Willow Goddess: Celtic MayDay Blessings

Kathy Crabbe, Daffodil & Solara, 2001, watercolor on paper, 8.5 x 11”.

Kathy Crabbe, Daffodil & Solara, 2001, watercolor on paper, 8.5 x 11”.

Welcome, with your lovely greenwood choir, summery month of May for which I long! ~ Welsh, 14th Century

When the gates of Beltaine swing open on May 1, sunlight and blossom welcome the procession of the year into the green halls of summer...we celebrate life, growth, love, and sexuality: "the force that drives the green fuse through the flower," in the words of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. ~ from Kindling the Celtic Spirit by Mara Freeman

Kathy Crabbe, Willow Goddess, 2000,silk dyes on silk, 8.5 x 11”.

Kathy Crabbe, Willow Goddess, 2000,silk dyes on silk, 8.5 x 11”.

Druidic Sacred Tree Saille - The Willow 5th Lunar Month Bird: Hawk Color: Haze Gemstone: Blood-Red Carbuncle

Beltane is the 2nd cross-quarterly festival day and is sacred to Sappho, the poet, Fairy Queen Brigid and the goddess Dana. Midway between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice, it celebrates the full blossoming of the spring. At May Eve, the goddess is one of Love and Death such as Freya, Frigg, Holda, Held, Hilde, Goda, and Ostara. Traditionally, this celebration was an orgiastic revel which celebrated the Maiden's coming of age and the rebirth of flowers and the fertility of the Earth. ~ Paraphrased from Year of Moons, Season of Trees, Mysteries and Rites of Celtic Tree Magic by Pattalee Glass-Koentop

The paintings above are available as originals, prints and cards. Please email me for more information.

More Celtic Tree Musings can be found here.

The Celtic Year - Oak Moon

The Ogham alphabet is an ancient Celtic Druidic alphabet consisting of Ogham rune characters. These runes have been found on isolated monoliths which date as far back as 4,500 B.C.E., earlier than most written records and histories found to date, other than the pictography writings of pre-dynastic Egypt (5,500 B.C.E.)

During that time period history was primarily handed down orally and the Ogham alphabet was also used as a hand alphabet or signal for silent communication at fairly close distances. Fingers of either hand were used along with the bridge of the nose which acted as the center or dividing line.

Ogham alphabet characters or runes are composed of 13 consonants, each of which represent a specific Moon month and its sacred tree. In addition, there are 5 vowel trees - A,O,U,E and I - which separate the year into respective seasons; Rebirth, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Death. The extra day of the year following the Winter Solstice, was represented by mistletoe and the letter "double I" (Y or J). June 11 - July 8 is The Oak (Duir) Moon

The Celtic word for Oak is "Duir" and the name "Druid" comes from a combination of the word "Duir" and the word "wyd" which means "to know." In Celtic countries the Druids often worshiped in sacred Oak groves as the celestial Oak also symbolized the god or male principle.

The Oak Moon is the seventh Moon, also known as The Moon of Strength and is associated with the Summer Solstice (in the Northern hemisphere) and the Winter Solstice (in the Southern hemisphere). This Moon is dedicated to Janus, the two-faced god, for in his maturity the Oak King looks in both directions of the year at once, as does the Sun. The word for Oak also means "door" in many languages and this Moon is known as the hinge of the year.

You can celebrate this Oak Moon by recognizing the sacred male and female within yourself, for all of us are children of both the Sun and Moon. We are both strong and steadfast like the door itself, yet we can open and close with the help of our hinges.

To learn more about the mysteries of Celtic Tree Magic I recommend the book "Year of Moons, Season of Trees" by Pattalee Glass-Koentop.

The first image pictured above is from my Celtic Tree Wisdom deck (coming soon) which consists of 18 oracle cards. Find all my hand painted oracle decks here.

Looking for Answers?
Soul Readings + Astrology can help

About Kathy Crabbe & Daily Moon VibesI believe in dreams, creativity AND inspiring my peeps to awaken intuition and joy, no matter what. As a practicing astrologer + artist for the past 26 years I’ve learned a thing or two and I’d love to share …

About Kathy Crabbe

I believe in dreams, creativity AND inspiring my peeps to awaken intuition and joy, no matter what. As a practicing astrologer + artist since 1993 I’ve learned a thing or two and I’d love to share it with you!

With Luv and Sparkly Blessings,
Kathy Crabbe, (Dec. 24, 2018)
Photo Credit: Chad Woodward

Wearable Art Oak Necklaces

My Oak Necklaces are hand painted on California oak slices collected from my property in Southern California. They are one-of-a-kind, original paintings that are varnished, hand signed and dated.

These are unique and lovely little ornaments and a magickal piece of wearable art jewelry and wall art.

All art is original, hand drawn, hand painted, varnished and hand signed and dated on the back and no two pieces are ever the same.

Your ornament, wall art, necklace is packaged with tissue to keep it safe.

*****************************************************

All Kathy Crabbe’s wood slice pieces are ethically hand foraged from her property in Southern California and created entirely by hand. No stencils were used and all art is original.

