Prepping for Beltane: Fire, Fertility, Pleasure, and the Courage to Receive

Beltane is coming on May 1st, and this episode is your invitation to prepare—slowly, intentionally, and in a way that actually feels like you. Beltane is a fire sabbat and a powerful turning point on the Wheel of the Year, marking the threshold between spring and summer—when the Earth is blooming, life-force is rising, and we’re called to celebrate what we’ve been tending.

In this prep episode, we’ll explore what Beltane is, where it comes from, and why it matters spiritually. We’ll talk about Beltane’s themes of fertility (in every sense—creativity, abundance, passion, and growth), sacred joy, and the courage to receive what you’ve been asking for. You’ll also get practical ways to celebrate, including altar ideas, correspondences (colors, herbs, flowers, crystals, and symbols), deities and spirits often honored, simple rituals you can do at home, and food + drink inspiration to make the day feel truly festive.

If you’ve been craving more aliveness, more sweetness, and a deeper devotion to your becoming, this episode will help you step toward the flame with grounded intention—ready to welcome what’s blooming. Blessed Beltane.

Awaken Your Soul

Transcript

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Welcome back to Whispers of the Witch. Today we're stepping into Beltain, one of the most alive, fiery, and joy-filled Sabbaths on the Wheel of the Year. Beltane arrives on May 1st and it marks that turning point where spring is no longer waking up, it's blooming. And this is the season of devotion, creativity, pleasure, and life force. Letting what you've been tending begin to take up space. So in this episode, we'll honor the roots you've been growing, bless what's coming into form, and open the door to receiving with more ease. So take a breath, settle in, and let's step into the fire together. Welcome back to Whispers of the Witch. Today we're stepping into one of the most alive, sensual, radiant, and potent thresholds on the Wheel of the Year. Beltain is coming up on May 1st, and this episode is your prep episode, your let's get you ready episode. So you can actually meet Beltain with intention instead of scrambling the night before. This is a witchy, practical, spiritual, fun, and grounded Beltain prep. So you can understand what Beltain is, why it matters, and how to celebrate it in a way that feels like you. Take a breath with me. Inhale.

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Exhale. And just let your body feel this season for a moment.

