Maidyozarem

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.

Maidyozarem, the first Gahambar of the Zoroastrian year, means "mid-spring", and it celebrates the creation of the sky, heaven, the stars, and the hot nebulous cloud of the fire of the Universe. It takes place each year from April 30 through May 4th.

Agenda this week:

1. Recite prayers

2. Make Kachumber Salad

Earth Week 2019

Today is Earth Day, and I plan to celebrate this whole week as Earth Week.

The first Earth Day was in 1970 and it still remains a big event in the environmental movement. Interest and participation in Earth Day has increased and spread around the world, with millions of people taking part. 

I do many things everyday in my life to help the earth: I live in a small house; I walk and bike, and work at home; I buy used stuff and buy locally; I use the library instead of buying books; I compost, recycle, and grow my own food, and I work with other climate activists to help change the way we use carbon in our community.

This week I ask myself “What more could I do?” I want to stretch my limits to action.

Agenda this week:

1. Earth Week petition walks
2. Clean the neighborhood
3. Study climate friendly yard design
4. Bicycle promotion work
5. Make Earth Cookies
6. Sew a new badge to wear

Easter

Easter is the most important and joyful of all Christian holy days because it marks the resurrection of Jesus. Easter always comes after the spring equinox, when lots of things in nature are returning to life- specifically, on the first Sunday after the full Moon on or just after the equinox. 

The English word Easter comes from the Old English Eastre, which was the name for the spring season.

Easter is the penultimate time of hope, renewal and new life, which is at the heart of the message that Christians wish to proclaim and live in the world. I see this as a reminder to live each day as a new day, and to have faith that the actions I take will have transforming power in the world.

Agenda today:

1. Greet the Easter sunrise with joy
2. Put on new clothes to symbolize new life
3. Hunt for Easter eggs

Great Saturday

Today is 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. Make natural egg dyes
2. Make cascaróne eggs
3. Dye pysanky eggs

Good Friday, Passover, and Full Hare Moon

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

Tonight is the full moon; this one is called the Hare Moon, because this is the month when rabbits leap and play and mate.

Carmella and Toffee

And 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.

Agenda today:
1. Darkness to Hope Meditation
2. Update my altar
3. Journal queries
4. Practice at my theme of Joy
5. Bake hot cross buns
6. Clean the kitchen
7. Reflect on freedom
8. 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- Jesus showed his great love and humility by washing the feet of his disciples.

Second was the introduction of the Eucharist.

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

Agenda today:

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

2019 Lent Calendar, Week 7

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.

April 14, Palm Sunday-

1. Journal queries: On Palm Sunday Jesus confronted the Roman domination of Jerusalem. I too am called to speak truth to power and put my faith into action.

Where do I see domination systems today?
What are my intentions for facing them with peaceful actions?

Journal: I have thrown myself fully into the climate justice movement, and that has already required me to speak truth to power, as well as to friends and family. My intentions are to speak with humble and compassionate honesty, from my own experience.

April 15-

2. Fasting: Week six- I'm continuing to fast from carbon by not heating my office, not using my dryer for anything I can possibly dry outside, and not eating beef.

April 16-

3. Resilliency Webinar: I've been studying resilience- how to be resilient in the face of catastorophic climate change, and how to extend hope to others as they face upheavals in their lives. Bob Doppelt, the resiliency expert, says that it helps to have a "Purposing Plan", which is like a mission statement that covers goals for enhancing my own wellbeing, the wellbeing of others, and for the environment. I think having a purpose to focus on helps to control feelings of panic.

My plan is to:

1. Study low carbon living, write about it, and share what I learn;
2. Attend the Community Climate Coalition to learn about our city's CAP plan and pass this information on to others, so we can encourage the city to act on it;
3. Find ways to improve bicycle safety, so that more people will feel safe to bike in our city- this is a big goal, so I'll start by doing lots of research.

April 17-

4. Dye eggs with my family

April 18, Maundy Thursday:

5. Show Love: 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).

April 19, Good Friday and Passover:
6. Write about freedom:

Passover is about freedom from slavery, oppression, and confinement, but Judaism defines true freedom as the ability to express who you really are. If something in my heart and soul has not had the opportunity to be expressed, then I am not yet free.

Today I will contemplate and write about what freedom means to me.

April 20, Great Saturday

April 21- Easter

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

Songkran

Songkran is the New Year festival in Thailand, officially observed for three days, April 13 - 15, but actually the celebration usually lasts the entire week. 

