2019 Lent Calendar, Week Five

My theme for Lent is low-carbon living. I'm working on climate justice this year, so I want to get a better technical understanding of the best practical changes to make in my life.

At Lent I allow myself to be slow, simple, and thoughtful. I spend time each day in focused study and prayer. And I choose something to temporarily reduce or cut out of my life, as a reminder that what I truly need is the nurturing of Spirit. And I also observe Lent as a time of creative action, acting on what I learn.

March 31, 4th Sunday of Lent-

1. Journal queries: What have I learned so far from my Lenten fast and study? What is the next step to take?

Ground myself in optimistic hope for the future, and become more open to the best actions to take.

April 1- 

2. Study low carbon-living: Read Chapter 7: A Low-Carbon Diet- from the book Cooler Smarter: Practical Steps for Low-Carbon Living, by the Union of Concerned Scientists.

It's complicated to try to calculate the emissions different foods create: I have to consider whether the food was grown in a heated greenhouse, what kinds of chemicals were used on it, the energy used to process it, and how far it was shipped. I also have to consider how much methane was produced naturally (methane is more potent as a global warming gas than carbon dioxide).

"But no matter how you measure it, one thing stands out in the data: pound for pound, dollar for dollar, or calorie for calorie, meat- especially beef- contibutes the most to global warming."

April 2-

3. Fasting: Week five- I'm continuing to fast from carbon by not heating my office, as a reminder that I need to take bigger steps soon. I'm also fasting from using my dryer for anything I can possibly dry outside.

This week I've decided to add beef, because beef production accounts for more than 1/3 of all the U.S. agricultural heat-trapping emissions.

April 3-

4. Climate Coalition meeting: This is my once-a-month commitment to learn what our city is doing to reduce carbon in the community.

April 4-

5. Study Permiculture: I'm taking a free online permaculture class from the Permaculture Womens Guild. This week we've covered ethics and access to land. My assignment is to list ways I can share access to my land. My ideas:

1. Teach garden and nature classes in my yard.
2. Share my produce, and eggs.
3. Plant food near sidewalk with a sign for taking.
4. Sharing with the birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife.

April 5, New Moon-

6. Propagation Fair: I got a new plum tree and lots of seeds!

April 6-

7. Climate Activist Organizers Workshop: I learned some tools for analyzing who might be allies or not, and how to decide how to encourage people to change their viewpoint. Also, how to break goals into strategies, and strategies into tactics. 

2019 Lent calendar, Week Four

My theme for Lent is low-carbon living. I'm working on climate justice this year, so I want to get a better technical understanding of the best practical changes to make in my life.

At Lent I allow myself to be slow, simple, and thoughtful. I spend time each day in focused study and prayer. And I choose something to temporarily reduce or cut out of my life, as a reminder that what I truly need is the nurturing of Spirit. And I also observe Lent as a time of creative action, acting on what I learn.

March 24, 3rd Sunday of Lent-

1. Journal queries: What have I learned so far from my Lenten fast and study? What is the next step to take?

Ground myself in optimistic hope for the future, and become more open to the best actions to take.

March 25-
2. Mini-Retreat:

It's Spring Break, and I have the week off from teaching. Today I want to spend time reading, meditating, and writing about the directions life is taking me.

March 26-

3. Study low carbon-living: Read Chapter 6: Taking Charge of Electricity at Home- from the book Cooler Smarter: Practical Steps for Low-Carbon Living, by the Union of Concerned Scientists

The third biggest cause of emissions for the average American in the U.S. is our various electical appliances and devises. We can cut back by knowing which are the biggest hogs, and also knowing where our electricity comes from. Things to do, in order of effectiveness:

1. Switch to all LED bulbs.

2. Buy a more efficient regrigerator.

3. Wash clothes in cold water.

4. Use a clothesline to dry clothes as often as possible.

5. Turn tv and other devises all the way off with a power strip switch, and let computers go to sleep mode.

March 27-

4. Fasting: Week four- I'm continuing to fast from carbon, by not heating my office, as a reminder that I need to take bigger steps soon. 

