Celebrate Life Force Energy on May Day,

May Day is the time when nature has truly come alive. Our ancestors joyfully embraced the fertility of Mother Earth; flowers bloom, offering their pollen to the bees. The Celtic name for this period is Beltane, which means bright or sacred fire. During the festival, great bonfires were lit and animals and fields were blessed in hopes for an abundant year. Traditionally May Day began on the eve of May 1st and was celebrated with feasting, dancing, and merriment for two weeks. Lovers knew that sexual energy is a most powerful connection to Spirit as well as it plays an essential role in the abundance of all life. 

Beltane was a time when lovers ran off to the fields and woods together to honor the Great Goddess with ecstatic lovemaking.

Celebrate the Green Fire my friends,

This year in the Northern Hemisphere, March 19th is the Spring Equinox. It is the time when day and night will be equal in length at the equator as the sun moves into Aries, the first sign of the Zodiac.  Also known as Ostara or Eostre (the origin of the name Easter) light and dark will be balanced. It is the New Year for Persians as well as the Earth Honoring spiritual traditions that follow the ancient ways.

In these ancient traditions the Vernal Equinox is considered the time of Green Fire. It refers not only to sap rising, but also to all the electrical energy pulsing through the growing plants.

In the ESP LAB we say, “Thanks for your Love, Friendship, and Help.”  Today, I am adding, “through the years.”  Personally, I start a new year with Winter Solstice, as it is the beginning of a new solar year, as the LIGHT RETURNS.  Then much of the world celebrates the Roman Calendar, and we whoop and holler as we turn the page on ye olde year.  Soon thereafter, China celebrates its New Year, beginning on the new moon in February on the 10th— this one in the year of the auspicious Dragon.  Historically, Dragon years are said to represent good luck, justice, prosperity, and strength. Let us claim our share as we turn the pages of the past into the new.

Embrace the Power of Hope,

Imbolc in ancient traditions is the time of hope for new life and the return of the light. For thousands of years, Imbolc, meaning “in the belly” was a sign of hope as there would be lambs born in the spring. In addition, the people saw the noticeable signs that the days were lengthening. Hope is not the same as wishing things were better but it is cultivating a strong ability to allow ourselves to anticipate joy, avoid thoughts that dash hope, and to celebrate life, even in the small things we can look forward to, keeping our focus on what gives us hopeful feelings. 

Hope is unique from other positive emotions because hope requires some degree of difficulty or uncertainty to be ignited.

Yuletide Blessings to all my wonderful friends,
This letter brings my heartfelt wishes for a truly joyous holiday season and an
abundant New Year. In the Northern Hemisphere, December 21st is the time of
the longest night. The Winter Solstice is universally honored with lights the world
over. People have burned Yule logs and oil lamps, candles and bonfires. Currently
electric lights are strung around our homes. My mother used to tell me as a child
that these traditions reassured us that days of longer sunlight would be returning.
Yet there is much to appreciate about darkness. Indigenous wisdom holds that
darkness is simply the other side of light and there is great creative power in the
dark void. Lisa Thiel’s lyrics capture this knowing:

On the longest night, we search for the light

And we find it deep within

As we open our eyes, we embrace what is wise
And see the light of our souls shining
Enter the night and you’ll find the light
That will carry you to your dreams
Enter the night; let your spirit take flight
In the field of infinite possibilities
From Lisa Thiel, Circle of the Seasons CD

Leonard Cohen’s line in his famous song Anthem touches an essential truth:
“There’s a crack, a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.

I love to start my day with Thanksgiving. I believe as we count our good fortunes it attracts blessings.  Al would say what we give our attention multiplies.  I also like to count my blessings during times of challenge and emotional distress. It changes the channel from counting disturbances to counting joys.  I typically start my morning with “Thank you Father for a day.”  I am then thankful for birds that sing as I watch them fly through the sanctuary skies against a backdrop of beautiful mountains.

I am thoughtful of the magnificence of nature and the amazing power of Divine Forces to create and shape our material reality giving me the benefit of each breath. I am thankful for a hot cup of good coffee and I celebrate life with dogs and friends. 

     “I SHALL NOT WANT!”

    By Sami MERLYN, DD

     Hello dear friends of ESP LAB— thank you for your participation and support. Your ongoing interest keeps our organization alive. XOXOXO!

     It has been some challenging times for us folks on planet earth with economic, health, and political challenges.  “Tell me about it!” You may add. With the recent Solar Eclipse, the primal man within thinks the Dragon has swallowed the life source.  With very challenged Mars and Pluto energies some of our world has slipped into war.  It is easy to lose faith and let the dark side get to you.  However, we must be strong, through accessing the spiritual and peaceful side of the things and lift our spirit and consciousness to a higher level.

Samhain Greetings my friends,

The time period, between Oct. 31st and Nov. 2nd is one of the most widely celebrated ancient traditions honoring our ongoing connection with ancestors and loved ones who have passed. Samhain meaning ‘summer’s end’ heralds the thinning of the veil between the seen and unseen worlds. An example of the old ways is the celebration of the Day of the Dead in Mexico or here in the US. Connecting with our ancestors and expressing love and gratitude has always been the theme of this time for thousands of years, long before ‘trick or treating’ as goblins and ghouls became popular.

How did we go from honoring and loving our ancestors to not even knowing their stories, or feeling their loving presence in our lives?