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Beltane isn't just a date on the calendar. It's an energy shift. It's the land turning toward pleasure. It's life rising. It's the green world saying, now, now we grow, now we bloom, now we touch, now we create, now we live. And if that feels like a lot, if pleasure feels like a lot, receiving feels like a lot, visibility feels like a lot, then this is also your invitation to prepare gently. We don't sprint into the fire, we approach it with reverence. So today we'll talk about what Beltane is and where it comes from, how it fits into the Wheel of the Year, what it means spiritually and energetically, traditional and modern ways to celebrate, altar ideas, colors, herbs, flowers, crystals, symbols, deities and spirits often honored at Beltane, ritual ideas, simple, home-based, outdoor, and community-based, food and drink ideas, how to prep in the days leading up to Beltain, so it feels like a celebration and not a chore, and a little meditation. So let's begin. Beltane is a traditional Gaelic festival and one of the eight Sabbaths on the Wheel of the Year. It marks the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. So if the spring equinox is the balance point and the summer solstice is the peak of light, Beltane is the moment where the light is ascending. The land is fertile, and life is openly, boldly, joyfully expressing itself. Beltane is a fire festival, and it is associated with fertility, growth, creation, union, passion, pleasure, and the blessing of abundance. Now, when people hear fertility, sometimes their mind goes right to sex or pregnancy. And yes, Beltain has historically included themes of sexuality and union, but fertility is bigger than that. Fertility is creative life force. Fertility is what makes things grow, what makes ideas take form, what makes love possible, fertility is what makes pleasure possible, and what makes you feel alive. So Beltane just isn't about romance, it's about the sacred spark within the body. It's about life choosing life. So let's pause here because that's actually a big one. Where am I ready to let joy be part of my spiritual practice? Joy as spiritual practice, pleasure as spiritual practice, receiving as spiritual practice. So Beltane is not only about doing spells, it's about becoming the kind of person who can hold what they've been asking for. So let's go history for a moment because it makes Beltane feel even more meaningful. Historically, Beltane was celebrated in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, and it was a major seasonal turning point, especially for agricultural life. This signaled the beginning of summer in the old seasonal system. So people would move livestock to summer pastures, protective rituals were done for animals, crops, homes, and community well-beings. And one of the most well-known traditional elements is fire. So Beltane fires were lit for blessing and protection. So in some traditions, cattle were driven between two fires as a purification and protection rite. So symbolically cleansing them and blessing them for the seasons ahead or the season ahead. So now modern witches are not typically marching livestock between flames, but the symbolism still matters. So fire at Beltane represents protection, purification, power, passion, life force, and the spark of creation. This is also why candles, bonfires, and flames or flame-based rituals are so common at Beltane. Another iconic Beltane tradition that you may have seen, or you may have even actually done it in school because we did, it's the Maypole. So the May pole is often seen as a symbol of union. It's the weaving together of energies, the intertwining of life. So this is the community-based celebratory, playful. What turns the ritual into movement? So there are so they have that big pole, and then you have all the ribbons and ribbons, and people dance around and it's interweaving the ribbons. I don't know. Again, I don't know if you did that in school. I do remember we did when we were like in elementary. But there are also other traditions that involve the flower garlands, May Queens, dancing, singing, feasting, gathering in the communities. Beltane also held this party with a purpose energy. So it's a sacred celebration, but it's also a ritual of joy and a devotion through delight. And I want you to hear this clearly. You don't have to be in a big group to sell to celebrate Beltane. You don't have to be in a relationship to celebrate it. And you don't have to do anything sexual to celebrate it. You just simply honor life force in your way, in your body, in your home, in your spirit. Whatever feels safe with you, celebrate it that way. So let's place Beltain in the wheel of the year so you can kind of feel the arc. At in bulk, we have the spark. So the first light, first stirring is the flame returning. At Ostra, we have emergence, balance, planting, new beginnings, the first signs of life. And now at Beltain, this is when the green world takes over. She is alive. This is the threshold where we shift from will it grow? to it is growing. And spiritually, Beltane asks you, what are you ready to commit to tending? What are you ready to bring into fuller expression? What desire is asking to be honored? What joy are you ready to stop postponing? This is also why Beltang can feel confronting for some people. Because a lot of us were taught to distrust desire, to feel guilty for wanting, to feel unsafe receiving, or to feel like pleasure must be earned. Beltane says no. It says you are allowed to want. So stage one, clear your space and not in a perfect Pinterest home type of way. This is an energetic way. Beltane is a welcoming festival. It's invite the good in. And it's hard to invite new life into a space that feels congested with old energy. So a few days before Beltain, do one clearing action. Sweep the floors with intention, open windows for fresh air, clean your front door and threshold, wipe down your altar space, and take out clutter that feels heavy. Even if it's small, do it with a spell-like mindset. I clear what blocks joy. I clear what blocks receiving. I clear what blocks growth. I clear what no longer belongs in my season. Stage two. Gather your Beltane items. So this can be simple. A candle