For my circle of amazing women, Beltane, this year, will be at my house, as it been for the past two years. Driving home late from work tonight and calculating how much I have to write between now and the night when we celebrate Beltane, I worried a bit. What if drafting goes late? Sure K. will let the women into my house and they'll go ahead w/o me, but what if I can't get there in time to celebrate the whole of Beltane w/ them? How will I manage?

Street Prophets, a Kos spin off, blogs a bit about Beltane:

And it was powerful, up there in the priestess’s bedroom, taking off my clothes, and as I did so removing all the things that people said I was. The act of courage that night was not taking my vows...that was as natural as breathing, when it was time. The thing that took the most nerve was stepping out onto the landing. I have come a long way since that night, in many ways. I joke that with my large tattoo, I don’t feel naked anymore. But in ways, I don’t. I feel, instead, somewhat veiled in my clothing, and only when I step out of it, to sleep, to bathe, to make love, do I feel entirely myself, without pretenses. I love my body now, even the weak left ankle, the stretch marks, and the extra weight.

So for Beltane, when I will celebrate the mystic union of Goddess and God, of spirit and flesh, of deity and humanity, I won’t sew myself a new robe, or color my hair, or put on makeup. I’ll spend time beforehand looking at myself, at the person I am and the self I’ll bring into the formal presence of the gods in the circle that evening. And I’ll bring Them the person I am... beautiful past words, perfect in my imperfections, utterly human, entirely Hers, and greatly beloved.

May we all know our true selves, and see the beauty all around us, and within us.

I think that's a lovely summary of what one of my very favorite Sabbats is about. I'll write madly between now and then in order to be able to be there. To gladly push the "send" button on my draft, whisking it off to others to critique and allowing me to walk lightly off into the early May sunset, to join my sisters, to celebrate the mystic union of Goddess and God, Earth and Seed, Earth and King, Writing and Effect, Beginning and End.

Because, really, that's what Beltane is about. The union of Beginning and End, the Seed that contains within itself its own end, and beginning, and end, and beginning and . . . .