Thursday Beginner's Mind

Agenda:

1. Read "The Book of Doing and Being"

2. Beginner's mind meditation for creativity

3. Pre-K school plans

4. Projects for the week

Find My Direction

It's been a tough week, with a sick kid and a cold myself. I'm really ready to get some work done. But first, I need to find my direction.

1. Read "The Book of Doing and Being"

2. Beginner's mind meditation for creativity

3. Pre-K school plans

4. Projects for the week

My Birthday for a New Perspective

Today is the start of my 70th year -  and this calls for an acknowledgement and celebration of a real shift in perspective. Aging has brought a natural evolution of my priorities, and a realignment of the perceived importance of all the small traumas of life. I find I am generally happier and less attached to grudges and blue moods. I feel a profound sense of contentment from simply being present with the people I love. 

Agenda:

1. Generosity practice

2. Rite of initiation

3. Read "Find Your Unicorn Space"

4. Beginner's mind for creativity

5. Pre-K school plans

6. Projects for the week

7. Winter nature tray

New Year's Day

Today is the first day of a new year in my part of the world. I celebrate many beginnings throughout my year, but January 1 has emotional importance because it’s the New Year of my childhood.

January gets its name from Janus, the two-faced Roman God of gates and doorways; it's a month to look back with reflection and forward with hope. I stand at the doorway of this coming year with my mind open and curious, without fear or judgment, and with hope for the gifts that the year will deliver.

As I stand here, I remember that not all gifts are rosy. I thank the Creator for the shadows and mysteries, and potent gifts of sadness. When I live in the reality of the moment more than in my hopes and expectations, I can receive the riches that are hidden within my most challenging experiences - the gifts of compassion, self-awareness, creativity, wisdom, patience, love, strength of character, and integrity.

Agenda for today:

1. Set the tone for the New Year

2. Kwanzaa principle

3

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Light an imaginary candle for witness

4. Read "The Creativity Book"

5. Soyal retreat practices for witness

6. Witness brainstorm

7. First bird

8. Pre-K school plans

9. Projects for the week

Alban Arthan

Alban Arthan is the Celtic and Druidic name for the Winter Solstice; it's Welsh for Light of Winter.

The Winter Solstice was never a one day festival - three days seems to be the minimum. The sun appears to stand still for three days, then days begin to noticeably increase in length (and we all sigh in relief). 

Alban Arthan is a celebration of the strengthening sun, and the central theme is renewal; we leave the past behind and greet the new. The world is undergoing constant change and we must change and adjust, too, in order to be able to survive.

From A Druid Way: "One link between the objective and the subjective is awen, inspiration, the flow of spirit, which lets us evoke in others an echo of our original experience. Let the echo be strong enough, let our understanding of this thing called being human, and our skill in working with it, run equal to the task, and music, image, voice, story, object of craft can all serve to unite us in the experience of mystery. An echo from outside awakens a resonance within us." 

Agenda today:

1. Read a novena

2. Druid peace prayer 

3. Light a candle for Order

4. Read "Spirit Walker"

5. Soyal retreat practices for order and self-care

6. Self-care practices brainstorm

7. Pre-school plans

8. Home order practices

Family Creativity!

This week of advent my theme is "family love and joy". My role in the family is still Art Teacher Grandma, and advent is one of my favorite times to share the joy of making things. Yesterday we made a gingerbread house; we made piñata last week and today we will decorate it. And I continue to finish up gifts.

Agenda:

1. Read a novena

2. Read "The Creativity Book"

3. Make a gingerbread house

4. Preschool and Advent plans

5. Do the smallest thing

Lussi Night and Luciadagen

Tonight is Lussi Night in Norway and in Sweden, and tomorrow is Luciadagen (pronounced LOO-sha-da-gen), or St. Lucia’s Day, or St. Lucy’s Day.

It's hard to sort out all the Lucys: We have St. Lucia, a Sicilian woman in the reign of Diocletian who became a Christian martyr. Because her name means light, she was appointed to be the patron saint for the eyes.

We also have the older Roman goddess Lucina, also the goddess of light, and of childbirth- bringing children to light.

And in Scandinavia, we have Lussi, a female demon or witch accompanied by an entourage of gnomes and spirits called Lussiferda.

