This week we mark the first of May, today known primarily as International Workers’ Day, but this date commemorates an age-old traditional holiday for the workers, primarily the women. The Roman goddess Maia (AKA Bona Dea, the “good goddess”), the goddess of Spring, of fertility, healing, and growth, gave her name to the month of May. The literal meaning of Maia (and consequently the month of May) is “greater,” apropos for Spring – with greater daylight and higher temperatures that transform nature into a bevy of green. Every blade of grass and every tree begins to thrive, bursting with the energy of growth.  May 1st and May 15th became major pagan celebrations honoring the goddess Maia, revolving primarily around plants, flowers and water sources. These celebrations were strictly For Women Only, with no men allowed. Surrounding her temples, Maia’s priestesses cultivated gardens of medicinal plants with which they treated the sick.