Full Red Moon and Raksha Bandhan

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 full moon is called the Red Moon, because it often appears reddish as it rises, through the sultry haze of late summer - and in our valley, a sultry haze is the norm! One lovely (possibly Native American) explanation that I read is that the moon is blushing after being kissed by the sun.

In India, this is also the Festival of Raksha Bandhan, which means “knot of protection.” Traditionally, girls tie a braided thread called a rakhi around the wrist of each brother-- a symbol of a sister's love and prayers for her brother's health and happiness, and to remind him of his life-long vow to protect his sister. Now it is also common for girls to trade rakhis with sisters, and with friends.

Agenda for today:

1. Altar:

It's time to discern what to put on my altar for the next month. (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. I ask, what quality of Spirit do I want to invoke?

Today I added-

• A purple candle for abundance, peace, and awareness.
• An apple for the harvest, and for love.
• A vase of zinnias for resilience.
• Seashells for the power of the ocean.

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

Do these aims all still seem vital?
What are my next steps?
What new blessings might come my way?

How can I celebrate being alive; being me?

3. Practice at my theme:
My theme this month is abundance. I know I have great blessings in my life, but sometimes I forget to appreciate them. Sometimes life begins to feel the same, day after day. I want to remember that elation and gratitude I felt after my accident last year, when I fully realized the joy of being alive.

All the fortunate influences that shape my life- friends, family, society, and outside forces and situations- blow towards me on a persistant wind. I need to maintain integrity and awareness to avoid being swayed in the wrong direction, but I achieve the greatest success by yielding. My goals this month are:

• to be open to blessings, opportunities, and alternative ways to proceed;
• to share my joy and my skills generously with my art camp students;
• to volunteer for another day with Habitat for Humanity; 
• to care well enough for myself to maintain my resilience and mental calm in the face of daily stresses.

4. Make rakhis:
A rakhi is like a friendship bracelet, made with braided embroidery floss, silk thread, and with a decoration shaped like a flower in the middle. Before the festival, the markets in India are filled with dazzling rakhis, in different sizes, colors and shapes, embellished with beads, gold or silver threads, or satin ribbons. 

Many girls like to make their own rakhis for sentimental reasons, and the materials and methods they use are endlessly creative. If you do a search online for "how to make a rakhi" you will see some great ideas!

My brothers live too far away for exchanging rakhi, but I often make rhaki with my students.

Supplies: Cardboard, scissors, glitter glue, sequins or jewels, foil paper, yarn, gold ribbon or cord

1. Rhaki are traditionally red and gold. I made this center medalion with a circle of cardboard, covered with red foil paper and jewels. Other options: Gold braid, glitter, sequins, beads, or paint.

Punch two holes in the center of the medalion for threading it onto the bracelet.

2. For the bracelet, I braided yarn with gold ribbon.

5. Send love and prayers to my sister and brothers:
The rakhi is given with great ceremony. On the morning of Raksha Bandhan, each sister sets out a tray with flowers, diya lamps, incense, sweets such as halwa, and the rakhi. The sister applies a tilak on her brother's forehead, then she ties the rakhi on his right wrist, and then offers him blessings to guard him against all harm. 

The notion that brothers should protect their sisters might seem old-fashioned; many sisters might say, "I can take care of myself", which is probably true. However, the thought of an expectation of protection makes me happy. I'm not sure how my brothers feel about it.

Today I spent a few minutes during my morning meditation sending blessings, love, and prayers for health and happiness to each of my siblings, picturing them at peace in their homes.

6. Make Kayla (Banana) Halwa:

The rakhi ceremony ends when the sister offers the brother sweets, such as halwa, an Indian candy made from vegetables or fruit. 

Halwa is usually served in small squares, and comes in bright colors- carrot halwa is orange, pistachio is green, mango is red, and banana is yellow! It's like soft caramel, with a strong banana flavor and nice cashew crunch.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 ripe bananas (1 c. mashed)
• 2 Tbsp. cashews
• 2 Tbsp. ghee or butter, plus some to oil the pan
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. rice flour
• 1/4 tsp. powdered cardamom
• yellow food coloring (optional)

Yield: Approximately 15 pieces of candy-

1- Peel and mash the bananas. Roughly chop the cashews. Butter a small cake pan.

2- Heat ghee or butter in a saucepan and fry the nuts until golden. Scoop the nuts out and set them aside.

3- Add the banana mash to the same ghee and fry for 1 minute.

4- Add the sugar and cook, stirring, until it begins to get a little thick. 









5- Add the cashews, rice flour, cardamom, a bit of yellow food coloring (optional). 

6- Keep stirring on low heat, 7 - 10 minutes. It will darken and thicken. When you can stir the mixture to one side of the pan and it stays, remove it from the heat.





7- Quickly scoop the mixture into the buttered pan and press to shape- you probably won't fill the pan with such a small batch, but it should hold it's shape anyway. Allow it to cool completely before cutting into small squares.

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Teltaine or Lammas

Teltaine, also called Lammas, or Lughnasad (loo-na-sa), is the Celtic cross-quarter day celebrated from sunset August 1 until sunset August 2. It’s a hot, lazy, delicious time of the year; the air is still, and the force of the sun is strong. 

The focus today is on harvest, sacrifice, and thanksgiving; it’s customary to share the products of the first grains- corn, bread and ale. In ancient tradition, the grains of the Earth are the body of the God, sacrificed at the harvest, ground to flour, baked into bread and then consumed to keep the circle of life turning.

This is a time to give thanks and honor to powerful gods and goddesses of the grain harvest- Adonis, Tamuz, Demeter, Ceres, Freyja, Odin, and Lugh (pronounced Loo). They are in their prime now, sometimes generous, sometimes difficult, but always aware that their time is waning and they will soon die. This is the sacrifice that we give thanks for today.

Agenda Today:
1. Altar:

Add dried corn, red and yellow flowers, grains, fruits, vegetables, herbs.

2. Make a corn husk doll:

Each year I make a new corn husk doll, from fresh husks, and put her on the altar to bring luck and plenty throughout the cold half of the year. In six months, at the cross-quarter day of Imbalc, I will burn this corn doll.

Supplies: Corn husks, towels, string, scissors, fabric, yarn

1. Pick out 8 nice pieces of husk, and dip them in a tub of warm water to make them pliable. Lay them out on a towel.

First tie- before the head is padded.

2. Notice that the husks naturally curve, like they did around the corn. Make two stacks of 4 pieces--

• with the narrow ends together 
• curving in the same direction
• with the 2 biggest pieces on the bottom of each stack

3. Next, put the two stacks together at the narrow ends, with the two biggest pieces back-to-back on the inside, and tie tightly 2-inches from the top with a small piece of string.

4. Wrap the top part (above the string) with small pieces of husk to pad the head... 

2nd tie- after the husks are folded over 
the padded head.

...then fold the two sections of husks over it on each side. Make the face smooth and pretty, and tie again, at the neck.

5. Dip a few long, thin pieces of husk in water, then roll and tie them together to make the arms. Insert under neck.

6. Pad the chest with husks and tie at the waist with string, raffia, or yarn.







7. Set aside to dry, then make clothes with scraps of cloth.

3. Make bread:

Make bread: Biscuits, muffins, corn bread, a gingerbread man, or popcorn... Sometimes the first loaf is made into the shape of a man to represent the God.