Ash Wednesday and New Budding Moon

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, a 46-day period of preparation for the joyful Easter celebration. The word lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means "lengthen"; it refers to the longer days of spring. 

Lent is about mortality and transformation; death and rebirth. Marcus Borg says, "It means dying to an old way of being, and being born into a new way of being, a way of being centered once again in God."

Tonight is also the new moon; the Chinese call the second new moon the Budding Moon. 

Agenda:

1. New moon altar and meditation

2. Set intentions for Lent

5. Read

6. Awareness

4. Begin plastic fasting 

1. New moon altar and meditation:

The new moon is the start of the lunar cycle, a time of high energy and clear thinking. Historically, the new moon is when women took time to be alone; it's a time to retreat and set intentions for the next phase of my year. 

I had my new moon retreat earlier this week, but today I will discern what to put on my altar for the next 30 days or so. (For my thoughts on altars see About Altars). I generally keep it simple and choose only things that speak to me and feed me, and reveal what I believe in.

From last month I'm keeping:

• my harvest doll - for luck and protection
• a beaded snake - for healing and regeneration 

-and today I added:

• a spring green candle - for strength, vitality, and inner growth
• a dragon - for strength and good luck
• an origami crane - for peace

Tonight I will light a small white candle on my altar. I will center,  give attention to each of my intentions, picture each one accomplished, and feel myself fill with thankfulness for all I have now in my life.

2. Set intentions for Lent:

My theme for Lent this year is Rooted in awareness of Creation and Creator. I need to fuel my climate justice work with a strong and intimate connection to this land: I want to better understand my relationship to the natural world and the cycles of the seasons, the history, culture, and ecosystem of my valley, the indigenous peoples and how I connect to them, and the responsibility I feel for the animal and plant people.

At Lent I allow myself to be slow, simple, and thoughtful. I spend time each day in focused study and prayer. And I choose something to temporarily reduce or cut out of my life, as a reminder that what I truly need is the nurturing of Spirit (I try to choose something to fast from that is a good symbol of how I am trying to grow). And I also observe Lent as a time of creative action, acting on what I learn. My goals this year are to:

• Read and Journal: I'm reading the book Becoming Rooted: One Hundred Days of Reconnecting with Sacred Earth, by Randy Woodley. It's a deeply inspiring devotional with thoughtful daily prompts for action.

• Explore awareness practices: 

  My theme for the whole year is awareness - of my body and my environment; my thoughts and feelings; of how my behaviors and actions impact those around me; and of that-of-God inside and outside myself.
• Take creative action: I'm going act on my leading to become more rooted in Creation, with small and large actions at home and in my community, and with writing and artwork.
• Fast: This year (as much as possible) I'm going to fast from all new plastic - I won't buy anything that comes in a plastic container unless I'm sure it's recyclable, and I'll continue to experiment with plastic alternatives.

3. Read: 

I'm well into this book by Dr. Randy Woodley, but this week I'm reviewing early readings. Today I read #1: Practice Silence. “Like most Americans, I work and live a life full of distractions. But in my heart, I always long to be learning from Creator through the abundant gifts of nature in the most teachable place I can find. ... Some days it may only be watching a morning sunrise ... or listening to the wind. But I'm learning to savor these moments in which Great Spirit's silence can be heard in my heart.”

4. Awareness: 

Today, when we get a break in the rain, I will go on a wonder walk with my grandson around our yard, stopping to taste and smell herbs, climb inside bushes, and splash in the puddles.

"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in." Rachel Carson 

5. Begin plastic fasting: 

The website Futurium talks about plastic fasting, and says, "Everyday objects account for the top ten items in the plastic waste found on beaches ... For the seas, beaches, and marine life in all its variety, this waste poses a major problem." My purpose for this fast is to strengthen my discipline, and become more aware of how my buying habits impact the earth.