May | Sunshine on the First Day of Summer

Bealtaine Blessings on this joyful journey through the physical realm

I’m switching things around. These last few years, I’ve been living in a permanent state of grief over things that are mostly out of my control. It’s been debilitating, at times. It has affected my wellbeing, both physical and emotional. It can’t go on.

In 2020, I found myself reassessing my life, and plunged deep into intense gratitude. This led to the achievement of positivity and contentment, even as we moved through a pandemic and lockdowns, because that is what gratitude does. It is life-changing. Since then, world events and crises have dragged me back down. Perimenopause only exacerbated the worst of everything. And then, in March, a significant death in my family stole what I had left - my creativity.

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Ribwort Plantain in bloom. Slánlus in Irish. This wild plant is prolific around here this year, and its success brings me much joy © Ali Isaac

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So I’ve not been doing much writing, or weaving, or macrame, or learning, or even walking. But I have been doing a lot of thinking. Marie Kondo advises us to keep only the things in our lives that spark joy; on her website, she describes it thus:

You are not choosing what to discard but rather choosing to keep only the items that speak to your heart. ¹

I love the positive spin she puts on letting things go. She’s talking about physical objects, and the orderliness of ones home, or wardrobe. But I think this equally translates into other areas of life and of being.

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It may not look much, but this is one of our native Sweetgrasses, known as Féar Cumhra in Irish. I noticed it growing around here for the first time this week, and it is even growing in my wild garden. After reading Braiding Sweetgrass last year, seeing this plant brought me tears of joy this week © Ali Isaac

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I have been suffering with an overwhelming case of Imposter Syndrome recently, to the extent that I was considering closing my Substack. But you know what? It is one of those things that sparks joy for me. So I’m keeping it and instead, I’m letting the Imposter Syndrome go.

With it being the first day of summer, or Bealtaine, I’m also going to let the Cailleach go to her rest for a while and stop pestering her. Instead, I’m keeping the wildflowers and the plants ² and walking the landscape, because those things bring me great joy, and I want to share them with you.

Another plant newly discovered in my area this week, Bilberry. Also known as Fraochán in Irish, this bitter berry turns black in the summer and was traditionally collected on the last Sunday of July © Ali Isaac

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I also want to explore the Irish Mythscape, which I never really managed to bring to fruition here on H A G. This involves visiting monuments and historical buildings in the landscape and bringing them to life through legend, folklore, written lore and story. Now that the finer weather is here, and my son no longer needs my car to commute to college, I have the happy opportunity to do more of what I love and bring it to you right here on Substack. I hope it will resonate with you.

My friend Jenni ³ once said to me that nature was her church. I pondered that for a long time; I wondered what mine was, or if I even had one. I had lived into my fifties and knew myself so poorly, I couldn’t even answer that question. And then I realised it was landscape. It had always been landscape, from as far back as early childhood. It includes the natural and the manmade, the plants and the buildings, the animals and the humans. Landscape brings me joy.

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Yellow Archangel, or Artillary plant, known in Irish as Neantóg Mhuire. This plant was absolutely alive with happy bumble bees but in the seconds it took to get my camera out, the rain came down, and they all went into hiding © Ali Isaac

Bealtaine Blessings to you all… I’m so happy to have you here accompanying me on my journey. Your comments, stories and emails also spark great joy. I am very fortunate.

And finally, here is something beautiful that sparks great joy for many people. Yesterday was the 3oth anniversary of Riverdance on the Eurovisin Song Contest. Can you believe that? I can still remember watching it long before I knew anything about Ireland or Irish dancing, had never been there, had no idea that one day I’d live there, marry an Irish man, bear three Irish children, and become Irish. Ireland has been very good to me in many ways, and I am so grateful to be adopted as one of its daughters. Haunting, exuberant, joyful, emotional. I don’t remember who won the competition, I only remember this.

1. Kondo, Marie, The KonMarie Method, www.konmarie.com.

2. I use Flora Incognita app, the Wildflowers of Ireland website, and Niall Mac Coitir’s book, Ireland’s Wild Plants - Myths, Legends and Folklore. These three sources spark much joy.

3. A very knowledgeable and kind wisewoman I am so fortunate to have as a friend in my life.