or two, some fresh flowers or greenery, a ribbon, a bowl of water, something sweet, a written intention, and a small offering. You do not need to go on a shopping spree. Beltain is nature rich, so use what's available and always ask and give gratitude. Stage three, choose your focus. Beltane can be celebrated in a hundred different ways, but it helps to pick a theme so that energy has direction. So here are a few Beltane focus themes you can choose from. If it resonates, great. If not, do what feels right for you. So pleasure and receiving creative or creative fertility and inspiration, confidence and visibility, love and connection, abundance and opportunity, protection for your home and path, or devotion to what you're building. Pick one and let everything you do circle around that. And we can talk about some correspondences, the little witchy ingredients that you can use. So the colors often used for Beltane, green for growth, red for passion and vitality, pink for love and sweetness, white for purity and blessing, gold or yellow for sun energy and confidence, flowers and plants, anything blooming is perfect. Hawthorne is traditionally associated with May and Beltane in some folklore. Roses, lilac, daisy, jasmine, lavender, apple blossoms if you can find them, or any local blossoms you can safely gather. Herbs often associated, rose for love, beauty, and heart opening, lavender for peace, devotion, sweetness, mint, fresh starts, vitality and attraction, basil for prosperity, abundance and joy, time for courage and vitality, cinnamon, speed, warmth, attraction, used gently, chamomile, sun, luck, and soothing. So crystals, optional, but always fun. Rose quartz for love, softness and receiving, Carnelian for creative fire, confidence and sensuality, garnet, passion, devotion, and life force, citrine for abundance and joy, green adventuring for luck and growth, or sunstone for confidence and radiance. Some symbols that you can use fire and flame, ribbons and weaving, you can use bells to clear energy and welcome joy, honey or sweets for sweetening your life, milk for nourishment and abundance, and seeds for fertility and growth. And you can even do a small crown or wreath honoring your own sovereignty in bloom. And if you want to keep it simple, a candle, flowers, and a sweet offering is enough for a full Beltain altar. So now let's talk about who people often honor at Beltain. So different traditions honor different beings, and you don't have to work with any deity to celebrate Beltain. But if you do like that layer, here are common ones people connect with. So life force, growth, the green world rising. Flora is sometimes honored, the Roman goddess of flowers and spring bloom. Some honor Pan, wild nature, instinct, sensuality in the untamed. Some honor Aphrodite, love, beauty, desire, pleasure, receiving. Some honor Freya, love, fertility, abundance, and sovereignty. And some honor Bridget in the seasonal continuation sense here, because what she sparked at in bulk now fully becomes alive. And some honor the Fey or nature spirits, especially in folklore traditions associated with May and the thinning veil in certain ways. If you do this, I recommend keeping it respectful and simple. Offerings like milk, honey, bread, or flowers left outside without trying to demand anything, just honoring the land and spirits around you. Beltang can also be a time to honor your own inner beloved. The part of you that desires, the part of you that longs, the part of you that creates, the part of you that wants to feel alive. Because that part of you is sacred too. So here's some ritual ideas for Beltane. So you can pick one or mix and match these. Remember, no overfertilizing. One well-done ritual is better than five rounds. So ritual one, the beltane threshold blessing. This is a home protection and welcome. And do this any time of the day, anytime in the days leading up to you'll need a candle, a small bowl of water, add a pinch of salt if you want, a bell, or simply your hands to clap. Step one. Stand at the front of your door. Light your candle safely inside, or visualize flame if needed. By root and rose. I bless this home as spring life grows. What is a line may enter here. What is not may disappear. Put your fingers in the water and mark a small protective symbol on the door frame. Ring the bell or clap three times and say, Joy is welcome, love is welcome, abundance is welcome. Only what is for my highest good may cross this threshold. That's it. Simple, powerful. Ritual two. This weakening spell for receiving and aligned attraction. So this is a classic Beltane energy. You'll need honey or sugar, a small paper, a jar or cup. So write what you're calling in as if it's already aligned. So sweet opportunities find me easily. Clients who are aligned with my work are drawn to me. Love and connection flow naturally to me. My life is sweet and supportive. So fold the paper toward you. You want that energy coming at you. Add honey or sugar in the jar and so as this sweetness or so does my power. As this sweetens, so does my receiving. As this sweetness, so does what I've asked for. Keep it on your altar for well two weeks, then disclose results actually or keep it longer. Ritual three. A ribbon weave intention. So a maple energy or solo version. You'll need a ribbon, a string, or yarn, and something to tie it to, like a branch, a spoon, your altar candle holder. Hold the ribbon and speak your intention into it. Not ten intentions, just one. I weave my devotion into my days. I weave my dreams into my choices. I do not rush what must root. I bless what is blooming in me. Leave it on your altar or hang it somewhere. Will your will hang it somewhere. You'll see it. Ritual four, a fire blessing. So save candle ritual here. If you can't do a bonfire, candle is grateful. So light your candle, your bonfire. Sacred fire, burn bright, but do not scorch. Warm my roots. Strengthen my will. Clear what blocks me. Bless what grows for me. Three things you're grateful for that are aligning. Even if they're small, this is important. Belltain responds to gratitude. Ritual 5. Loss is clearing. So this is the gratitude. This one matches beautifully with what's happening in this season. So right now three things felt like loss recently.

