Clean Monday and First Quarter Moon

Today is known as Clean Monday in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. The clean originally referred to the purification of the soul for Lent. Today it's customary to clean the house thoroughly, and, in Greece, people go on picnics, eat shellfish, and fly kites!

It's also the First Quarter Moon; we are one-quarter of the way through the moon cycle. The moon is waxing - growing in light and energy, creating a time for decisive action. I use this end-of-February quarter moon's energy to be really present in my body, and do the work - less dreaming and more creating, digging, cleaning, writing, biking, and playing!

Agenda Today:

1. Journal queries

2. Nature Mentor 

3. Make a Full Effort Plan

4. Prayer of Cleansing

5. Kitchen cleaning

6. Plastic fast

7. Make Laguna (flat bread)

1. Journal queries:

Today, at the first quarter moon, I prepare to give full effort to my priorities; I remember that for each opportunity in life there is a challenge.

Which of my priorities am I having the most trouble acting on this month?

 

What potential challenges and obstacles do I face this week and month (things I don’t enjoy, don’t know how to do, or feel blocked on)? How can I best meet these challenges?

What do I need (tools, information, allies) in order to best practice the habits of resilience (calmness, clarity, optimism, and a sense of purpose)?

My theme this next month is strength and resilience, which requires confidence and flexibility. The challenges I face are anxiety and rigidity. I can't be the strong, adaptable person I want to be if I am anxious, stubborn, and uncompromising. I need to practice equanimity, and the willingness to adjust.

 

2. Nature Mentor:

I've been enjoying my dive into the Nature Mentor website. The writer, Brian Mertins, offers a practical approach to awakening naturalist instincts by building skills with plants and birds. Today I downloaded his free e-book called What's That Crow Saying?

One important thing to remember is that crows are ALWAYS and ONLY ever talking about tangible things that directly relate to their survival as a species.

3. Make a full effort plan: 

Full effort (sometimes called exertion) is one of the steps of mental discipline on Buddha’s eightfold path. Buddha was urging full effort for awakening the mind; a first step is to practice full effort for whatever is most important in your life right now - for your priorities.

One of my goals during this period of Lent is to learn the language of my bird and plant neighbors, and continue to explore my relationship to the natural world, the cycles of the seasons, and the history, culture, and ecosystem of my valley. Today I made a full effort plan:

• Keep reading different sources that offer nature and permaculture awareness skills and exercises.
• Choose a time each day when I can go outside with no other goal but to listen and look at the nature around me.
• Keep a daily nature journal of the weather, and one thing I listened to or noticed. 
• Create some visual reminders of my relationship with the seasons and species around me - some artwork, mottos, and other creative reminders.

4. 

Prayer of Cleansing-

I Cleanse My Soul- Author Unknown 

I cleanse my soul in the dews of spring,

Light of mind's refreshing dew

Love of heart's renewing dew,

Life being's restoring dew,

Cleanse and recreate my soul this night.

May the souls of all beings be

Peacefully preserved

From fall of night
Till day's dear light.

5. Kitchen Cleaning:

Cleaning house is a custom for Clean Monday. In the Ukraine, Russia, and Greece everyone especially cleans the kitchen and the pots with which they have cooked festival foods, because today (in the Orthodox Church) is the start of the Lenten fast.

Today I will clean my kitchen of dust and grime, the stove, the hood, and the counters, and while I clean I will rejoice in the wonder and privilege of having this warm, secure place to cook and eat each day.

6. Plastic fast:

My challenge this week is to avoid plastic when food shopping such as when buying meats and cheeses. 

In the late 1970s, the meat industry standard became polystyrene foam trays. Styrofoam is a petrochemical made with styrene, which is classified as a known hazardous substance and has many ties to cancer. Styrofoam toxins seep into the food contents, and according to the EPA, as styrene leaches from landfills into our drinking water, it causes liver, kidney, or circulatory system problems. Minorities and people living in poverty are more likely to live near landfills and factories, and are disproportionately affected.

Solution: Find and shop at a deli or meat counter that wraps with paper rather than plastic or Styrofoam, or ask if you can put products in your own containers.

7. Make Lagana (Greek flat bread)
This simple flat bread is traditionally made on Clean Monday, and its traditional to tear and not slice your loaf of lagana today to avoid bad luck.

I served my lagana with garlic-rosemary olive oil.

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 tsp. yeast
• 1-1/2 tsp. sugar
• 2-1/2 c. warm water
• 5-1/4 c. flour (any combination), plus some for kneading
• 3/4-tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 c. white and / or black sesame seeds
• 1/2-Tbsp. honey

Yield: one loaf-

1. Combine yeast, sugar and water. Set aside for 10 minutes for the yeast to activate.

2. Add flour and salt. Mix well until you have a sticky dough. Knead for 10 minutes (I used my bread hook), adding a few more spoonfulls of flour to keep it from sticking, until the dough is smooth.

3. Place ball of dough in a large, clean bowl that has been very lightly greased with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm spot to rise about 1 or 1-1/2 hours. The dough will double in size.

4. In the bowl, knead the risen dough a few times to deflate it and then turn out onto your pan. Gently stretch and pat your dough into a rectangle. 

Use a wooden spoon to press small grooves or dots in the dough.

5. Let lagana dough rest, covered, and rise for another half hour.

6. Dilute the honey with a little boiling water and brush it all over the top of the bread. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 400ºF for 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from pan to cool. Let rest at least 5 minutes before serving.