At a young age I was introduced to Paganism (an old-English, nature-based religion) as it was a belief
system that my father has always been interested in. Ever since then, it has been the religion that both me
and my family have followed, leading us to join a small group of Pagans in Kent who we celebrate 'religious
holidays' with. The main Pagan holiday (we call them sabbats) is named 'Beltane' (otherwise known as
May day) in which we celebrate the beginning of summer. On May Day morning we gather with our group and
perform a 'ritual' to welcome summer where we watch the sunrise, usually at around 5am. After this we have
a massive fry up which is perfect as we have just woken up at a ridiculous time in the morning!
During May day, morning is the most connected to nature that I tend to feel,
it's very difficult to describe the sense of calm that it creates. We have many
other celebrations throughout the year, but May day always feels the most special.
The others in the group are of all ages and have watched me grow up. We are all so different
but there is still a form of connection between us that makes us feel like a family. Naturally,
I'm quite a shy introverted person but the connection with nature and others makes me feel grounded.
Even through the pandemic we have still celebrated over zoom, with the connection between us and nature
somehow still feeling strong.