Blótmónað is the word for November in Old English; it means Sacrifice Month, but the sacrifice is joyful, as Persephone goes peacefully down to the underworld every year. Peace is the fruit of total acceptance. In November I see the circle of life in all its full roundness - as it blossomed in spring and as it dies in fall.
This is a time to purge, to give or throw away things I don’t need, give up habits I don’t want, and pare down my activities to make time for introspection.
Agenda:
1. Read "The Earth Path"
2. Ground and Expand
3. Name and Journal
4. Simple life
1. Read "The Earth Path":
I'm reading Starhawk's book, The Earth Path (2004), which is all about how to connect to nature. I've just read Chapter 5: Observation - "The first skill that can lead us to deepened connection with the natural world...."She says we are born with a natural ability to observe, but as adults our inner conversations get in the way: We are so fixated on listening to our worries, our mental to-do list, or our stories about ourselves and others, that we can't be aware of the world around us.
I'm picturing my two-year-old grandson now - walking along, and giving attention to anything that catches his eye or his ear. He has very little inner dialogue to distract him, no concern about being someplace at some time, and no worries about the next thing he needs to do. He is in-the-moment, naturally, and that's something I can re-learn from him.
2. Ground and Expand:
Starhawk describes several practices she uses to observe the world; each requires "a great deal of inner work and discipline."
The first she describes is Open-Eyed Grounding. I have my own version that I practice every morning, for just a few minutes, on a patch of lawn in my backyard:
Stand outside on the earth (barefooted if possible), knees slightly bent, and body loose. Take a slow breathe and feel your feet on the ground - feel the solidity of the ground and sense its vastness. Send your roots downward into the core of the earth and outward along its surface for miles.When you feel rooted in the earth, stretch slowly upward, taking a deep breath, and extend your arms wide.Expand your vision and your awareness; observe the condition of the sky, the clouds, the light or darkness, and listen to the noises of the day around you. Sense the vastness of the heavens, and breathe in that energy to feed you.
As you begin to move again to go about your day, carry the feeling of grounded-ness and expanded awareness with you, and your sense of connection to Creation.
3. Name and journal:
Part of grounding is being rooted in a place, someplace you go every day that you begin to know intimately, that you observe in different weather and at different times of the year.
Starhawk talks about the importance of identifying, naming, and recording what we observe in nature, as a means to connect and form a bond. In my favorite fantasy books, the Earthsea Trilogy, knowing the true name of every thing is the only way to make magic happen, because when you know somebody's name, you have a new connection.
This is exactly why Naming is part of my Medicine Art practice. I do enjoy knowing the name of the plants, trees, birds, and insects in my yard. Lately I've been working on naming the different kinds of rain! (More about that soon.)
4. Simple life:
November rains always catch me off guard - I don't know why. I have had plenty of time to finish outdoor projects and make my life ship-shape for winter, but suddenly, every year, the rains hit, and I am unprepared. The rains drain me of motivation; I go into hibernation mode. And on top of that, I have my first cold in three years!
Today I set an intention to stop over-scheduling myself!
I intend to make a reasonable plan for my November days, that includes lots of rest and reflection, because November is a time of sacrifice and surrender, giving up my active life in favor of introspection and good health.
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