Light My Fire: Warm Up to Beltane

How a Celtic Fertility Ritual Evolved Into May Day

By Dan Reich

Beltane is one of four Celtic holidays that mark the mid-points of the four seasons. May 1 happens to fall halfway between the Spring Equinox (when daylight and dark are equal) and the Summer Solstice (where the sun is up for the longest). It has long been considered the time at which spring is at the top of its powers, and the early Celts of Ireland and Scotland considered it the most important day of the year. As pastoral people who depended on their herds, May 1 was traditionally the day herds were let out into their summer pastures, and Beltane rituals evolved from the desire to protect their herds and insure good harvests as well as their own good health.

Beltane centered around the concept of a bonfire imbued with magical qualities that offered protection as well as a sense of purifying. Villagers would douse their own home fires, and bonfires would be created for the purpose of leading their herds and themselves through the fires as they believed the fire had protective qualities. Couples would jump over a small fire to express their devotion to each other, as well as to At the end of the bonfire ritual, everyone would light a torch from the bonfire and return to their huts to re-light their own fires. The bonfire also gave tribute to the sun as it marched towards its zenith on the Summer Solstice.

The tradition of going “A-Maying” (indulged most often by young people in love, or at least lust) also began to take hold. Participants would stay out all night, sleeping in the woods, making love, and gathering up flowers with which to return in the morning. Often, they would collect the morning dew and wash their faces with it. Flowers were also used to make crowns and garlands to decorate themselves and their livestock. The celebration of flowers and greenery were expanded when the Romans brought with them their own peak-of-spring fertility festival, Floralia, dedicated to the goddess of flowers, Flora.

“A trip through Google and

the Festival of Beltane looks like

Burning Man with more Pan flute.”

- Matthew Gallagher, writer

The celebration of fertility evolved into the Maypole Dance, in which people danced (often naked…these weren’t your elementary-school Maypole celebrations) around a tall pole with flowers and streamers attached. The pole represented male fertility, while the flowers and streamers paid tribute to the Flower Goddess. The G-rated version of the Maypole was quite popular in England, but never quite caught on here as our Puritan ancestors discouraged anything that had a pagan origin. Little did they know how lusty the Beltane celebrations of the Middle Ages were...writer Matthew Gallagher has described Beltane this way: “A trip through Google and the Festival of Beltane looks like Burning Man with more Pan Flute.”

More recently, May Day has been marked by somewhat tamer observances, such as the creation of flowery May Baskets to decorate friends’ and relative’s houses, and the removal of footwear to celebrate the first day of the year to go barefoot. Many colleges have local rituals that involve skinny-dipping or other “let it all hang out” activities. May Day races are also held in many locations. It also was designated International Worker’s Day in 1889 to acknowledge the gains made in worker’s rights and is celebrated throughout much of the world much as we observe Labor Day here. But that has nothing to do with the origins of May Day as a celebration of spring, fertility and rebirth.

So how can you celebrate May Day today? Given its ties to fertility, the advancement of summer and nature, you may choose to go for a barefoot walk on the beach, or gather wildflowers from the countryside. Make a flower crown for yourself. Light a fire in a firepit and enjoy the balmy early evening. Feel free to enhance the experience with the CBD tablet or tincture of your choice. You could also invoke both Beltane’s fire and flower with a strain you particularly enjoy. Beltane has also been viewed as a time for optimism and renewal…it might be the perfect time to start that project you’ve been meaning to get to.

As we reach the mid-point between spring and summer and notice the changes in Nature as it renews itself, it seems appropriate to mark the occasion with a celebration of the warm and abundant times to follow.

• • •

From the Synergy Wellness Archive: A CBD Success Story

by Billee Sharp

The Synergy Wellness archives hold many testimonials from members who have generously shared their positive experiences using CBD-rich medications. These records are a testimony in themselves, attesting to the wide range of conditions and injuries that can be alleviated or resolved with a protocol of medical cannabinoid supplements.

Even chronic disorders can be treated successfully with cannabis, our case in point, Synergy member Leenie, who has been living with a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis for nearly thirty years. Leenie took her health into her own hands and through her open-minded curiosity and tenacious spirit she found CBD and has triumphed over many of the debilitating symptoms of her illness.

