Mehregan, Chung Ch’iu, and Full Squirrel Moon

Today is Mehregan (pronounced ‘meh-re-gahn’), an ancient Persian festival, older even than Zoroastrianism, that began as a feast for the sun god/dess, Mehr. When Zoroastrianism took hold in Persia, in around 1400 BCE, Mehr was reduced from a God to an angel, but the festival of Mehregan remained. Now Iranians celebrate it usually on October 1st or 2nd, as a day of thanksgiving and the start of the second half of the year (Noruz, in March, is the start of the first half). People decorate their houses, put on new clothes, and visit their relatives and friends, wishing each other a good harvest, long life, and happiness.

The squirrels are creating great entertainment these days for my dog Sadie!

Today is also the start of Chung Ch’iu, the 3-day Mid-Autumn Moon Festival - a happy and beautiful Asian family celebration that comes each year at the time of the full moon in September or October.

And tonight is the full moon called the Squirrel Moon, because now the squirrels are busily gathering nuts for the winter.

I'm celebrating a hybrid Mehegran/Chung Ch'iu/Sukkot this year -- for more art and recipes for Chung Ch'iu see my 2018 post.

Agenda for today:

1. Update my altar
2. Journal queries
3. Practice at my theme of balance
4. Fall cleaning

5. Make soup

6. Set the festival table

7. Have a Moon Viewing Party

1. Update my altar:
It's time to discern what to put on my altar for the next month. (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? From last month I'm keeping:

• dried corn- for the harvest
• a God's eye- to watch over us
• my straw doll- for luck and protection

And I'm adding:

• a yellow candle for balance in the center

2. Journal queries:

Mehr is responsible for knowledge, love, friendship, promises, and the light. The word "mehr" in Farsi means kindness. Because Mehregan's focus is on friendship and love, today I give attention to how well I honor the promises and commitments of friendship.
In what condition are my friendships? 
How might I be a better friend?

The squirrel moon is a good time to gather my forces inward, and contemplate how I will grow this fall. Review the intentions I set 2 weeks ago, at the new moon.

Do these goals all still seem vital?
What do I want to create in my life?
What resources should I be gathering?

3. Practise my theme of balance:

My theme this month is balance- the balance of yin and yang, concentration and mindfulness, action and study, social and alone time, yearning and resistance.

It's fall, and I'm drawn inward as the rains begin (and the pandemic drags on) - I want to retreat, be still, write in my notebook, read a good book, rock my grandbaby and sing sweet lullabies. 

But having pulled myself out of the inertia of isolation and anxiety once already this year, I don't want to slip back in! I want to balance my yin time with bursts of activity, as I enjoy the new art of zoom parties and distance socializing, and find ways to be of service to my community from home.

I need balance- somewhere between emptiness and chaos is the state of just enough. Balance is about knowing what I really want out of my life, making a commitment, and sticking to it. It’s an ongoing dynamic process, a balancing act! Balance goals might have to do with grounded-ness, finding clarity in chaos, embracing paradox, or allowing myself to flow with life’s changes. Remind myself to look at change as an adventure, not a disruption. Also, this is the place of connection to Spirit- I might seek a closer relationship with the Spirit outside myself.

Smoke and Ash, September 2020

My goals for the next two weeks:

• Paint more abstract landscapes that express my feelings about the impact of climate change.
• Continue to plan and teach challenging online art classes, and stretch my drawing skills.
• Finish our kitchen floor project!
• When I am with my grandson, set other activities aside and enjoy the chance to dote.
• Study and practice spiritual guidance, and write about it.
• Start a clearness process with a friend about clerking and the future of our Meeting.

4. Fall cleaning:

As I said last week, fall cleaning has an entirely different feel and focus than spring cleaning. In the fall we finish up, pack away, and "batten the hatches"-- we put away all the outdoor stuff, air out the sweaters, and prepare for winter. 

This week I will continue fall cleaning in the living room and front of the house. I plan to:

• Pare down some of my knickknacks.
• Repair a tear in the sofa.
• Clean the front porch and door, and decorate for fall with dried corn.
• Clean out a couple of garden beds and plant fava beans.

5. Make soup:

Zoroastrians in Iran and India have a community feast today, and non-Zoroastrians have a family feast. I usually make a large pot of vegetarian noodle stew, called âsh-e-reshte, with my students, but this year I made corn and potato chowder.

6. Set the festival table:

Zoroastrians set a very elaborate table display for Mehregan, with a copy of Khordeh Avesta (Little Avesta), a mirror, an antimony container, rosewater, sweets, flowers, vegetables and fruits (especially pomegranates and apples), nuts such as almonds or pistachios, silver coins and lotus seeds; also a burner for burning frankincense and rue seeds. The sides of the tablecloth are decorated with dry wild marjoram.

I don’t even try to duplicate it but sometimes I include these Zoroastrian symbols:

• Mirror – symbolizing Sky 
• Apple – symbolizing Earth 
• Candles – symbolizing Fire 
• Rose water – symbolizing Water 
• Seeds (such as peas, beans, and lentils) – symbolizing last year's harvest and next year's plan.

This year, because of the pandemic, my family sat together outside, "socially distanced". The table between us was decorated with branches of herbs, corn, and squashes. I hope this isn't our last chance to gather - My prayer is that we will find a comfortable way to continue to a safely meet once the cold weather sets in. 

7. Have a Moon Viewing Party:

In China, the big event is a picnic outside to admire the moon, with tea, moon cakes and round fruits (a symbol of family unity).

The festival continues for three days with games and fun. During this time it is believed that flowers fall from the moon and anyone sharp-eyed enough to see them will have very good fortune.

After moon viewing, we sometimes write poetry to show our appreciation of the moon.