Transition time

At the new moon this week I will move to a new theme focus - from abundance to joy, children, and self-expression, a perfect theme for this next phase of my life. 

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health, home, holiday, and prepare for Grandson fun. Today I'm also making a few fun transition-to-joy plans for the week:

• Complete our hot tub set up, and soak!
• Make a dinosaur terrarium with my grandsons.
• Paint an Autumn positivity abstract.
• Choose a new positivity book to read 

Agenda:

1. Read "The Sweet Spot"

2. Soul notes journal

3. Housework script

4. Fall Cleaning and Home projects

5. Holiday mindset

6. Dinosaur School plans

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 fall has been warm, as was last year - we still have roses and raspberries in mid-November - but the rains have begun in earnest.

I'm writing a whole book 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 honor 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

Creative Flow

My creative energy is all going into our big home project these days, with only a little left over for making things. That will begin to transition soon, so today I will dream a bit about days of creative flow.

Agenda Today:

1. Read "The Creativity Book"

2. Evaluate my creativity habits

3. Craftivism plans

4. Preschool plans

5. Studio

6. Do the smallest thing

Third Quarter Moon of 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, renewal, and self-care. This isn’t a moment for starting new projects but for finishing up old ones, making peace with the past, and preparing for a fresh start at the next new moon.

Agenda:

1. Read "Focus on the Good Stuff"
2. Ritual for Release and Realignment

3. Meditation and Evaluation Journal

4. Monthly journal brainstorm

5. Proaction and reciprocity plans

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. Soul notes journal

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

Holiday Frame of Mind

The holiday season is upon us. I'm making plans for Thanksgiving, preparing for advent, and thinking about gift-making for Christmas.

My top four 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.

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health, home, holiday, and prepare for Grandson fun.

 

Agenda:

1. Read "The Sweet Spot"

2. Renewal plan

3. Holiday mindset

4. Fall Cleaning and Home projects

5. Dinosaur School plans

Mason bee harvest

I have begun the work of my mason and leaf cutter bee harvest, which can start anytime after mid-October, when the bees have finished developing in their cocoons.

I took a great workshop last Saturday, and found out a few things I have done wrong: I should have brought my tubes inside in June, and since I didn't, I've got lots of parasites. Also, my one house got drenched and left wet too long- they all molded and died... I need to do better next year!

1. Mason bee harvest:

In the wild, mason bees rarely reuse the same nesting cavity, and so in order to be a careful steward for my bee hotels, I will have a yearly “house cleaning”. 

This year I found chalkbrood fungus and also some beetle larvae (yuck). Mason bees can also bring the hairy-footed mite, also known as a pollen mite, into their cocoons. The mites will feed on the pollen stores, bee eggs, and larvae. When mites infest a nest and adult bees emerge from the infected nest the following spring, the mites can climb onto bees and hitch a ride to a new location.

Mason bee cocoons

I got some harvested on Saturday, and the rest I will do today.

1. First, use a thin stick to check for cocoons. Save empty reeds for next year.

2. Pinch the mud-capped end with your fingers or a pair of clippers, splitting the reed open. This won't harm the bees. Pry the reed apart and gently remove the cocoons with my nifty new scooper tool.

Then rub off the mud walls and frass (poop).

Leaf-cutter bee cocoons

3. Next, prepare a 1-quart bowl of cold water with 1 drop of dish soap and 1 Tbsp. bleach (to kill the chalkbrood). Add cocoons and set a timer for 2-5 minutes, swirl them around for at least 2 minutes to dislodge any mites, then pour through a sieve, and run a gentle stream of cool water over them. 

4. Dry the cocoons on a towel for an hour.

2. Storage:

Once the bees are dry, it's time to store them away in the refrigerator until March 1 (Mid-May for leaf cutter bees). Use a firm plastic container with holes around each side, and a paper towel in the bottom. Stick in a small container holding a crumpled damp towel to provide moisture, then add the cocoons all around. (I made a small envelope to hold the leaf cutter bees separately.)

Store in the fridge and check monthly to make sure it doesn't dry out for get moldy.

