The Green Spiral

Welcome to The Green Spiral, Green Women Gathering's Newsletter!

Hello, beautiful community!

As the seasons shift and new energy flows in, we’re thrilled to bring you the latest updates, inspirations, and opportunities from Green Women Gathering. This newsletter is your space to reconnect with the heart of our mission - to foster a community of strong and supportive women, honor the Earth, and empower one another on our journeys of growth and discovery.

Inside this issue, you’ll find exciting announcements, upcoming events, and ways to get involved. Whether you’ve been part of GWG for years or are just finding your way to us, we’re so grateful to have you here.

Let’s continue to grow, gather, and ground together.

What We’re Up To

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Spring Gathering! It was wonderful to connect with both new and familiar faces. We hope to see you again at our upcoming Fall Retreat.

Registration for the Fall Retreat opens May 1! This year’s retreat will take place September 10–13, with a weekend rate of $100. Day passes will also be available. We are also accepting workshop proposals - visit our website for full details and submission information if you would like to lead a workshop.

We had such an incredible time at our Sculpting the Goddess Within workshop that we’re excited to offer it again! Join us on June 27, 2026, from 6:00–8:00 PM at Cultivated Essentials in Hanover. The workshop is $45 and includes all supplies. Tickets are now available on our website - reserve your spot today!

Seasonal Musings

A Light Exists in Spring

~Emily Dickinson

A Light exists in Spring
Not present on the Year
At any other period -
When March is scarcely here

A Color stands abroad
On Solitary Fields
That Science cannot overtake
But Human Nature feels.

It waits upon the Lawn,
It shows the furthest Tree
Upon the furthest Slope you know
It almost speaks to you.

Then as Horizons step
Or Noons report away
Without the Formula of sound
It passes and we stay --

A quality of loss
Affecting our Content
As Trade had suddenly encroached
Upon a Sacrament

Beltane

Beltane is an ancient Gaelic festival celebrated on May 1st (or on the eve of May 1st) to mark the beginning of summer, the peak of spring, and fertility. It is one of the four major Celtic fire festivals, signifying a, "thinning of the veil" between worlds.

Common Beltane traditions center on celebrating fertility, renewal, and the height of spring. Many people observe fire rituals by lighting bonfires or candles to honor the sun and for purification, sometimes even jumping over the flames for luck or passing cattle between them for protection. The Maypole dance is another well-known custom, with participants weaving ribbons around a decorated pole to symbolize the union of the Goddess and God. Seasonal decorations are also popular, including crafting flower crowns from hawthorn, rowan, or yellow blooms and adorning homes to welcome the season. Some couples take part in handfasting ceremonies, where hands are tied with ribbons to represent their bond. Early risers may gather Beltane dew on the morning of May 1st, believed to bring beauty and vitality. Feasting is common as well, often featuring spring vegetables, yellow foods, and traditional oatcakes or bannocks. Many also create altars and leave nature offerings, using flowers, ribbons, and fertility symbols to honor the energy of the season.

Beltane Honey Cakes

Mix together:

1 cup white wine

1 egg

2 tbsp sugar

1 cup flour

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

Let the batter sit for 30 minutes, then drop by tablespoon into hot oil and fry until golden.

Serve with honey for dipping.

Lavender Honey Lemonade Sparkler

In a blender, combine:

¼ cup lavender-infused honey (substitute plain raw honey)

½ cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup of cold water

Blend until honey is fully dissolved.

Pour into a pitcher and add 1 additional cup of cold water and stir well.

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

To serve, fill glasses with ice, pour the lemonade mixture halfway, and top with sparkling

water.

Garnish with fresh lavender sprigs. Serves 2.

Beltane Sensual Tea Spell

Purpose:
To awaken sensuality, magnetism, pleasure, and deep embodied confidence—drawing in desire, connection, and fertile, flowing energy.

What you’ll need:
Elderberry, calendula, mint, rose
Green candle
Ripe red strawberry + honey
Hot water

Preparation:

Cleanse your space softly—set a mood. Dim light, open air, let yourself feel present in your body.

Light your green candle and take a slow breath.
Let your awareness drop from your mind into your body—your chest, your stomach, your skin.

The Spell:

Place your herbs into a cup.

“Berry and bloom, leaf and thorn,
I call the fire where life is born.
Beltane rising, warm and deep,
Awaken now what stirs in me.”

Pour hot water over the herbs and watch them open saying

“As flame meets flesh and root meets rain,
I welcome pleasure, release all shame.
What I desire, I now allow—
It lives within me, here and now.”

Dip the strawberry into honey slowly.

Take your time—this is about sensation, not rushing.

Begin stirring the tea with the strawberry clockwise .

“Sweet is the path, rich is the flame,
Desire and power are one and the same.
I draw, I call, I magnetize—
What seeks me now cannot deny.”

As you stir, feel it physically:

Warmth spreading through your body
Confidence rising from within
Attraction not chased—but drawn to you

Continue:

“By flower and fire, by breath and skin,
I claim the power that lives within.
I am the spark, the pull, the flame—
What I desire knows my name.”

Closing:

Hold the cup close to your body—heart, chest, or lower belly.

“Alive in body, steady in will,
What calls to me is coming still.
With Beltane’s fire, this truth I see—
Desire flows freely to me.”

After:

Sip slowly, savoring the taste—let it be part of the spell
Or leave as a brief offering
Let the candle burn as your energy continues to build

Green Women Gathering