New White Moon (and Prepare for Advent)

Tonight is the new moon. The Chinese call the eleventh new moon the White Moon, perhaps because it brings the snow, or perhaps because it's a yin time of year.

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.

And tomorrow is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is a time of expectant waiting, and today I will actively prepare to wait. I will get my house and my heart ready for this complicated winter season of holidays.

The darkness of winter puts limits on our lives. Chinese philosophy says winter is a time of conservation and storage; the night, the feminine, water, and cold is dominant. We slow down, go inward, and spend more time on quiet, yin activities.

Luckily, advent is four weeks long, allowing us to grow slowly and steadily towards the light: Let yourself go inward now - be like the bear in her cave, saving your strength and relishing the darkness. Don't celebrate Christmas too soon; allow yourself to experience the darkness of winter, against which it shines.

Agenda Today:

1. Retreat Day

2. Journal queries

3. Choose a month theme

4. New moon altar

5. Open-Heart meditation

6. Space clearing

7. Make an Advent Wreath

Buy Nothing Day

Black Friday sales are an abomination! All I want to do on the day after Thanksgiving is eat pie and whip cream, and think about Advent. I make about half of my holiday gifts, and usually spend this free day at home, working on projects.

Agenda:

1. Read "Wake Up Grateful"

2. Compile a family wish list

3. Creativity brainstorm and gift-making calendar

Thanksgiving Day

And here we are at Thanksgiving again! 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

Approaching Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving preparation 2022

Thanksgiving is commonly associated with the Pilgrims and Native Americans coming together for a peaceful feast in 1621. This is the holiday’s mythology, but it very much overlooks the darker aspects of history. The arrival of European settlers to Turtle Island resulted in the displacement, marginalization, and eradication of indigenous communities, and it's important to hold these truths in mind as we prepare to celebrate.

Agenda:

1. Plan an acknowledgement

2. Support Native Communities

3. Read "Wake Up Grateful"

4. Make pies

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 Weaving together our past, present and future. "We will focus on the failed policies of the past with a focus on the Federal Indian Boarding Schools and moving into the present and the work being done to address the intergenerational trauma Native people still face. In partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Smithsonian Institution, we are working to record the lasting impacts of that era and share that information with all Americans. As Indigenous people, our past, present and future are all connected."

Agenda:

1. Anti-racism intentions
2. The Kalapuyans

3. Read "Wake Up Grateful"
4. Cook the pumpkins

Simple Habits

This November I've been reviewing many simple lifestyle choices: Choosing what's essential, limiting my projects to three at a time, creating simple daily routines, clearing the clutter, and leading a slow-paced day. Simple living requires a certain amount of discipline and a routine of good habits, which I have incorporated, for the most part, into my weekly schedule.

That said, I STILL don't get around to these simple, healthy habits: Taking a short daily walk and eating healthy snacks. Today I'm going to make a plan for motivation.

Agenda:

1. Read "The Power of Less"
2. Simple holiday decluttering
3. Simple projects list
4. Print an inspiration page

Stir Up Sunday

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. Read "Wake Up Grateful"

4. Start the Christmas Pudding

5. Collect greens

Third Quarter Moon of Late November

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.

On this late November morning, when the air is cold and our future is uncertain, my focus turns to making plans for transforming my world.

Agenda:

1. Renewal plan

2. Evaluation House

3. Review how to transform my world

4. Monthly journal brainstorm

5. 

Surrender, rest, recuperate

Life is a Gift (for everyone and everything)

No matter how badly things go, I am still alive in this beautiful world, and I have so much to feel gratitude for!

After the election, I've begun to realize (finally) how separated we progressives are from the average person. We see life differently; generally we are able to see all of Life as a gift, with enough for everyone, whereas others see Life as THEIR gift, which other people are fucking up.

I refuse to be brought down to that level: I will stay in my progressive bubble, thank you very much.

But I'm going to need to work at it. It's easy to begin to feel like They are after us, and to worry about the future of my Life, which leads inevitably to a scarcity mindset and all the phobias and conspiracies that go with it. 

Agenda

1. Read "Wake Up Grateful"
2. Generosity Practice
3. Review active listening

November Wildlife Garden

November is a significant month for a wildlife garden because it's generally the turning point for the first frosts of winter. This November has been warm - I harvested raspberries yesterday! - but the rains have begun in earnest.

In September I wrote about my Nature-Culture ideas: living my life as part of nature; sharing my resources with those who share theirs (the bees and the birds, etc.); becoming more aware of nature's needs so I can be a better neighbor; changing my habits so I can cause less harm.

My working definition of Nature-culture is "Humans living in unity with nature: acting in ways that create shared spaces that mimic the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems."

