Desire.
The fertile month of May arrives today in 2026 with a Full Scorpio Moon on this quite auspicious Celtic holiday of Beltane.
What a grand entrance!
Full of the emotional undercurrents of transformation, right at this intersection of Spring into its fullness. What a fabulous “As Above, So Below” example. This phrase from the Hermetic teachings means the macrocosm mirrors the microcosm: the Universe mirrors the individual, or what is in the outer material world mirrors what is going on inside oneself.
This moment on the Wheel of the Year at Beltane is one we call “Desire” where we can now see the earth showing itself in that specific splendid spring green, in blossoms of all vibrant shades, in resounding birdsong, in this sense of peace of renewal.
Our monthly Ritual Group in May is where we meet our Desires with curiosity and deep inquiry. Beltane is often associated with fertility rites of a frolicking nature, unifying the masculine and feminine archetypes within ourselves, with the pollination of Springtime, and with rejuvenation in this way. To ground all of this, we look at Desire with a capital D~ something beyond a craving which is a way we might like to numb any pain we are feeling~ Desire instead, in this context is looked at through the lens of this important question: “If time, resources and energy were not an issue, what would I Desire?”
How does that question sit with you, as you read it? What arises instantly in your mind, or body? Whatever it is, I encourage you to write it down, because these are clues to your inner world and the way you have been considering what a kind of freedom means, since you were very small.
With this in mind, the question I pose would be: Can I see that what I want, in the physical world, mirrors my inner relationship with Desire?
In other words, we are all Magicians: creating the world we feel to be true, in any given moment. This month we look at the concept of Desire: how it lives in our bodies, what it means to be human, how we negotiate with Fear when it comes to Desire. When we were born we were in complete perfect Unity consciousness with all that is. We were not separate, and we knew this. This is why we would cry out immediately when our needs were not satisfied, the crying or the longing was our way of both signaling our unity with all that is and where we had just come from, as well as our realizing we would now have to reckon with being born a human, into this school of life where duality is the name of the game.
At Beltane, one common practice is to dance and weave the Maypole, a tall wooden pole placed in the ground adorned atop with a crown of long colorful ribbons, dancers below hold onto a ribbon and dancing in and out with one another, weave together the brilliant colors into an elegant braid, which then comes to represent the dance itself. This is such a lovely image of “as above, so below” where the dancers on the ground are influencing the ribbons pinned up on the crown, so high above their heads. We are always dancing in our lives, weaving in and out, and influencing what is happening outside of us.
As with so many things, we develop our sense of how to relate to what we Desire when we were young children and absorbed how our caregivers interacted with their desires and wants. If it was shameful to want something, perhaps we have firmly avoided it, or conversely, over-indulged, to try and correct the imbalance. We all swim in the environment of our parents preferences and belief systems and through osmosis come to see the world in those particular ways: what is deemed as too much, too fanciful, wrong, or correct. Rife with judgements upon ourselves and others~ Desire in its most spontaneous and authentic form, can be long suppressed and hidden, we may not even know where to begin to find it.
Lets back up a little and investigate the definition of Desire:
Desire is:
“To long for; to crave; to ask for; to wish or long for; to express a wish for; the object of longing; sexual appetite; a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen; a strong wish or want; a yearning, an appetite; a passion; an aspiration; a deep craving; longing” The word can be seen as a noun, as in “an overwhelming desire” or as a verb as in “I desire only to be left in peace.” We also see it in its Intensity~ something feels strong and maybe urgent, or something deep seated, waiting to open like a flower.
Its important to note that though we do not necessarily equate Desire with sex, there is something fascinating about the symbolism of sex as the strong pull towards unification, as we had with the Divine in consciousness before we were born~ could Desire in its fullness simply be a longing to unify with our wholeness? How are our Desires, however small we may think they are- a wise inclination from our higher selves towards reconciliation with our true nature? This no easy feat, not at all. In a culture of such dominant religious repression and messages about a heavenly afterlife, we are immersed in a culture of sin and whether consciously or unconsciously, we wildly fear punishment when it comes to simply being ourselves. To bring forth our Desire is very radical work.
Desire also equates with the biographical adolescent time of life. This is a time when physically, biologically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, we are coming into the awakening of Desire in our bodies. Longing to ride a horse free and unbridled, to be in close relationships with friends and lovers, to feel the wind on our face, and taste freedom as we metamorphise from child to adult. In our monthly Ritual group we can name these experiences as part of remembering and making whole that part of ourselves and the vast changes we underwent. So many of us did not receive the rites of passage we so deeply deserved, as we came into the body and consciousnesses of adulthood. We can even enact these rites of passage rituals together, bring forth your adolescent self and honor them, give them the crown of May, bless them that they may know their deepest selves as they take on their full adult form.
What I most want to express about Desire, and why its so vital, for our vitality inwards and outwards~ is that what has been given to you by Source, in the form of your gifts and talents, and offerings to the world, are uniquely shown to you through what you find yourself most Desiring.
Adrienne Maree Brown speaks of “The Pleasure Principle”~ the idea of following what brings you deep pleasure to see where it will go. I encourage you to take a day, or even an hour, and follow the pleasure principle as a spiritual practice. Ask yourself “What do I really want right now?” And see where it leads you, without the encumbrance of your thoughts, your responsibilities, and discover what magic appears.
Universe is always showing you what you are meant to bring forth, and to give, through what you most desire. Its as simple as that.
It’s a delivery system. Its a way of showing you the vibration of your naturally bestowed gifts, by giving you deep desires~ to write a book, to travel, to sit in quiet stillness under a great Oak tree, to play with children, to nurture a garden, to visit the elderly and dying and offer them your gift of listening. It can be anything you deeply want. And it is incredibly important you honor this, its a key to unlocking your unique power.
Welcome to May!
