I'm going to paint my life, so I'm going to set it on fire by adding lots of colors.
Grand Corps Malade, artist and singer
At the end of winter, we all waited impatiently for the earth to warm up, for the sun to come back, for... something to change in our lives.
After the months of silence, hibernation and rest, we have a crazy urge to take off our shoes, walk in the forest, eat outside, open wide the windows and tidy up our house. Strange? Not really. Could it be only the arrival of the sun and the prospect of an aperitif on the terrace? Not only. But it's a story of fire and light, that's for sure.
Spring, the season of burning fire
The 1er In May, the Celts celebrated Beltane, a word that could be translated as "burning fire". For the Germanic peoples, it was also a story of love and reunion between the god and goddess of spring Ostara, separated by winter and finally reunited in spring. Beltane would therefore be the celebration of fire and light, of love and renewal. A rather tempting program, no?
If many rituals punctuated the beginning of spring for the Celts and other northern peoples, we have gradually lost this link with the passage of the seasons. Of course, we do not know exactly what was happening at the time, especially since the Celts favored an oral transmission of their culture, and according to some historians, the druids had erected a ban on the written transmission of their practices.
What about us, city dwellers of the 21st century? We are not blind, of course. We can see spring coming (every year, I admire from my window the flowering tops of the chestnut trees in my street, in a kind of blissful delight before this sea of pink, green and white). Can we do more? Reconnecting with the natural rhythm is essential to our mental and physical well-being, our connection to others and to nature. So I propose an organized escape from the virtual to the concrete.
3 rituals to dive into the renewal of spring
Lighting a protective and healing fire
Traditionally, healing fires are built in a spike or teepee shape to direct energy towards the sky. Herbs can be added to cleanse and bring joy. We have them all on hand: sage and rosemary for their energetic cleansing power, and some birch bark, a tree that brings inspiration, new ideas and elevates our sense of perspective about our lives. Or, some fir branches, which are said to be a bridge between earth and sky, and which will support your inner strength. Prepare a small bundle with what you need, and find a place, if possible in the forest, to light a fire. Once it is burning well, throw in your herbs and bark, and set your intention for the season.
Prepare an intuitive herbal tea
Instead of choosing a pack of ready-made herbal tea, stamped "detox" or "drainage", listen to your intuition. At the herbalist's shop, ask yourself what your body and mind need right now, reach out and...choose two or three plants. Or, at the market, choose the ones that inspire you in the moment. Then prepare your herbal tea. You'll see, not only will it taste much better, but it will certainly be beautiful, and it will do you good. Even if you don't know why...
Taking off your shoes
Take off your shoes and keep your feet bare on the floor for a while, as often as possible. It's simple and terribly effective! The relief is almost immediate. This is one of the nice memories I have of cooking in nature. One day, a mother and her adult son arrived in a palpable state of tension. At the end of the day, once they had re-established contact with nature, themselves and their relationship, they stepped back, took off their shoes and put their bare feet on the grass. Calmed down, they talked for a long time. The tension was gone, only love remained...
If you too want to discover the power of relationship, to learn to talk with nature while cooking on a campfire, join me for an upcoming event. The fire, the forest and me, we are waiting for you.
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