Now that spring has officially arrived, this is no longer a very big deal, so I'm adding a new challenge: I'm fasting from using my dryer for anything I can possibly dry outside.

March 28-

5. Banner: I'm still working on a banner to attach to my bike.

March 29-

6. Study Permiculture: I'm taking a free online permaculture class from the Permaculture Womens Guild. This week we've covered whole system design, and my assignment was to make a list of every component I want to include (or already do include): Vegetables, fruit trees, clothesline, ducks, an edible hedge, new heat pump, and new appliances.

March 30- 

7. Read Stoic Philosophy:

From the Philosophy for Change website, by Tim Rayner:

"If we are to meet the challenges of the 21^st century, it is vital that we learn to think differently about change. It is necessary to find ways of making the genuine possibilities of whole systems change apparent. This entails cultivating the courage to look beyond the limits of what exists today, and the resilience to hold to our line of sight against the depreciations of the status quo. We need to devise a new horizon of coordinates to enable us to think differently about the present and to transform our trajectory into the future. 

None of this is impossible. The human mind is a plastic medium with a natural facility for change. The Stoics took this to reflect the divine origins of human reason. ‘Heavenly things are by nature always in motion’, Seneca explains from his exile in Corsica. “Look at the planets which light up the world – not one is at rest. … How silly then to imagine that the human mind, which is formed of the same elements as divine beings, objects to movement and change of abode, while the divine nature finds delight and even self-preservation in continual and very rapid change” (Letter to Helvia, 7). Seneca’s submission amounts to simple common sense today, as we struggle with uncertainty and risk. Whatever history records, we would do well to cultivate the spiritual levity of the Stoic sage, and learn to find “delight and even self-preservation” in a world of continual change."

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

Nowruz

Nowruz is the Persian New Year, which begins each year at the time of the spring equinox in Iran, and is celebrated 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. Prepare the sabzeh
2. Dye a few eggs
3. Make Koloocheh Cookies
4. Set up a haft sin
5. Nowruz Ceremony

Spring Equinox and Full Egg Moon

Spring equinox occurs this afternoon at 2:58 p.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.

Duck egg in the apple tree nest.

Tonight is also 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!

Agenda Today:
1. Journal queries
2. Altar
3. Practice balance
4. Plant my straw doll

Chahar Shanbe Suri' (The Festival of Fire)

Chahar Shanbe Suri', the Festival of Fire, is part of the ten day Zoroastrian festival, Farvardegan, which concludes with Nowruz, the Persian New Year, on March 21. On this last Tuesday of the year, Iranians jump over bonfires.

Agenda this week:

1. Make Ajeel
2. Spring cleaning

3. Build a fire and JUMP!

2019 Lent Calendar, Week Three

My theme for Lent this year is low-carbon living. I'm working on climate justice this year, so I want to get a better technical understanding of the best practical changes to make in my life.

At Lent I allow myself to be slow, simple, and thoughtful. I spend time each day in focused study and prayer. And I choose something to temporarily reduce or cut out of my life, as a reminder that what I truly need is the nurturing of Spirit. And I also observe Lent as a time of creative action, acting on what I learn.

March 17, 2nd Sunday of Lent-
1. Journal queries: What have I learned so far from my Lenten fast and study? What is the next step to take?

From my journal: I can't improve my transportation emissions, because I'm already using almost no car travel. What I want to do this year is work to make biking easier and safer in our city. I'm going to start reading the information from the Active Transportation Committee, and also work with a group of others from my community with the same concern.

2. Make a badge for change: It took me about one hour during a meeting to sew this small badge with a safety pin. One of the things I like most about the Craftivism movement is that as I sew I'm not only expressing my hope for social change, but also creating a quiet space for myself to regain a sense of power and purpose.

