Babinden

The Slavic holiday Babinden (bah-bean-den) happened already on January 21, but I am celebrating it today instead.


Baba is "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.

Agenda today:
1. Journal queries

2. Hand-washing ceremony
3. Plan gifts for my grandmothers
4. House cleaning and blessing
5. Make pitka (Bulgarian bread)

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Today I am reminded again that I need to honor the ongoing struggle for freedom, equality, and dignity for all people, and share in the efforts.

Agenda today:
1. Journal queries
2. Study
3. Make a new banner
4. March
5. Index to MLK Day projects

Full Wolf Moon and Tu B'Shevat

Tonight is the full moon. The full moon of January is called the Wolf Moon because of the hungry packs of wolves that used to roam for prey at this time of deep winter.

Tonight is also Tu B’Shevat (too b’sch VAHT), the Jewish New Year for Trees. It begins at sunset on the evening of the full moon of late January or early February. This is the season in Israel when the earliest-blooming trees begin a new fruit-bearing cycle. In contemporary Israel it’s celebrated with tree planting ceremonies and a focus on ecological awareness. Many also share a seder (ceremonial meal) of tree fruits.

Agenda: 
1. Journal queries
2. Altar
3. Practice receptivity
4. Blessings Walk
5. Tree of Life visualization
6. Plant a tree
7. Share a seder meal

My Year of Virtue

Virtue is ethical behavior. It encompasses a wide array of very nice things like honesty, compassion, temperance, and so on. I think I'm mostly a good person, but I'd like to be better... I disappoint myself all the time. I decided to give attention to virtue this year, and see how I might improve my virtuousness.

I ran across Ben Franklin's system for virtue improvement. Ben devised a small chart that he carried with himself, to record his behavior day-to-day in 13 areas. If you do a Google search you will see that MANY people are interested in Ben's system! You can buy journals and download charts if you want, but I know I won't be happy unless I personalize mine.

Agenda:
1. Create a virtue chart
2. Make visual reminders
3. Daily review

Pongal

Pongal is a four day harvest festival celebrated in India, beginning on January 13th or 14th. The word Pongal means “overflowing” and “abundance”. It's celebrated as a shift in the season- the end of winter- the day on which the sun begins to move northwards.

The sun is a symbol of wisdom, divine knowledge and spiritual light, and now it turns towards us and blesses us with life and energy.

Each day of Pongal has a slightly different focus and theme: 

Today is called Bhogi Pongal, which means "enjoy abundance"; it's a day to honor the rain god, Indra, for providing rain for the harvest. Today farmers anoint their plows and sickles with sandalwood paste to bless them, then bring in the fresh harvest of rice and sugar cane.

The second day is called Surya Pongal, named for the sun god, Lord Surya. On this day people cook sweet rice at sunrise, and watch for the rice to bubble out of the clay pot. The boiling over symbolizes good luck and prosperity for the family.

The third day is Mattu Pongal, focusing on the cattle who pull the plows. (Mattu means "cow".) The cows are cleaned, decorated and fed treats.

The fourth day is Kanum Pongal. Kanum means "to view": It's a day to visit friends and family.

Agenda for Pongal:

1. House cleaning and blessing
2. Have a fire
3. Make a rangoli
4. Make Pongal Paanai (Sweet Rice)
5. Recite the Surya Mantra

Self-Discipline

Winter Stillness detail

I long for greater self-discipline, so that I could be a productive artist, stay on top of my committee work and lesson plans, keep my home spotless, and still have time for writing and contemplation. 

My husband says I'm amazing and I do a lot. But I feel dissatisfied- I'd like to get to a deeper place with my painting and I'd like to have better self-control with my bad habits. I just turned 62, so (the way I see it) I've got at least 20 more years to prove to myself that I can be a creative genius!

Agenda:
1. Journal queries
2. Study stoic philosophy
3. Envision, hold, explore
4. Schedule time and keep it sacred