1 May 2024

            “Oh, don’t tell that foolish priest our deed,
            Who’s burned our books and kin;
            “But – we’ve fucked in field and wood and weed,
            A-conjurin’ Summer in.”
             – Yours truly, with apologies to Rudyard Kipling

Contemporary Pagans celebrate the cross-quarter festival of Beltane on or about May 1st (the evening before is called “Walpurgisnacht” and has been a rumored gathering time for Witches for centuries). I’ve always considered Beltane to be the beginning of Summer. Yes, I know. Moderns treat May 1st as mid-Spring. But around here we’ve been seeing temperatures in the 70s and 80s, occasionally brushing 90°F, with the thunderstorms to match. The songs of the Spring peepers have mostly given way to those of the bullfrogs out in the pond. And we’re well on our way to the first cutting of hay. If that ain’t summer, then this old farm boy don’t know what is.

There is no exact corresponding festival to Beltane in the Hellenistic calendar; however, I would feel remiss if I didn’t include a mention this annual milestone and share a few photos from this time of year in this area. Enjoy!

— Να εχεις μια ωραια μερα. —