Nativity Fast

The Nativity Fast is the Orthodox Christian way to experience the waiting which is Advent. Instead of “pre-celebrating” Christmas, they have a 40-day period of fasting, beginning on November 15th (but I wait until sometime AFTER Thanksgiving!)

The Orthodox Church teaches that Advent represents the time before Jesus‚ when the people were disconnected from God. Advent is our chance to experience this loss and disconnection in order to embrace and celebrate the joy of Jesus’ birth in its fullness. During the fast, Orthodox Christians eat less than normal, and avoid meat‚ cheese‚ eggs‚ fish and wine on most days. 

During the Nativity fast, Orthodox Christians keep a primarily vegan diet, without being strict about it - the spirit of the practice is more important than what is actually eaten. Besides fasting, the practice includes also prayer, alms-giving, and love. 

Agenda Today:
1. My Nativity fast

2. Prayer for the fast

3. Love

4. Alms-giving

5. Set intentions

6. Make Revithia Soupa (Chickpea Soup)

Xia Yuan Jie and Full Frost Moon

 

Today is Xia Yuan Jie (pronounced "Shaw you-an Jee-a") -- Lower Primordial Festival -- a Chinese festival that falls on the 15th day of the 10th lunar month, usually the full moon of November. It’s the third of a trio of Taoist holidays that honor three Taoist gods, called the Three Great Emperor Officials:

• Tian-Guan, the Heaven Official, gives happiness, and rules over the first 6 months of the year (the yang part), beginning  on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, at the Lantern Festival.
• Di-Guan, the Earth Official, forgives sins and guilt, and rules over the next 3 months (the yin part), beginning on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, at the Ghost Festival.
• Shui-Guan, the Water Official, rules over the last 3 months of the year (also yin), starting today.

And tonight we see the Full Frost Moon, called that because now is when the first hoarfrost might appear - that white frost that makes walking crunchy, and that requires scraping of windshields. Frost is a reminder that winter is coming, and we all need to finish our outdoor chores and close up the storm windows.

This moon is also known as the Alangitapi moon - the Moving-Inside-for-Winter moon, by the Kalapuya people of my valley.

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. But today it's time to CELEBRATE! 

Agenda:
1. Read "How to Manifest"

2. Take a vision walk
3. Celebrate Grace

4. Hold the world in the light

5. Plant paper white bulbs

Stir Up Sunday (Prepare for Advent)

Today is Stir Up Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent. This is the traditional day in Britain to make the Christmas pudding, and set it aside for Christmas Day so the flavors have a month to develop.

At least, it used to be the traditional day; apparently most families buy a pudding in a tin now. What a shame! As I am mostly of British descent (and also fond of brandy) I think it's worth the effort. And the flaming pudding is an exciting end to Christmas dinner!

Agenda for today:

1. Journal queries

2. Prayer
3. Transform time

4. Start the Christmas Pudding

5. Collect greens

Native American Heritage Day

Native American Heritage Day is a civil holiday observed on the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, as a day to pay tribute to Native Americans for their many contributions to the United States. President George W. Bush signed the holiday into legislation in 2008. The Native American Heritage Day Bill was supported by 184 federally recognized tribes.

The day is part of the broader context of the month-long celebration of Native American Heritage Month, but it provides a concentrated moment to honor and recognize the contributions of indigenous peoples, through "appropriate ceremonies and activities".

This day is particularly significant because it follows a holiday with historically negative ties to Native American interactions with early European settlers; some Indigenous people think it's in poor taste to celebrate Native Americans on Black Friday, but I welcome the change of focus.

Agenda

1. Read "Root and Ritual"
2. My Mennonite ancestors in Pennsylvania

3. Lenni Lenape people
4. Landback movement

Thanksgiving Day

I'm excited and anxious for Thanksgiving this year because it's my family's first big meal together indoors since the start of the pandemic. We are different people now, with two new members, and lots of water under the bridge.

I'm anxious about hosting a huge meal, providing the right atmosphere, and remaining calm in the chaos of a multi-generational gathering. I want everyone to feel comfortable and relaxed, not overworked or stressed - including myself. 

