Great Saturday and Full Blue Moon

This morning was the full moon, called the Blue Moon because it was the second full moon in March (also the second blue moon this year, so far!). 

Actually, the original definition of a blue moon is a fourth full moon in one season; I'm going with the newer definition- the second full moon in a month- because I don't have any better name for this moon. Both are correct, because it's folklore, and folklore is fluid.

Today is also Great Saturday or Holy Saturday, the day between Jesus' death and his resurrection. In the Church, it's celebrated with watchful expectation and funeral hymns. This is the day that our family usually dyes eggs. Eggs universally symbolize birth and potential. For Christians at Easter, eggs stand for hope, and spiritual rebirth.

Agenda Today: 
1. Update my altar
2. Journal queries
3. Practice balance
4. Make natural egg dyes
5. Make cascaróne eggs
6. Dye pysanky eggs

Good Friday and Passover

Today is Good Friday, when we mark Jesus’ death and burial.

Tonight is also the start of Passover, the oldest of the Jewish holidays. It celebrates the story of how God set the Jewish people free from slavery in Egypt. Passover begins on the fourteenth day of the Jewish month of Nisan, which is the night of the first full moon after the equinox.


I don't hold a Passover Seder because it's too important of a ceremony. Instead, I honor the start of Passover with some thought and discussion on the themes, some Hebrew prayers, and a nice Jewish meal.

Agenda today:
1. Darkness to Hope Meditation
2. Bake hot cross buns
3. Clean the kitchen
4. Reflect on freedom
5. Passover blessing

Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday is the day when Jesus and his disciples gathered to share the Passover meal known as the Last Supper. Maundy is an English word that comes from the Latin mandatum, referring to the new commandment that Jesus made on that night: 

“A new commandment I give to you, that you Love one another. As I have loved you so you must love one another.” (John 13:34). 

On this day three important events are documented.

Rooted- acrylic on canvas

First came the washing of the Disciples' feet. In those days people wore sandals and walked long distances on very dusty roads; it was a sign of respect for a servant to gently wash the feet of guests when they arrived in a house. On this night, Jesus showed his great love and humility by washing the feet of his disciples. He told them, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” (John 13:1-17).

The second event was the introduction of the Eucharist. When Jesus and his disciples were reclining at their Passover meal, Jesus blessed the matzo bread and broke it, saying to them "Take this and eat it, for this is my body." Then he blessed the wine and passed around His cup. "Drink this, for this is my blood." (Matthew 26:26-28).

Later that night, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemani to pray, and was betrayed by Judas and arrested.

Agenda today:

1. Eat mindfully
2. Show love and humility
3. Find new clothes for Easter
4. Take a bubble bath
5. Go to the garden tonight to pray

Palm Sunday

This week before Easter is known as Holy Week. It begins on Palm Sunday, which is the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem almost 2000 years ago. At that time Jerusalem had a normal population of about 50,000, and it at least tripled in size because of the influx of pilgrims celebrating the Jewish holiday of Passover.

Marcus Borg says this:
“On... Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem from the east in a procession riding on a donkey cheered by his followers. At the same time, a Roman imperial procession of troops and cavalry entered the city from the west, headed by Pilate. Their purpose was to reinforce the Roman garrison stationed near the temple for the season of Passover, when tens (hundreds?) of thousands of Jewish pilgrims filled the city...

Jesus’ mode of entry was symbolic, signifying that the kingdom of which he spoke was a kingdom of peace. According to the prophet Zechariah, the king entering Jerusalem on a donkey was to banish the weapons of war from the land and speak peace to the nations. The kingdom of Rome on the other hand was based on violence and the threat of violence.” 

Agenda Today:
1. Journal queries
2. Make a palm cross
3. Add to my altar
4. Palm Sunday Prayer
5. Set up my egg tree
6. Make Figgy Pudding

Navratri Part 3

Dormancy - 2018, acrylic and collage on board

Navratri continues for three more nights, with the arrival of Saraswati.

Navratri is a Hindu holiday during which we honor and thank Shakti, the Divine Mother, in all her forms. Shakti is the universal principle of energy and creativity, Mother Earth, and the feminine power in each of us. The word nava means nine and ratri means nights; the festival lasts for nine nights, which are broken up into sets of three, and during each a different aspect of Shakti is meditated upon. We honor Saraswati during these final three nights; Saraswati means "the essence of self".

Agenda Today:
1- Add to my altar
2- Morning meditation on wisdom
3- Make moong dal (yellow lentils)
4- Evening visualization and prayer
5- Saraswati mantra

Navratri Continues

Navratri continues tonight with the visit of Lakshmi, the Goddess of success.

Navratri is a Hindu holiday during which we honor and thank Shakti, the Divine Mother, in all her forms. Shakti is the universal principle of energy and creativity, Mother Earth, and the feminine power in each of us. 

The word nava means nine and ratri means nights; the festival lasts for nine nights which are broken up into sets of three, and during each set a different aspect of Shakti is meditated upon. We honor Lakshmi during the middle set.

