Rogation-tide

Rogation-tide begins on the Sunday five weeks after Easter and continues for four days, through Ascension Day. It began as a very early Christian tradition of singing psalms and chanting prayers of petition for God's protection on crops, beasts and people. 

In medieval England parishioners would walk around the parish boundaries, bearing a cross and banners, and asking for God to bless the crops, livestock, and fishing holes. The procession was called 'beating the bounds'; before maps were commonplace, it helped everyone to remember the parish boundaries.

These boundary walks were also known as ‘gang days’ from the Anglo Saxon word ‘gangen’- to go. The parish would bond together as a community, and offer charity to poor people they met along the way, and the priest would stop to preach at each prominent tree or landmark.

Now Rogation-tide is celebrated more as a time to honor the gift of creation of the land and waters, to offer thanksgiving for the labors that feed us, and to pray for stewardship of the earth. It’s a good time for me to look at my neighborhood and my community with open eyes, and consider how I can help to support those who work to feed me, and how I can be a better steward of the land.

1st stop: Sadie waits for me to go in to buy her dogfood.

Agenda today:

1. Beat the bounds: 

A parish is church territory, but I use it to mean the land that I feel responsible for, my home-neighborhood. 

The bounds of my parish extend roughly eight blocks square, from our neighborhood store to the north, our park to the east, the drainage creek to the south, and the school I teach at to the west.

I walked the bounds this morning with Sadie- and stopped to say these prayers:

Monroe Park in the morning.

For rains and fruitful seasons, and your blessing upon the lands and waters, 

I pray to you, Oh Spirit. 

Ducks on the Amazon.

For all who work upon the earth and seas to bring forth food for all your creatures, 

I pray to you, Oh Spirit. 

My school, and it's garden.

For all who care for the earth, the water, and the air, that the riches of your creation may abound from age to age, 

I pray to you, Oh Spirit. 

Amen.

2. Bless my garden: 

When I got home from my boundry walk, I went to my garden to ask blessing on my seeds, animals, trees, and beds-

Great Spirit, Creator of all things and Giver of all life, let your blessing be upon this garden, and grant that it may serve. Amen.

3. Research: 

Read up on farm-worker and small farmer issues, as well as local environmental issues. 

What service am I called to do?

4. Make Rammalation Biscuits:

While technically these are days of fasting, in England the tradition was to gather after the Rogation Procession to drink "ganging beer" and eat "rammalation biscuits." 

Unfortunately, no one knows what rammalation biscuits are- possibly a cookie to eat while you "perambulate”? I decided to make a classic English Digestive Biscuit (recipe here), and they are very yummy.

Full Flower Moon and Wesak

Tonight is the full moon, my monthly time for action and release: I look again at the “seeds of intention” I planted 2 weeks ago at the new moon and decide on my next steps to take; I take those steps; then I release my expectations in order to clear space for new ideas and new intentions.

This moon is called the Flower Moon; it's a month of blossoming and the promise of abundance. The flowers in my garden are a delicate and beautiful reminder to me to project a gentle, honest spirit into the world. I open my heart, give my gifts with love, and receive the abundant gifts others offer me with sincerity.

Today is also Wesak (pronounced way-sak). The full moon in May is the day that Buddhists honor the birth of Gautama Buddha in Lumbini, Nepal, in 623 BCE, and it's also a day to honor Buddha’s enlightenment and death. 

Buddhists all over the world celebrate this day to remember the Buddha's virtues, and express their gratitude and appreciation for his teachings. They celebrate by finding ways to be more Buddha-like: By practicing meditation, visiting monasteries and listening to sermons from venerable monks and nuns, serving free vegetarian meals to poor people, making donations to charities, and distributing gifts. 

Agenda for today:

1. Altar:

Each month at the full moon I put a motto or quote on my altar, to ponder. This month:

When you’re happy, nothing changes – but everything is different.

~Michael Neill

I also add new candles, in colors that symbolize what I want to focus on. In June I add-

an orange candle, for joy.

2. Journal:

Review the intentions I set 2 weeks ago, at the new moon. 

Do these goals all still seem vital? What are my next steps?

Write about what brings me joy, contentment, serenity, satisfaction, and harmony. 

How can I invite more of this into my life? How can I develop my creative and playful qualities?

3. Practice at my theme:

My theme this month is joy- My intentions:

• Read a book about happiness.
• Create happy feelings by telling myself better "stories" (less mental complaining!).
• Allow time for spontaneity.
• Play with painting new subject matter. 

4. Take Action:

The full moon is a time to celebrate life, stay up late, see friends, exercise harder, and be more creative and outgoing. The crazy full moon energy builds and builds; it’s best to acknowledge it so it doesn’t throw me off balance. This surge of energy allows me to take action on intentions I set two weeks ago. Today I will plan the steps to take to complete some projects... planting zinnias, tomatoes, basil, and peppers.

5. Make a lantern for Wesak:
Many Buddists in Asia decorate for Wesak with flags and elaborate lanterns. We made a tissue paper lantern, with dowels.

6. Cook Cauliflower and Potato Curry from Nepal:

Buddhists all over the world refrain from eating meat on this day, and serve vegetarian meals to poor people. Here’s a vegetarian curry from the Buddha’s homeland of Nepal.

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. cooking oil

• small piece of fresh ginger
root
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 medium onion

• 2 medium potatoes
• 1/2 a cauliflower
• 1 can diced tomatoes 

• 1 tsp. turmeric powder

• 2 tsp. curry powder

• 1/2 c. water

• Salt, to taste

• 1 tsp. chili flakes

Yield: 4 servings-

1- Prepare all the vegetables: Peel and mince the gingerroot and garlic. Chop the onion. Peel and cut the potatoes into small pieces (I didn't peel mine). Cut the cauliflower into small florets.

2- Put the oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or wok, and heat on high. When hot, reduce to medium-high, add ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds until fragrant and golden. 

3- Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent and softened. 

4- Add turmeric and curry powder and stir well. After 10 seconds add potatoes, then the cauliflower, then the tomatoes, then the water, and mix thoroughly. Season with salt to taste.

Cover and cook over high heat for 5 minutes. 

5- Add the chili flakes, if you like it hot! Stir thoroughly, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for further 20- 25 minutes. Serve with basmati rice.