#24 Press Pause: From Blossom

We are in the season of Bealtaine in the Celtic Calendar, complete with the impetus to growth and blossoming.

Last week at the Seasonal salon I hosted, we spoke about how often joy and pleasure are resisted. They can feel like impossible counterpoints to the weight of the world. And yet, as the season turns up the dial on bloom, despite the challenges and world weary weatherings, we too are invited into the consideration of our own impossible possible joy. Having travelled through the dark wintering, having attended to dreams, ideas, stirrings, can we now give permission to allow the dreaming to come into form? Maybe that joy, that blossoming, is the exact antidote the world needs right now.

It is with this in mind that I share a glorious blooming and succulent poem by Li Young Lee, alongside two prompts: one with an outward orientation, and one as scaffold.

The poem and prompts are below, and in the audio reading, I share a few more reflections about the poem, alongside a little more about working creatively with the prompts.

From Blossom

From blossoms comes
this brown paper bag of peaches
we bought from the boy
at the bend in the road where we turned toward   
signs painted Peaches.

From laden boughs, from hands,
from sweet fellowship in the bins,
comes nectar at the roadside, succulent
peaches we devour, dusty skin and all,
comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat.

O, to take what we love inside,
to carry within us an orchard, to eat
not only the skin, but the shade,
not only the sugar, but the days, to hold
the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into   
the round jubilance of peach.

There are days we live
as if death were nowhere
in the background; from joy
to joy to joy, from wing to wing,
from blossom to blossom to
impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.

Li Young Lee 

Prompts to accompany

What seeks to blossom in your life right now?

How can you support that blossoming?

Bealtaine Guidebook

And if you are looking to dive deeper, the Bealtaine Guidebook is also available to support your reflections. It includes prompts and some seasonal creative practices. Paid members will have been emailed a download link. New members, it is in this post. And it’s also available for purchase here on my website.

Writing Sanctuary

Coming this Sunday, 12th May 6-7pm Irish/UK time, the bi-monthly writing sanctuary. This is for you to sink into your own words and wisdom. It’s an hour of guided journalling prompts, and some collective sharing of insights. As always, sharing is by invitation. If you just w

Owl Hours

These are our creative community practice hours, for intentional co-working.

May 15th and 29th, 8-9pm Irish/ UK time.

Wild Edge Members- links are in the noticeboard.

Thank you all,

Clare x