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| Duck egg in the apple tree nest. |
Tonight is the start of Passover, the oldest of the Jewish holidays. It celebrates the story of how God set the Jewish people free from slavery in Egypt. Passover begins on the fourteenth day of the Jewish month of Nisan, which is the night of the first full moon after the equinox.
And tomorrow morning is the full moon, called the Egg Moon, because this is the month when birds begin to lay eggs again. The egg is a powerful symbol of hope, new beginnings, and completeness: My vague ideas take a solid shape, enclosed in a perfect shell, and I have created a whole new beautiful thing!
We are now at the peak of the high-energy yang phase of the waxing moon, and will soon begin the low-energy yin time of the waning moon. But today it's time to CELEBRATE! The full moon is a time of fruitfulness, creative energy, and completion, and also strong (sometimes overwhelming) emotion. This month I feel a steady hope as I take my first steps back out into the community after a year of strict quarantine, but I also want to acknowledge how stressful it is for me to take those steps.
Agenda today:
1. Reflect on freedom
1. Reflect on freedom
2. Journal queries
3. Celebrate strength
4. Spring Cleaning
5. Passover blessing
Agenda:
1. Reflect on freedom:
The highlight of Passover is the Seder, a ceremonial meal that begins at sunset on the first night. The Seder focuses on the traditional symbolic foods that are used to help remember the Passover story. The whole family gets involved, each taking turns reading out of the haggadah (Hebrew for “narration”). The youngest person chants the Four Questions which ask why Passover is observed the way it is. After the initial ceremony the family shares a feast, then one final part of the Seder, and finally singing and poetry.
The highlight of Passover is the Seder, a ceremonial meal that begins at sunset on the first night. The Seder focuses on the traditional symbolic foods that are used to help remember the Passover story. The whole family gets involved, each taking turns reading out of the haggadah (Hebrew for “narration”). The youngest person chants the Four Questions which ask why Passover is observed the way it is. After the initial ceremony the family shares a feast, then one final part of the Seder, and finally singing and poetry.
I don't hold a Passover Seder because I couldn't do it justice. Instead, I honor the start of Passover with some thought and study on the themes. Passover is about freedom from slavery, oppression, and confinement. I really like the FOUR QUESTIONS OF MODERN-DAY SLAVERY posed by ReformJusaism.org:
- “Why on this night are some people still enslaved today?”
- “Why on this night do so many remain hungry in the world?”
- “Why on this night do we invite the hungry and lonely to share our meal?”
- “How can we eradicate hunger and homelessness tonight and every night?”
2. Journal queries:
The full moon shines a bright light on everything, and I might experience intuitive and creative breakthroughs. I might be shocked by the clarity of my insights.
At this phase, I'll see the work I've been putting in begin to pay off, but also see where I need to work harder. I might see some ugliness - the full moon illuminates all the things I've left in the shadows, some heavy truths and some embarrassing mistakes.
Today I sit down with my journal, and my New Moon list of goals, and I seek the truth:
Do these aims all still seem vital? What are my deepest reasons for persuing these goals?
What beliefs, obstacles, doubts, or attachements are holding me back? Can I release them now?
What opportunities for growth do I see today? What are my next steps?
Make two lists:
1. Write out the things I want to celebrate: My achievements, and events of the last two weeks that deserve commemoration.2. Write out a few things I'd like to release this month: Habits, beliefs, obstacles, and attachments.
2. Celebrate strength:
My theme this month has been strength of body and mind. Just as I need my home to be in good repair to weather a storm, I need to be strong myself. When I am physically and mentally strong, I thrive on moving forward without the baggage of fears and grudges.
After reviewing my goals and my accomplishments of the last two weeks, I am ready to celebrate my strengths in three ways:
1. Paint on my newest, biggest landscape.
2. Finish some house cleaning with vigor.
3. A long nap, to renew and rest my whole self.
4. A bonfire birthday party, to acknowledge that it's time to return to society!
4. Spring Cleaning:
To prepare for Passover, Jewish families clean their homes very thoroughly and remove all leftover foods from the house so that no leavened products are left.
To prepare for Passover, Jewish families clean their homes very thoroughly and remove all leftover foods from the house so that no leavened products are left.
I've been trying to complete some bigger cleaning tasks this week, and today I will clean the windows!
5. Passover blessing:
Barukh atah AdonAI, eloHAYnu melekh ha’olam, hazan et ha’olam kull O betuvo, bechen bechesed uvrachamin.
Blessed art Thou, our God of the Universe, who nourishes the universe in goodness, with grace, kindness, and compassion.
6. Full moon ceremony:
The full moon is the right time to celebrate wins and release losses. This month I have a fire available, and a very social gathering, so I will:
1. Take the two lists I wrote to the birthday party, and sometime after dusk (if we stay that late) I'll look for the moon in the northeastern sky. Plant my feet firmly on the ground, take some slow breaths, and soak up the light of the (nearly) full moon.
2. Read out my list of things to celebrate: My achievements, and events of the last month that deserve commemoration, and thank the universe.
3. Read out my list of things I'd like to release this month: Habits, beliefs, obstacles, and attachments, and toss this list into the fire, and watch the smoke and ash float away.
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