Easter Sunday

2021 egg hunt

Easter is the most important and joyful of all Christian holy days because it marks the resurrection of Jesus. Easter always comes after the spring equinox, when lots of things in nature are returning to life; specifically Easter falls on the first Sunday after the full Moon on or just after the equinox.

The English word Easter comes from the Old English Eastre, which was the name for the spring season.

Easter is the penultimate time of hope, renewal and new life, which is at the heart of the message that Christians wish to proclaim and live in the world. I see this as a reminder to live each day as a new day, and to have faith that the actions I take will have transforming power in the world.

Agenda today:

1. Read "Revolutionary Witchcraft"

2. Greet the Easter sunrise with joy
3. Love meditation

4. Egg hunt

Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday is the day when Jesus and his disciples gathered to share the Passover meal known as the Last Supper. Maundy is an English word that comes from the Latin mandatum, referring to the new commandment that Jesus made on that night: 

“A new commandment I give to you, that you Love one another. As I have loved you so you must love one another.” (John 13:34). 

On this day three important events are documented.

First, Jesus showed his great love and humility by washing the feet of his disciples.

Second was the introduction of the Eucharist.

Thirdly, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemani to pray and was betrayed by Judas and arrested.

Agenda today:

1. Show love and humility
2. Eat mindfully
3. Find new clothes for Easter

4. Take a bubble bath
5. Go to the garden tonight to pray

Emotional perspective

My theme this year is Creative Perspective. Perspective is just about how we look at things, like our opinions, actions, what's happening in the world and what happened in the past. 

Tuesday is my day to look at my social and emotional self and make an effort to shift my perspectives around how I view the people in my life.

Agenda today:

1. Read the Sweet Spot

2. Ongo journal

3. Synergy and Hope plans

Priorities

This week I've been brainstorming priorities for the next month, which is a process of decision-making: What is the next most important thing? What will give meaning to my life and help the world?

When I feel scattered it might mean I am avoiding something I need to decide, what to do and what NOT to do. Once I decide, I can set everything else on the back burner. I can explain the priorities to my team, build alignment, and eliminate chaos and that feeling of overwhelm. I can be intentional.

Agenda:
1. Love cycle
2. Read "Perspective"

3. New narrative

4. Days of passion flow plan

Proaction

I've been working on Proaction for many years, but I think now I have a new handle on my dilemma - It's a battle of needs: My deeply ingrained need for justice and fairness, which I often respond to in a childish, reactive way, and my need for equanimity. It's a battle between red and blue parts of my personality, and my inner child and grandma.

Agenda:
1. Love cycle
2. Ongo journal
3. New narrative

4. Days of passion flow plan

Creative Imagining

I'm ready for a creative re-boot!

 Agenda:

1. Generosity practice

2. Read "The Book of Doing and Being"

3. Beginner's mind meditation for my book

4. Pre-K school plans

5. Projects for the week

Coherence

Coherence is the ability to be clear, consistent, harmonious, and laser-focused. I long to be coherent in thought, act, and word.

Agenda

1. Read "The Earth Keeper's Handbook"

2. Love cycle

3. Gratitude meditation

4. Proaction and reciprocity plans

Mindfulness, Focus, and Choice

Mindfulness is an awareness practice. When I'm feeling anxious, scattered, and ineffective (like I have been), then I can go back to the moment I'm in. Take a deep breath, look around, notice the people, the room, the weather. Touch my heart and notice my feelings in this moment. Just BE for a minute, awake and calm.   

"When I am present centered and mindful rather than in my head (comparing, judging, planning, hoping) time slows down. I am grounded. Living becomes more interesting. I feel my feet as they touch the floor. I notice the sounds, the details, and the nuances. I notice this moment as unique- not part of a pattern, and I feel the inherent joy of being alive."

Agenda:

1. Read "Perspective"
2. Ongo journal

3. Love meditation

Drive and Commitment

I'm fully committed to my Nature-Culture project. That means I have let go of caution and am involving myself wholeheartedly (brain, body, and soul) to the service of this project that I love. I'm taking a vacation from my usual way of being, and stretching my whole self beyond the way I’ve always done things.

I am also engaging hyper-drive; I am manifesting my courage, harnessing the power of productive obsession, and engaging slow passion, a kind of simmering energy that keeps me focused on my priorities.

Agenda:

1. Read "The Art of Simple Living"

2. Love cycle

3. Four days of passionate flow

Prepare for Imbalc

Imbalc is in a week and I have a few practical and contemplative preparations to make - mostly I need to slow down to watch as the wheel of the year turns. I'm exploring what it's like to BE the earth, accepting the seed and willing to nurture it, and shifting my perspective to make room for the possibility that the Earth-Me has a powerful Goddess supporter called Brigid. 