When Leenie was first diagnosed with MS she followed her doctor’s orders and took the conventional medications. Unfortunately, as time went on, her condition deteriorated. At that time, Leenie was working as a district manager and her job involved a good amount of driving. MS was affecting Leenie’s eyesight, giving her double vision which compromised her ability to drive safely and ultimately to do her job.

Eventually, her doctors suggested that she pursue permanent disability to minimize the deteriorating progression of her disease. With the elimination of her work-related demands and by changing her main MS conventional medication Leenie’s double vision cleared up. However, as time went on, her MS-associated “whole body”pain level began to ramp up and her doctors tried to mitigate this with increasing opioid dosages. This didn’t help, resulting in Lennie being adversely affected by the opioids while continuing to suffer debilitating pain.

After a discussion with one of her doctors who suggested Leenie try CBD as an alternative therapy, her partner, John, became determined to find it for her. So Leenie and John began to search in earnest for a reliable source of CBD. They were hearing all sorts of favorable reports about the newly discovered cannabinoid and the great results it was having with a number of conditions. It took dedication and a long time searching the internet to find the information they needed and most importantly to find a reliable provider.

When Leenie and John found Synergy Wellness they struck gold. Leonard was already working with several CBD-rich strains and making tinctures, oils and salves for Synergy members. Leenie was Leonard’s first MS patient, he remembers how compromised Leenie’s mobility was when they met in early 2013. His initial recommendation for Leenie was to take 20:1 CBD-rich tincture three times a day mixing in a few drops of THC in a moderate dose to alleviate pain as needed.

Leenie doesn’t like the ‘fuzziness’ that she associates with THC but she appreciates the way that it mitigates her pain. To avoid the ‘fuzzy’ sensation Leenie has figured out, by trial and error, her own optimum dosages avoiding the unpleasant side effects. Given that CBD offsets the psychoactive effects of THC, she has learned that she can take a little more THC in her tinctures on bad pain days as long as she also takes a little more CBD as well.

Leenie has taken a holistic approach to managing her MS, she avoids foods that exacerbate her symptoms, in particular, gluten and excessive carbohydrates and she makes sure to exercise regularly and get the sleep that she needs.

It would be easy to conclude here that Leenie’s story is simply another CBD success story but there is another crucial component to her success, namely her methodology. From the onset of treatment, Leenie has kept a careful record of her medications, dosages and the effects that she felt. In this way she has been able to experiment with various strains and dosages to get the best results from her protocol. In the early years she was writing in notebooks but now she keeps her data on spreadsheets which shows her clearly how her medications and corresponding dosages are performing.

This close attention to cause and effect has given Leenie the ability to try out different blends of cannabinoids at various dosages and track her responses. Leenie is closely in tune with her condition and at this point can make informed adjustments to dosages when her symptoms flare. She also varies the combination of strains she uses about every 2-3 days so that her body does not become adapted to any one particular strain or combination of strains, which can diminish the efficacy of that particular dosage.

Leenie’s meticulous record-keeping guides her protocol and it has also revealed certain facts about her condition. Living in the Sierra Nevada mountains, the weather can change quickly and temperatures often drop considerably when a low pressure system comes through. Leenie realized that her pain symptoms invariably flared when there were low pressure weather conditions approaching. Now she monitors the weather reports closely; if she sees a storm coming her way she increases her dosage in advance of her symptoms flaring, often managing to alleviate most low pressure related pain.

MS is a degenerative condition which often compromises mobility and is associated with chronic pain, prior to starting her cannabis regimen Leenie’s MS- related “whole-body” pain and her prescribed opioids noticeably affected her mobility. Too frequently she was unstable walking, especially on uneven ground and she fell often. Further, this resulted in a lack of confidence regarding her ability to walk and do other physical activities safely. Consequently she limited her activities fearing injury. As Leenie evolved her cannabis regimen her pain diminished and her walking improved significantly. Without the daily pain, she is able to do stretching and strengthening exercises for her legs and she is now able walk daily ( on average 2-3 miles ) and periodically she can enjoy kayaking and paddleboarding!

Leenie strongly believes that the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD have been key to her improved health. To maintain this improvement Leenie keeps a relatively constant amount of CBD in her system by taking either an alcohol-based tincture or an infused oil about every two hours.

