Today's offering has been selected chosen by our Honorary Pagan Chaplain, Jean Fowler. These words come from Katie O'Neill who was last year’s May Queen at the Beltane Fire Society. Image May Queen at Beltane Fire Festival 2019 Beltane is a Celtic word which means 'fires of Bel' (Bel was a Celtic deity). It is a fire festival on May1st, (today!) that celebrates the coming of summer and the fertility of the coming year. Jean sees the relevance of theses words for our COVID-19 situation today. "What if for every problem there were three solutions, and we find one that nourishes all. Connected by mycelium roots we rise, we remember why we're here when we look into each others eyes. Fear travels fast yes but hope is tougher to remove, When we shine when our souls gather, we simply improve. We are facing a collective rite of passage and we need to remember that our gift is in the challenge. When we feel our pain our gifts are freed, when we see a child plant a wildflower seed, hope is in the small things. We redefine our place here, where together we can alter the course of the river, allowing diversity to thrive. Diversity brings chaos yes but the resilience that we need to keep us alive. There are forces acting in this world darker than we have ever known but a darker night frees brighter light, may our collective flame be shown” Extract from poem from Katie O'Neill, May Queen at Beltane Fire Society 2019. Katie is a former University of Edinburgh student This article was published on 2024-06-24