We've been having a very cold spell, and we still have a month of winter left, but my thoughts are turning outward, to the garden, our neighborhood, and my community.

Agenda:

1. Practice a Reverent Way of Being

2. Read "The Spirited Walker"

3. Love cycle

4. Make a Creativity Altar

5. Write about my seeds of inspiration

6. Plan a party

First Quarter Moon of Late January

Today 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 January quarter moon's energy to lean in to love.

Agenda Today:

1. Journal queries

2. Read "Revolutionary Witchcraft"

3. Ongo  journal

4. Love cycle

5. Full effort for order

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

Worm Day

Yesterday my worms arrived, and I finished my worm bin and put them in it. Today I get to share this new study and practice with my grandsons!

1. Ongo journal

2. Love cycle

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Today I am reminded again to honor the ongoing struggle for freedom, equality, and dignity for all people, and share in the efforts.

Agenda for today:

1. Love cycle

2. Intentions

3. Read "The Spirited Walker"

4. March
5. Index to MLK Day projects

New Bitter Moon

Photo by Alan Gillespie

Tonight is the new moon. This last new moon of the Chinese year is called the Bitter Moon, because we are into the month of the bitterest cold.

The new moon is the start of the lunar cycle, a time of high energy and clear thinking. Historically, the new moon is when women took time to be alone; it's a time to retreat, set intentions, and initiate something new.

1. Retreat Day

2. Read "Perspective"

3. Choose a month theme

4. Set intentions

5. Ongo journal

6. Love cycle

Christmas Eve

Tonight is Christmas Eve. Advent is nearly over, and Christmas is upon us. Today I will tie together some loose ends (finish one gift, final wrapping, deliver cookies, bake sweet bread), and settle into the grace and mystery of Christmas.

What is the grace of Christmas? It's an experiential thing. We don't need faith that the sun will rise because we have experienced it. Even in the darkest of times, this season of Light and Love will deliver its grace.

Agenda Today:

1. Read a novena

2

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Light a candle for love

3. Read "Present Moment Awareness"

4. Soyal retreat practices for love

5. Love Brainstorm

6. Make Danish Prune Bread

7. Hang our stockings

Family Love and Joy

During this week of Advent my theme is "family love and joy". Of course, the joy of the season is spontaneous and un-planable, but I do these three things to create the right conditions:

My children painted these plaster houses when they were young.

• Take the time to consider what my friends and family will want most this season. In other words, I become less self-focused and more generous in all ways. 
• Be respectful, flexible, patient, and kind (no matter how stressed I feel).
• Take care of myself so I can be calm and present for the spontaneous joy when it arises.

These are obviously year-round aspirations, but I need a daily reminder now, because, somehow, everything seems more important: I have expectations (both of myself and others) about how things should go. (Those expectations are loosening as I age and I find it easier and easier to let them go.) 

Agenda this week:

1. Read a novena

2. Read "Perspective"

3. New narrative for the week

4. Card-writing practice

5. Proaction and reciprocity plans

Nativity Fast

The Nativity Fast is the Orthodox Christian way to experience the waiting which is Advent. Instead of “pre-celebrating” Christmas, they have a 40-day period of fasting, beginning on November 15th (but I wait until sometime AFTER Thanksgiving!)

The Orthodox Church teaches that Advent represents the time before Jesus‚ when the people were disconnected from God. Advent is our chance to experience this loss and disconnection in order to embrace and celebrate the joy of Jesus’ birth in its fullness. During the fast, Orthodox Christians eat less than normal, and avoid meat‚ cheese‚ eggs‚ fish and wine on most days. 

During the Nativity fast, Orthodox Christians keep a primarily vegan diet, without being strict about it - the spirit of the practice is more important than what is actually eaten. Besides fasting, the practice includes also prayer, alms-giving, and love. 

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'll also make plans for a nativity fast.

Agenda Today:
1. My Nativity fast

2. Prayer for the fast

3. Read "The Sweet Spot"

4. Love

5. Alms-giving

6. Set fast intentions

7. Fall order and Home projects

8. Make Revithia Soupa (Chickpea Soup)

A Grace-filled Monday

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 plans for fitting Grace into my days.

Agenda:

1. Grace notes

2. Read "The Sweet Spot"

3. Housework script

4. Fall Cleaning and Home projects

5. Holiday mindset

6. Thank-You School plans

The Art of Positivity

I generally keep positivity at arms length, but this month I will explore why it is so important. I am trying to make a shift from cynicism to joy, because as Robin Wall Kimmerer says, 

"Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.”

Agenda Today:

1. Read "The Creativity Book"

2. Evaluate my creativity habits

3. Craftivism plans

4. Preschool plans

5. Do the smallest thing