Lussi Night, New White Moon, and Soyal

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.

Tonight is also 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. 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.

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

. Settle into the Soyal Way of Being

2. Choose a month theme

3. Set intentions

4. New moon altar and meditation

5. Review the Divine Laws:

5. Prayer Candle ceremony

6. Lusse-vigil

Unity with All People

This week of advent my theme is "Striving to find unity and peace with all the people of the world". Each year I look at issues that are relevant to human rights in the world at this time, and challenge myself to work to create the conditions of peace (justice, equality, and freedom) in my family and my community.

Agenda:

1. Read "The Simpler Life"

2. Journal queries

3. Choose next steps

4. Make a piñata for Las Posadas

Second Sunday of Advent and Human Rights Day

Today starts the second week of advent. Advent is a time of vigilant waiting; I wait for something mysterious and unscheduled, with quiet excitement, and expectation. If I fall asleep to this awareness I risk missing the moment of joy, courage, or insight; the gift of grace that has the potential to feed me in ways I need.

Today is also Human Rights Day: The United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on this day in 1948. The 75th anniversary of the UDHR will be celebrated today, the culmination of a year-long campaign to showcase and increase knowledge of the UDHR as a foundational blueprint for taking concrete actions to stand up for human rights and tackle pressing global issues today.

Agenda today:

1. Mennonite advent prayer

2. Look at Human Rights Day topics

3. Journal queries

4. Advent wreath ceremony

5. Plan activities for unity and peace

6. Take the human rights pledge

A Natural Christmas

My theme for this week of Advent has been "cherish and care for the earth". Each year, this first week, I bring nature indoors, by collecting greens, pine cones, straw, and other natural materials to use for decorations, and for making gifts.

I've been collecting fallen branches of evergreens for the last weeks, and now I will bring them inside to deck my halls. Greens are the first decorations I put up around the house, along with a few candles, to open the door to a little light, and to connect with the earth. Evergreens are a symbol of eternal life, and also symbolic protection against trouble. Today I bring the protective spirit of nature inside.

Agenda:

1. Make a stick tree hanging

2. Dry some oranges

3. Decorate our outdoor tree

4. Make sweet, salty, or spicy nuts

Hanukkah

Hanukkah 2021

Tonight is the first night of the eight day Jewish holiday known as the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah is observed beginning 3 days before the new moon closest to the winter solstice, at the darkest part of the moon phase and the darkest part of the sun phase.

Agenda today:

1. Prepare for Hanukkah

2. Make potato latkes

3. Hanukia Ceremony

St.Nicholas Day and Third Quarter Moon of December

My grandson's first St. Nicholas Day, 2020!

Today is St. Nicholas Day. My theme for this week of Advent is "Striving to find unity and peace with all the people of the world". One way I do that is to try to be in harmony with the people I interact with (especially those who irritate me), and one way I do that is to work at being a kinder person.

Kindness is our outward expression of day-to-day love. You practice kindness with polite language, and other small acts and habits like gracefully waiting your turn, using a friendly tone of voice, offering help, giving a compliment, or a simple smile. I'm not going to bore you with a list of random acts of kindness - you know the drill.

Today is also the Third Quarter Moon: This waning moon energy is yin - quiet, internal, heart-driven, intentional Being-ness. At this phase we can ease off a bit on actively pursuing goals, slow down, go within, and attend to inner work and self-care.

Agenda Today:
1. Advent Prayer

2. Renewal plan

3. Evaluation House

4. Monthly journal brainstorm

5. Surrender, rest, recuperate