The Zoroastrian community honors the six seasons of the year by celebrating six Gahambars; the word gahambar means "proper season". Each of these six festivals is celebrated for five days, and each honors one of the six material creations: The heaven, water, earth, flora, fauna and man.
Maidyoshahem (may-eed-YO-sha-hem) is the second Gahambar, the Midsummer Rain feast, and it takes place each year from June 29 to July 3. This Gahambar celebrates the creation of water on our earth, and the last day is called Tirgan (pronounced Teer-gone), in honor of Tir, the angel of rain. Iranians celebrate Tirgan with dancing, singing, and by swimming and splashing water on each other.
Agenda this week:
1. Recite a Prayer
2. Read "Everyday Simplicity"
3. Teamwork plans
4. Make a Persian Salad
5. Phenology journal
1. Recite a Prayer:
The first four days of Maidyoshahem are devoted to services, and reciting prayers. Zoroastrians turn towards a flame while praying, which symbolizes the fire of creation and the spiritual flame within each of us. And so I will stand before a candle flame to recite the Ashem Vohu (invocation of Asha) from the Avesta (Zoroastrian Book of Common Prayer).
The Ashem Vohu is a prayer with universal appeal. The word Ashem has many meanings: Law, Order, Beauty, Truth, Righteousness, Purity, Freedom. This one word expresses Divine truth, purity of body and mind, and all the beauty of nature. It's a central idea in Zoroastrianism.
This prayer is like a mantra, to be chanted slowly. To hear it recited, go to this link.
I bought myself this little book, by Robert J. Wicks (2000), as a birthday treat. The subtitle is: A Practical Guide to Spiritual Growth.
I'm on to the third section of the book, which is Fostering Simple Compassion: "When compassion joins an attitude of awareness and the practice of prayerfulness, a 'circle of grace' is formed."
3. Teamwork plans:
Sundays is when I list some plans and create some visuals for my team projects, such as building, clerking, childcare, and family celebrations. I consider how I am creating synergy with my teams, developing trust relationships, and realistic expectations with my community, and think of the ways I can be prepared to communicate my vision for projects, teamwork, field trips, and other expectations. My ideas for this week:
The feast is payed for by those who can afford it. Food is prepared together by volunteers, and served by volunteers. Each person either donates food or helps to serve. The feast is a community get-together, when grudges are forgiven and forgotten, and friendships are formed or renewed.
5. Phenology journal
1. Recite a Prayer:
The first four days of Maidyoshahem are devoted to services, and reciting prayers. Zoroastrians turn towards a flame while praying, which symbolizes the fire of creation and the spiritual flame within each of us. And so I will stand before a candle flame to recite the Ashem Vohu (invocation of Asha) from the Avesta (Zoroastrian Book of Common Prayer).
The Ashem Vohu is a prayer with universal appeal. The word Ashem has many meanings: Law, Order, Beauty, Truth, Righteousness, Purity, Freedom. This one word expresses Divine truth, purity of body and mind, and all the beauty of nature. It's a central idea in Zoroastrianism.
This prayer is like a mantra, to be chanted slowly. To hear it recited, go to this link.
ashem vohû vahishtem astî
Truth is the best good.
ushtâ astî
It is happiness.
ushtâ ahmâi hyat ashâi vahishtâi ashem.
Happiness is to one whose truth (represents) best truth.
2. Read "Everyday Simplicity":
I'm on to the third section of the book, which is Fostering Simple Compassion: "When compassion joins an attitude of awareness and the practice of prayerfulness, a 'circle of grace' is formed."
He offers five parts, and the fourth is Performing Simple Acts of Kindness, about being present with people and accepting them as they are. "Kindness requires slowing down, paying real attention, and sharing some of yourself with others. ... Kindness is a natural unselfconscious outpouring of all you know you have been given yourself."
Practice for this section: Practice being present and kind with everyone.
Sundays is when I list some plans and create some visuals for my team projects, such as building, clerking, childcare, and family celebrations. I consider how I am creating synergy with my teams, developing trust relationships, and realistic expectations with my community, and think of the ways I can be prepared to communicate my vision for projects, teamwork, field trips, and other expectations. My ideas for this week:
- Big outdoor project: Make a 4-month calendar with days we can work, and pencil in a backward calendar; begin to collect storage and deck ideas.
- Camp: Go over the schedule with Carrie and Wade; plan how to involve Wade more.
- Clerking: Write an email to plan how to contact every committee.
4. Make Persian Salad:
On the fifth day of a Gahambar, all the community comes together for a potluck feast, with traditional Persian dishes: Papeta-ma-ghosh, Iranian soup, fried bread, kharu-ghosh, ambakalio, cucumber salad, and ajil - a mix of seven different dried fruit and nuts.
The feast is payed for by those who can afford it. Food is prepared together by volunteers, and served by volunteers. Each person either donates food or helps to serve. The feast is a community get-together, when grudges are forgiven and forgotten, and friendships are formed or renewed.Zoroastrians believe that the smell of good food attracts the Spiritual Beings, and so during a Gahambar the spiritual and physical beings are able to eat together.
Since it's usually warm at the time of Maidyoshahem, I usually make a Persian salad- such as this cooked salad with quinoa, broad beans, sweet potatoes, and kale. The recipe is here.
5. Phenology journal:
This year I've been recording the phenology in my garden to broaden my awareness, deepen my connection to the wildlife around me, and to better understand the calendar of my environment and how it is changing. I'm focusing on a few native plants and personal favorites in my yard, the birds at my feeder, and some specific patches of leaf mulch (for insects).This June has been dry and warm, and only slightly warmer than usual. We did have the hottest day of the year so far - 96 °F on June 9. Rainfall is 0.54 inches so far this month, much lower than normal by almost half.
June 29, 2025, Phenology Notes:
- Rainfall so far this year: 13.56 inches (compared to an average of 23.98 inches). Rainfall in Eugene during the first half of 2025 has been significantly below average, particularly in April and May (and June has continued that trend); Eugene is experiencing "abnormally dry" conditions, according to Drought.gov.
- Birds: Regular array of chickadees, stellar jay's, and finches. Also, my Anna's hummer.
Plants: Oregon Sunshine and Yarrow - both in full bloom; Milkweed bloom is dwindling; Douglas Spirea in full bloom; Colomia - first bloom done, side shoots ready to burst.
Colomia
- Insects: lots of bees out; I've had a second sighting of a Swallowtail butterfly - it took a deep and vigorous dive into a daylily!
- Fungi
No comments:
Post a Comment