A World Re-Enchanted May 2025
In the ever-hectic pace of our daily lives there is something that is often overlooked even though there are many antidotes regarding this often simple and unassuming item. To what is this author referring? Why the often thought of simple and common flower though it is an often misunderstood and powerful plant.
The power of the humble flower was once very well known in our modern society. I am talking about not so long ago during the Victorian age when the language of flowers known as Floriography reached its peak. While its origins can be traced back to the Greeks and Romans, it definitely culminated during the Victorian era and their strict social etiquette.
Within this language various flowers have various meanings and while it may look simply beautiful a floral arrangement can take on a much deeper meaning. An example of this is giving someone who hosted a party a bouquet of Begonia, if it is paired with sweet pea, it conveys a gift to the host with a meaning of repaying a favor such as the invitation to the party. However, if it is paired with Oleander the meaning is very different as it conveys in this pairing a warning to emphasize caution in a new prospect.
The intricate significance of flowers since the Greek and Roman times has always been present, even if it has become somewhat less well known in the present day, it is always there for those who know it.
Having looked at the more recent significance of flowers let us turn our attention to the distant past history of Arda and the significant flowers found there.
For the Humans there is the flower called: Simbelmyne. This is a small white flower that is associated with graves and tombs. It is usually found on the graves of important people like the Kings of Rohan and Helm Hammerhand. This flower is also called Evermind and is meant to reference how it keeps the memory of the deceased alive.
For the Elves there are 3 flowers found in Lothlorien.
Elanor – This is a golden star shaped flower that is a very prominent part of Lothlorien and is a very beautiful flower. This flower was so beautiful that Samwise Gamgee named his daughter after it to show his appreciation for the beauty of the flower that he had for it.
Niphredil – This is another white flower that is similar to a Snowdrop. This flower shares a connection with the Elven world and its beauty.
Alfirin – This flower is connected to immortality and the lingering presence of the deceased. When looking at Tolkien’s work this flower is simply what the Elves call the flower Simbelmyne as it is known by the Humans.
The Hobbits of the Shire also value flowers. Not so much for any meaning connected to them but instead for their beauty. Some flowers that you would find in the Shire are Roses, Water Lillies, Nasturtiums, Petunias and Margarites.
Overall, since the Month of May is the final month of spring and one known for flowers, it is good to remember the modern adage of Take time to stop and smell the Roses. This is an important reminder to relax and see the beauty of the world around us especially while everything is blooming and teeming with vitality.
May Magical and Mundane Tasks
Building New Relationships
Theme: Opening Doors
- Magical:
- Create a charm or talisman for attracting positive relationships.
- Perform a friendship-building spell using pink candles and flowers.
- Cleanse your space to invite fresh energy and opportunities.
- Mundane:
- Join a local group, club, or class to meet like-minded people.
- Practice active listening and empathy in conversations.
- Challenge yourself to connect with one new person weekly.
Full Moon of May – Isillótessë
The full moon for this month is known as the Moon of Flowers. This moon belongs to the Valar Nessa and is a great time to honor her.
Litany of the Blooming Moon in Honor of Nessa the Swift
O silver-veiled Queen of the turning sky,
Full is thy face upon the blooming earth,
And all blossoms wake beneath thy gentle gaze.
Thine is the hour when petals drink light,
When shadows flee, and the wind carries perfume
Through the hollow glades and the quiet hills.
In this hallowed stillness we lift our voices,
Not in clamor, but in the hush between heartbeats,
For the Lady of Fleet Grace,
Nessa of the untrodden green,
She who dances beneath the boughs
Where no foot has faltered, nor sorrow stirred the dew.
Sing we now of her,
Sister to Oromë, friend to the untamed,
Joy of Yavanna and breath of spring’s swiftness.
She whose laughter is the stirring of wild things,
Whose step is the pulse of all living growth.
O Nessa, who wanders ever beneath the stars,
Behold the moon crowned with blossoms:
Niphredil opens at thy passing,
Elanor leans to the light thou brings.
In the silence of Ithil’s height
Thy name is written in gleaming lines
That none may erase.
May thy spirit move among us now—
As the deer moves swift and unseen,
As the wind weaves through fern and thorn.
Let us be as the fields that welcome the dance,
Open to joy, unburdened by fear.
So, under the Flowering Moon, we remember thee,
Not as a memory faded,
But as a flame ever swaying in the green halls
Of the living world.
Let thy light be in our limbs,
Thy song in our breath,
Thy freedom in our hearts
Until the stars are unmade
And the last flower blooms beneath the Eye of Eru.
Valar of May is Nessa
Nessa is the wife of Tulkas and sister to Orome. Nessa is known for her speed and is said to be swift as an arrow. Deer especially loved her though she could easily outrun them when they followed her into the wild.
She is a renowned dancer and often danced on green grass on the Isle of Almaren the first home of the Valar and later in Valinor on the never fading green lawns there.
It was on Almaren during the spring time that she married Tulkas and during the ceremony her sister-in-law Vana wife of Orome robed Nessa with her flowers.
Within the dwelling of Tulkas and Nessa there is said to be great mirth and revelry for his warriors played and challenged one another to doughty feats. Sometimes Nessa could be seen bearing goblets of wine and cool drinks to the champions of her husband.
“Litany of the Wild Grace”
An Invocation to Nessa the Dancer of the Green
O fleet-footed Daughter of Delight,
Nessa, whose steps awaken the meadows,
whose laughter stirs the soft grass to sway—
hear now the voice that calls to thee.
By the stillness of dew before dawn,
and by the hush that falls when hoof meets earth,
I summon thee in reverence and wonder.
Where the light dances through leaves, I wait.
Where the air is stirred by unseen joy, I watch.
Come, Lady of the Untethered Path,
whose spirit no shadow may ensnare.
You who race with the deer
and sing to the wind on the hilltops,
guide my soul into the freedom of your ways.
Let not fear slow my stride,
nor burden weigh my laughter.
Teach me to run with the seasons,
to move with the music that lives beneath all things.
Grant me the blessing of lightness,
not of folly, but of grace.
Let my heart remember how to leap—
not to flee, but to rejoice.
Not to escape, but to embrace
the living rhythm of the world.
By the blessing of Yavanna your sister,
whose green gifts you cherish,
and by the honor of Oromë your brother,
who delights in your dance,
may my spirit be made swift and true.
So may I find thee, Nessa fleet and fair,
in the places where joy runs wild,
and peace is found in motion,
and the song of life is sung
not with words,
but with the turning of the earth beneath bare feet.
Nost-na-Lothion
This is an Elven holiday celebrated on the 22nd of May in our current calendar.
Originally this was a celebration starting in the first age in the Elven city of Gondolin located in the hidden valley of Tumladen within the Encircling Mountains.
This holiday is celebrated with the revelry of children and this holiday was held to celebrate the passing of spring when the ice of the Encircling Mountains melted and the Tumladen or the hidden valley received the water runoff and burst into flowers.
The celebration for this holiday started at midnight with a solemn ceremony at midnight, where no voices were heard in the city until dawn. At dawn the Elves then greeted the day with songs and rejoicing in the renewal and rebirth of the flowers that symbolized spring.
Next Month Preview
Fire is the focus of next month.
The Valar of June is Varda Elentari
The Full moon is Isilnárië Moon of Bright Fire (Solstice)
June 21st is Tarnin Austa / Anar the Sun, Summer Solstice: the Gates of Summer (Gondolin)
So, stick around as we continue our journey for this year learning more of Arda’s Lore as we continue on our journey towards A World Re-Enchanted.
