Blue Moon Sabbath

Sunday is my day to be quiet (at least for a while), with the spirit, in contemplation and prayer, and in community with nature and/or other bipeds. This Sabbath is unusual because II'm not alone in the house - and I need a plan for how to be quiet with a partner: Well, I'll start off with my usual quiet morning writing time, and flow directly into Meeting for Worship. Then scoot outside for time alone in the garden. After that, quiet will be an inner feeling I carry with me!

Today is also the full moon called the Blue Moon, because it is the second full moon in May. Actually, the original definition of a blue moon is a fourth full moon in one season, but I'm going with the newer definition - the second full moon in a month - because I don't have any better name for this moon. Both are correct, because it's folklore, and folklore is fluid!

Agenda:

1. Read "12 Tiny Things"

2. Review, refine, and shift

3. Balance journal

4. Celebrate balance

5. Truth walk ceremony

Mother's Day Rogation Sunday

Today is Mother's Day, and a low-key time for me, now that my daughter is a mother and I am a grandmother!

And it's also Rogation-tide, beginning on the Sunday five weeks after Easter and continuing for four more days, through Ascension Day on Thursday. 

Rogation is an early Christian tradition of singing psalms and chanting prayers of petition for God's protection on crops, beasts and people. Since medieval days, parishioners in Britain would walk around the parish boundaries, bearing a cross and banners, and asking for God to bless the crops, livestock, and fishing holes. The procession was called 'beating the bounds'; it helped everyone to remember the parish boundaries, in the time before maps were commonplace.

These boundary walks were also known as ‘gang days’ from the Anglo Saxon word ‘gangen’- to go. The parish would bond together as a community, offer charity to poor people they met along the way, and the priest would stop to preach at each prominent tree or landmark.

Now Rogation-tide is celebrated more as a time to honor the gift of creation of the land and waters, to offer thanksgiving for the labors on land and water that feed us, and to pray for stewardship of the earth.

Agenda Today:

1. Journal query

2. Mother Meditation

3. Monthly journal brainstorm

4. Brainstorm my summer

5. Cleansing 

6. Beat the bounds

7. Bless my garden

8. Make Rammalation Bisquits

May Day Full Flower Moon

May Day, on May 1st, is a spring celebration of the blooming flowers. It's an ancient holiday that originated with the festival of Floralia which honored Flora, the Flourishing One, the Roman goddess of spring. Flora is a bright nature goddess who makes trees bloom- she is a “lady of pleasure", but also a symbol of motherhood. She wears a garland of flowers in her hair, and in her right hand she holds a columbine, for fertility.

Maying is what we call the things we do to celebrate this beautiful month-- going on picnics, picking flowers, dancing around a maypole, and sharing our love. In England a young woman is still chosen as May Queen, representing Flora, and is crowned with hawthorn blossoms. She is often accompanied by a May King.

Today is also the full moon called atantal, the "camas blooming time", by the Kalapuya of our area, and the Flower Moon by others, because - well - May flowers!

The flowers in my garden are a delicate reminder to me to project a gentle, honest spirit (less cactus, more columbine).

We are now at the peak of the strong-energy yang phase of the waxing moon, and will soon begin the shift to the quiet-energy yin time of the waning moon.

Agenda today:

1. Review, refine, and shift

2. Celebrate synergy

3. Proaction and reciprocity plans

4. Bring in the May
5. May baskets
6. Make Tippaleivät (Finnish May Day Fritters)
7. Maypole Dances

8. Truth walk ceremony

Full Hare Moon and April Fools Day

Carmella and Toffee

Tonight is the full moon; this one is called amanta kotantal or "Time for pounding camus" by the Kalapuya of my area, and the Hare Moon by others, because it's the month when rabbits leap and play and mate.

We are now at the peak of the strong-energy yang phase of the waxing moon, and will soon begin the shift to the quiet-energy yin time of the waning moon. 

Agenda today:
1. Review, refine, and shift

2. Celebrate joy

3. Truth walk ceremony

Navratri Continues

 Navratri continues tonight with the visit of Lakshmi. 

The word navratri means nine nights; These nights are broken up into sets of three, and during each set we meditate on a different aspect of Shakti (the universal principle of energy and creativity, Mother Earth, and the feminine power in each of us) - first the Goddesses Durga, then Lakshmi, and then Saraswati.

Each of the three goddesses signifies a stage of the spiritual journey we all go through: Durga’s strength and energy creates an opening, Lakshmi’s success and fortune nurtures growth, and Saraswati’s wisdom and knowledge leads to enlightenment, happiness, and peace. Tonight we honor and thank the Divine Mother as Lakshmi, the Goddess of success.

