It's Gonna Be MAY
- brwherbalist
- Apr 29
- 3 min read
Let's check in -
Ya'll! It's gonna be MAY!*
The strawberries are about to be fantastic. Head to a farmers market near you!
May 1 is an important holiday known as May Day, or International Workers Day. If you are a worker, aka the 99% celebrate a little bit! Leave work early, call in healthy, take a long lunch!
May 1 is also an earth based holiday known as Beltane, where people celebrate the earth's fertility by admiring flowers, gathering 'round a fire, fertilizing the fields, dancing and much, much more.
May is a big transition month, where people close a school year, have graduations, recitals, performances.
As a culture we have Memorial Day at the end of the month which is our cultural start to summer.
What does this mean? In transitional seasons, it's normal for there to be some grief and loss along with the parties and celebration. When sunset is at 8pm it's easy to burn the candle at both ends.
If May hold certain memories for you, like a birthday of a loved one, a significant death of a loved one, check in! Spend some time remembering this cycle with a meditative journaling, tarot, or art session. If not knowing what summer has in store for you, and you feel a bit antsy, I suggest you turn to the plants.
Maybe things are staying the same for you, and you need a little inspiration to keep things interesting. Here are a few plants on my mind for this time of year:
Blackberry: The flower essence of this plant supports those who lack clarity in what to create. It supports the energy of manifestation and creating priorities. It encourages us to take action towards what matters most. The leaf and root are powerful astringents, great for diarrhea, a staple if you're traveling to places with dubious water supplies.
Hawthorn: Associated with magic realms, this tree blooms in May, also known as Mayflower (yes, like the one that landed on Plymouth Rock) is a well-known heart tonic. In the dominant culture we can learn a lot from the wisdom of living more in our hearts. Try low doses or the flower essence if you're looking to be more heart centered in your work and home life. Note: Not for people on calcium or beta channel blockers. and NOT for people with a low heart rate.
California Poppy: Blooming all over the place these days, our bright orange CA state flower is traditional potent whole-plant remedy for sleep. If you've been tossing and turning, keep a little California Poppy tincture by your bedside. If you've been curious about making a tincture at home, this can be a great plant to start with. Just make sure you're harvesting from clean soil, as the tap root is also a bio-accumulator.
Rose: It's rose season ya'll! Go put your nose in a bundle of soft petals. Enjoy the little pink Cecil Bruner rose on a Bay Area neighborhood walk, or head to your local rose garden in San Francisco, Berkeley or Oakland. A sensual heart-opening plant that shows it's boundaries by it's thorns. These are good reminders for a modern life!
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*P.S. I hope you read this in Justin Timberlake's NSYNC voice, "It's Gonna Be Me," Have you danced yet today? If not, maybe bounce around for a bit to shake things up. If yes, why not keep it up? Click the link above to dance to NSYNC!
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