Full Squirrel Moon and Sukkot

Tonight is the full moon called the Squirrel Moon, because now the squirrels are busily gathering nuts for the winter. This moon is also called Atchalankuaik, the "start getting sagittair roots" moon, by the Kalapuya of our area (sagittair is a potato like tuber). 

We are now at the peak of the strong-energy yang phase of the waxing moon, and will soon begin the quiet-energy yin time of the waning moon.

Sukkot 2014

Tonight is also the start of Sukkot, a 7-day Jewish harvest festival that begins at the full moon in late September or early October.

The word Sukkot means “Booths”; Jews all over the world build outdoor booths for Sukkot, like the simple huts that farmers in ancient Israel lived in during harvest time. The roof is always made of leafy branches, open to the sky so that you see the stars through the leaves. Each family decorates their hut, makes it comfortable, and eats at least two meals there; they invite guests, light candles, and say prayers of thanksgiving for the harvest.

Agenda:

1. Take a vision walk
2. Celebrate balance

3. Autumn awareness walk

4. Fall cleaning
5. Build a sukkah and eat outside

1. Take a vision walk:

The full moon shines a bright light on everything, and I might experience intuitive and creative breakthroughs. I might be shocked by the clarity of my insights. I might see some ugliness - the full moon illuminates all the things I've left in the shadows, some heavy truths and some embarrassing mistakes.

Today I've added a purple candle to my altar, for spirit, intuition, and wisdom. I will settle into silence and access my intuitive mind - my connection to the Creator and the Inner Guide - by putting myself into a relaxed, trance-like state, and seeking a leading of the spirit. I call on the Spirit of Light to guide me, bring me clarity and open my eyes. 

What is the Truth that is coming into focus for me now? 

Where am I experiencing a feeling of balance and equanimity, and how can I celebrate that? 

What is the source of the inner peace I feel? 

How do I cultivate "unity with the universe"?

2. Celebrate Balance:

My theme ​this month ​is Balance: I'm not speaking about the illusion of balancing your work and your life - like a juggling trick. This is the balance of Taoism's Tai Chi, the circle around and the point between yin and yang energies. The image is of the celestial ridgepole, the place of ultimate equilibrium, where chi is always available, where energy is replenished and then moves on. 

The center is the place where my soul lives; it touches all other areas of my life. My life flows around this solid base. I think about balance as "being in unity with the universe": The feeling that I can let go of my opinions and wants, and let God work through me, and feel calm and centered in that.

Today I remind myself of my intentions, and then celebrate my accomplishments and reaffirm this theme for the next two weeks. Today I am ready to celebrate balance in three ways:

1. Practice a walking meditation in our neighborhood, aimed at waking up to the wonder of autumn.

2. Practice Medicine Art collection and observation with fall leaves.

3. Celebrate with friends tonight, at an online gathering, sharing our joys and struggles, and howling together at the moon!

3. Autumn Awareness Walk:

Walking in the fall is an abundance of miracles: So many seeds, nuts, grasses, leaves, colors, sensations, beauty, scents, and textures. But I have to open my eyes to see it. When I relax and allow myself to appreciate and feel the wonders of the season, an awareness of the harmony of life emerges. 

This week I plan to enjoy an Awareness Walk practice, for the purpose of being present to the autumn and to Creation:

1. Physical Awareness: Concentrate on my feet as they touch the ground, the feel of my muscles, my breathing, the beauty of nature around me, the breeze, the sky. Continue this for 1-2 blocks. 

2. Heart Awareness: Turn a corner, and focus on my tender heart. Feel it soften and open. Send loving thoughts to my neighbors as I walk by their homes, to my family, to my community, to the earth and all creation. Continue this for 1-2 blocks. 

3. Mindfulness: Turn another corner, and pay attention to my thoughts. Allow my mind to open to the ambiguity of the moment, and my life. Practice being the Inner Me, beyond thought. Continue this for 1-2 blocks. 

4. Spiritual Awareness: Turn the last corner, and (holding on to the awareness I've raised) speak a prayer out loud as I’m moving; feel the power and energy move through me. Say, “Spirit of Love and Light and Creation, I am awake. Amen.”

4. Fall cleaning and decorating:

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'm focusing in the living room and front garden. I plan to:

• Pare down some of my knickknacks.
• Put away fans and camping gear.
• Clean the front porch and door, and decorate for fall, with corn and pumpkins.
• Finish paving my patio!!! (so close)

5. Build a sukkah:

We've made many sukkahs over the years, with leftover lumber tacked together, tapestries, and rope. A sukkah needs to be just big enough to fit a table and pillows. Two years ago we rigged one on the back porch because we were in the midst of a hunder storm!

This year I plan to make a tent with tapestries and the clothes line - not a true sukkah, but in line with effort toward plain living.