How can I help to make it a great day for everyone and also retain my own contentment?

In order to set this day apart, I will treat it as a Sabbath … no unkind words, no rushing, no work that isn’t thankful work. I choose to stay present, notice everything as if in slow motion, and pause often to observe what I am thankful for in the moment.

Agenda:

1. Thanksgiving Meditation for Peace and Abundance

2. Cook the turkey

3. Honor my pilgrim ancestors and the Wampanoag people

4. Honor the Day of Mourning
5. Give thanks

The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks

Play-doh pies 2022

Giving thanks does not come naturally for me; I do have feelings of gratitude, but I just find it hard to express them without sounding awkward or insincere - even in my head. 

Noticing my feelings is a good first step, though; when I notice how blessed I am, I become more optimistic and peaceful; my impatience decreases and I realize how satisfied and fulfilled I am. 

In the book, "Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks," Diana Butler Bass says, "The universe is a gift. Life is a gift. Air, light, soil, and water are gifts. Friendship, love, sex, and family are gifts. We live on a gifted planet. Everything we need is here, with us. We freely respond to these gifts by choosing a life of mutual care. ... There is no one experience of gratitude; rather it is a complex and episodic thing, and one that is deeply emotional."

Noticing my feelings of gratitude helps to keep me humble. I depend on the love, kindness, and support of others at all times, and on the bounty and generosity of nature. All that I have comes from others, just as I contribute to the lives of others in many ways. The exchange is continuous.

Gratitude is a fundamental feeling. When I think about gratitude as an essential part of love it becomes easier to remember to express it.

1. Read "How to Manifest"

2. Make pies

3. Daily Hours of prayer

First Quarter Moon of November

This is the First Quarter Moon; we are one-quarter of the way through the moon cycle. The moon is waxing - getting larger - until it's full again. Now is the time to remain flexible, use my obstacles as fuel for growth, and show full effort for priorities.

Agenda:

1. Read "How to Manifest"

2. Journal Queries

3. Make a full effort plan

4. Write a Mission Haiku

Simple Sabbath

Today is my Sabbath. In the best world, everyone would have one whole day each week to spend as we want; to stay in bed, read a good book, take a slow walk or do a crossword; one whole day to do no work, run no errands, send no emails, and clean no toilets! And why don't we? Mostly because we don't make it a priority.

A sabbath day was originally a day of renewal, and rest from work, kept on Saturday by the Jews and Sunday by most Christians. And, of course, when religious people got involved, the day got bound up with "shall and shall nots". Keeping the day holy became a lot of work, and people were arrested if they didn't do it right; enforced rest is not usually very relaxing or renewing! 

In the modern world we have swung the pendulum too far the other way, escaping religious rules and adopting the rules of progress, where no day is holy - only the dollar. 

Sabbath Agenda:

1. Simple sabbath plans

2. Read "The Simpler Life"

3. How to simplify my life

Swiss Lineage

Ancestry and lineage is one of my long-time fascinations.  I started doing research many years ago, starting with those who came to North America. I have a huge list of the names of early ancestors, but no context - no understanding of where they came from other than the name of the country: England, Germany, Holland, etc.

This year I've been diving deeper into those lands of my roots to understand my origins a little better; and this week I'm researching Switzerland.

 

1. Read "Root and Ritual"

2. Map it out

3. Study more genealogy

4. Swiss cheese

Unity with Autumn Leaves

Last year I designed a Unity Art practice that opens the doors of creative healing, to heal our connection to the earth and Creation. 

We are all a part of nature, but some of us have built walls to keep nature separate; we've been taught that we are more important than other parts of nature, and that's a hard lesson to unlearn. And when we begin to care more about nature it's easy to become overwhelmed, and then we need more walls to protect ourselves from feelings of anger and guilt.

My practice includes the intentional steps of collecting, observing, preparing, creating, sharing and giving thanks. What I'm finding is that it's easy to find ways to connect to the earth, and  - with intention - any simple task becomes a path to healing.

