Kakizome Day

This is Kakizome Day; kakizome means "first writing". Today people all over Japan will take time to use a brush and sumi ink to write out a favorite quote or phrase - the first calligraphy of the new year. Kakizome is a way to express your positive wishes for the New Year

Today is also the ninth day of Christmas, and we will be on a train soon to go home.

Agenda:

1

.

 

Light an imaginary candle for service

2. Read "The Earth Keeper's Handbook"

3.

 Service and activism brainstorm

4. Practice writing

5. Make an Omamori

6. Proaction and reciprocity plans

1

.

 

Light an imaginary candle for service:

At Soyal, I review the Divine Laws, as I see them, meditate and write about my priorities, and make plans for the coming year based on guidance from the Spirits. 

Today I am giving attention to

 my priority of

 community service and activism, and ask the Spirits to bring the rain of loving care down upon the whole world. I ask::

What are my responsibilities to my wider community, and what do I want to gain for myself? How can I be of service? How can I better speak truth to power? 

What things can I do in the New Year to actively help my family, my community, and my society to solve our problems? What group or cause do I really want to work for, be around, impact, and inspire?

What can I do to teach or support freedom, equality, and dignity for all people? What do I need to learn?

How can I show my thankfulness for the blessings in my life in tangible ways? How can I “pay it forward” with my time, talent, and money? What resources do I have that I could share?

2. 

Read "The Earth Keeper's Handbook":

I'm reading this book by Loren Swift (2019), subtitled "Assuming Leadership in a New World." The premise is that lack of care for each other (people) results in lack of care for the earth. "This book details the practical steps to shift the paradigm internally from conflict to cooperation and to make the same shift in relationships and in group endeavors." Well, that is the work I need to do this winter.

The first section is The Way In, and Chapter 3 is The Science of Oneness, which moves slowly towards a practice she calls Embodying Universal Qualities of Life in the Spectrum of Love (really flows off the tongue). 

The first point is intentionality - When we have a clear understanding of personal values and the qualities of life that motivate us, then we can generate them intentionally.

The second point is universal qualities (Needs), which are the commonalities of shared humanity. When I understand the Need under the desire I can get creative with the strategy. So when I brainstorm my goals I should also dig to find the universal Need it is serving.

The third point is the strategy - how we choose to fulfill the experience and express the quality of life we are after, for which there are myriads of possibility.

She suggests that the first step is always to name the qualities of life I'm after, how I would most like my state of being to be ... calm, wise, energetically engaged, creative, meaningful, respected and respectful, inspired and inspiring, loved and loving, simple, and full of integrity. With this list in hand, my motivation is clear, and I am empowered to find the strategy.

3. Service and activism brainstorm:

I'm finishing up the work of setting goals and resolutions for the New Year, focusing on my priorities. My theme for today is service and activism, all the ways I show responsibility and give back to the world for the gift of my life.

Service and activism goals might have to do with raising my level of integrity in some way, raising my energy and tenacity level for responsible action, using my talents to support a cause, growing as a leader and activist, or educating myself and others.

My ideas for activism and service goals for next year so far are:

• Continue to grow as a leader, learning how to communicate and listen, share my passion, organize for action, engage and lead.
• Offer more opportunities for creative engagement in the work we are doing.
• Become more well-versed and educated in the facts.
• Witness to my leadings with my writing, art, and actions.
• Connect the earthcare work I'm led to do to the human care work that also needs doing.
• Show up in-person more often, to Meeting and other events, to witness and form new connections.

4. Practice writing:

In Japan, calligraphy is part of the curriculum in all schools. On Kakizome Day, students begin the year by practicing their calligraphy skills - calligraphy is the normal handwriting in Japan, and your handwriting is thought to reveal your personality.

These pictures are from a few year's ago, when my art students got a chance to practice Japanese calligraphy. You don't have to write in Japanese if that's intimidating.

Supplies: Ink stone, ink stick, sumi brush, newsprint, rice paper

1- Choose what to write: People usually write a favorite poem, proverb, or positive and encouraging kanji symbol, like "good health" or "tolerance and acceptance".

2- Grind your own ink (optional): Ink grinding gives you a meditative moment to reflect your thoughts and wishes for the new beginning of the year. Just add a few drops of water to the ink stone and slide the ink stick back and forth until a small amount of ink forms in the well.

3- Practice with the brush and ink: Japanese calligraphy requires skill- you have to hold the brush just so, and stroke and place the characters on the paper with precision and beauty. Try out the calligraphy on newsprint several times to get the feel for it before you use the rice paper. Practicing one positive kanji over and over helps you to develop skill and also focus on the positive theme you have selected.

4- If you end up with something you like, you can mount it on heavier paper and hang it to give you inspiration all year. Or you can make it small enough to fit inside an omamori.

5. Make an Omamori:

Omamori from 2017

Starting at dawn on New Year’s Day, Japanese people flock to shrines and temples to offer prayers and wishes for the New Year. While there, each person buys a new omamori- a traditional Japanese cloth charm- and returns last year’s omamori to be burned. 

Omamori is Japanese for “honorable protector”. They are most commonly rectangular, and contain a piece of wood or paper inside, with some powerful Shinto or Buddhist words for protection, or health, or luck, or a variety of other specific uses. The cool thing about omamori is that they are personal and portable. You can carry your omamori however feels right to you: It’s common to attach a safety omamori to a backpack to protect a child on the walk to school, or to keep a study omamori in a pencil case, or hold it in a pocket during an exam.

Since I can't buy an omamori at a local temple, I decided to make my own several years ago, for traffic safety. I wasn't sure what words are usually inside an omamori, so I just wrote the words of the purpose, which was traffic safety. The instructions are here.

6. Proaction and reciprocity plans:

Once a week I journal a bit about the future, and my dreams and goals: What GREAT things do I want to accomplish? How will I serve people? How will I use my talents? How will I stretch myself? How can I become an “island of excellence”? What is essential?

Then I try to define achievable, meaningful goals and prioritize the goals and tasks with the greatest long-term impact.

This next week I hope to:

1. Read up and report on the Clean Water bill, and legislative short session.
2. Send out the EC action newsletter. 
3. Set intentions for teaching and craftivism, and a possible E-Book blog for sale.
4. Experiment with a watershed watercolor painting!
5. Write about Sanctuary: Urban wildlife; Vermi-composting; Bird feeders; Crop rotation; Prepare for late winter seed starting.
6. Write about Awareness: Spiritual simplicity and order; Monitor Your Air Quality; Winter temperature awareness; soil health; Imbalc.