Leenie’s experience shows that cannabinoid medications can alleviate the debilitating symptoms of MS and her excellent results have been assured by her own close attention to her cannabis regime. Leenie and John have witnessed the healing power of cannabinoids. Before starting her cannabis regimen, Leenie’s “whole body” pain was relentless. Now she typically only suffers a “bad pain” day once or twice a month. For these “bad pain” days, if her tincture regimen doesn’t sufficiently alleviate the pain, she uses one of Synergy’s 8:1 vape pen cartridges. The couple have seen how both CBD and THC tinctures and oils have improved Leenie’s health, restoring her vitality and giving her years of active life that she might never have had. She continues to take several of the conventional treatments for MS, but has eliminated the opioids and lives a relatively pain-free life.

As Leonard concludes; When I first met Leenie her health was severely compromised and her walking was unstable.. Fast forward to the present, she is full of energy and takes daily hikes. If you didn’t know that she has MS you wouldn’t suspect it at all. Leenie is vibrant and full of life, she is also full of love and gratitude, add CBD and this is a winning combination.

A Woman’s Perspective on a THC-rich Cannabis Experience

This is general and not pertinent to just women, but I wanted to address this potential elephant in the room with regards to THC: many people seem to have concerns about the potential less-than-desirable effects of THC. Things I have heard range from being ‘extremely self-conscious’ to ‘paranoid’ to ‘lethargic’ once the ‘high’ wears off.

While clearly, the effects of THC in Cannabis are a very personal experience and it is clearly not for everyone, there may be ways to work with it that can reframe these effects.

Is being ‘self-conscious’ so wrong, if you are not in the mode of ‘self-criticism?’

While under the influence of THC, I have often felt like I am watching a movie of myself moving through the world. I think it is this sensation that might make some people feel uncomfortable.

In the philosophy of Yoga, Purusha and Prakriti, are the two aspects to all matter and creation:

Purusha is the soul, or pure consciousness. Prakriti is everything created - thoughts, memories, desires, even intelligence. One analogy likens it to the Clockmaker (Purusha) and the clock itself (Prakriti). I have also heard of Purusha referred to as the Witness and Prakriti as the ???

Sometimes in the liminal spaces of heightened awareness of Cannabis, I can touch into that ‘Witness’ role. Something beyond me is witnessing everything I do, say, think, and feel. It is a fine line, between being the ‘Witness’ and slipping into that which emanates from the Witness - Once you start judging the being that is you, you are no longer in the ‘Witness’ role of pure consciousness, or Purusha.

But to be able to dance in that space is something I often attribute to THC influence.

With regard to women specifically, there are a couple of things that come to mind:

Stoner-moms rule!

I have a couple of THC-loving friends who are mothers of young children and they themselves are ‘older’ moms, having had kids in their late 30’s, early 40’s. You might have heard the phrase that parenting is a ‘young person’s sport’ because energy and tolerance are two things that typically wane with age and you need them in spades for the ‘sport’ of parenting small children.

What both of these women have expressed to me is that cannabis has helped them to alter in just the right way that they are drawn into their ‘child-like’ mind which helps them relate to their small children’s sense of wonder and helps them to essentially be more engaged ‘play mates’ with their kids. If this isn’t a great benefit of cannabis, I don’t know what is!

To be. Right. Here.

One aspect of being child-like is being very present and ‘in the moment’ - being immersed in the sensory aspects of one’s moment , and these senses are very heightened with the effects of THC). How this translates for me personally into a spiritual practice is that I realize so many of the things that often occupy my mind throughout the day are menial, or beleaguered by anxious-thinking - or anything but the present: anticipating a future moment or consumed by thoughts of a past moment, when the most important thing is to be. Right. Here.

This is the crux of buddhist philosophy, what we are trained to strive for in meditation, to be present, to sense all, to absorb, to feel, to release.

Maybe not realistic nor even very functional to be constantly in this state of mind but cannabis can provide a reminder and support to the daily practices, can contribute to more presence and peace of mind in the big pictureOnly monks in secluded monasteries can meditate all day long and only people who stay in Never-never land can be stoned 24/7, you Peters Pans you.

Stoner Grandmas rule!

Another perspective, I draw in the example of my 81-year-old mother. She found herself, like many others, dealing with an unsettling amount of anxiety during the last few years from the stresses of dealing with the pandemic and for her, the disturbing path that politics are currently going in the United States. To the point of affecting her sleep, affecting her sense of physical wellness and affecting her state of emotional well-being.