2021 rangoli

Agenda Today:

1. Morning meditation and mantra 

2. Read "The Antidote"

3. Start a new project

4. Make a new rangoli design
5. Add to my altar

Vernal Equinox and Nowruz

Spring equinox occurrs this morning at 7:46 a.m. PDT. The word equinox comes from the Latin words aequus (equal) and nox (night). This is a moment of balance - the sun rises exactly in the east and sets exactly in the west, and we experience twelve hours each of light and dark. From this moment on, we gain more light each day, until the summer solstice.

And Nowruz is the Persian New Year, which begins each year at the time of the spring equinox in Iran, and is celebrated for two weeks. The word Nowruz means New Day in Persian. It’s an ancient Persian belief that creation of the world took place on the first day of spring.

Agenda Today:

1. Journal queries

2. Writing themes and passion flow plan

 3. Spring decorating

4. Dye a few eggs

5. Make Koloocheh Cookies

6. Set up a haft sin

7. Nowruz Ceremony

Full Egg Moon and Hina Matsuri

Hina Matsuri is a Japanese festival that falls every year on March 3. It began in ancient times as a Shinto effigy ceremony to prepare farmers for the planting of spring crops: They would rub their negative energy off onto a doll, then float it down the river.

Today girl's set up displays of dolls, have a tea party, and - yes - some people still send dolls down the river.

The full moon of March is the atcha-uyu or "Women Dig Camus" moon by the Kalapuya of my area, and the Egg Moon by others, because this is the month when birds begin to lay eggs again. The egg is a powerful symbol of hope, new beginnings, and completeness: My vague ideas take a solid shape, enclosed in a perfect shell, and I have created a whole new beautiful thing! The March Full Moon is a good time to ponder ​t​he wholeness of life.

We are now at the peak of the high-energy yang phase of the waxing moon, and will soon begin the low-energy yin time of the waning moon.

Agenda:

1. Take a vision walk

2. Celebrate strength

3. Synergy and hope plans

4. Make hina dolls and paper boats

5. The hina-okuri ceremony

6. Prepare to plant

7. Make hishi mochi and have a tea party

8. Plan a sabzeh

Pea Planting Day and Forgiveness Sunday

Pea Planting Day is a special anniversary for us. February 22 is listed on my planting calendar as the first day to plant peas in the Willamette Valley; it also happens that this is the day W and I got engaged to each other, 50 years ago!

Peas are traditionally the first vegetable sown outside in the spring because they will germinate and grow in very cool soil. We plant peas today to ceremonially kick off the start of the planting season, and also to remind ourselves of the beginnings of our relationship; the day we decided to be together forever.

Forgiveness Sunday is an Eastern Orthodox holiday that marks the start of Lent. The Western and Eastern churches usually celebrate Lent and Easter on different dates - the Western dates are calculated with the Gregorian calendar, and the Eastern dates use the Julian Calendar.

Agenda:

1. Devotions

2. Beingness 

3. Earth Action

4. Read "Revolutionary Witchcraft"

5. Ask forgiveness and offer forgiveness

6. Pea planting ceremony

7. Permaculture pea tips

8. Light a candle

Ramadan

Sunset photo by Brayden

Last night was the start of Ramadan, an Islamic holy day that marks the discovery of the Qur’an by the Prophet Muhammad.

Ramadan is a month of blessing. The Islamic calendar is totally lunar, so Ramadan is a few weeks earlier each year, at the sighting of the thin crescent moon, hopefully at sundown tonight. By night, Muslims read the Qur'an, and celebrate the compassion of God with special prayers. 

By day, they give to charities, and observe the discipline of fasting: They eat an early morning meal before the sun rises, then eat and drink nothing until after sundown. The Ramadan fast includes abstinence from falsehood and anger, in words and in deeds.

Even though I don't partake in a fast, I observe Ramadan in this same spirit, renewing my relationship with God, and exercising self-discipline and generosity. I hope to build my empathy for Muslims as they observe their month-long fast.

1. Celestial awareness

2. Read "The Book of Doing and Being"

3. Beginner's mind meditation for Being

4. Projects for the week

5. Celebrate Iftar

Maslenitsa and Chinese New Year

Maslenitsa (масленица) is the oldest of all Russian holidays. It began as a spring equinox festival called Jarilo, named for the Slavic god of the vegetation and spring. Later it became a Christian holiday, starting on the Monday one week before the Eastern Orthodox Lent.

Maslenitsa is the Russian version of Carnival, with eating, drinking, sledding, games, and costume parades. Like many spring festivals it's a melding of Christianity and Earth Religion, and all of its events still focus on driving away the winter and re-awakening nature.

In Russia, Maslenitsa lasts the entire week, and ends with Forgiveness Sunday, the day before the start of Orthodox Lent, on Clean Monday (February 27th this year).

