Maidyoshahem

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.

Maidyoshahem (may-eed-YO-sha-hem) is the second Gahambar, the Midsummer Rain feast, and it takes place each year from June 29 to July 3. This Gahambar celebrates the creation of water on our earth, and the last day is called Tirgan (pronounced Teer-gone), in honor of Tir, the angel of rain. Iranians celebrate Tirgan with dancing, singing, and by swimming and splashing water on each other.

Agenda this week:
1. Recite a Prayer
2. Make a Persian Salad
3. Get wet!

New Lotus Moon

The Chinese call the sixth new moon the Lotus Moon. The lotus is the "flower of open-heartedness", an emblem of purity, fruitfulness (because of its many seeds) and creative power. And since lotus leaves protect the goldfish under them, the lotus also symbolizes abundance year after year. 

Detail from "Connect", acrylic

A lotus flower grows out of the mud, and blossoms above the muddy water surface. Buddhists teach that, like a lotus, we can rise above the suffering and conflicts of life. The Lotus Moon, then, is the natural time to dig into the mud of my life, and seek out the best ways to grow above the fray.

Agenda:

1. Retreat Day

2. Journal queries

3. Choose a month theme

4. Set intentions

5. New moon altar and Lotus Meditation

Examine Your Priorities

My priorities guide my days. By priorities I mean those activities, responsibilities, people, studies, disciplines, and whatever else seems most important and feels most meaningful at this time in my life. Knowing my priorities gives me peace of mind, because it's so much easier to say, "No - that's not a priority for me right now."

You have lots of things in lots of categories that you do every day, but which of those are priorities in your life? Priorities are fluid; they change over time and with the seasons, and expand or decrease with your energy, so you need to keep a close eye on them. Choosing your current set of priorities (with care) will give your day focus, and help you to decide how to best spend your time.

It's been a while since I last examined mine, and the start of summer seems a good time to assess and adjust my list.

Agenda Today:

1. Read "Repacking Your Bags"

2. Discern my current priorities

3. Map out my priorities

4. Act on each priority today (ceremonially)

Summer Solstice

The season is turning. Today the sun exerts its maximum energy on our part of the earth; the powers of outward expression are at their greatest, and the powers of inner contemplation are at their lowest.

And of course, just as we reach the point of maximum yang energy, yin energy is reborn and begins to gain strength: The next days will each be a little shorter again, until the winter solstice in December.

Agenda:

1. Plan a fun first week of summer
2. Make a New Solar Disk

3. Harvest herbs

4. Make Kanelbuller (Swedish Cinnamon buns)

5. Make flower crowns

6. Build a Solstice Fire

June Third Quarter Moon

Photo by Alan Gillespie

The June Third Quarter Moon energy is yin - quiet, internal, heart-driven, intentional Being-ness. At this phase we can ease off a bit on actively pursuing goals, slow down, go within, and attend to inner work and self-care.

 

Agenda today:
1. Renewal plan for next month

2. Evaluation House

3. Read "Repacking Your Bags'

4. Monthly journal brainstorm

5. Surrender, rest, recuperate

Juneteenth

Juneteenth is an African-American holiday that occurs each year on June 19th. It began as a celebration of the end of slavery: On June 19, 1865, the last slaves in America were finally freed. The name Juneteenth is a combination of June + nineteenth.

Today African Americans celebrate their freedom and their heritage, with music, dances, speeches, stories, games, and fun. They have picnics with traditional foods and make traditional crafts.

But more than 150 years after emancipation, the nation is still struggling with the issues of systemic racism and injustice. Two years ago we had widespread protests across the U.S. after the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, and we began another national debate. Many white people got jolted out of their comfortable apathy and took an oath to be anti-racists.

Juneteenth is a reminder to enjoy the freedoms we have, and work for justice and freedom for all people everywhere. Today I celebrate Juneteenth as an apology, and a prayer.

Agenda:

1. Review "Me and White Supremacy"

2. Attend a ride and a festival

3. Cook collard greens

Sanctuary and Adventure

A sanctuary is a place of welcome, safety, and refuge, particularly for anyone who is in danger, or is a target of hate, due to immigration status or any other difference. The word sanctuary comes from the Latin sanctuarium - "a sacred place or shrine". I create sanctuary for oppressed people by challenging hate in my community, and by rooting out biases in my own thinking.

