The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks

Play-doh pies 2022

Giving thanks does not come naturally for me; I do have feelings of gratitude, but I just find it hard to express them without sounding awkward or insincere - even in my head.

Noticing my feelings is a good first step, though; when I notice how blessed I am, I become more optimistic and peaceful; my impatience decreases and I realize how satisfied and fulfilled I am.

In the book, "Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks," Diana Butler Bass says, "The universe is a gift. Life is a gift. Air, light, soil, and water are gifts. Friendship, love, sex, and family are gifts. We live on a gifted planet. Everything we need is here, with us. We freely respond to these gifts by choosing a life of mutual care. ... There is no one experience of gratitude; rather it is a complex and episodic thing, and one that is deeply emotional."

Noticing my feelings of gratitude helps to keep me humble. I depend on the love, kindness, and support of others at all times, and on the bounty and generosity of nature. All that I have comes from others, just as I contribute to the lives of others in many ways. The exchange is continuous.

Gratitude is a fundamental feeling. When I think about gratitude as an essential part of love it becomes easier to remember to express it.

1. Read "Wake Up Grateful"

2. Daily Hours of prayer

3. Thanksgiving Tree

4. The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address

First Quarter Moon of November (on Abundance)

Tonight is the First Quarter Moon; we are one-quarter of the way through the moon cycle. The moon is waxing - growing in light and energy, creating a time for decisive action and full effort. 

But November is dark and wet, and this November has drained the vigor from all of us. 

I use this November quarter moon's energy to help me find the spark to keep on going; Blótmónað means Sacrifice Month, and just as Persephone goes peacefully down to the underworld every year, I release expectations and accept the peace of total surrender to what will come. Bring it on!

Agenda Today:

1. Journal queries
2. Read "Comfortable with Uncertainty"

3. Make a full effort plan

4. Low status oxymoronic priorities

Simple Abundance

Simplicity and abundance are not as much at odds as they seem. We can have full lives without being stressed and over-burdened. My goal this month is to continue with my intention to pare down to my essential priorities, while also paying attention (and opening doors) to the fullness of my life.

November is colder and wetter, drawing me deeper towards winter. This is a month when I celebrate the final fruits of summer’s work, and remember to express my gratitude.

Blótmónað is the word for November in Old English; it means Sacrifice Month, but the sacrifice is joyful, as Persephone goes peacefully down to the underworld every year. Peace is the fruit of total acceptance. In November I see the circle of life in all its full roundness - as it blossomed in spring and as it dies in fall.

Agenda:

1. Read "The Power of Less"

2. Set more intentions

3. Start an Abundance Journal

4. Simple Projects List

5. Holiday Housekeeping

Sabbath for Souls

Today is my Sabbath, and it's also the time of the doorway to the dark half of the Celtic year, the opening of a new cycle. 

The early Gaels believed that the border between this world and the otherworld became thin at this time of year, and so spirits of the dead could visit the living.

This is the time of year to welcome home the souls of your ancestors. But I definitely feel some angst regarding my relatives who moved here to the "New World" to take it away from the Native Peoples, and who bought into the false American Dream, built on the subjugation and decimation of so many other living beings. 

It has become my custom at this time of year to open my heart to healing the soul connection between me and my ancestors.

Agenda:

1. Unity Art for souls

2. Make Soul Cakes

3. Throw the runes

4. Have a soul ceremony

5. Offer ongoing support for my ancestors

Dia de los Muertos

Dia de los Muertos - the Day of the Dead - is a holiday observed in Mexico on November 2. It’s a family time for remembering and honoring dead friends and relatives - a period when the souls of the dead can return for a visit. It’s celebrated with humor, not sadness.

Agenda

1. Set up an ofrenda
2. Make paper banners
3. Make Pan de Muertos (Bread of the Dead)
4. Make skeletons
5. Make sugar skulls

Diwali and New Kindly Moon

Tonight is the night of the new moon. The Chinese call this tenth new moon the Kindly Moon. In China, this is the season for winter crop planting, and this month brings the first “little snow” which gently (and kindly) moistens the winter wheat seedlings. We don't have snow yet, but we've had a kindly bit of rain.

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.

This is also the start of the five day Hindu Festival of Diwali, which falls on the new moon of late October or early November. Diwali is the festival of good luck and prosperity- one of the most important festivals of the year for Hindus. On Diwali, people wear new clothes, clean and decorate their homes, go to fairs with music, dancing, fireworks, jugglers and snake charmers, and give gifts to each other.

1. Retreat Day

2. Choose a month theme

3. Set intentions

4. New moon altar and puja for prosperity

5. Read "Wake Up Grateful"

6. Make almond katli