Fatherhood

Beltane 2009

Flickr image by mikescottnz
This year’s Beltane celebration was an important one for me, as it marked the official, outward, community acknowledgement of the invitation of the Mabon, the divine child, into our lives. My wife and I have invited a new One into our family, and though we haven’t yet received an RSVP, we are both feeling deeply connected and ready to welcome this new incarnation into the world.

As my journey into Fatherhood begins, Beltane offers me a time to reflect and meditation especially on the Masculine aspects of this Rite. One of my first and most profound connections with Celtic tradition was with an image of Cernunnos, who is often called the Lord of the Hunt and God of Fertility. This image struck me deeply, as I felt that I was one whose wild and green masculinity had been suppressed for many years. The image of Cernunnos was an invitation to move beyond my own fears and lethargy, to move beyond the comfort I had found in city life, into a more active spirituality that was deeply rooted in Nature, the Wild, and the Green aspects of life on Earth.