Agenda:

1. Set leafy intentions

2. Collect leaves as a sacred activity

3. Observe leaves

4. Create leaf mold to cultivate abundance

5. Leaf mold thanksgiving

New Kindly Moon and Diwali

Tonight is the night of the new moon. The Chinese call this tenth new moon the Kindly Moon. In China, this is the season for winter crop planting, and this month brings the first “little snow” which gently (and kindly) moistens the winter wheat seedlings. We don't have snow yet, but we've had quite a it of rain!

The new moon is the start of the lunar cycle, a time of high energy and clear thinking. Historically, the new moon is when women took time to be alone; it's a time to retreat, set intentions, and initiate something new.

This is also the start of the five day Hindu Festival of Diwali, which falls on the new moon of late October or early November. Diwali is the festival of good luck and prosperity- one of the most important festivals of the year for Hindus. On Diwali, people wear new clothes, clean and decorate their homes, go to fairs with music, dancing, fireworks, jugglers and snake charmers, and give gifts to each other.

1. Retreat Day

2. Choose a month theme

3. Read "The Simpler Life"

4. Set intentions

5. New moon altar and puja for prosperity

6. Make almond katli

Martinstag

Martinstag, November 11, is the day of St. Martin of Tours, patron saint of beggars, soldiers, and conscientious objectors.

Martin was born in Hungary in 316 A.D. As a teenager, he joined the Roman army, becoming a soldier like his father, and traveled to what is now Italy and France.

The most famous legend of St. Martin is of his time as a soldier: One snowy winter evening, Martin and the other soldiers were returning on horseback to Amiens. A freezing beggar was sitting at the city gate. Martin didn't have any money or food to give him, so he used his sword to cut his heavy red soldier’s cloak in half, and gave half to the beggar. That night Martin dreamt that Jesus thanked him for giving Him his cloak. This dream convinced Martin to become a Christian and be baptized. 

Martin remained in the army for two more years, but then he decided that his faith prohibited him from fighting, and he was jailed as a coward. He was eventually released from prison and from military service, and went on to become the bishop of Tours in France. He died peacefully on November 8, 397 A.D., and was buried on November 11, among the first non-martyrs to be venerated as a saint.

Originally Martinstag was celebrated only in the Catholic areas of Germany, Austria, Flanders, Netherlands, and Portugal, but it has now spread to Protestant areas as well.

Agenda:

1. Journal queries
2. Gift list brainstorm
3. Make a lantern
4. Bake Weckmänner (Bun Men)

Native American Heritage Month

National Native American Heritage Month is celebrated each year in November. We are encouraged this month to "celebrate the traditions, languages and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated Island communities and ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation."

The U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Affairs theme this year is Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty and Identity. "Tribal sovereignty ensures that any decisions about Tribes with regard to their property and citizens are made with their participation and consent. The federal trust responsibility is a legal obligation under which the United States “has charged itself with moral obligations of the highest responsibility and trust” toward Indian tribes."

They go on to say, "Much of the Department’s work under Secretary Haaland’s leadership also centers on acknowledging the impact that relocation, forced assimilation, and lack of critical funding has on Indigenous communities across the country. We are committed to elevating those issues while empowering Tribal governments and Indigenous peoples."

Agenda:

1. Anti-racism intentions
2. Colonizing New England
3. Pumpkins and pie

Third Quarter Moon of November

Photo by Alan Gillespie

Today is the Third Quarter Moon: This waning 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. Read "How to Manifest"

2. Renewal plan

3. Evaluation House

4. Monthly journal brainstorm

5. Surrender, rest, recuperate

Dia de los Muertos

Dia de los Muertos - the Day of the Dead - is a holiday observed in Mexico on November 2. It’s a family time for remembering and honoring dead friends and relatives - a period when the souls of the dead can return for a visit. It’s celebrated with humor, not sadness.

Agenda

1. Set up an ofrenda
2. Make paper banners
3. Make Pan de Muertos (Bread of the Dead)
4. Make skeletons
5. Make sugar skulls