And tonight is Chinese New Year's Eve. In China, New Year's evening is called Ch’u-yeh, the "evening of discarding", because we can finally be done with the old year, and with winter. This last day of the year is busy for Chinese families, because it’s the last chance to complete preparations and be ready to start the year fresh. When the running around is done, the family spends the rest of the day at home together -- family connections are the big theme for this holiday.

Agenda:

1. Make an effigy doll

2. Make blini pancakes

3. Thanksgiving ceremony

4. Welcoming ceremony

5. Have a family open house

Little New Year

Kitchen God I drew a few years ago.

Today is called Little New Year - it falls one week before Chinese New Year. Little New Year is also known as the Kitchen God Festival because this is the day that the Kitchen God, Tsao-wang, and his wife, Wang Bo-jia, leave to report to heaven. A picture of these two gods, printed or drawn on rice paper, hangs in a niche just above the stove in a Chinese home.

In China a whole month is spent in preparations - cleaning, cooking, and decorating the house. All of the things displayed at Chinese New Year are symbols of the ideal life - tokens and reminders of the good things we hope for: Luck, wealth, long life, and happiness.

Agenda today:

1. Read the Sweet Spot

2. Ongo journal

3. Heart brainstorm

4. Forced Blossoms

5. Make a Tray of Togetherness

6. Kitchen God Good-bye Ceremony

Imbalc

Yesterday was Imbalc (pronounced Im-molc), the Celtic Sabbat that falls between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It's celebrated sometime around the first of February, as the "beginning of the end" of winter.

Imbalc means "surrounding belly" - the Earth Mother’s womb; soon the seeds in the womb of the earth will begin to swell and creative forces will begin to come alive in the world.

Imbalc is sacred to Brigid, the European and Celtic goddess of healing, crops, poetry, and creativity. As a sun goddess her powers are light, fire, inspiration, and vital energy: Wow! She’s one of my favorite images of the Spirit.

Brigid is the maiden aspect of the Great Goddess and so her color is white; her symbols are a sun-wheel, Brigid's cross, snake, and cock (herald of the new day).

Agenda for today: 

1. Read "The Spirited Walker"

2. Walking script

3. Make a Brigid's Cross

4. Make Irish seed cake

5. Seed blessing ceremony

6. Have a fire

Babinden

The Slavic holiday Babinden (bah-bean-den) happens each year on January 21. Baba means "grandmother", and the in is possessive; den is "day", so the meaning is "Grandmother’s Day". It’s also called Midwives Day.

Babinden is an ancient festival, still celebrated in Bulgaria, to give thanks and show respect to the women (or men) who have helped in the child-birthing process, and for all the other skills and knowledge the grandmothers have: Growing food, cooking, herb lore, looking after their grandchildren, and teaching folklore and traditions.

The roots of this festival, however, are in fertility rites. In Bulgaria, a house full of healthy and beautiful children is a basic value, and this is the underlying focus of the rituals on Babinden. Fertility is an essential theme of nature, and today I celebrate the place my grandsons have in the great, burgeoning, hope-filled circle of abundance, and my role as one of their care-givers.

Agenda today:
1. Journal queries

2. Read "The Earth Keeper's Handbook"

3. Hand-washing ceremony

4. Prayer for grandmothers

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

Sixth Day of Christmas

This is the sixth day of Christmas, and time to wrap things up for this old year! Today we are packing for a train trip to visit family, so I will push myself to Get Things Done, so I can enjoy a few days of total relaxation.

This morning I will begin to bring thoughts of the New Year into focus. It's an introspective time- standing at the door of the year, looking backward and forward. It's my habit to reflect on the past and also to ponder the year ahead- consider my true purpose and envision hopes for myself and my world.

Agenda Today:

1. Kwanzaa principle

2

.

 

Light a candle for peace and equanimity

3. Read "Present Moment Awareness"

4. Soyal retreat practices for equanimity

5. Equanimity brainstorm

Fifth Day of Christmas

This is the fifth day of the twelve-day festal tide - a sacred, festive season. I'm in Sabbath mode, spending these Twelve Days doing as little work as possible, resting, reflecting, and finding peace within.

Today we have our grandsons for half the day, so - an active retreat!

Agenda today:

1. Kwanzaa principles

2

.

 

Light a candle for simplicity

3. Read "SoulSpace"

4. Soyal retreat practices for simplicity

5. Creative visualization

6. Simplicity brainstorm

7. Plan New Year's resolutions

Fourth Day of Christmas

This is the fourth day of the twelve-day festal tide - a sacred, festive season. I'm in Sabbath mode, spending these Twelve Days doing as little work as possible, resting, reflecting, and finding peace within.

Today is Sunday so I will be engaged with my community, and also have friends coming for dinner!

Agenda:

1. Kwanza principle

2

.

 

Light a candle for community

3. Read "The Ongo Book"

4. Soyal retreat practices for community

5. Community brainstorm

6. Have a Spirit Guide trance

7. Christmas pudding