Halloween

Halloween is the modern name of the ancient Irish and Scottish holiday of Samhain (pronounced SOW-win), a Celtic-Gaelic word meaning “summers-end”. It begins at dusk on October 31, and marks the doorway to the dark half of the Celtic year, the opening of a new cycle.

In the 7th-century CE the Pope established All Saints’ Day, originally on May 13, and in the following century it was moved to November 1. The evening before All Saints’ Day became a holy, or hallowed, eve and thus Samhain became Halloween.

The Reformation put an end to the religious holiday among Protestants, although in Britain Halloween continued to be celebrated as a secular holiday. The celebration of Halloween was mostly forbidden among the early American colonists, until the 1800s.

Saturday is my day for proaction: Proaction is taking initiative to anticipate and shape future events rather than simply reacting to circumstances as they happen. Some people think Covey should've just used the word ACT, but proaction requires a thought: "I could do this or I could do that; I choose to do this."

We are in the yin time of the waning gibbous moon - a time to receive the fruits of our labors, a time of quiet, internal, heart-driven, intentional Being-ness.

Agenda Today:

1. Gratitude meditation:

2. Weekly "First Things First"

3. Proaction and reciprocity plans

4. Celebrate the darkness

Friday

Friday is my day for creative thinking and doing; as Grandma Earth Teacher I am led to make things that are a gift to the Earth in some way, sustainable, and with a message. Also, I need to prepare for the next week of after-school time: A calm flow with some repeatable fun learning and ongoing fall projects.

We are in the yin time of the waning gibbous moon - a time to receive the fruits of our labors, a time of quiet, internal, heart-driven, intentional Being-ness.

Agenda:

1. Priority projects plan

2. Grandson plans

3. Project steps and preparedness

4. Family teamwork

5. Love Meditation

Rainy Thursday

Thursday is garden day, for re-envisioning and planning next steps to create a sanctuary here for nature and my family. This is also a day when I have both my grandsons, and I want to be sure to get them into the garden and into nature.

We are in the yin time of the waning gibbous moon - a time to receive the fruits of our labors, a time of quiet, internal, heart-driven, intentional Being-ness.

 

Today:

1. Discern my receptivity

2. October garden tasks

3. This week's garden plan

4. Nature-culture flow and kid projects

5. Make flappy paper bats

Prepare for Halloween

Wednesday is my day to re-group and re-define my week. First I make a plan for getting over the bump of the mid-week, then I re-envision my emotional tone and perspective.

We are at the peak of the strong-energy yang phase of the waxing moon, the time to harvest what was planted and nurtured. The squirrel moon is a good time to gather my forces inward, for a final burst of energy before winter.

We've been preparing for Halloween, with spooky books, skeletons, ghosts, and jack-o-lanterns. Our grandsons love Halloween! The build up this month allows us to shift to a darker phase of the year; darkness isn't bad, but it can be frightening, and having fun with fear is part of the process.

Agenda today:

1. Re-group plan

2. Read "The Exquisite Risk"

3. New narrative for 

4. Problem-solving

5. Writing themes

6. Carve jack-o-lanterns

Spooky Tuesday

Tuesday is my receptivity day of the week, when I look at my social and emotional self and make an effort to shift my perspectives around how I view and treat the people in my life.

We are at the peak of the strong-energy yang phase of the waxing moon, the time to harvest what was planted and nurtured. The squirrel moon is a good time to gather my forces inward, for a final burst of energy before winter.

Agenda: 

1. Acknowledge the harvest

2. Read "How to Deal with Anger"

3. My anger journal

4. Problem solving

5. Teamwork plans and visuals

Monday

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and how I will step up for the Natural Living Challenge.

We are at the peak of the strong-energy yang phase of the waxing moon, the time to harvest what was planted and nurtured. The squirrel moon is a good time to gather my forces inward, for a final burst of energy before winter.

Agenda:

1. Read "Simplify Your Space"

2. Health habits

3. Giving each thing a home