The word songkran comes from the Sanskrit, meaning "to pass or move into", referring to the passing and moving of the sun from one sign of the Zodiac to another (but it's also taken to mean "moving forward into a better life"). There are in fact twelve Songkrans each year, but this Songkran (sometimes called the Great Songkran) is when the sun enters the sign of Aries the Ram, always near to the vernal equinox.

April is the hottest month of the year in Thailand, and maybe that is why water is a theme for this festival. All statues of the Buddha are ceremonially washed, and then the entire country participates in friendly water fights and street parties that last nearly a week. 

Agenda Today:
1. Clean house
2. Make resolutions
3. Connect with Family
4. Build a sand pagoda
5. Water play
6. Make Thong Yod (Golden Egg Drops)

Navratri Part Three

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

Spring 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. For the next three nights the Mother is invoked as Lakshmi, goddess of material and spiritual wealth. 

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

2019 Lent Calendar, Week 6

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.

April 7, 5th 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 8- 

2. Study low carbon-living: Read Chapter 8: The Right Stuff, from the book Cooler Smarter: Practical Steps for Low-Carbon Living, by the Union of Concerned Scientists.

About one-fourth of my carbon emissions come from the goods and services I buy, the hardest category to make changes in. I am already a very frugal shopper and recycle to my maximum ability, but I can work to reduce my water and sewage use, as that creates the highest emmissions per dollar spent.

April 9-

3. Fasting: Week five- I'm continuing to fast from carbon by not heating my office, by not using my dryer for anything I can possibly dry outside, and by fasting from beef, because beef production accounts for more than 1/3 of all the U.S. agricultural heat-trapping emissions.

April 10-

4. Bank Action: #DefundDisaster Bank Protest (a quick creative disruption)-

"According to Banking on Climate Change, world banks have invested $1,900,000,000,000 worldwide since the Paris Accord. At the same time, their fossil fuel investments comprise only 1% - 4% of their total portfolios. They are selling out the future to fund the bottom line of their shareholders. Instead, they should be aligning their financing with a 1.5 degree warmer world. We demand they divest from dirty energy and use their vast wealth to become true energy companies that support clean energy and transportation projects. Additionally, they must implement policies that respect human rights, and in particular indigenous rights, and they must be transparent about a comprehensive plan for this transition."

April 11-

5. Climate Town Hall Meeting: I expect to have fun- we will have displays of bicycles & EV’s, and Miss Frizzle with her Magic Bus! We will learn more about local transportation sector emissions, hear three experts share how real progress can be made, then breakout into action groups to organize to build political will for the changes we need. 

"Our community is ready to do our share to bring down greenhouse gas emissions, and transportation, our biggest challenge, is a great place to start. Cities can’t do it alone. It’s up to us to pitch in."

April 12-

6. Study Permiculture: I'm taking a free online permaculture class from the Permaculture Womens Guild. This week we've covered Permaculture Principles again, in more detail. The graphic is from the course, by Heather Jo Flores.

April 13-

7. Read Stoic Philosophy 

Spring Navratri

Today is 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- Morning meditation on strength
5- Make channa sundal (spicy chickpeas)
6- Evening visualization and prayer
7- Durga mantra

Ching Ming and Sleepy New Moon

Ch'ing Ming means Pure and Bright. This Chinese festival falls 15 days after the Spring Equinox. 

Ching Ming tea party of two years ago.

The Pure Brightness Festival is also called Ancestors Day or Picnic Day, because Chinese families gather today to sweep graves and offer foods- such as steamed pastries, roast pork, tea, and wine- to their ancestors. After the ceremony the family feasts on the offering foods.

And tonight is the new moon; the Chinese call the third new moon the Sleepy Moon, because the drowsiness of spring is in the air. On the first three days of this moon, the Chinese in Beijing celebrate the birthday of Hsi Wang Mu with a temple festival. Hsi Wang Mu is the Grandmother Goddess of the Western Heaven, also called the Great Yin. She controls the cosmic forces of time and space, determines life and death, and controls disease and healing. She watches over the tree of the peaches of immortality.

Agenda today:
1- Journal queries
2- New Moon Meditation
3- Have a yin kind of day
4- Make gold ingots (yuan bao)
5- Make Char Siu (Chinese Barbecued Pork)
6- Make Red Tortoise Cakes (Ang Ku Kueh)
7- Remember and honor ancestors