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What am I going to be moving out of the way?

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Even when I don't understand it. I trust the protection. I trust the leaders I welcome more than you can bring the papers in. And modern melting foods are honeycakes or honeycames. Fresh berries. Dairy foods like milk, cream, or butter for the wines for you. Oats and bread. Herbal teas like rose mint and chamomile. And wines with or wine or floral mocktails if you want that celebratory bag. A simple Beltane drink idea. Sparkling water, a little juice, mint, and lemon. And you can have this as a tea or chilled. You can add honey to it if you want to. The point isn't to be perfect. The point is to celebrate that you are alive. And if you want a bell tame prep night before May 1st, clean your face or get flowers or a ribbon or make something sweet or set out your altar or choose your intention. Then on Bell Tame, light your candle, or offer gratitude, do one ritual, eat something sweet, or play music, dance, offer one song, or laugh. Even if you have to invite it. Because bell tone is not meant to be overly serious. It is sacred, yes, but it is playful energy. Now we're gonna get into the guided meditation. So settle in somewhere comfortable. You can be seated or lying down. If it feels good, place one hand over your heart and one over your lower belly. Your center of creation. Your fertile ground. And if you have a candle, you can light it now as a symbol of the Beltane fire. And if you don't, that's okay. You can call the flame in with your breath. Or if you want to save this meditation for Beltane Night, please do so. And if at any point you need to pause, adjust, or come back to this later, trust your body. This is your practice. Take a slow inhale through the nose, and exhale through the mouth. Again, inhale and exhale. Let your shoulders soften, let your jaw and clench, your tongue rest, let your belly be soft, let your hips be heavy.

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Allow yourself to arrive.

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You do not have to push, you do not have to prove, you do not have to perform. You only have to receive. Take another breath in and out, and bring your awareness to the points of contact between your body and whatever is supporting you. Feel the weight of your head, weight of your shoulders, your back, your hips, your legs, your feet.

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Let the surface hold you.

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Let the earth take what you do not need to carry right now.

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Inhale.

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And as you exhale, imagine anything tight or heavy in your body, gently draining down, like warm water moving through you and into the ground. Again, inhale and exhale, letting the day release. Quietly in your mind whisper, I am safe to soften.

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I am safe to receive. I am safe to bloom.

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Let those words settle like seeds. Now we'll begin the Beltain journey. Beltane is the turning of the wheel into fire and bloom. It is the moment where the world becomes lush again, where the green rises, where life force moves forward, bold, alive and undeniable. Beltane is not forced, it is invited. So as you breathe, imagine a small ember of warm light beginning to glow in the center of your chest. Not a harsh flame, not a wildfire, an ember, a sacred spark. With every inhale, that ember glows a little brighter. With every exhale, it steadies, becoming calm, consistent, and warm. Inhale glow. Exhale, steady, and as that amber grows, notice how your body responds. No effort required, no strain.

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Just notice. Feel the warmth.