Agenda:

1. Full effort for gift-making

2. Preschool plans

3. Set out more candles

4. Make Lussekatt (St. Lucia buns)

5. Lusse-vigil

Full Cold Moon

photo by Alan Gillespie

Tonight is the Full Moon of December, sometimes called the Cold Moon (for obvious reasons), but it is also called the "Not Bad Weather Moon" by the Kalapuya of my area, and that's generally pretty accurate. We are now at the peak of the strong-energy yang phase of the waxing moon, and will soon begin the quiet-energy yin time of the waning moon. But today it's time to CELEBRATE!

Agenda:

1. Take a vision walk

2. Celebrate Grace

3. Read "The Creativity Book"

4. Craftivism plans

5. Full effort for gift-making

6. Preschool plans

7. Do the smallest thing

Retreat for Creative Perspective

Perspective is my way of viewing or thinking about something, shaped by my experiences, beliefs, and values. When I adopt beginner's mind and become more curious and open-minded, I am able to shift my perception to see things in their true, relative importance.

Then I might be able to accept what is and stop obsessing, and enjoy my life in the moment.

The third step is to choose creativity; once I am able to let go of trying to control a situation or how I feel, I will open space for intuition and inspiration. I can begin to visualize a way forward. 

Today I will begin a 3-day retreat for creative perspective for my life, my priorities, and my leadings. 

Agenda Today:

1. Read "The Creativity Book"

2. Evaluate my creativity habits

3. Craftivism plans

4. Preschool plans

5. Studio

6. Do the smallest thing

Transition time

At the new moon this week I will move to a new theme focus - from abundance to joy, children, and self-expression, a perfect theme for this next phase of my life. 

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 a few fun transition-to-joy plans for the week:

• Complete our hot tub set up, and soak!
• Make a dinosaur terrarium with my grandsons.
• Paint an Autumn positivity abstract.
• Choose a new positivity book to read 

Agenda:

1. Read "The Sweet Spot"

2. Soul notes journal

3. Housework script

4. Fall Cleaning and Home projects

5. Holiday mindset

6. Dinosaur School plans

Creative Flow

My creative energy is all going into our big home project these days, with only a little left over for making things. That will begin to transition soon, so today I will dream a bit about days of creative flow.

Agenda Today:

1. Read "The Creativity Book"

2. Evaluate my creativity habits

3. Craftivism plans

4. Preschool plans

5. Studio

6. Do the smallest thing

Build a World

I am building a world of Nature-Culture in book form, but I'm slipping a little. I do wake up thinking about my  project, but I rarely take an hour to write. And the other parts - actual garden work and research, painting and craftivism - are also slipping. 

Part of it is that the other big project we are doing is winding to a climax (12 days to a hot tub!) and demanding my attention, and part of it is lack of direction. I think I need a Nature-Culture retreat day soon, to recenter and plan synergy.

Agenda Today:

1. Read "The Creativity Book"

2. Evaluate my creativity habits

3. Craftivism plans

4. Preschool plans

5. Studio

6. Do the smallest thing

7. Love meditation

Forgiveness Thoughts

Forgiveness is a tedious topic. I try not to give it too much thought, but it is the topic that is coming up today. I will try to focus on freeing the resentments I cling to, because these are a burden, and I want to return to dignity and a ground of love. "Though the action itself may remain forever unforgivable, the human is always forgivable."

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and prepare for Grandson fun.

 

Agenda:

1. Ongo journal

2. Read "The Sweet Spot"
3. Fall Cleaning and Home projects

4. Leaf School plans

5. Creative visualization

Abundant creativity

Since abundance is my theme this month, I'm finding ways each day to create abundance. Today I will make some plans for creativity.  

Agenda Today:

1. Read "The Creativity Book"

2. Evaluate my creativity habits

3. Craftivism plans

4. Preschool plans

5. Studio

6. Do the smallest thing

7. Abundance journal

Autumn Art Plans

Autumn begins next week, and then we will be trapped  on a train for 8 days... I need some ideas that will span the trip and flow into an autumn art practice.

So what are my goals for art this autumn?

Agenda Today:

1. Read "The Creativity Book"

2. Evaluate my creativity habits

3. Discern Autumn art themes and goals

4. Preschool plans

5. Do the smallest thing

Reset on the Road

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and prepare for Grandson fun.

Agenda:

1. Read "The Sweet Spot"

2. My Exercise Script

3. Home projects

4. Bird School plans