The early part of May is filled with traditions, festivals, images and energies associated with fire and growth. The
fires of May are not small kindlings as at the onset of spring, but great bonfires, shining testaments to the spirit of
life. It is thus a time for bringing creative efforts to climax. Because fire increases and illuminates, it embodies the
energies of the universal Axis. I draw attention to manifestations of the Axis such as Maypole or Bile Pole (which
assimilate to the luminous Tree of Life), Spear of the Bright Warrior, Flower Woman, May Queen, Queen of
Faery, Mother of Light, Queen of the South, and so on.
The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year and thus of the highest point of the ascendancy of light,
which accounts for its many associations with the Bright One. It is a time particularly appropriate for spiritual
initiation, when the powers of the inner earth and sky are most open and accessible. In the mystery traditions the
summer solstice is known as the "gate of the predecessors" ~ which is the portal of initiation into the streams of
the mysteries that rise from ancestral lines and spiritual affinities.
The Tide of Fire encompasses the period from May 1st to July 31st, and peaks at the summer solstice
(June 20-21). As a whole this period is concerned with increase, ascendancy, balance, protection and
warmth, and it resonates with the sacred direction of South, which in the northern hemisphere is the
direction of warmth and brightness. The protective energies of this tide make it appropriate for
preventive healing, while its associations with increase and empowerment make it useful for growth and
development of any kind.