Sabbath for the Cusp of Spring

Today is the start of my sabbath - for a couple of days at the end of my week I step out of the fray, and regroup. We are on the cusp of spring, and I want to take time to prepare myself - body, mind, and spirit.

My perfect sabbath is a celebration, a holiday. I keep it holy with my attitude: I don't rush, complain, or worry. Everything I do has a flavor of peace. I schedule some work, but it's work I find fulfilling, or uplifting. Simple is a great word to describe my ideal activities for the sabbath: Simple tasks, simple foods, and an undemanding schedule. - Unfortunately I have a work-related meeting today, but I will surround it with easy, peaceful vibes.

Agenda:

1. Brainstorm for Spring

2. Practice a Reverent Way of Being

3. Plant spinach

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

New White Moon and Start of Soyal

Tonight is the new moon. The Chinese call the eleventh new moon the White Moon, perhaps because it brings the snow, or perhaps because it's a yin time of year.

And today is the start of Soyal, a Hopi ceremonial period that begins at the new moon closest to the Winter Solstice and lasts for 16 days. Soyal is short for Soyalangwul, which means Establishing Life Anew for All the World. It's a sacred time of peace and preparation for the new growing season.

Agenda Today:

1

. Read a novena

2. Settle into the Soyal Way of Being

3. Choose a month theme

4. Set intentions

5. Retreat to review the Divine Laws

6. Prayer candle ceremony

Cusp of Autumn

 We are on the cusp of Autumn, and I want to take time to prepare myself - body, mind, and spirit. I'm taking this whole week to bring my attention to the shift we are undergoing - attempting to slow down, simplify my schedule where possible, and celebrate.

Agenda:

1. Read "Earth Walks"

2. Fall possibilities

3. Practice a Reverent Way of Being

4. Nature culture practices for fall

5. Fall vignettes

Step into Nature

I have a love of nature on a very local level - I do not desire to drive to the woods every weekend. That said, I would like to return to some habits of walking and biking to local natural areas - we do have some great ones - and also having an occasional adventure in the woods or at the ocean.

Agenda:

1. Practice a Reverent Way of Being

2. Read "Step into Nature"

3. Plan some adventures

Prepare for the Solstice

The Solstice is less than a week away, and my habit is to have a week of summer fun to welcome the start of this amazing season.

Summer is the wonderful time when we get to slow down, sleep in, play with friends, go swimming, bask in the sun, eat ice cream, stay up after dark... let’s face it; all the best stuff happens in the summer! No matter how old you are, summer is a time to slow your pace and savor the fun and freedom. The shift from spring to summer is worth noticing!

Agenda: 

1. Love meditation

2. Practice a Reverent Way of Being

3. Read "A Book That Takes It's Time"

4. Plan a fun build-up to summer

5. Make Sima

6. Care for the bedrooms

Sabbath for the Cusp of Spring

Face drawing at age 2!

Today is the start of my sabbath - for a couple of days at the end of my week I step out of the fray, and regroup. We are on the cusp of spring, and I want to take time to prepare myself - body, mind, and spirit.

My perfect sabbath is a celebration, a holiday. I keep it holy with my attitude: I don't rush, complain, or worry. Everything I do has a flavor of peace. I schedule some work, but it's work I find fulfilling, or uplifting. Simple is a great word to describe my ideal activities for the sabbath: Simple tasks, simple foods, and an undemanding schedule.

1.  Read "The Serviceberry"

2. Brainstorm for Spring

3. Practice a Reverent Way of Being

4. Plant greens

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 shifts. 

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 Creativity Book"

3. Make a Creativity Altar

4. Write about my seeds of inspiration

5. Simple projects list

6. Plan a party

7. Bless the bathroom

Cusp of Autumn

We are on the cusp of Autumn, and I want to take time to prepare myself - body, mind, and spirit. I'm taking this whole week to bring my attention to the shift we are undergoing - attempting to slow down, simplify my schedule where possible, and celebrate.

Agenda:

1. Fall possibilities

2. Practice a Reverent Way of Being

3. Nature culture practices for fall

4. Fall art themes

5. Make bread

6. Fall vignettes

Prepare for Imbalc

Imbalc is coming in a few days and I have a few practical and contemplative preparations to make. Mostly I need to watch as the wheel of the year shifts. We still have a month of winter left, but these warm days (in the 60's) are pretty great! My thoughts are turning outward, to the garden, our neighborhood, and my community.

Agenda:

1. Read Writing and Being

2. Practice a Reverent Way of Being

3. Gratitude practice

3. Write about my seeds of inspiration

5. House clearing