May : Archetypical meanings between tradition & myth
Archetypical meanings between tradition & myth
Connecting to the energies of the moment.
Each natural cycle represents a flow of energies, being aware of what is happening makes us feel and be in tune with nature and our essence.
At this time of year, the energy of the earth is at its peak:
leaves, flowers and fruit emerge with speed .
It is the season of love, passion is celebrated, people are called out of their homes, animals leave their dens.
It is an important moment of passage where the winter darkness finally gives way to light, to action, to transformation.
It is time to blossom, to flower, to emerge.
In May and mainly on the day of 1 May, dedicated to Beltane, it is customary to dance around a tall pole, preferably made of wood, which represents the universe and male energy, and each dancer will be holding a coloured ribbon that originates from the top of the pole. It is called the maypole. The dancing ribbons are twisted along the pole and thus symbolise the feminine force uniting with the masculine force to create life.
The teachings of the Beltane festival
The element that most characterises this festival is fire.
That everything purifies, heats and dissolves, to bring new life. In these hours steeped in antiquity, in peasant traditions, in the energies of the awakening earth, it is important to awaken our inner fire as well.
Nourish it so that it does not slumber, so that it is not extinguished, so that it is not rejected. When we perceive a spark within us, we try to bring it to life without fear of burning ourselves. We will then realise that what really feeds us cannot hurt us.
It is time to let go of control, to dance, to feel the warmth of the fire.
It is the only way to bring out our inner flowers.
But let’s go more in deep meaning
WHAT DOES FIRE REPRESENT?
About a million and a half years ago, in Africa, the first humans of our era learned to control fire. It was a fundamental achievement. With fire, man learned to control intuition, to use it as a tool. With fire he could lengthen the hours of light, defend himself, cook food, warm himself (and therefore survive even in cold climates), build tools (cooking earth or metals) and transform substances through heat.
It was such an important discovery that one never wanted to lose it again. It was recognised as a sacred gift and in ancestral rituals it was linked to the Goddess in her Bird form. In many ancient traditions there was an altar on which a fire considered sacred burned perennially, with priestesses exclusively dedicated to keeping it always lit.
This was the case even more recently, in ancient Greece and Rome, where Hestia/Vesta was honoured as the goddess of the hearth and the vestals, from childhood, appeared chosen and consecrated to the goddess, like her forever virgins.
It was so in Celtic Ireland, where the fire of the goddess Birgit, in Kildare, was never allowed to go out. Birgit represented the luminous aspect of the Triple Goddess, the Maiden Goddess of Light and Rebirth, also represented as a white swan, linked to the winter solstice and hope. In the Catholic era it was replaced by Santa Brigitta, and her priestesses with nuns.
ESTIA: silent but central.
Hestia is a forgotten goddess, almost never represented, often unknown today.
In patriarchal societies her figure becomes discreet and enjoys little appeal, identified with the figure of the “maiden aunt”, the archetype of the wise and discreet old woman who takes care of others without asking for anything.
Hestia’s symbol is the circle, because it is complete in itself but also because it is the empty shape ready to welcome.
In India, the circle and the column which the Greeks kept separate are represented together: the column (the lingam, or phallus of the divine Shiva) is at the center of a circle which represents the sacred Yoni. The masculine and feminine principle are thus reunited and merged into a single altar.
Hestia is the guardian of fire, the complete woman who perceives her body as a temple and for this very reason she is ready to dare. His is a sacred, ritual giving.
She is the initiated woman, who knows the mystery of fire. She is the protector from darkness, the hearth, the altar, the sacred space.
It is the static aspect of the Goddess, quiet, where Aphrodite represents the alchemical goddess of transformation. Hestia rules fire, Aphrodite lets herself be set on fire. They are two complementary aspects of the Goddess, two phases (of many).
If the Hestia that lives as an archetype within each of us is nurtured, this will result in a deep inner balance. Hestia is the goddess of silence and light. His voice can be heard in the crackling of the fire and if you enter his magic circle time ceases to exist.
We will be women who do not act out of need but out of choice.
If a woman knows how to be alone and protect her inner temple, her love will always be a gift and at the same time no love can ever extinguish it.
Hestia is the goddess who is not afraid of winter and who, if she gets lost, can find her way home simply by drawing a circle around her. Estia knows that, invisible in the middle of the ice, burns an ancient flame that never goes out.
It is the mystical fire from which all stories are born. Indeed, this mysterious goddess is also the goddess of tales around the hearth. The goddess of secret traditions, initiatory tales and ancient wisdom. The incandescent core that feeds the engine of Life.
She seems distant and forgotten but in reality her silent voice is always there for us, like the gaze of a grandmother, of a wise ancestor who fears nothing and who knows pain, loneliness, the art of loving.
Dedicate time to our inner fire. Let us not let our temple become a frozen cave. Let’s melt the trapped emotions with our flame and let them flow like water, even if they were tears. They are our direct line to the Sea, our mother.
If you want be more connect with the energies in this moment check the Events of this Month.
