Maidyoshahem

The Zoroastrian community honors the six seasons of the year by celebrating six Gahambars- the word gahambar means "proper season". Each of these six festivals is celebrated for five days, and each honors one of the six material creations: The heaven, water, earth, flora, fauna and man.

Maidyoshahem (may-eed-YO-sha-hem) is the second Gahambar, the Midsummer Rain feast, and it takes place each year from June 29 to July 3. This Gahambar celebrates the creation of water on our earth, and the last day is called Tirgan (pronounced Teer-gone), in honor of Tir, the angel of rain.

Iranians celebrate Tirgan with dancing, singing, and by swimming and splashing water on each other. We celebrated with a trip to the coast!

Agenda this week:
1. Recite a Prayer
2. Make Persian Potato Salad
3. Get wet!

New Lotus Moon

Detail from a painting, "Connect", acrylic

The Chinese call the sixth new moon the Lotus Moon. The lotus is the "flower of open-heartedness", an emblem of purity, fruitfulness (because of its many seeds) and creative power. And since lotus leaves protect the goldfish under them, the lotus also symbolizes abundance year after year. 

The Lotus Moon, then, is the natural time to be creative, expansive, and generous, and take steps fearlessly towards abundance.

Agenda for today:
1. Journal Queries
2. New Moon Lotus Meditation
3. Plan small steps

Summer Solstice

The season is turning. Today the sun exerts its maximum energy on our part of the earth; the powers of outward expression are at their greatest, and the powers of inner contemplation are at their lowest.

And of course, just as we reach the point of maximum yang energy, yin energy is reborn and begins to gain strength: The next days will each be a little shorter again, until the winter solstice in December.

This transition from spring to summer is a big deal: If I celebrate the start of summer with enthusiasm, the rest of the summer will become richer and more wonderful, and I will reconnect myself to the great cycle of the seasons and the rhythms of nature.

Agenda for the Solstice:
1. Plan a fun first week of summer
2. Make Kanelbuller (Swedish Cinnamon buns)

3. Make flower crowns

4. Build a Solstice Fire

Strawberry Full Moon

Tonight is the full moon called the Strawberry Moon. Sweet, ripe strawberries are a gift from Mother Earth that remind me of the springtime renewal of life, and the creative power I have to make my dreams real and visible. 

This is is a highly yang time of movement and strength, the season of completion, abundance and fulfillment. I have hope that I will reach my full flowering, begin to enjoy the fruits of my visions, and relax in the richness of success.

Agenda for today:
1. Altar:

It's time to discern what to put on my altar for June. (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 add-

• a purple candle- for abundance, generosity, awareness and wisdom.
• a sun- for clarity and yang energy.
• a conch shell- for the ocean, and to awaken my heart to Truth.
• a small dish of water- for cleansing, creativity, emotion, and renewal.

2. Journal:
This is my monthly time for action and release: I look again at the “seeds of intention” I planted two 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.

Today I will review the intentions I set 2 weeks ago, at the new moon.
Do these aims all still seem vital? 
What are my next steps? 
How can I find the passion to be persistent?

Write about my ideal summer; list idyllic, peaceful, or exciting things I long to do, and the blessings I hope for.

Have I been actively pursuing new opportunities?
Have I been “paying it forward” with my time, talent, or money?
Have I been showing my thankfulness for the blessings in my life in tangible ways?

3. Practice at my theme:
My theme this month is abundance. 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 share my joy and my skills generously with my art camp students and my community;
• to seek alternative ways to make money;
• to volunteer, making breakfast for the homeless; 
• to yield to the slower pace of summer, get some rest, and have some fun!

4. Make strawberry sorbet:

Ingredients:

• 1 quart fresh strawberries
• sugar
• 4-5 oranges
• 1 lemon

1. Clean and stem the berries, ane cut them up a bit. Mash them well, and sprinkle with 1/3 c. sugar. Let them sit for 1/2 hour at room temp. 

2. Juice oranges to make 1 cup fresh juice. Add the juice of 1 lemon and 1/3 c. sugar, and heat until the sugar dissolves. Cool. 

3. Combine berries and juice well, and put into ice cream freezer.

5. 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.