“to dance across the great void. . .”
Today is May Day, Beltane, a celebration of spring for many people, especially including those who choose the path of earth-centered, or pagan, religious traditions. This creation story comes from Lady Abigail, high priestess of the Ravensgrove Coven in Greenfield, Indiana, and was taught to her by her great-grandmother. It strikes me as a story that would be most welcome in our Unitarian Universalist circles as well.
Mother Earth and Sister Moon: A Beltaine Story of Creation
by Lady Abigail, remembered from her great-grandmother
In the beginning, there was no land and no water, no stars and no sky. Only a great void filled with all that could be. Living within the void was creation, not yet by name for no words had yet been spoken. Silence was the void.
Then like a whispering wind gentle on a summer night, a sound crossed the great void. Our Grandmother of the Night called to the Grandfather of the Day. “Grandfather, do you see we are alone and have no children; our sky is empty and our hearts alone.”
Suddenly, Grandfather Day spoke in a deep thundering voice. “Then we shall have Children: daughters, two daughters.”
Joyfully Grandfather Day and Grandmother Night begin to dance across the great void. As they danced, the void of nothingness began to divide and become sky. Both of day and of night, separate of each other but together as one. Soon their dance of joy called to the stars and planets who also begin to spin in their dance.As they danced Grandfather Day reached within the planets and picked what he saw as the most beautiful of planet of all. This would be his child of peace and rebirth. She was cool and green as if covered with life ready to be born.
Then, Grandmother Night reached into the stars and pulled from within the most silvery calming of light. But as she watched it she saw it was moving, she saw it was ever changing.
But there was not life, Grandmother Night called to Grandfather Day, “Where is their life, their illumination, their energy.”
Grandfather Day held out his hand with the cool and green planet within it and touched it to the small silvery planet within Grandmothers Nights hand.
With a cracking of sound and bolt of light, the small cool green planet took breath. Upon her was air to breath, water to drink, land to plant and life full of all creatures and form.
The small silvery planet held no life upon her but she dance within Grandmother Nights hand with joy. Her silvery smile was full of peace and power. Her dark face of held a calming renewal within. For what seemed like stillness was giving life and dance within the circle unto her sister as she pulled and give energy.
“Grandfather Day, ” said Grandmother Night, “I call to you to name your children and set them together within the circle dance.”
Grandfather Day thought for a moment and said, “I shall call our silvery daughter of the luminous glow, Moon, for in her changes life shall be reminded of the dance, all cycles will be renewed and reborn.”
Then Grandmother Day said, “I shall name our cool blue and green daughter, Earth; for she shall be Mother of life and death within her seasons.”
Still within the dance, Grandfather Day and Grandmother Night loving and gently placed their children, Earth and Moon, within the sky, always together, drawing energy one to the other for all time.
It was a joyful time but soon the dance slowed, and across the sky came the thunderous voice of Grandfather Day.
“Grandmother Night, now call your stars and planets to keep watch over our children, for we need rest.” Slowly they drew again into the void of existence but always watching Earth and Moon within the circle dance.
Now, each night we can look into the sky and see the planets and the stars. We can see sister Moon as she calls her sister Earth to the dance. And sometimes we can hear Grandmother Night and Grandfather Day talking to their daughters in the rolling thunder as rain cleans the sky, or in night winds song whispering through the trees, reminding us, to take care as we join in the dance of life. For if we do not take care, we can lose our place in the circle and the dance could end.
Time and the ravages of a careless world, have taken so much from the Earth. Unfortunately, many do not understand that what we are losing, is ourselves. We are here to be the protectors of the Earth, dancers within the dance. Mother Earth is not a resource of what we can take from her. She is life and we must give back to her in guardianship for her life and our future. Mother Earth is our only chance for the blessing of time itself.
My Great Grandmother would teach me to respect the Earth. For the Earth is the life giver and the mother of all things. Now as we approach the time of spring and Beltaine, as we seek the energy of renewal and the assurance of new life, may it also remind us that we must learn to walk with the Earth and not upon her.
Source: “Mother Earth and Sister Moon: A Beltaine Story of Creation” by Lady Abigail, high priestess of the Ravensgrove Coven in Greenfield, Indiana, as remembered from her great-grandmother’s telling.
Tags: beginning, Beltane, celebration, creation, Earth centered faith, nature, neopaganism, spring, stories
