Finding Magic in May
A List of Glimmers to Seek This Month
Hello lovely soul! Welcome to Ink-Stained Compass, the weekly newsletter of Poet and Witch, Caitlin Gemmell. If you are a seeker of stories and magic, this newsletter is for you. One letter each month is always free to read in full. If you appreciate these letters, please consider upgrading your subscription for full access to the archives, a bespoke poem written just for you, and occasional snail mail. You could also buy my poetry book that is currently on sale for $5.99 or buy me a coffee to show your support. Thank you so much!
Happy Beltane, dear soul! As I’m recovering from a migraine, I won’t be up to much today, but I am planning on walking around my neighborhood to see if the hawthorn tree has bloomed yet. Wouldn’t that be the loveliest gift? Spotting the May on the 1st of May?
This newsletter is a couple days early, as I wanted to share it with you on Beltane. Enjoy!
Finding Magic in May: A List of Glimmers to Seek This Month
Discover the first hawthorn blooms. Hawthorn trees are portals to fairy land. They are also known as “the May.” The flowers and berries are edible. The flowers make a delicious May wine.
Keep a nature journal and jot down any new plants you notice, birds, animals, etc. The violets have just started blooming in my corner of the world and the cherry and pear trees are in full bloom as well. I’m about to see whether the hawthorn has bloomed in time for Beltane.
Celebrate Beltane. You could light a candle if you can’t light a bonfire. Forage for wild edibles. Make a flower crown. Touch the grass with your bare feet. Listen to bird song. Scatter birdseed for the birds and chipmunks. Go on a walk. Visit a stream. Dress in white and crown yourself the May Queen.
Decorate your home to fit the current season. White and green, and wildflower colors are appropriate for Beltane.
Tidy your garden and plant flowers to attract bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies.
Clean your floors with Murphy’s Oil Soap for a lovely shine and a delightful, fresh citrus scent.
Visit a thrift shop and come home with a new favorite mug. Make tea using fresh herbs, especially ones from your garden or that you’ve wild foraged.
Make one of your ancestor’s recipes. I’m about to make a cake from a recipe in my grandmother’s handwriting that was actually HER grandmother’s recipe. How special is that? A recipe from my great-great grandmother!
Give yourself a foot bath. Fill a basin with hot water. Add Epsom salts and flowers and soak your feet. Scrub clean. Massage scented oil into your feet.
Seek the first thunderstorm, the first hot day, the first perfect spring day with a light breeze. Enjoy each of them.
See if you can spot any nests in your garden. If you are particularly lucky, you might get to watch baby birds as they learn to fly.
Hang crystals from your windows and be enchanted by the rainbows that dance around your room on a sunny day.
Visit a local park and just sit and observe. Be present. Notice the people and how they interact. Notice the little critters. Notice the noises, the smells, the colors all around. Feel the energy.
Visit your farmers market and take note of when each new seasonal produce first appears. Delight in the first asparagus. The first lettuce. The first kale.
Seek sunset, sunrise, fog, rain, puffy-fairytale-clouds, starry skies, maybe even fireflies.
If you have access to a grill, grill some in-season veggies and fish and enjoy dining al fresco.
Drink water from your fanciest goblet. Truly, drinking anything from a beautiful vessel makes the experience special. You can even add citrus, cucumber slices, fresh herbs, and/or flowers.
Download the Merlin app to your phone so you can easily record birdsong and start identifying birds based on how they sound.
Stock up on poetry books to read on a lazy day.
Leave lipstick kisses on note paper to share with loved ones.
Enjoy ice cream on a hot day.
Eat all the fresh fruit your body craves.
Put fresh basil on everything.
Enjoy each moment and allow room for mystery and unexpected delights.
Tell me, what glimmers do you hope to seek or create this May? What do you look forward to the most?
Much love,
Caitlin
These glimmers are so simple and gorgeous ... A beautiful way to live! Thank you for your words that paint pictures we all can cherish.
The hawthorn is just starting to come out here in the east of England. I'm looking forward to whole boughs of it framing footpaths.