Day of Retreat

Saturdays are usually my day of retreat, and on this second Saturday of the year I plan to re-connect with my self. And Awareness is my theme for the day.

Agenda: 

1. Retreat plan

2. 2022 Resolutions postcard

3. House of Belief

4. Kitchen blessing

5. Kitchen Blessing Prayer

1. Retreat plan:

• Start with some reading from the Power of Ritual, by Casper Ter Kuile. "Reading is a path to greater awareness. To courage and commitment. To helping us see our mistakes, and to finding a better way forward."
• Take a little time with my daily dawn prayer: "Spirit of Love, Light, and Creation, I remember thee."
• Take a long bath with bubbles and candles, and write about self-awareness.
• Light incense and dedicate an hour to the act of creation: "I am one with the cycle of creation and destruction, but for this hour I will create."
• Take a rainy Awareness Walk, and give attention to the sky and the trees.

2. Resolutions postcard for 2022:

I have finally settled on my New Year's Resolutions - I like to make my goals visible, so I made this postcard.

3. House of Belief:

Before Christmas I started to re-read the book "House of Belief" by Kelee Katillac. One of my goals this year is to fine tune my interior spaces and my garden to better express my beliefs; specifically - simplicity, love, and unity with nature.

Kelee says, "Within the safe space of our homes, we should surround ourselves with images that uplift our hearts and minds." The kind of artistic vignettes and displays of antiques that fill this book are not practical in a home with a toddler, but I do want to incorporate words of affirmation, natural objects, my favorite colors and folk art motifs in a simple and inspiring way.

Also, I want to continue to hone down my possessions to what I really need and love.

Today I will make a start on that in the kitchen, first by sorting all our cooking pots and choosing some to give away, and secondly by installing my new AWARE sign where I can see it every day.

3. Kitchen blessing:

The Orthodox Church has a tradition of blessing homes within a few weeks after Epiphany. The family prepares by cleaning the house, and then a priest comes to sprinkle holy water and pray for each family member, living and dead.

So what is a blessing? The Church recognizes a blessing as a statement or prayer that invokes God’s favor and power, and prepares one to receive grace, or in the case of a house blessing, prepares the space and those within it.

My own understanding is that the act of cleaning itself is a blessing on the house, and that sitting still in a newly cleaned room is a good way to remember that we are each blessed, always and forever.

But I love a good ritual! My custom is to bless each room this month, first by cleaning it, then with a ritual, and then by remembering the blessings of life.

I've done the physical cleaning of the sink, mold, windows, and refrigerator, and I've tidied the shelves. But my house also holds emotional "dirt" that needs clearing, lingering psychic odors of angry words and melancholy thoughts, and the bad vibes of political debate heard on the tv.

For a simple house cleansing ritual, I use a twofold approach: Salt water and sage smoke.

Sea salt is an ingredient used in Christian holy water, and also in water used by Pagans for cleansing and blessing. I keep a small bottle of water with dissolved sea salt for this purpose. Sprinkling salt water is known as asperging. Salt water covers the elements of earth and water.  

 

Sage smoke is tied to the element of fire and air, and will scatter away negative vibes to the winds. I use the Old World culinary sage that my ancestor shamans may have used, and which I grow in my garden. I dry it in the fall and wrap it together with sewing thread.

1. Set the intention to clear out bad energy and invite in blessings.

2. Light a candle, and from that ignite the sage. Once it catches, blow it out so that it smolders. (Leave the candle lit, though.)

3. Walk around the room and waft the smoke into every corner. (In the kitchen, I even open the cabinets and drawers, and waft smoke inside.) As you walk, think about the intentions you set.

4. Pour a little salt water into a small bowl, dip your fingers in and lightly sprinkle it as you walk around the room a second time.

4. Kitchen Blessing Prayer: 

After the ritual, I'll sit quietly at the table with the lit candle, and savor the blessing of a clean kitchen. I may also say a short prayer to the Spirit of the hearth and home:

Blessed be this kitchen, the food, the herbs and spices, and the pots and pans used to prepare our meals.

Peace be to this house and to all who live here, and to all who visit.