Agenda:

1. Bird watching

2. Feed the birds

3. Add to my wildlife garden habitat

4. Winter vegetable garden tasks

5. Personal life-style goals

6. Education and advocacy plans

Simple Time

In November everything slows down, and I try to remember to be more aware of time flowing; to find the right tempo for each activity; and to transition calmly. Advent will bring a wealth of activity, so take time this week to savor the changing season. Remember, as Waverly Fitzgerald says in Slow Time, that time is "much more fluid and mysterious than I had imagined."

Agenda:

1. Read "The Power of Less"

2. Simple holiday decluttering

3. Simple projects list

4. Love meditation

Sabbath for Gratitude

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.

My theme today is Gratitude: How do I express my gratitude to people, the earth, and to God? What has filled me with Light?   

Agenda:
1. Simple Sabbath plans

2. Read "Wake Up Grateful"
3. Testimony of Gratitude
4. Winter Earth Awareness Practice

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 "Wake Up Grateful"

2. Take a vision walk
3. Celebrate abundance

4. Hold the world in the light

5. Plant paper white bulbs

Invite Equanimity

I long for equanimity, but instead I own this ongoing emotional reactivity: I'm feeling fine, maybe a little tired, and someone says something that pushes a button and I'm suddenly tense and angry; I over-react, I snap out a response, and say something I later regret. I do it to my spouse, my children, grandchildren, friends, and to complete strangers.

In that moment, my perceptions of the situation are altered. The emotional charge prevents me from seeing the situation clearly and calmly. I'm not listening, or analyzing, and I'm not aware of the love I have inside. My emotions and defenses are driving my behaviors.

I've worked and worked on this, and have definitely improved, but not enough. While I want to be accepting of myself, I also deeply desire to be a calmer person. 

I intend to continue to work at growing my equanimity by practicing a Formula for Calm (breath, name feelings, time out), using a trigger journal, and nurturing active listening skills, because I want less unnecessary emotional disturbance, a better relationship with my loved ones, and I want to understand people clearly and honestly. 

Agenda:

1. Formula for Calm

2. Trigger journal

3. Emotions list

4. Read "Comfortable with Uncertainty"

Simple Holiday Season

The holiday season is already upon us. I'm making plans for Thanksgiving, preparing for advent, and starting some gift-making.

My top three tips for keeping these next months special are:

• Keep the main thing the main thing: Be clear on my holiday intentions and set priorities each week.
• Focus on savoring experiences like good meals, nature walks, and decorating together.
• Communicate early with everyone involved to confirm  schedules and priorities. 
• Don’t overspend on gifts; instead, make as many as possible and buy used books and toys.

Agenda:

1. Read "The Power of Less"

2. Simple holiday decluttering

3. Simple projects list

4. Practice visualization

St. Martin's Day

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. Gift list brainstorm
2. Make a lantern
3. Bake Weckmänner (Bun Men)

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 "Wake Up Grateful"

2. Daily Hours of prayer

3. Thanksgiving Tree

4. The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address

First Quarter Moon of November (on Abundance)

Tonight is the First Quarter Moon; we are one-quarter of the way through the moon cycle. The moon is waxing - growing in light and energy, creating a time for decisive action and full effort. 

But November is dark and wet, and this November has drained the vigor from all of us. 

I use this November quarter moon's energy to help me find the spark to keep on going; Blótmónað means Sacrifice Month, and just as Persephone goes peacefully down to the underworld every year, I release expectations and accept the peace of total surrender to what will come. Bring it on!

Agenda Today:

1. Journal queries
2. Read "Comfortable with Uncertainty"

3. Make a full effort plan

4. Low status oxymoronic priorities

Simple Abundance

Simplicity and abundance are not as much at odds as they seem. We can have full lives without being stressed and over-burdened. My goal this month is to continue with my intention to pare down to my essential priorities, while also paying attention (and opening doors) to the fullness of my life.

November is colder and wetter, drawing me deeper towards winter. This is a month when I celebrate the final fruits of summer’s work, and remember to express my gratitude.

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.

Agenda:

1. Read "The Power of Less"

2. Set more intentions

3. Start an Abundance Journal

4. Simple Projects List

5. Holiday Housekeeping

Sabbath for Souls

Today is my Sabbath, and it's also the time of the doorway to the dark half of the Celtic year, the opening of a new cycle. 

The early Gaels believed that the border between this world and the otherworld became thin at this time of year, and so spirits of the dead could visit the living.

This is the time of year to welcome home the souls of your ancestors. But I definitely feel some angst regarding my relatives who moved here to the "New World" to take it away from the Native Peoples, and who bought into the false American Dream, built on the subjugation and decimation of so many other living beings. 

It has become my custom at this time of year to open my heart to healing the soul connection between me and my ancestors.

Agenda:

1. Unity Art for souls

2. Make Soul Cakes

3. Throw the runes

4. Have a soul ceremony

5. Offer ongoing support for my ancestors

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

Diwali and New Kindly Moon

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 a kindly bit 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. Set intentions

4. New moon altar and puja for prosperity

5. Read "Wake Up Grateful"

6. Make almond katli