3. House Cleaning:

Clean the house and the empty reeds by submerging them in a bleach bath for 10 minutes, then scrub off any accumulated debris and let dry thoroughly. 

I've also got an old drilled block mason bee house, and next spring I will discard it.

November Retreat for Synergy

Saturdays are usually my day of retreat and contemplation, though I've had a series of very busy Saturdays lately. Today I hope to settle in to a day of synergy, both inner and outer. I aim to seek unity, embrace teamwork, and work tirelessly towards a better end.

Agenda:

1. Read "Focus on the Good Stuff"

2. Write a gratitude

3. Generosity practice

4. Create inner synergy for Nature-Culture

Gratitude as Celebration

Gratitude is the celebration of needs met.

1. Ongo journal

2. Love meditation

3. Days of Passion

Build a World

I am building a world of Nature-Culture in book form, but I'm slipping a little. I do wake up thinking about my  project, but I rarely take an hour to write. And the other parts - actual garden work and research, painting and craftivism - are also slipping. 

Part of it is that the other big project we are doing is winding to a climax (12 days to a hot tub!) and demanding my attention, and part of it is lack of direction. I think I need a Nature-Culture retreat day soon, to recenter and plan synergy.

Agenda Today:

1. Read "The Creativity Book"

2. Evaluate my creativity habits

3. Craftivism plans

4. Preschool plans

5. Studio

6. Do the smallest thing

7. Love meditation

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. Take a vision walk

2. Read "The Earth Keeper's Handbook"

3. Proaction and reciprocity plans

4. Soul Notes journal

5. Celebrate abundance

6. Hold the world in the light

Soul Notes

I've been struggling lately with the concept of spiritual growth, or daily "sharpening the saw" of the spirit, so I thought a review was in order.

Spiritual growth is the basis for a better and more harmonious life, a life of calmness, clarity, courage, and inner strength. It has (at least) four parts: 

-Awareness practices, such as meditation or journaling, or any practice that keeps you in the present moment or brings greater clarity to your daily life.

-Virtue habits, those little and big behaviors and characteristics of your personality that can improve with practice.

-Soul searching, which is the ongoing quest to understand your purpose and intentions.

-and opening to God or a higher power;  open to the possibility that there is something outside yourself that might love you.

1. Read "Focus on the Good Stuff":

I'm reading this book by Mike Robbins (2007), with the sub-title "The Power of Appreciation". In the introduction he says, "Underneath every dream or goal we have is a desire for appreciation. We want to feel good about ourselves and our lives." He's not talking about being appreciated, but about appreciating ourselves, our own lives, and everyone and everything that surrounds us. Along with appreciation he uses words like empowerment, effectiveness, confidence, clarity, and success.

Chapter Two is What's Wrong with Me?, about self-criticism. If I believe that I create my own reality - the script of my life - then I must know that the negativity I hold for others is actually a lack of appreciation for myself. 

Am I focused on my perceived weaknesses? A bit. I feel that fall short of being the perfect person I aim for. I obsess about any criticism. I doubt my abilities. I deflect or deny compliments.

Transforming negativity: Use this practice when I'm worried about something.

1. Acknowledge negative thoughts and feelings: Just say what presents itself at this time - dissatisfaction with my weight, annoyance with my slothfulness, worry about how I talk to my grandkids... 
2. Create a clean slate: Read these thoughts back until they lose their strength, then let them go.
3. Change my state of mind: Sing a loud song and dance around.
4. Visualize what I want: Ask, "How do I want this experience or day to go?" See and feel it exactly like I want it to go.

Then let it all go, and allow things to unfold as they will.

2. Spiritual growth practices:

My spiritual practices this month:

• Autumn Awareness - Daily time in my garden or neighborhood for a look at the seasonal changes - take 3 photos and note 3 changes.
• Soul Notes journal -  making note of the themes that spring up with my reading and my Ongo group.

3. Soul Notes Journal:

The theme has been forgiveness, and especially self-forgiveness. Last night we did a meditation that took me back to the 12-year old me, trying to get attention and approval, and right on the cusp of making some big mistakes. I can forgive that child for needing love.