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And let that warmth move slowly downward from your chest into your belly. And then into your lower belly, your womb space. Whether you have a womb in the physical sense or not, this is your creative center, your life center, your fertile field. Imagine a gentle golden warmth gathering here. This warmth is not only desire, it is devotion, it is creation, it is the sacred yes of your spirit. Let this warmth spread into your hips, your pelvis, your thighs, softening, warming, opening. Feel safe. Allow yourself to breathe into pleasure. Not pleasure as a performance, but pleasure as aliveness. Pleasure as a simple truth. I am here. I am alive. I am allowed to feel good. Now bring your attention to your feet. Imagine roots beginning to grow from the soles of your feet down into the earth. Slow roots. Strong roots. They move through soil, through darkness, through layers of earth that have held life for thousands of years. These roots are wise. They know how to grow without rushing. They know how to hold without gripping. They know how to nourish without burning. And as your roots reach deeper, you may sense the earth meeting you, supporting you, steadying you, welcoming you. And silently you can say, I root into safety, I root into steadiness. I root into what is meant for me. Now in your mind's eye, begin to imagine you are in a beautiful Beltane meadow. Wild flowers, tall grass, forest clearing, or it might be somewhere that feels familiar, or somewhere magical you've never been. Notice the air here. Is it warm? Is it crisp? Is there a breeze? Do you notice any scents? Maybe the blossoms, maybe the earth after rain, smoke from a distant fire. And as you stand in this meadow, you realize you are not alone. The land is alive with presence, not crowded, not overwhelming, just aware the trees, the flowers, soil, birds, the unseen currents of life, and you are welcomed. You are safe here. Now in the center of this meadow, you see a Beltane fire, a bonfire that is contained and sacred, bright, warm, and steady. This fire does not destroy. This fire blesses. This fire is life force purified. And as you approach, you feel its warmth on your skin. And as you come closer, you notice something beautiful. The fire isn't only flame, it's a mirror. And reflects back your own power, your own desire, your own courage, your own readiness. And as you stand before it, take a breath, inhale, and exhale, and now speak inside your mind, sacred belting fire. I come to be blessed. I come to be cleared. I come to be warmed. I come to be aligned with what I asked for. Now imagine the fire growing a little brighter, as if it recognizes you, as if it knows you. And you may notice something rising within you, something you have been calling in, a dream, a relationship, a creative path, an abundance, a life that feels alive. Whatever it is, allow it to appear like an image, a feeling, or a word. Do not force it, just let it arrive naturally. Now in the meadow, you notice there is a small altar beside the fire. On it are simple offerings, flowers, a ribbon, a bowl of water, honey and fruit, and a small candle. This altar is here for you, and you are invited to place something on it symbolically. You do not need a physical object. In your imagination, you can offer a fear, an old pattern, a limiting belief, an attachment, an energy you're ready to release. Ask yourself gently, what am I ready to let the universe move out of my way? What am I ready to stop feeding? What am I ready to stop fertilizing with urgency? Just let one thing come forward. When you have it, imagine placing it on the altar, not with shame or Judgment, but with gratitude, because you are allowed to let things go. You are allowed to be redirected. You are allowed to release what cannot root with you. And now speak. I release this with gratitude. I release this so my path can clear. I release this so what is aligned can enter. Now imagine the fire responding gently. It simply takes what you offered and transforms it. Turning heaviness into heat, turning fear into fuel, turning old patterns into ash that can become compost. And as the fire transforms what you released, you may feel your body like even slightly. Take a slow breath. Now we shift into calling in. Beltane is about blessing what is growing. So now imagine stepping closer to the fire and feel its warmth reach into your chest, your belly, your hips, your whole being. And receiving can be vulnerable. So we do it slowly. We do it safely. We do it with roots. Now allow the image of your dream to return. And this time we're not looking at the big picture, we're looking at the life inside it. Notice your future self within this dream. How does she move?

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How does she laugh? How does she speak? How does she rest? How does she eat?

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How does she work? How does she receive? Let it be vivid. Let it be real. Gently step into her as if you're wearing her like a cloak, as if you're inhabiting her energy. Feel how she stands in her body. Feel her shoulders, her posture, her breath. Feel the steadiness in her. This isn't the perfect version of you. This is an embodied version of you. The version that is learned, slow growth holds, devotion creates. I am safe to have what I asked for. Now, from the perspective of this future self, look back at your current self with compassion and allow your future self to speak a message to you. You might hear it in words or feel it as an energy, or you might sense it as a knowing. Let the message come. I bless the roots. I bless the slow growth. I bless the foundation. I bless what is becoming real. I am allowed to receive. I am allowed to be supported. I am allowed to feel good.

