Advent Earth-Care

Exploring the Amazon, looking for birds.

My theme for this first week of Advent is to "Cherish and care for the earth". I express my unity with nature at Advent in two basic ways:

• by offering small gifts of love and attention in recognition of all I receive from the earth
• and by finding joy and fulfillment in simply being alive, instead of in an excess of buying, eating, using, and wasting.

Agenda Today:
1. Go for longer walks
2. Work outside
3. Collect natural materials
4. Make bird feeder pine cones

Day before Advent

Tomorrow is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is a time of expectant waiting, and today I will actively prepare to wait. 

I have many tasks to do now, but my most important task is to calm my heart. Advent is a time of emotional complexity, with all of the expectations and challenges of family and relationships. So, my heart is a bit tender, and perhaps a bit armored.

Today I open to the expectation of love: When my heart is open to love, and my hands are open to accept unexpected gifts, and my ears are open to hear a message of peace, then I am ready to begin Advent.

Agenda:
1. Open-Heart Meditation
2. Journal queries
3. Space clearing
4. Simplify & slow down
5. Make an Advent Wreath

Thanksgiving

I am looking forward to this Thanksgiving because I will be with my family and dear friends. I've put some energy into talking to everyone so we all have the foods we need to make the day a success, and so we could share the effort and no one feels overworked or stressed- including myself.

In order to set this day apart, I will treat it as a Sabbath… no unkind words, no rushing, no work that isn’t thankful work. I choose to stay present, notice everything as if in slow motion, and pause often to observe what I am thankful for in the moment.

Agenda:
1. Thanksgiving Meditation for Peace and Abundance
2. Finish the food
3. Give thanks

Prepare for Thanksgiving and Advent

Thanksgiving is in three days, and our plans are pretty much set. We will go to the home of our dear friends for a traditional turkey dinner. This year both my children are bringing their partners for the first time, and we are each preparing our favorite component of the meal. We will bring:

• pumpkin pie
• lemon meringue pie
• sweet potatoes
• homemade rolls
• cranberry sauce
• collard greens
• and extra stuffing!

Agenda:
1. Make a thank-you card and hand it out
2. Cook the pumpkins
3. Collect greens
4. Make pies

Stir Up Sunday

Today is Stir Up Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent. This is the traditional day in Britain to make the Christmas pudding, and set it aside for Christmas Day so the flavors have a month to develop. 

At least, it used to be the traditional day; apparently most families buy a pudding in a tin now. What a shame! Being partly of British descent (and also being fond of brandy) I think it's worth the effort. And the flaming pudding is an exciting end to Christmas dinner!

Agenda for today:
1- Prayer
2- Finish the Christmas Pudding

Martinstag

Martinstag is the day of St. Martin of Tours, patron saint of beggars, soldiers, and conscientious objectors.

Martin was born in Hungary in 316 A.D. As a teenager, he joined the Roman army, becoming a soldier like his father, and traveled to what is now Italy and France.

The most famous legend of St. Martin is of his time as a soldier: One snowy winter evening, Martin and the other soldiers were returning on horseback to Amiens. A freezing beggar was sitting at the city gate. Martin didn't have any money or food to give him, so he used his sword to cut his heavy red soldier’s cloak in half, and gave half to the beggar. That night Martin dreamt that Jesus thanked him for giving Him his cloak. This dream convinced Martin to become a Christian and be baptized. 

Martin remained in the army for two more years, but then he decided that his faith prohibited him from fighting, and he was jailed as a coward. He was eventually released from prison and from military service, and went on to become the bishop of Tours in France. He died peacefully on November 8, 397 A.D., and was buried on November 11, among the first non-martyrs to be venerated as a saint.

Originally Martinstag was celebrated only in the Catholic areas of Germany, Austria, Flanders, Netherlands, and Portugal, but it has now spread to Protestant areas as well.

Agenda:

1. Journal queries
2. Make a lantern
3. Bake Weckmänner (Bun Men)

Full Frost Moon and Xia Yuan Jie

Tonight is the full moon called the Frost Moon, because now is when the first hoarfrost might appear-- that white frost that makes walking crunchy, and that requires scraping of windshields. Frost is a reminder that winter is coming, and we all need to finish our outdoor chores and close up the storm windows.

Today is also Xia Yuan Jie-- Lower Primordial Festival-- a Chinese festival that falls on the 15th day of the 10th lunar month. It’s the third of a trio of Taoist holidays, that honor three Taoist gods, called the Three Great Emperor Officials:

• Tian-Guan, the Heaven Official, gives happiness, and rules over the first 6 months of the year (the yang part), beginning on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, at the Lantern Festival.
• Di-Guan, the Earth Official, forgives sins and guilt, and rules over the next 3 months (the yin part), beginning on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, at the Ghost Festival.
• Shui-Guan, the Water Official, rules over the last 3 months of the year (also yin).

Shui-Guan's full title is The Great Emperor Water Official of Pervasive Yin of Lower Primordial & Tertiary Grade Who Eliminates Distress. Today is considered to be his birthday, and is also the day when he visits the Mortal World to do inspections and release blessings.

Agenda for today:
1. Update my altar
2. Practice at my theme
3. Gratitude journal queries
4. Hold the world in the light