1st Day of Summer

Today is May 1st: Mayday, Beltaine, International Workers Day, National Mother Goose Day, Therapeutic Massage Awareness Day, World Carnivorous Plant Day (I kid you not), Learn to Ride a Bike Day, and a dozen or more holidays you never knew existed until you google “what holidays are on May 1st.”

My interest is in the continual shifting of Yin and Yang as we travel around the sun each year.

May 1st is the halfway point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice, which makes it the First Day of Summer. In about six more weeks, we will experience the longest day of the year, the pinnacle of Yang, the height of summer.

In many cultures, this holiday was (and still is) observed with feasting, bonfires, and dancing around a Maypole to celebrate the lengthening days, fertility, abundance, and more.

Energetically you may be experiencing a natural inclination to be more active, to dive into projects you have been thinking about, to be more social, and find yourself drawn to the out-of-doors, lingering on the front steps into the late twilight.

With the help of Jagadamba, who is responsible for (among many other things!) all things visual and beautiful at Energy Matters, we’ve created this wonderful image that shows the yearly energetic calendar (which is not the same as what is posted on your paper or digital calendar).

Check it out. Appreciate the turning of the wheel, the continual shifting of Yin and Yang.

As an energy being living in a physical body, you are affected and influenced by this: mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Enjoy the rising Yang as we head toward the peak of Summer.
Kirstin Lindquist