Forgiveness Thoughts

Forgiveness is a tedious topic. I try not to give it too much thought, but it is the topic that is coming up today. I will try to focus on freeing the resentments I cling to, because these are a burden, and I want to return to dignity and a ground of love. "Though the action itself may remain forever unforgivable, the human is always forgivable."

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and prepare for Grandson fun.

 

Agenda:

1. Ongo journal

2. Read "The Sweet Spot"
3. Fall Cleaning and Home projects

4. Leaf School plans

5. Creative visualization

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.

Today I will continue my sabbath for souls.

Agenda

1. Make Pan de Muertos (Bread of the Dead)
4. Make skeletons
5. Make sugar skulls

Sabbath for Souls

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

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

Halloween

Halloween is the modern name of the ancient Irish and Scottish holiday of Samhain (pronounced SOW-win), a Celtic-Gaelic word meaning “summers-end”. It begins at dusk on October 31, and marks the doorway to the dark half of the Celtic year, the opening of a new cycle.

In the 7th-century CE the Pope established All Saints’ Day, originally on May 13, and in the following century it was moved to November 1. The evening before All Saints’ Day became a holy, or hallowed, eve and thus Samhain became Halloween.

The Reformation put an end to the religious holiday among Protestants, although in Britain Halloween continued to be celebrated as a secular holiday. The celebration of Halloween was mostly forbidden among the early American colonists, until the 1800s.

Agenda

1. Days of Passion

2. Make a costume

3. Trick or Treats

Belonging

I am writing myself a new story of belonging, in which I am understood for who I am - wise enough and good enough as I am now; and in which I accept that I do make mistakes, and can respond with an open heart; and in which I have faith that I will still be loved and accepted.

To be understood means I need to share myself deeply and completely. I won't make any impact on world transformation unless I learn how to do that with my writing and my artwork. 

Agenda Today:

1. Read "The Creativity Book"

2. Evaluate my creativity habits

3. Craftivism plans

4. Preschool plans

5. Studio

6. Do the smallest thing

First Quarter Moon at the End of October

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. I use this late October quarter moon's energy to help me get organized for decisive action. 

Agenda Today:

1. Journal queries
2. Read "The Earth Keeper's Handbook"

3. Proaction and reciprocity plans:

4. Make a full effort plan

Prepare for Halloween

We've been preparing for Halloween, with spooky books, skeletons, ghosts, and jack-o-lanterns. 

Our grandsons love Halloween! The build up this month allows us to shift to a darker phase of the year; darkness isn't bad, but it can be frightening, and having fun with fear is part of the process.

Agenda

1. Celebrate the darkness

2. Carve jack-o-lanterns

3. Make flappy paper bats

4. Decorate inside and out

5. Dunk for apples

Transformation

I'm working a transformation: Turning myself into a patient and wise person, who exercises persistently; and also a magical transformation of our home into a tidy and ship-shape space (with a hot tub)!

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and prepare for Grandson fun.

Agenda:

1. Read "The Sweet Spot"

2. Ongo journal
2. Fall Cleaning and Home projects

3. Halloween School plans

Enough

What is enough? My days become a blur, and I can't catch up with my intentions. I can't make enough progress with my attention, my patience and equanimity, my wisdom and growth. My projects don't get done - where is time going?

Agenda for today:

1. Ongo journal

2. Days of Passion

3. Abundance journal

Abundant creativity

Since abundance is my theme this month, I'm finding ways each day to create abundance. Today I will make some plans for creativity.  

Agenda Today:

1. Read "The Creativity Book"

2. Evaluate my creativity habits

3. Craftivism plans

4. Preschool plans

5. Studio

6. Do the smallest thing

7. Abundance journal

Patterns of Belonging

One ongoing pattern in my life is aloof cynicism. This kept me safe in the dangerous social climate of my youth, but has managed also to keep me isolated and feeling alone (especially in the aftermath of the pandemic). I'd like to cultivate a sense of wider belonging and usefulness, and an acceptance of my community as they are - community is the key to feeling an being effective

Agenda:

1. Read "The Earth Keeper's Handbook"

2. Set intentions

3. Proaction and reciprocity plans

4. Abundance journal