March 18-
3. Study low carbon-living: Read Chapter 5: Home is Where the Heat Is- from the book Cooler Smarter: Practical Steps for Low-Carbon Living, by the Union of Concerned Scientists

The second biggest cause of emissions for the average American in the U.S. is home heating and cooling. This is definitely where I need to focus attention- we have a leaky house! We keep our thermostat turned down to about 65º most of the time (and wear layers) but some of our heat is escaping out the windows and floors.

According to the book, we can reduce our emissions by:
1. Getting an energy audit or doing a low-tech leak test with a stick of incense.
2. Weatherizing with caulk, weatherstripping, and spray foam. 
3. Adding reflective barriers behind our baseboard heaters.
4. Adding more insulation to the attic.
5. Replacing our missing storm windows, and fixing the leaky ones.
6. Saving up to install a heat pump and a tankless water heater. 

March 19-

4. Fasting: Week three- I'm continuing to fast from carbon, by not heating my office, as a reminder that I need to take bigger steps soon.

March 20- 

5. Teach a class: Tonight I am teaching a class on the topic of Simplicity and Earth Stewardship, and sharing some of my own thoughts and actions.

March 21-

6. Attend a free class on "Home Energy Solutions": We are going to learn how we can improve our home in this "informative, action oriented presentation". Topics include best “bang for your buck” efficiency upgrades, heating and cooling options (heat pumps), solar electric systems, and considerations for new construction or remodels. Local experts and businesses will be available for personalized questions after the presentation.

March 22- 

7. Study Permiculture: I'm taking a free online permaculture class from the Permaculture Womens Guild. This week we've covered the basics of what permaculture is. (In case you don't know, it's a set of tools and techniques borrowed from indigenous cultures, applied to create human habitats and renewable resource systems that mimic nature and regenerate, rather than annihilate, the Earth.)

My assignment is to "geek out on permaculture for 20 minutes every day"; also, start to think about my goals, and talk with my family about what we would like to accomplish in terms of applying permaculture design strategies to our living environment.

March 23- 
8. Read Stoic Philosophy

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is an Irish holiday that falls on March 17 each year. In Ireland it’s celebrated with parades, community feasts, singing, dancing, and church services, all in honor of St. Patrick, an English man who lived in about 400 A.D.

St. Pat’s whole name was Magnus Sucatus Patricus. When he was 16, Irish raiders carried him off from England to Ireland to work as a slave. He escaped six years later, traveled and studied for many years, and became a Christian missionary. He returned to Ireland, and grew famous for all the miracles he performed and for converting many Irish people to Christianity.

The Celts brought a new perspective to Christianity, quite different than the Romans; the four major themes of Celtic spirituality are:

• Pilgrimage as a means of discovering your own path to God 
• Monasticism and life in community
• Art and symbolism
• The idea that God is present everywhere.

Agenda Today:

1. Prayer of St. Patrick
2. Learn some Irish Gaelic
3. Wear the green
4. Plant potatoes
5. Enjoy hot Irish coffee

Farvardegan 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, and it includes the five days of Hamaspathmaidyem, which begin on March 16, and concludes with Nowruz, the Persian New Year, on March 21. 

Hamaspathmaidyem is 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.

Agenda this week:

1. Spring cleaning
2. Welcome the angels
3. Recite prayers

Clean Monday

Today is known as Clean Monday in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. The clean originally referred to the purification of the soul for Lent. Today it's customary to clean the house thoroughly, and, in Greece, people go on picnics, eat shellfish, and fly kites!

Agenda Today:
1. Clean House
2. Make skordalia or laguna
3. Prayer of Cleansing

2019 Lent calendar, Week Two

My theme for Lent this year is low-carbon living. I'm working on climate justice this year, so I want to get a better technical understanding of the best practical changes to make in my life.

