Ramadan

Last night was the start of Ramadan, an Islamic holiday that marks the discovery of the Qur’an by the Prophet Muhammad. The Islamic calendar is totally lunar, so Ramadan begins a few weeks earlier each year, at the sighting of the thin crescent moon, hopefully at sundown last night.

Sunset photo by Brayden

Ramadan is a month of blessing. By night, Muslims read the Qur'an, and celebrate the compassion of God with special prayers. 

By day, they give generously to charities, and observe the discipline of fasting: They eat an early morning meal before the sun rises, then eat and drink nothing until after sundown. The Ramadan fast includes abstinence from falsehood and anger, in words and in deeds. It's purpose is to help Muslims to develop self-discipline, a strong spirit, generosity, and empathy. 

Even though I don't partake in a fast, I observe Ramadan in this same spirit, renewing my relationship with God, and exercising self-discipline and generosity. I hope to build my empathy for Muslims as they observe their month-long fast.

Now the moon is waxing - getting larger - until it's full again. During the waxing moon, energy remains high. In these first days of the waxing crescent moon, I will give attention to my growing energy, take my first steps towards my intentions, and find my motivation to follow through with persistent action.

Agenda:
1. Celestial awareness
2. Plan first steps

3. Mindfulness

4. Practice a daily art prayer
5. Enjoy Iftar

1. Celestial awareness: 
Ramadan lasts from last night's crescent moon to next month's crescent moon. It's not a seasonal holiday because it falls at a different season every year; I think of it as a celestial holiday.

As part of my effort to have empathy for the Muslim's as they fast, I attempt to have a heightened awareness of the movement of the moon during this month, and each day's sunrise and sunset.

It takes special effort to pay attention to heavenly events. Muslims have the motivation of the fast, in which I am not partaking. I need to find creative ways to remind myself to be mindful. To help, I subscribe to a calendar ap that gives me a reminder on my phone. (It also helps that my ducks need to be let in and out of the coop with the sunset and sunrise.)

2. Plan first steps:

Today, at the waxing crescent, I give attention to my level of energy, and prepare to act on my priorities.

What are my top priorities for action this week? Are these priorities truly leading me on the right path?

Is my energy really growing? Where do I feel resistance to action? What information or help might I need to ease the way?

What are my first steps? Do I have supplies to gather or calls to make?

How can I give full effort?

3. Mindfulness:
The first step towards giving full effort to my priorities is attention; I want to remember my deepest, most essential, most passionate reasons for acting on my intentions, every day, and hold my intentions with gentle awareness all day long. I use several strategies:

• I review my intentions first thing in the morning, turning my essential reasons into shorthand mantras. For example, my three intentions today are: 
• Study anti-racism; determined to change.
• Paint a landscape; express my soul.
• Clean mold; create sanctuary.
• Later I will take my intentions for a walk and speak them out loud to the trees.
• I have a grid of my priorities on my phone that charts out the one's I intend to act on each day, and I check it often to motivate myself to complete one more important action.

Remembering my intentions throughout the day is a mindfulness practice; it creates energy and excitement for my priorities, but I have to take care to hold my intentions gently, not obsessively. If I begin to worry about completing my intentions, or think about them in an aggressive way, I try to back off a little. Even though I fully intend to take these actions, life sometimes shifts under my feet; and it is not my intention to feel self-loathing or anxiety.

3. Practice a daily art prayer:

Ramadan's purpose is to help Muslims to develop self-discipline, a strong spirit, generosity, and empathy. As usual, I want to focus my efforts for self-discipline on my creative work. 

I intend to serve my family, my community, and the world with my creativity, tirelessly, in all the ways I am led by Spirit, because my art is a gift from God and must be given generously and with compassion.

I need a daily practice that brings me face-to-face with my work, and the people it is intended for, so I'm going to stop at noon each day for a short re-set: Ground myself in looking at my current projects, picture those I'm creating it for and send a prayer for them, write a note and an affirmation. 

Then I'll take one generous creative action - here are my first week's ideas:

• M: Paint a rangoli design with Aldo
• T: Work on my Rock Garden painting.
• W: Sew a bluebird of happiness (engagement gift).
• Th: Finish drawing my WONDER prayer flag.
• F: Sew a baby blankie.

5. Enjoy Iftar:
The Ramadan fast is broken at sunset with a meal called iftar. One year I had this simple Turkish-style iftar meal with Ezogelin (EZ-oh gel-EEN) soup, flat bread, goat cheese, black olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, and dates. The soup is very tasty and filling, and the recipe is here.