, Snohomish County, Snoqualmie, Tacoma, Tukwila, WA
A collaboration between City of Seattle, community groups and non-profits, businesses, schools, and thousands of volunteers working together to restore and actively maintain the City’s forested parklands.
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Regenerate Cascadia
Cascadia, from the southern WIllamette Valley into British Columbia
Regenerate Cascadia Info & Update Session: May 18 and June 15 from 10:00 am - 12:30 pm:
A social movement organization developing a long-term bioregional vision and framework for the regeneration and health of the Cascadia bioregion along the northeast Pacific rim of North America and beyond.
The Heron’s Nest
Seattle, WA
Landback Project: Outdoor Education & Restorative Justice Volunteer Land Stewardship Day
Every Monday, 10 am - 2 pm
General landscaping, blackberry, ivy, and invasive species removal, planting, weeding, small building projects, and more. Gloves, tools, snacks, and drinks are available. All ages, on-leash dogs welcome.
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2nd Annual Heron’s Nest Music Festival
12+ local performances; proceeds benefit local musicians, and community farm and kitchen project), Sat May 4, 1:00 - 9:00 pm, all ages
$15 via Eventbrite
The Bronze Chapter
Seattle and Bellingham, WA
Black woman-founded; supportive opportunities and learning for underrepresented communities of color to experience nature and the natural world in ways that lead to curiosity, joy, deep listening, and life-long learning.
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Northwest Natura
Bellingham, WA
Northwest Natura offers place-based education in botany, ecology, fungi, and outdoor skills, and leads field trips within the greater Salish Sea Bioregion.
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Tending Alive
Duvall, WA
An experiment in restoring the people's hands to the soil and soul, Katie VIncent’s plant + land stewardship classes “open the door to ecological resilience in your landscape, in yourself, and in your community.”
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Wilderness Awareness School
Duvall, WA
WAS is internationally recognized for its mentoring teaching style, naturalist training expertise, and focus on connecting students with nature, their community, and themselves.
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Free eCourses
Online: “Bird Language,” “Wilderness Survival,” “Wild Plant Identification,” “Nature Connection,” and “Secret World of Mushrooms” eCourses.
Raven's Roots Naturalist School
Ferndale, WA and Carnation, WA
Short and long term courses on naturalist and self-reliance skills, including herbalism, ethnobotany, foraging, wild-crafting, permaculture, homesteading techniques, wilderness survival, primitive skills, and more.
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Port Townsend School of Woodworking
Port Townsend, WA
PTSW focuses on technique and community problem-solving. Their classes include hand tools, joinery, fine furniture, indigenous arts, woodturning, and creating a diverse and supportive fine woodworking community.
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North Cascades Institute
Rockport, WA off Highway 20
Connecting people, nature and community through the hands-on study of the natural and cultural history of the Pacific Northwest and inspiring environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences.
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Seattle Spoon Club
Seattle, WA
Every third Friday of the month, 6 - 9 pm. A monthly gathering of spoon carving enthusiasts. Spoon blanks are available but bring your own carving tools.
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Northwest Basketweavers Guild
Seattle, WA
The art of basketry, the study practice, sharing, and teaching of basketry weaving techniques, the identification, collection, and appreciation of diverse examples of basketry, and the gathering and use of natural materials.
Tilth Alliance
Seattle, WA
Adult education programs teach growing, preparing, and enjoying food together. They offer a variety of classes on topics such as vegetable gardening, food preservation and cooking, permaculture, and urban livestock.
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Puget Sound Mycological Society (PSMS)
Seattle, WA
PSMS represents a variety of interests in fungi: the pothunter, the adventurous gourmet, the weekend naturalists, the serious amateur, and the professional mycologist.
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EartHand Gleaners Society
Vancouver, British Columbia
A variety of events linking with the seasonal round of working with the gardens. These are often special stewardship sessions for annual tasks like harvesting the willow of flax, weaving garden fences, and more.
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Vashon Wilderness Program
Vashon, WA
Vashon Wilderness Program provides nature immersion experiences for children, teens, and adults that cultivate a deep relationship between self, community, and the natural world.
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