New White Moon (and Prepare forAdvent)

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

1. Retreat Day:

If at all possible, I schedule a day of retreat on the new moon, or near to it: I do less talking, less business, and more personal thought and action, and since it's Saturday, I'm taking my retreat now - a busy, creative kind of retreat!

2. Journal queries:
How can I prepare for the unknowable grace of this advent?
How can I slow down enough to practice expectant waiting all day long?

How can I protect my tender heart while still being a loving, social being? How can I prepare for the social anxiety I feel at all social gatherings?

List the themes and values I want to dedicate this season to, so I can celebrate intentionally, and with greater meaning.

From my journal: This advent I feel pretty prepared in spirit. I've taken some steps to simplify my work schedule, and clarify my priorities. My themes are set: The Earth, the People, my family, and the Grace of God. I've got lots of fun projects to share with my grandsons, but mostly I want to share a calm and loving grandma!

3. Choose a month theme:

At the new moon I choose a new theme to begin to give attention to. My theme this month is Grace: Grace is a state of being - at peace, free, filled with love & light.

In researching grace I found lots of different definitions. In the Christian tradition, grace is a gift from God, freely given to us. Also: God’s help, strength, blessing, salvation, enlightenment, solace, protection, presence, and love.

One key component of grace according to Christian writers, is that we can't earn it - it is "unmerited" and given freely. All we can DO to participate in the process of receiving grace is to make room for the Light of Truth to work in our hearts and lives. (Some theologians even went so far as to say that Good Deeds were hurtful to the Christian life since they could foster a doctrine of justification by works and not by faith alone.)

Wikipedia says, "The question of the means of grace has been called 'the watershed that divides ... modern [theological] liberalism from [theological] conservatism.'" Modern liberal theology "gives an exaggerated place to the abilities of people to decide their own fate and to effect their own salvation entirely apart from God's grace." Ah-HA! Damn humanists.

After all the nit-picky distinctions are set aside, I'm left with my old understanding: Grace is a state of being - at peace, free, filled with love & light. Grace goals, then, might be to simplify our lives, make time for prayer and expectant worship, weed out distractions and addictions, forgive ourselves for being imperfect, and to notice the nudges, leadings, messages, blessings and clarity we receive and give thanks for it.

My grace practices this month:

• Take time for a daily prayer-meditation, opening to peace and love.
• Keep a Grace-Notes journal, to record gifts and nudges from God, and clearness received.
• Continue to simplify my schedule and finish priorities.
• Extend grace to others: Be generous with forgiveness and understanding.

4. New moon altar:

It's time to clear my altar, and discern what to put on it for December. (For my thoughts on altars see About Altars). I generally keep it simple and choose only things that speak to me and feed me, and reveal what I believe in. I ask, what quality of Spirit do I want to invoke? 

Today I cleared everything except:

• my straw doll - for luck and protection
• an angel- to remind me to be giving and loving

- and added:

• a white candle - for grace, Truth, and transformation
• a pink candle - for love
• a straw star - for destiny and for hope
• pine cones - for potential growth and enlightenment

5. Open-Heart Meditation:
I have many tasks to do at advent, but my most important task is to calm my heart. This season is a time of emotional complexity, with all of the expectations and challenges of family and friend relationships. So, my heart is a bit tender.

Today I will light the a pink candle for love, and open to the anticipation of love: When my heart is open to love, and my hands are open to accept unexpected gifts, and my ears are open to hear a message of peace, then I am ready to begin Advent.

Sit still, put a hand on my heart, and feel my heartbeat. Feel my heart expand with each in-breath, and open and relax a bit with each exhalation. Let that open-hearted feeling resonate out to the rest of my ribcage, through my spine, my arms and legs, and upwards to my head. Carry this open-hearted feeling with me throughout my day. 

6. Space clearing:

Space clearing is a satisfying way to prepare for what might come at advent.  Today I will put away all the fall decorations - dried corn, Thanksgiving tree, and other knick-knacks - to create a little emptiness that can be filled later, little by little, with the gifts and symbols of the advent season.

7. Make an Advent Wreath:

The advent wreath custom began in Germany in the 1600’s, but the symbols of the advent wreath are powerful and ancient.

• The wreath reminds us that the year is round and whole, and that we are all a part of the never-ending circle of life. 
• The evergreens symbolize eternal life and remind us that we will make it through the cold of winter. 
• The candles represent the inner light that will guide us even in the darkest times. 

I have seen many creative ideas for making advent wreaths. The only requirement, in my mind, is that it is round, that it has some evergreens, and that it has four candles in safe candle holders, for the four weeks of advent.

Supplies:

• evergreens 
• clippers 
• wire wreath form 
• wood base and chains (optional) 
• 4 candle holders 
• 4 candles

1. Collect greens. We had a big wind storm a week ago, so I had no problem finding plenty of greens on my walks.

2. I made a base many, many years ago, by cutting a donut shape from a piece of plywood, gluing 4 candle holders onto it, and mounting a simple wire wreath form around them. I added some white chains so I can hang it if I want.

3. Now all I need to do each year is cut up my evergreens and stick them into place. 

I put a few large branches on the bottom, then fill in around, and pinch the wires of the frame together to hold everything in place.

4. Add four new candles, and it's all ready.