But we all need sanctuary. I hope to create that kind of space in my home for myself, my family, and friends; and also a safe place for birds and wildlife who visit us.

A sanctuary is a base from which to venture forth into the world and seek one's way. Venture is a shortening of the word adventure, which comes from the Latin adventura  - "a thing about to happen". Every day brings a new adventure!

Agenda:

1. Read "Repacking Your Bags"

2. Creating sanctuary (plans)

3. Having adventure (plans)

4. Our huge garden project update

Full Strawberry Moon

Tonight is the full moon called anishnalya, the "camas ripe" moon by the Kalapuya of our area, and the Strawberry Moon by others. This is a highly yang time of movement and strength, the season of completion and fulfillment. I have hope that I will reach my full flowering, begin to enjoy the fruits of my visions, and relax in the richness of success.

Agenda:

1. Take a vision walk

2. Celebrate abundance

3. Gratitude practice

June Sabbath for Abundance

Today is my sabbath. I've had a week of abundant cleaning, active play, and fruitful meetings, and I'm ready to settle into a sabbath frame of mind. My sabbath might be on Saturday or on Sunday, or part of both days. My perfect sabbath is a celebration, a holiday. I keep it holy with my attitude: I do not rush, complain, or worry. 

Keeping a sabbath day is a personal thing. For me, it's a day with a slow pace, and everything I do has a flavor of peace. I schedule some work, but it's work I find fulfilling, or uplifting. Simple is a great word to describe my ideal activities for the Sabbath: Simple tasks, simple foods, and an undemanding schedule.

Agenda today:

1. All day abundance meditation

2. My Earth-Quaker path

3. Earth Walking

4. Creativity practice

June First Quarter Moon

At the First Quarter Moon we are one-quarter of the way through the moon cycle. The moon is waxing - growing in light and energy, creating a time for decisive action. 

I use this June quarter moon's energy to help me find a balance of simplicity and abundance - I am embracing the paradox of the expansive, free, effortless fullness, and rich, complex, and vital plainness that is summer. 

Agenda:
1. Journal queries

2. Read "Repacking Your Bags"

3. Make a full effort plan

4. Write a mission haiku

5. Practice visualization

June Abundance

June is a transition month - the end of spring and the beginning of summer. June’s element is fire, which purifies and gives life. It’s a highly yang time of movement and power, the season of completion, abundance and fulfillment. I have hope in summer that I will reach the full flowering of my self and my dreams. 

June has a different pace, less scheduled though more active. It’s a time for fine-tuning, and for decisive action. June is when I like to energetically climb to the top of a hill, survey the landscape and climb down again, to put myself in context, evaluate my progress, see what I’ve accomplished since January, and make careful adjustments in my goals and priorities. 

My aim this month is to stand still and calm in the center while I am playing, cleaning, writing, socializing, teaching, digging in the garden, swimming, traveling, and painting.

"Only when there is stillness in movement can the spiritual rhythm appear which pervades heaven and earth." -- Taoist text

Agenda:

1. Journal queries

2. Read "Repacking Your Bags"

3. Ray of Sun Meditation

Dragon Boat Festival

The Dragon Boat Festival is an ancient Chinese celebration that always falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month of the Chinese calendar - that's five days after the new Dragon moon of May or June. It’s the third largest festival in the Chinese calendar, and it’s considered to be the start of summer. 

On this day everyone watches the spectacular dragon boat races, with the paddlers moving their oars in one fluid motion while the drummer thumps out a rhythm. The races might have begun as a symbolic way to encourage the dragons to fight in heaven and bring rain, so farmers would have good crops. Today, the races are held everywhere from Rome to Seattle, and if you are near enough to see them - how wonderful!

The Chinese call this the Duan Wu Jie (pronounced Dwan woo-oo Jee-eh) or Highest Meridian Festival. A meridian is a high point, as in the sun at the solstice. The Chinese celebrate the solstice today, according to a lunar calendar, so it varies every year. Traditionally this day is dangerous and unhealthy because it’s so strongly yang, putting the forces of ying and yang out of balance.

2018 xiangbao sachets

Agenda:

1. A Chinese chant

2. Make a xiangbao sachet

3. Make zongzi (dumplings)

4. Throw zongzi in the water