Passover and Full Hare Moon

Tonight is the full moon; this one is called amanta kotantal or "Time for pounding camus" by the Kalapuya of my area, and the Hare Moon by others, because it's the month when rabbits leap and play and mate.

Carmella and Toffee

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

And tonight is the start of Passover, the oldest of the Jewish holidays. It celebrates the story of how God set the Jewish people free from slavery in Egypt. Passover begins on the fourteenth day of the Jewish month of Nisan, which is the night of the first full moon after the equinox.

Agenda today:
1. Reflect on freedom

2. Passover blessing

3. Take a vision walk

4. Celebrate balance

5. Balance Walk

1. Reflect on freedom: 
The highlight of Passover is the Seder, a ceremonial meal that begins at sunset on the first night. The Seder focuses on the traditional symbolic foods that are used to help remember the Passover story. The whole family gets involved, each taking turns reading out of the haggadah (Hebrew for “narration”). The youngest person chants the Four Questions which ask why Passover is observed the way it is. After the initial ceremony the family shares a feast, then one final part of the Seder, and finally singing and poetry.

I don't hold a Passover Seder because I couldn't do it justice. Instead, I honor the start of Passover with some thought and study on the themes. Passover is about freedom from slavery, oppression, and confinement. I really like the FOUR QUESTIONS OF MODERN-DAY SLAVERY posed by ReformJusaism.org:

• “Why on this night are some people still enslaved today?”
• “Why on this night do so many remain hungry in the world?”
• “Why on this night do we invite the hungry and lonely to share our meal?”
• “How can we eradicate hunger and homelessness tonight and every night?”

2. Passover blessing: 

Barukh atah AdonAI, eloHAYnu melekh ha’olam, hazan et ha’olam kull O betuvo, bechen bechesed uvrachamin. 

Blessed art Thou, our God of the Universe, who nourishes the universe in goodness, with grace, kindness, and compassion. 

3. 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'm going to settle in to 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 with an open mind and heart.

Today 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? 

1. Am I doing things I believe in? What are my highest priorities in life?

2. What's something I dream of doing that excites me, and why do I want to do it?

3. What areas of my life are in balance (in unity) with the universe? How can I celebrate that?

 

4. 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. Each month I choose a different way to celebrate the full moon, and today I am ready to celebrate balance in three ways:

1. By giving attention to my purpose and priorities this morning, and writing about an Earth Week Practice Guide project.
2. By re-starting a walking meditation practice, with a focus on balance.
3. By spending the day finding the balance between stillness and action, as I care for my two grandsons, who have such different needs.

5. Balance Walks:

Walking this spring has become a battle with inertia: It's been cold and wet for so long now, and I'm so tired of it - I just want to stay home on the couch. Once I make it out the door, I relax and allow myself to appreciate and feel the wonders of the season, and an awareness of the harmony of life emerges. 

This month, as I focus on balance, I will practice this walking meditation each morning, giving attention to my body, heart, mind, and ki, an Asian concept that translates to "energy, life-force, spirit, or breath." It’s the Cosmic Power that flows out from the center of the Universe and returns back to the center.

1. Grounding: Begin my walk, and concentrate on my feet as they touch the ground, the feel of my muscles, my breathing, my surroundings, the breeze, the sky. Center my weight low and maintain balance as I walk. Continue this for 1-2 blocks.

2. Motivation: Turn a corner, and give attention to 

my day ahead, my intentions and intuitions, 

and how and where I need clarity. Find my balance in the WHY of life. Continue this for 1-2 blocks.

3. Belonging: Turn a corner, and focus on my tender heart. Feel the love that brings passion for joyful life and service. Send loving thoughts to my neighbors, my family, my community, the world. Become aware of ki as feeling. Continue this for 1-2 blocks.

4. Sink into the Divine Whole: 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-Light-Creation, I remember thee. Amen.”