Retreat for Discernment

I'm having my New Moon retreat day this weekend, a couple of days to be unsocial, and give attention to my theme for the month, which is discernment. As luck would have it, we had a serious ice storm yesterday, and the whole town is shut down. All of my responsibilities have evaporated!

I've chosen the theme of discernment for this month, because I have so much figuring out going on. Today I will sink in to the quiet of the winter and open to leadings of the spirit.

Agenda:
1. Read "A Comfort of Crows"

2. Bird watching

3. Garden plans

4. Living room blessing

1. Read "A Comfort of Crows":

I'm loving this pretty book by Margaret Renkl (2023), subtitled "A Backyard Year"; it includes a reading for each week of the year; this week is Winter - Week 4, The bird feeder.

"Cold weather is hard on creatures who don't hibernate. Small animals and birds are burning more calories to keep warm just as their best sources of food - seeds and berries and insects - have disappeared.".

She reminds me that when we have a freeze like today, birds need a source of water for bathing and drinking. 

2. Bird watching:

Yesterday morning had a real Snow-Day vibe: I spent an hour on the couch, watching birds and sipping a latte. 

Among many regulars (goldfinches, chickadees, nuthatches, juncos, and sparrows) I saw this beautiful Townsend Warbler, who is supposed to winter in Mexico. 

And my dear Hummer, who is probably an Anna's Hummingbird, though it's hard to be sure in this light, because he mostly looks black, but every now and then I get a flash of red and shimmery green. Before we left on our trip we had three of them regularly, but now it is only the one (though I think I've seen my Hummer chasing another Hummer).

Hummer was the first bird I saw in the New Year. To the Indigenous cultures of the Pacific Coast, the hummingbird is a messenger of joy and good luck.

In Celtic culture, hummingbirds bring you messages from the Gods; they also bring healing, and wisdom. Seeing a hummingbird during a hard time means the spirit guide is asking you to think positively and have patience.

3. Garden plans:

I am continuing the fun work of planning my garden. I've got the veggie garden roughly mapped out and this week my tasks are to:

1. Plan what to put in a birdseed garden.
2. Research the best kind of veggie seeds to get for my growing season. (Check out the Second Breakfast Garden list of favorite seed companies.) 
3. Order seeds: Look through my seeds to see what new seed I need and make a comprehensive list, then place an order!

4. Living room blessing:

Last week I started my annual round of house cleaning and blessing in the kitchen, and this week I've moved into our living room. My own understanding of a house blessing is that the act of cleaning itself is a blessing on the house, and that sitting in a newly cleaned room is a good way to remember that we are each blessed, always and forever.

But I love a good ritual! My custom is to bless each room this month, first by cleaning it, then with a ritual, and then by remembering the blessings of life.

I've done the physical cleaning of the floor, furniture, mold, and windows, and I've tidied the shelves. But my house also holds emotional "dirt" that needs clearing, lingering psychic odors of angry words and melancholy thoughts, and the bad vibes of political debate heard on the tv.

For a simple house cleansing ritual, I use a salt water and sage smoke.

1. Set the intention to clear out bad energy and invite in blessings.

2. Light a candle, and from that ignite the sage. Once it catches, blow it out so that it smolders.

3. Walk around the room and waft the smoke into every corner. As you walk, think about the intentions you set.

4. Pour a little salt water into a small bowl, dip your fingers in and lightly sprinkle it as you walk around the room a second time.

After the ritual, I'll sit quietly with the lit candle, and savor the blessing of a clean living room.