An Earth-Quaker Advent

What is an Earth-Quaker advent? It's simple and earthy! 

As I've said, my Earth-Quaker way of celebrating is to acknowledge and mark the changes of the season as they progress. The season of advent is when I celebrate the darkness, and the hope of returning light.

Darkness is not all bad; it can be cozy. Darkness leaves space for mystery, reflection, and quiet growth. But the world holds so much chaos, grief, war, famine and hunger; it's important to remember to have hope, and shine the light.

Gill Sewell says in "A Quaker Reflection on Christmas":

As nights draw in, it is a reminder to me that I need to hold my spark of light faithfully and boldly, witnessing in the darker corners of my community. Holding and living by the Quaker testimonies of peace, simplicity and care of the environment remains a challenge in my preparations for a Christmas celebration. I make donations (including at the food bank), try to make good ethical choices with my purchases, and identify ways in which to share.

Agenda:

1. Read a novena
2. Dawn prayer for Creation

3. Prepare my duck yard

1. Read a novena:

Today is the second day of the Christmas Novena, a Catholic ritual of a prayer recited or sung during the nine days leading up to Christmas Day. I've been reading this Creation Novena from the Indian Catholic Matters site:

Day 2: A Prayer for the Animals 

Creator God, we give thanks for the animals and for the grand diversity of life you have created. We give thanks for the roles animals play in our lives, especially as our companions. We thank You for the wellbeing they bring us and for the glory they bring to your creation. As creation faces the wave of extinctions wrought by humankind, we ask You to strengthen us with prudence. In these days of preparation for Your Son, help us seek ways of living that allow all Your creatures to flourish. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

2. Dawn prayer for Creation:

I'm an early riser, and I'm always up before dawn. A couple of years ago I started going outside to greet the morning at dawn, most mornings; I stand on a patch of earth and do this short visualization:

Feel the earth under my feet, and send my roots downward. Sense the hugeness of this earth, and breath in, drawing power inward.

 

Raise my arms upward and expand towards the sky. Sense the vastness of the cosmos above me, and exhale love outward to the universe.

Lastly, look around me and notice the weather, the birds, the condition of my garden, etc.   

In Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Kimmerer often talks about becoming indigenous to a place, but Randy Woodley calls it being married to the land. He says that in order to be married to my land I need to spend time alone with her, risk intimacy, be humble, gentle and tender - like a lover. 

This little ritual helps to ground me, and remind me of my place on the earth. It's really the keystone to my personal sacred practices.

3. Prepare my duck yard:

It's been harder to remember to greet the morning since we currently have no ducks to let out at dawn! And I miss them: Ducks are amusing, I like their eggs, and they are an integral part of my permaculture farm.

But we will remedy that soon. After Christmas, I'm bringing Permelia home from her extended visit with her siblings, and adopting a new sister for her.

Blue Swedish ducks - I want one!

Before then I have some preparations to make:

1. Rat-proof the coop and porch area.
2. Get a rat-proof feeder.
3. Clear all the debris from the duck yard.
4. Replace some fencing.
5. Plant my apple tree and fence it well.