Agenda Today:
1- Make a new rangoli design
2- Add to my altar
3- Morning meditation on creative growth 
4- Make sweet corn sundal
5- Evening visualization and prayer
6- Lakshmi mantra

Spring Equinox and Nowruz

Spring Equinox occurred this morning at 3:15 a.m. PDT. The word equinox comes from the Latin words aequus (equal) and nox (night). This is a moment of balance- the sun rises exactly in the east, and sets exactly in the west, and we experience twelve hours each of light and dark. From this moment on, we gain more light each day, until the summer solstice.

Nowruz is the Persian New Year, which begins each year at the Spring Equinox and is celebrated in Iran for two weeks. The word Nowruz means New Day in Persian. It’s an ancient Persian belief that creation of the world took place on the first day of spring.

Agenda Today:
1. Journal queries
2. Start spring cleaning
3. Plant my straw doll
4. Prepare the sabzeh
5. Dye a few eggs
6. Make Koloocheh Cookies
7. Set up a haft sin
8. Nowruz Ceremony

New Budding Moon and Spring Navratri

Tonight is the new moon; the Chinese call the second new moon the Budding Moon. 

Spring has always been my favorite time of year, when I feel most creative and joyful. As we cycle nearer to spring, I can feel my energy growing and swelling like the buds on the trees!

Today is also the start of Navratri, a Hindu holiday during which we honor and thank Shakti, the Divine Mother, in all her forms. Shakti is the universal principle of energy and creativity, Mother Earth, and the feminine power in each of us.

The word nava means nine and ratri means nights; the festival lasts for nine nights and ten days. Navratri is celebrated twice each year, in the spring and fall, because these are times when nature and people undergo great changes. Spring (Chaitra) Navratri begins the day after the new moon in late March or early April, and is celebrated as a request to Shakti for a good growing season.

Agenda:
1- Make a rangoli design
2- Plant grain seeds
3- Set up an altar for Mother Nature
4- Journal queries
5- Morning meditation on strength
6- Make channa sundal (spicy chickpeas)
7- Evening visualization and prayer
8- Durga mantra

Farvardegan, Red Wednesday Eve, and Hamaspathmaidyem

This is the start of Farvardegan, which means “days of remembering the Fravashis" or guardian angels. It's a ten day Zoroastrian festival, which includes the five days of Hamaspathmaidyem (beginning on March 17th this year), the sixth and last gahambar. This gahamber is the most significant to Zoroastrians, because it's devoted to remembering the fravashis or guardian angels. According to Zoroastrian religion, each of the 6 creations was created during one of the Gahambars. Mankind was created on this last one. 

Farvardegan is a prelude to Nowruz, the Persian New Year,  on March 21. The word Nowruz means New Day in Persian. It’s an ancient Persian belief that creation of the world took place on the first day of spring.

Agenda this week:

1. Spring cleaning

2. Light a lamp for the angels
3. Recite prayers
4. Make Ajeel
5. Build a fire and JUMP!

International Women's Day

International Women's Day has been observed since the early 1900's as a day to celebrate the achievements of women, and take steps to increase gender equality. It's all about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action, globally and locally. 

No one government or group is responsible for International Women's Day, so many themes emerge each year.

The United Nations theme is “Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives”.

Another theme this year is Press for Progress. The International Women's Day web page says:

"With the World Economic Forum's 2017 Global Gender Gap Report findings telling us that gender parity is over 200 years away - there has never been a more important time to keep motivated and #PressforProgress. And with global activism for women's equality fuelled by movements like #MeToo, #TimesUp and more - there is a strong global momentum striving for gender parity... So we can't be complacent."

And the Women's March organizers have set the theme of  Women Power To The Polls.

Agenda Today:

1. Wear red
2. Make a vow to take action
3. Give shout-outs to women that inspire you
4. Read a book
5. Prayer

2018 Lent Calendar, Week 4

My theme for Lent this year is Mindful Contribution. I've been working at being more mindful-- being aware of how my thoughts wander, feeling grateful and savoring life, showing greater compassion, and expressing all of that with kindness, engagement, and contribution. It's a pretty fuzzy effort, easy to forget about or minimize, especially when I get busy.

As a symbol of that goal, I plan to fast from screentime at mealtime. I will eat each of my meals in a more meditative way- saying a prayer, giving attention to the food, perhaps writing a letter or writing in my journal, talking to my family, or reading something contemplative.


I'm also going to continue to explore social justice issues, and take some compassionate actions. I'll do a little study, prayer, journaling, artwork, or action each day... I don't know how this will evolve, but it will be revealed to me, week by week!

March 4, 3rd Sunday of Lent:
-Queries on Fear and Courage:

How does fear influence our lives? Are our decisions based on fear, or do we trust the Spirit’s urging toward love and reconciliation? 

How do we let go of our fears, trusting the Spirit, so that we can restore peace in our meetings and communities?

Do we encourage each other through love to act in faithful witness? How do we identify and confront fears that deceive, enslave, and stop us from living faithfully?