At Lent I allow myself to be slow, simple, and thoughtful. I spend time each day in focused study and prayer. And I choose something to temporarily reduce or cut out of my life, as a reminder that what I truly need is the nurturing of Spirit. And I also observe Lent as a time of creative action, acting on what I learn.

March 10, 1st Sunday of Lent and Forgiveness Sunday- 
1. Journal queries: What have I learned so far from my Lenten fast and study? What is the next step to take?

Ground myself in optimistic hope for the future, and become more open to the best actions to take.

2. Offer and ask for forgiveness: A wise man said to forgive our neighbors even when they sin against us repeatedly, even until seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22). Tonight I offer this prayer:

I offer forgiveness to those in this country who deny the science of climate change. I offer forgiveness to my neighbors who think it's not their problem, or don't have the energy to change their lifestyle. 

And I offer forgiveness to myself for being so slow to take the time to study the issue and take action myself. 

In offering forgiveness, I hope to be able to set down this burden of indignation and rage, and move on to mitigating the problems we have created.

March 11, Clean Monday-
3. Study low carbon-living: Read Chapter 4: Driving Down Emissions- from the book Cooler Smarter: Practical Steps for Low-Carbon Living, by the Union of Concerned Scientists

For most people, transportation is the biggest producer of carbon emissions, but that's not true for us. We don't own a car, and our feet are our main form of transportation.

The facts are that U.S. cars produce 1.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide and other bad gases per year, and that's about 45% of the world's automotive emissions, though we have only 5% of the world's population. Clearly, we should be ashamed!

According to the book, we can reduce our emissions by:
1. Buying a fuel efficient car.
2. Driving less, including less air travel and less long-distance travel.
3. Carpooling or busing.
4. Keeping a well-tuned car, removing extra weight from the car, and avoiding idling.

March 12- 

4. Fasting: Week two- I've been fasting from Carbon, starting with not heating my office, as a reminder that I need to take bigger steps soon. It's been hard but effective, because my hands are so cold as I type-- it definitely makes me want to improve our insulation and storm windows before next winter!

March 13-

5. Make a banner: I've been balancing my study and fasting with creative action. I've got a great idea for a banner to attach to my bicycle, and I'm going to work on it today.

March 14- 
6. Watch videos from the Interfaith Earthkeepers site.

March 15-

7. Go to the Global Climate Strike.
The kids are leaving school today, and they need our support!

On March 15, along with 40 countries on all continents, we will create a Global strike For Future together! To show the Climate Crisis is a Crisis! If you’re an adult, we hope you’ll take the day off in solidarity with us too. There has never been a more urgent time to demand the climate action we all deserve.

March 16-
8. Read Stoic Philosophy: Socrates said that "nobody does wrong willingly", meaning that nobody thinks they are wrong, even when they are. We all figure out ways to rationalize and excuse our worst behaviors.

The Greeks had a word for it- Amathia- which is often translated as ignorance, but is so much more. Amathia is lack of wisdom, the opposite of sophia. It's "not learning", even an unwillingness to learn, or dis-knowledge- or "intelligent stupidity". 

I know that my friends who drive cars aren't maliciously killing our planet; they just think it's the only option they have. They haven't fully analyzed it and they are convinced they’re doing a good job, the best job possible, for their set of circumstances. 

It's a national amathia-- a dis-knowledge of how to live. I know from first hand experience that people with amathia can't be persuaded with a reasoned argument because they have accepted since they were very young this whole idea that autos are the only way to get around. 

I can see no point in being angry about this- my anger won't change anything and will only make me feel frustrated and defeated. What people need is a spiritual awakening.

Stoic teacher Epictetus said:

“As we pity the blind and the lame, so should we pity those who are blinded and lamed in their most sovereign faculties. The man who remembers this, I say, will be angry with no one, indignant with no one, revile none, blame none, hate none, offend none.”

People who suffer from amathia can't act right because they are blind to the truth. So, I will continue to model a different way of living, and work at feeling compassion for those who know not what they do.