And then she welcomes Cannabis into her world. She started using tincture to help her sleep and then eventually started to use it during the day ‘recreationally’ - i put this in quotes because it felt a alot more like a form of emotional support, rather than to giggle or to be playful. All of it really worked for her; helped her to relieve her anxiety and stay more in the moment, appreciating the little things, taking care of the big things and forgetting about the stupid things.

The side-effects? Because it is still stigmatized by people from her generation and local community, it is something she does privately, in the discretion of her home and not with her friends and is very discreet with most of her family members.

I have encountered many people who find it more enjoyable to do by themselves rather than in social setting or amongst a large crowd. I am someone who enjoys most of the ways cannabis can be used but I do have a personal preference to enjoy cannabis on my own, providing me with a mind space where I can more easily attune to the spiritually-enhancing benefits of it all.

To be or not to be?

As with other plant medicines and the spirits of our alchemist, gin, vodka, whiskey, you name it. . It is important to remind oneself how anything potentially pleasant, or even therapeutic, has a delicate balance which can easily have a polar effect desired and/or imbibe someone to misuse.

Too much imbibing of cannabis can often lead to lethargy, over-eating, or even mood disorders so it is important to use it moderately (again, each individual has their own interpretation of what that line is for them) and constructively, not destructively.

Being a cannabis user for the last 40 years of my life, I have learned to dance that line with grace, occasionally stumbling and maybe fallen a couple time. Only to get up stronger and always realizing the importance of healthy relationships, which is a constant and ever-changing choreography in our time here on mother earth.

Cannabis, Sex and Women’s Roar

There is a plethora of historical and anecdotal data regarding the positive effects that cannabis can have with regard to female sexual senstivity and sexual libido. Though science has yet to catch up in terms of empirical studies that prove a correlation, the word on the street is there is a strong connection between cannabis and the enhanced experience with sexual mood and sensations.

Of the scientific studies, many had to do with interviewing large groups of women cannabis users with regard specifically to the effects cannabis had on their sexuality and the results were fairly overwhelmingly indicative of a strong correlation between enhanced sexual effects and cannabis use. There is also an ongoing body of research regarding the healing aspects of a healthy sexual response - that the chemical response to orgasm can trigger beneficial mechanisms.

THE KEY BENEFITS OF ORGASMS

Improved cardiovascular health

Enhanced sleep cycle, Prolactin and Ocxytocin release

Pain reduction, Endorphins and Corticosteroids release

Improved Immunity, DHEA release

Reduced risk of prostate cancer

Improved mood and emotional health, dopamine and oxytocin release

Enhanced brain stimulation from increased blood flow

Strengthening of the pelvic floor

Yogabis !!!

And as someone who has taught yoga for the last twenty years and have been practicing for over 30 years and as someone who is ‘THC-positive’, I have found being slightly altered often helps me to really ‘be’ in my body in a much more profound way. When I bring that to the Mat, it facilitates a deepening of my practice that I have found to be very beneficial, both as a practitioner and as a teacher. Keep in mind, my personal yoga practice preference is to have a gentle and slow practice while altered, being attentive to my breathing, rather than a fast-paced and rigorous practice that is focused on strengthening and toning. Go surf you sillies.

For many people, Indica-dominant cannabis tends to be more body-centered and Sativa-dominant cannabis tends to be more cerebral so one might bear that in mind when seeking to experiment where sex or yoga is concerned but there are no written-in-stone rules regarding how cannabis effects each individual so it is all about experimenting.

Just as with any relationship, whether it be with a person, or a substance, we must find our comfort zone and nurture the aspects that bring out the best in us and hopefully have fun in the process.

With this mind, I always give Synergy Wellness the big nod, because of their unrivaled variety of hybrid CBD/THC strains, because they use specific varieties for their formulations and because they create a variety of ratios and potencies. I especially appreciate this in a marketplace which seems to favor increasingly stronger-potency THC strains, which in my opinion is way stronger than necessary. Call me old-fashioned but I prefer to get heightened rather than obliterated.

Sources:

• https://www.everydayhealth.com/sexual-health-pictures/orgasms-for-a-better-life-the-surprising-benefits-of-sexual-pleasure.aspx

• https://www.health.com/sex/benefits-of-orgasm

• https://www.avantgynecology.com/2020/06/17/learn-about-the-health-impacts-of-orgasms/

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6522945/