In times of trial and terror how can we open our hearts, return to God’s love, and move forward with courage?

What would we do, as individuals and as a community, if we were not afraid?

March 5:
March 6:
March 7:

March 8, International Women's Day:

-Prayer:

Overcome any bitterness that may have come
because you were not up to the magnitude of the pain
that was entrusted to you.
Like the Mother of the World,
Who carries the pain of the world in her heart,
Each one of us is part of her heart,
And therefore endowed
With a certain measure of cosmic pain.

-Sufi master Pir Vilayat Khan

March 9: 
-Mindful crafting:
I've wanted to start a project that is mindful and meditative for Lent, but so far it hasn't happened. Today I came upon this nice list of possibilities at the Pop Craft website:

• Coloring (like adult coloring books)
• Origami
• Weaving (on a small loom)
• Carving a relief print 
• Mosaics
• Pottery
• Embroidery (my addition)

Now I've got a plan, but it's a birthday gift, so I can't post it yet!

March 10:

3rd Sunday of Lent

I've been thinking about what stops me from taking action today in my community. I've certainly taken some steps forward in the last year for peace and justice: I've gone to rallies, served food to the hungry, helped to build a house for Habitat for Humanity, collected clothing to donate, studied issues, written letters, and spoken out. But I want to do more. What am I afraid of?

Agenda Today:

1. Study

2. Queries on Fear and Courage

Hina Matsuri

Hina Matsuri is a Japanese festival that falls every year on March 3. It began in ancient times as a Shinto effigy ceremony to prepare farmers for the planting of spring crops: They would rub their negative energy off onto a paper doll, then float it down the river.

Shinto is the official religion of Japan. It is an optimistic faith: Shinto followers believe that humans are fundamentally good, and evil spirits cause evil in the world. Shinto's honor the kami-- spiritual essences that live in nature within the mountains, trees, and rivers. Shinto tradition says that there are eight million million kami in Japan.

Today girl's set up displays of dolls, have a tea party, and- yes- some people still send dolls down the river.

Agenda today:
1. Journal queries
2. Housework
3. Make hina dolls
4. Make paper boats
5. The hina-okuri ceremony
6. Make hishi mochi and have a tea party
7. Prepare garden beds for planting
8. Plant the sabzeh

Holi

Holi is a Hindu holiday that falls on the day after the full moon in March each year. It marks the end of winter in India. Holi is sometimes called the Festival of Color, because on Holi everyone in India throws paint at each other! 

To prepare, folks buy gulal, which are powdered paints in rich colors of pink, magenta, red, yellow and green. Three days before Holi families get together to sprinkle a little of the gulal powders on each other, to share love and blessings. 

On the day of Holi the whole country goes wild with people laughing and running in the streets; they smear each other with powder, drench each other with buckets of paint, and spray paint with long pistons (like super-soakers). They also fill water balloons with paint! People often show respect for elders by sprinkling dry powder on their feet. 

By the end of the day everyone is covered with color- old people, children, men, women, rich and poor. Holi creates a feeling of equality in a country with strong disparity.

Agenda Today:
1. Make Malpua
2. Have a paint throwing celebration

World Day of Prayer

The World Day of Prayer takes place every year on the first Friday in March. Women in the United States and Canada first formed this event after the devastation of World War I, when they were convinced that world peace was tied to world mission. 

I love the motto of the World Day of Prayer: "Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action."

Each year, Christian women from all over the world join together to plan and organize events, and suggest a theme and focus. This year the theme was set by the women of Suriname, on the northeastern coast of South America, who tell us “All God's Creation is Very Good!"  

Women from Suriname lift up their voices to remind us that we are caretakers of God’s creation. They are bringing to our attention the urgent need for caring at a time when more than 180 countries have signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. A commitment to keep the earth cooler depends on public policies implemented by governments, but also on our personal lifestyle.

Agenda today: 
1. Read Genesis 1
2. Study up on global warming issues:
3. Prayer for Creation

Full Egg Moon and Lantern Festival

Tonight is the full moon called the Egg Moon, because this is the month when birds begin to lay eggs again. The egg is a powerful symbol of hope, new beginnings, and completeness; my vague ideas take a solid shape, enclosed in a perfect shell, and I have created a whole new beautiful thing!

Tonight is also Yuan Xiao, the 15th and last day of the Chinese New Year Festival. This is the night that the full moon rises in China; yuan means "first" and xiao means "night" and that name describes the first time that the full moon is seen in the New Year.

This festival's other name is the Lantern Festival, because on this night folks make or buy lanterns of all kinds: shaped like flowers, or boats, or birds; made of bamboo, silk or paper; decorated with paintings, embroidery, paper cuts, tassels, and fringe.

Everyone takes to the streets to display their lanterns. It’s like a carnival: Children dress in costumes and watch parades with lighted floats, fireworks displays, puppet shows, and dances.

Agenda for today:

1. Altar
2. Journal queries
3. Practice strength against the storm
4. Make tang yuan, sweet dumplings
5. Hang a lantern
6. Riddle guessing