The Celtic Year - Hawthorn Moon

The Celtic year is divided into 13 lunar months, each represented by a sacred tree. The Hawthorn Moon month occurs from May 13 to June 10.

The Druids of ancient Celtic Britain invented a rune alphabet called the "Ogham alphabet" which was composed of 13 consonants taken from the letter names of the 13 sacred trees that represented the 13 lunar months. There are also 5 vowel trees that separate the year into it's respective seasons along with a 19th tree for the extra day of the year following the Winter Solstice.

The Hawthorn Tree represents the sixth lunar month, also known as “The Tree of Purification" and “The Moon of Restraint." This moon is dedicated to Thoth and the winged goddess, Isis.The energies of this moon can help you clarify your focus and intentions. It can also help you clear away spiritual and physical deadwood, along with old habits. This is a good time for cleaning and chastity, in preparation for mid-summer celebrations. This lunar tree has the power to open what is closed away, and to conceal what is open. She is the “Keeper of the Four Winds" as she looks both forward and backward in time, is sacred to the fairies, and is the benefactress of craftspeople.

About Kathy Crabbe: Soul Reader & Artist

I painted Celtic tree Goddess images on silk that I laminated and made into a hand lettered, one-of-a-kind book titled "The Celtic Tree Year." I have also created an oracle deck from these paintings (almost 12 years later which I hope to publish one day) and I use these oracle cards in giving soul readings.

A Celtic May Day Meditation

What is Beltane?

Beltane, also known as May Day, is one of the 8 major (Celtic) Pagan holidays falling at the midway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. The word "Beltane" means "bright fire," and may be associated with the Celtic sun god, Bel. Love is in the air this month as we celebrate the earth's fruitfulness through our own sensuality and sexual revitalization. Symbolic bonfires were burned on hill-tops in Ireland and Scotland from pre-Christian times and well into the 19th century to summon the life-sustaining forces of the sun and to purify the land for crops. Modern-day Pagans in Scotland honor this tradition at the annual Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh.

A Beltane Blessing Ritual

As usual, I celebrate the Celtic festivals on my own, through meditation and ritual. *When I work with my oracle cards (all drawn by me) I DO NOT look at the cards until after the reading, I simply place my hand over the card and 'feel' or intuit it's energy.

I decided to work with my Fairy Herbal Healing deck for this particular Beltane ritual and pulled a card (randomly, of course!) called "Faery o' the Vine."


The Fairy Herbal deck consists of 80 oracle cards that I created from my Fairy Herbal paintings. Their energy is light, ethereal, airy, and sparkly plus based in the green world, so add in some earthiness and green energy as well.

The Grapevine is a feminine herb ruled by the Moon. It is said to increase fertility and strengthen mental powers. It is also used in money spells.

I also was very drawn towards my Welsh Isis Rainbow Generator Crystal as well.


Generator Crystals can broadcast healing and Love through the Earth’s energetic field, to be received by all beings upon the planet. The Isis Crystal (or Manifest Spirit Crystal) has the ability to guide one in connecting with the archetypal Goddess energy and in giving birth to one’s dreams through action. It is particularly useful for those who are willing to dedicate their lives and essences to expressing Divine energy in this realm of matter.

Healing Visions

During my meditation I was able to feel peace, contentment and healing, by getting to a place of satisfaction with who I am on a soulful, spirit level.

Being happy with who we are, feeling and knowing with every pore of our being that we are alive and perfect just as we are is what it's all about.


Next, I decided to work with a Celtic Quartz Cluster. I call it a “Fairy Cluster” because it has a light, fairy-like energy about it. Quartz Clusters also help to encourage a sense of community, as well as creating harmony and removing negativity from the environment.

Fairy Herbal Healing Oracles

I drew another card from my Fairy Herbal Healing deck and it was called "Lavender."


Lavender helps bring a sense of stability into one’s life and it attracts energy of a high vibrational nature. It is also used to attract money and bless homes.

- I felt such strong love towards my work and especially towards the soul healing energy work that I do.

The Lefty Oracles Speak

Next I pulled a card from my Lefty Oracle deck, to try and make a strong connection with my Spirit Guides and it was called "Demon."
The Lefty Oracle deck consists of 50 oracle cards that I created from my Lefty paintings. Their energy is playful, light, edgy, ethereal and quirky.

Because the Lefty cards were all drawn with my non-dominant left hand, the ‘intuitive’ hand (controlled by my right brain) they do not come with any kind of written interpretation so it's up to me to trust myself and my intuition when I attempt to interpret this card.

- I sensed Fire Spirits around me, and they were taunting me by saying, "Is it hot enough for you yet?" (Keep in mind that I have not yet looked at the card I pulled, this I will do at the very end of my reading.)

"We want you to be a little bit uncomfortable, to challenge yourself!"

May Day Animal Totems
All of a sudden I opened my eyes and a bunny appeared out my window, and stopped as if it was looking at me! The first thought that popped into my head was, "Be gentle."

The next thing I saw was two big blue jays and to me, this symbolized the need for me to "Squawk loudly about this gentleness!" So that is what I'm doing today in this post.

Wishing all of you a Happy May Day and much love.