42 At the Gate of the Year

I was on the road last week when I recorded this episode. I was hoping to post this on Friday May 1st, but I couldn't make it happen. So it's a few days late and that's okay, because we've arrived at the great Celtic gate — Beltane, the fire festival that opens the light half of the year.

May 1st, with the sun newly in Taurus, Uranus freshly in Gemini, and the hawthorn just beginning to bloom, I will walk you through the old threshold of the year and the gentle rituals that carry us across it.

In this episode, we explore:

Beltane as one of the two great doorways of the Celtic year (with Samhain as its mirror)
The old bonfire tradition of the Bel-tene — the bright fire — and what it means for us now
How the daily rhythms of April ripen into the rituals of Beltane
Hawthorn as the Beltane tree and the plant of the heart's threshold
Red Clover as a Venus plant, a Taurus herb, and a gentle ally for women in midlife crossings
The Sun in Taurus, the First Quarter Moon, and the historic ingress of Uranus into Gemini
The Scottish and Irish May Dew ritual — how women on Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh greeted May morning for centuries, and how you can practice this old blessing yourself
The kinship between the May Dew, Bach Flower Remedies, and modern moon water — all descending from the same ancient intuition

Source acknowledgment: Thank you to Scarlett McQuillan of Linked Magazine for her lovely piece on the Celtic May Dew ritual at Arthur's Seat, which reminded me of this beautiful tradition. You can find her article at http://linkedmagazine.co.uk/celtic-ritual-may-dew/

🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools

(affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work)

Herbs featured in this Show:

1. Dried Hawthorn Berries

https://amzn.to/4cSCy20

2. Dried Red Clover Blossoms

https://amzn.to/49kmlSf

My favorite tea-making tools:

BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker,

https://amzn.to/4r4LYNH

Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar,

https://amzn.to/4qWQr4L

Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars

https://amzn.to/4pNflmq

📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books

https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/

🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids

Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity.

My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey.

Inside you'll find:

Simple planting guidance
Space for drawings, photos, and notes
Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef's Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden)

Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants.

✨ You'll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey.

🌿 Work With Me

🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open)

Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars.

My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening.

👉 Learn more here:
https://mailchi.mp/351efb18cd6b/one-on-one-consultations-landing-page

🌿 Join Me on Patreon

Support this work and receive exclusive herbal & holistic content

✨ Membership includes:
✔ Monthly herbal & lunar insights
✔ DIY recipes & printable guides
✔ Free class replays
✔ Bi-annual personalized herbal consultations (Tier 3)

Membership can be as little as a cup of coffee ☕️

👉 Join here:

https://patreon.com/ThompsonStreetFarm?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

♈ FREE Zodiac Herbs Guide

Unlock the secrets of personalized wellness with my free Zodiac Herbs Guide.
https://www.brendajsullivanteach.com/zodiacherbguidefreebieor

☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea

If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here:
https://buymeacoffee.com/thompsonstg

🎶 Music Credits

A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the beautiful music featured in this episode. Alexander is a gifted musician whose work I have long admired — and I am proud to support him as a Patreon member.

🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021

🔗 https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/

🌿 Stay Connected

Website:
https://thenewenglandherbary.com/

Youtube:

https://youtube.com/@thenewenglandherbary?si=f7_MB0XEz0vn0Xr

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thenewenglandherbary/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578148227744

Thompson Street Farm LLC is the parent company of the New England Herbary:
https://thompsonstreetfarm.com/

💬 I'd love to hear how this story landed for you. Feel free to share your reflections in the comments.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(51)

52 John Barleycorn & the First Loaf: The Story of Lughnasadh

Lughnasadh, the first harvest of the Celtic Wheel of the Year, has come — the season of the first grain, the first loaf, and the old harvest gratitude. In this episode, we follow the story of John Bar...

9 Aug 38min

51 Motherwort | The Lion-Hearted Mother

Come and sit a while. I've just returned from eight days in Vermont and this week we meet motherwort — Leonurus cardiaca, the lion's heart — the fierce, unbeautiful, wholly self-possessed old plant th...

26 Jul 26min

50 Our Grandmothers' Herbs | The Thread That Came Down Sideways

Some of us inherited the apron and the herb bundle. Some of us inherited three thousand miles and a grandmother who was at war with the dandelion. This week, in the deep hearth of Cancer season, we si...

12 Jul 18min

49 The Lavender Drawer

There is a drawer in every house that remembers. Open it, and something rises to meet you — soap and sunlight and something older than both. This week, in the heart of Cancer season, we visit the lave...

5 Jul 26min

48 After the Sun: Cancer's First Whisper

The morning after the longest day, something turns. You can't see it — the garden is still roaring, still climbing toward its peak — but the sun has already begun its quiet journey back toward home, a...

28 Jun 36min

47 Litha An Herbalists Threshold

It's the longest day of the year — and at the edge of every hedgerow in New England, an old guardian is blooming right on schedule. This week, we sit with elderflower: the threshold tree, the doorkeep...

21 Jun 35min

46 The Sun in a Bottle| St John's Wort at the Summer Solstice

This week, the queen of the solstice finally has her hour. St. John's Wort blooms right at Midsummer — and she's no ordinary summer flower. Come out to the garden with me and meet her properly: the li...

14 Jun 33min

45 The Pollinator's Sermon | Tending Here While Holding the Dream

"The garden you have is already worth returning to. Tend it well." Brenda J. Sullivan In this episode of The New England Herbary, I share a small, unexpected moment from my deck garden in Connecticu...

7 Jun 30min