Tenth Day of Christmas

This is the tenth day of the twelve-day festal tide - we have four days of Christmas left! By now, most people are fed up with holidays and ready to get back to "normalcy", but I'm holding on for my full 12-days-worth. I celebrate these last days in Sabbath mode, doing as little work as possible, resting, reflecting, and finding peace within.

And it's also still the time of Soyal, a Hopi ceremonial period that begins at the new moon closest to the Winter Solstice and lasts for 16 days. Soyal is short for Soyalangwul, which means Establishing Life Anew for All the World. It's a sacred time of peace and preparation for the new growing season.

Agenda:

1. Review the Divine laws

2. Prayer candle ceremony

3. Read "Serviceberry"

4. Set intentions

5. Winter nature box

1. Review the Divine Laws:

At Soyal, I review the Divine Laws, as I see them. A Divine Law is anything that comes directly from God: a natural law, universal truth, principle, or a rule of conduct that is inherent and essential in human society.

Today I will review my testimony of Unity with the Earth: Live a lifestyle that cherishes and nurtures Creation; advocate and educate about the climate crisis.

Some of my plans for Earth Unity this year:

• Show up to meeting and community events to witness.
• Share realities, and active hope solutions.
• Make and share craftivism to spread a message of earthcare.

2. Prayer Candle ceremony:

I'm enjoying a daily prayer candle ceremony throughout Soyal, using small candles and candle ends and choosing a new candle to add each day

Today I light a green candle for Earth Unity, and ask the Spirits to bring the rain of loving care down upon the whole world.

3. Read "Serviceberry":

Today I'm reading from "The Serviceberry", by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2024). I got this sweet little book for Christmas. Robin says, "Many Indigenous Peoples ...  inherit what is known as 'a culture of gratitude', where life ways are organized around recognition and responsibility for earthly gifts, both ceremonial and pragmatic." 

If you dishonor the gifts, you will (eventually) go hungry. If you honor and show thanks for your gifts, you will feel a sense of "enough-ness" and slow the hyper-consumption that is typical in our culture.

"Climate catastrophe and biodiversity loss are consequences of unrestrained taking by humans. Might cultivation of gratitude be part of the solution?"

4. Set intentions:

Last week I brainstormed some wild and crazy ideas for the next 30 days, and today it's time to narrow it down a little, to the priority items that I could possibly focus on this next month. This isn't a list of the practical things I need to do this month; rather it's my top actions, studies, and growth goals that fit with the "taste" of this month of my life.

After I list my top goals for the next 30 days, I'm ready to set some intentions for action. I've written just two intentions, the ones I might act on today, and will write more later.

I intend to work on Earthcare with hope and resilience by grounding myself in the reality of the environmental situation, and discerning the actions I am led to take: I will continue to practice cycles of reverence for the Earth, that remind me to celebrate each day as a sacred gift, with attention on Love, Truth, and Creation; create a sanctuary in our yard, for my family and for wild nature, an inviting butterfly and bird garden, and a teaching garden with signage and art that witnesses to earthcare; and inspire my community with writing, speaking up, events, actions, craftivism, and my example.

 

I intend to rebuild many simple health and resilience habits (such as drinking water, walking, eating more veggies): I will choose, practice, and track one new small habit each week, and discern my deepest reasons for building these habits, to nurture integrity and passion.

 

I intend to organize in my home, and build habits to sustain simplicity, cleanliness, and order; I will clear out half of what I own, and store each thing in its proper place so I can find it when I need it; and I will revitalize my weekly and monthly home maintenance habits, with a focus on mold and fresh paint, because outer order does support inner calm, and a simpler life-style will support my earth unity work.

5. Winter nature tray:

Nature trays or tables are a place to celebrate the changing seasons, and the natural cycle of the year. We put away the Autumn nature tray at the start of advent, and yesterday we cleared away the advent candles and set up a Winter tray.

We enjoy two parts: Collection and observation. Our grandsons loves to collect nature objects - sticks, leaves, pinecones, rocks - not all beautiful, but who am I to judge? Our nature tray is a display of their collection with some additions from me. Eventually our walks will help him to sharpen his observation of what goes on in nature, and he will become more discerning about what to collect.

Observation is rather ceremonial - we visit the table, light the candles and touch or play with the objects, but they live on the table.

Supplies: Tray or low table, candle or two, natural objects (feathers, sticks, nuts, rocks, flowers, pinecones), appropriate seasonal figures or objects (bells), and a word for winter.