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And I am allowed to bloom.

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Now return your awareness to the Beltane altar and imagine there is a ribbon there for you. Your Beltane ribbon. This ribbon holds your intention. So now choose one clear intention for this Beltane season. Something that can root. I welcome aligned love and connection. I welcome devoted creativity. I welcome confidence and visibility. Let yours be yours. And when you have it, imagine speaking it into the ribbon as if your breath charges it. Inhale, and as you exhale, speak your intention into it. Again, inhale and exhale, speak it into the ribbon. And now imagine tying that ribbon around your wrist or around your heart or waist, whatever feels right. This ribbon is symbolic. It reminds you you are weaving your dream into your days. Not forcing, but weaving, not sprinting, rooting. Now imagine stepping to the bowl of water on the altar. This water is blessing. It is emotional cleansing. It is softening. It is receiving. Dip your fingers into the water. And touch your forehead, your throat, your heart, your lower belly, and whisper. I bless my mind with clarity. I bless my voice with truth. I bless my heart with love. I bless my body with safety and pleasure. Now imagine taking something sweet from the altar. This is the sweetness of life. And as you taste it, you receive this truth. You do not have to suffer to be spiritual. You do not have to struggle to be worthy. You are allowed to let life be sweet. You are allowed to enjoy your becoming. Let that settle. And when I sleep I ask, how will my future self move tomorrow? Let that settle. Now imagine the Beltane fire flaring gently like it is sealing these words into your energy field. Warm, steady, and blessed. Now before we leave the meadow, I want you to look around one more time. Notice the flowers, the trees, the air. Feel the presence of the land. If it feels aligned for you, you can whisper a simple thank you. Thank you to the earth. Thank you to the season. Thank you to your own spirit. Thank you to the life force moving through you. And if there is anything else you want to release, any final worry, any final heaviness, imagine placing it into the fire now. Fire transforms, the earth holds, you are supported. Now it's time to return. Begin to feel your body again. Feel the surface beneath you, feet, your legs, hips, belly, chest, shoulders, your arms, your hands, your neck, your jaw, your face. Take a slow inhale and a long exhale. And again inhale and exhale. Now bring your hands to your heart and belly once more. Speak this final blessing. May my roots be strong. May my growth be steady. May my joy be sacred. May my path be aligned. May I receive what I asked for with softness and trust. I am safe to bloom. Now begin to wiggle your fingers and toes. If you want, stretch your arms overhead, roll your shoulders, move your neck gently, and when you're ready, softly open your eyes. Welcome back. As we close, I want to leave you with a few belting questions. You can journal them, speak them, or just hold them in your body. What is ready to bloom in me now that my roots are stronger?

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Where am I still rushing? Because I don't rush. And what am I ready to receive without guilt?

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I want to anchor this into a simple daily practice through belting season because this is how you build what you asked for. In the morning, when you wake up, ask, I say I am grateful for all the things aligning with my dreams and goals today. And at night, before you go to sleep, ask how will my future self move tomorrow? Well, pain is the celebration of becoming, not becoming through pressure, becoming through devotion, becoming through pleasure, becoming through rooted aligned growth. So whether you celebrate with a bonfire, a candle, flowers in a jar, a ribbon tied to your doorknob, a sweet cup of tea, know that it counts. Your intention counts. Your gratitude counts. Your joy counts. Thank you for being here with me. If you love this episode, share it with a friend who needs permission to grow slowly and to still trust the bloom. And if you would like to work with me through healing sessions, readings, or spiritual guidance, you can find everything linked in the show notes. Thank you. Bless the bulletin in advance, and I'll see you in the next episode.