2021 Lenten Calendar, Week Six

My theme for Lent this year is the Land I Live On. Most of my activism focus is on climate change, and I want to fuel that work with a strong and intimate connection to this land. I want to better understand my relationship to the natural world and the cycles of the seasons, the history, culture, and ecosystem of my valley, the indigenous peoples and how I connect to them, and the responsibility I feel for the land.

Also, because I am caring for my grandson this year, I have a unique opportunity to see the natural world through a baby's eyes, with Wonder and Discovery. I want to re-connect to the awe for Creation that I felt as a child.

March 21, Nowruz -

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. Plant grass under my egg tree: Every year I forget to plant grass until kind of too late, so I'm putting this reminder here!

March 22 -

3. Study Braiding Sweetgrass, section 4: Kimmerer shares the meaning of becoming indigenous to a place, of how the land is the “real teacher”, and the methodology she used with her Ethnobotany students to enlighten them to the fact that “The plants adapt, the people adopt.” She elaborates on the purpose of ceremony and how “... the community creates ceremony and the ceremony creates communities.”

March 23- 

4. Plant kale and bok choy: I've been experimenting with what at Findhord is called attunement, inner-listening, and co-creation, and consists mostly of being quiet and taking time to listen within for direction and guidance, as well as making a mystical connection to the plants themselves. Part of the purpose of attunement is to align with the most peaceful way to accomplish something, and another is to offer myself to service for the earth.

March 24- 

5. Wonder habits - Baby art: We had fun with paint inside a ziplock bag! The result will be a birthday card for Mom!

March 25, Waxing Gibbous Moon -

6. Creative visualization: At the gibbous moon, my last push for action before the yin time of the month, I call on the practice of visualization to help bring my goals to fruition. Today I will shine a light on my Lent intention to forge a strong and intimate connection to this land.

Creative visualization is a technique that uses my imagination to create change. It has three steps:

• First, center and relax each part of my body; count from 10 to 1, then open a connection to Spirit. Feel a soft warmth begin to grow and spread through me, until I am radiating quiet energy. [Sit outside under a tree in the rain.]
• Second, create a clear, detailed picture in my mind, as though the objective has been reached, and put as much positive energy into the image as possible. [Paint a vivid mental image of the earth holding me and caring for me.] 
• Lastly, affirm that this is what I want with a short positive phrase in the present tense; for example, "The earth loves me and I love the earth."

March 26-

7. Study Braiding Sweetgrass, section 4: In "Putting Down Roots" Kimmerer states, “Losing a plant can threaten a culture in much the same way as losing a language.” On the basis of Kimmerer’s discussion in this chapter regarding sweetgrass’s decline, how can plants repeat the history of their people? What are some examples presented by Kimmerer that would support her statement, “Reciprocity is a key to success.”?

8. Wonder Habits - Garden with a toddler: Today I got to play with dirt and weeds with my amazing grandson, and we both had a blast and got very dirty! 

March 27, Passover-

9. Reflect on freedom: I honor the start of Passover with some thought and discussion on the themes, and some Hebrew prayers. 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.

What is waiting inside me to be expressed out loud?What projects or images do I need to create to be made free?