Distaff Day and Plow Monday

Woman with distaff in left hand, and spindle in right hand.

Distaff Day (January7) is the day, historically, when women returned to work after the Christmas holidays.

And Plow Monday (the first Monday after Epiphany) is the traditional day in Europe for men to restart their farm work. 

Our garden isn't large, but I think of it as my miniature farm. Normally, it's too wet at this time in the Pacific Northwest to do any digging, but many other tasks are possible, and it's good motivation for me to have this set date each year to start my “farm work”. 

Agenda for today & this week: 

1. Spindle Meditation
2. Journal queries
3. Housework
4. Tool blessing ceremony
5. Sort seeds
6. Daily garden visits
7. Make plough pudding
8. Kitchen blessing

Epiphany

January 6th is Epiphany, the final day of the Christmas season. This was the day when the three Magi arrived in Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus, and recognized that he would grow up to be a great helper of people. 

Epiphany comes from the Greek epiphania, meaning manifestation, or moment of recognition. The Magi had an epiphany- a moment of recognition, when the truth became clear through something simple and striking.

Agenda for today:

1. Journal queries
2. Open to an epiphany
3. Bake a King's cake

Twelfth Night and New Bitter Moon

Tonight is the last new moon of the Chinese year, called the Bitter Moon, because we are into the month of the bitterest cold. January is the first full month of winter, a time when everything is shrouded in mystery- the sky is gray, trees hold their buds tightly closed, and hidden seeds germinate secretly in the ground

The evening of January 5th is called Twelfth Night, the Eve of the Epiphany, the night that the three Magi traveled to Bethlehem to see the newborn baby Jesus. In Italy, the Befana (short for Epiphania) was busy sweeping her floor that night, when the Magi stopped at her house. They invited her to come along with them on their trip to see Jesus but she said she was too busy. 

Later she changed her mind and decided to follow, but she couldn’t find them. She continues her search each year on Twelfth Night, flying on a broom, going from house to house and leaving gifts.

Agenda:
1. Journal queries
2. New moon meditation and prayer
3. Sweeping
4. Make Focaccia della Befana
5. Leave gifts

Soyal

Today I begin Soyal, a Hopi ceremonial period that begins at winter solstice, or 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.

Agenda:
1. Settle into the Soyal Way of Being
2. Journal
3. Write to my family
4. Make prayer feathers
5. Prayer

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. 

Agenda:

Omamori from 2017

1. Practice my calligraphy
2. Make an omamori

Kwanzaa Day 7 and 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.

The seventh and final day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to the principle of Imani (ee-MAH-nee), which is faith. On this first day of the New Year, I have faith in my ability to find unity and peace, and live with love and integrity. I also have faith that my people will do the best we can, and we will succeed in our struggle to create a just and beautiful world. And I have faith in the Spirit, that it will be open for me, and will sustain and guide me.

Agenda for today:
1. Journal queries

2. Kwanzaa ceremony
3. Set the tone for the New Year
4. Eat Hoppin' John