St. Dorothy's Day

St. Dorothy lived in Caesarea in central Turkey, around the year 313 AD. She was tried for refusing to worship idols, and a mocking lawyer asked her to send him fruit from the garden of Paradise. In response to her prayer, an angel appeared and presented three roses and three apples.

"And then said the holy virgin with a glad semblant: Do to me what torment thou wilt, for I am all ready to suffer it for the love of my spouse Jesu Christ, in whose garden full of delices I have gathered roses, spices, and apples."

Because of this, she is the patron of gardeners. Also of brides, and brewers.

Agenda Today:

1. Read "The Serviceberry"

2. Garden visualization

3. February tasks

4. Prepare to plant

5. Make potting soil

6. Make Persian Spiced Apples

First Quarter Moon of February

Tonight is the First Quarter Moon; we are one-quarter of the way through the moon cycle. The moon is waxing - getting larger - until it's full again. Now is the time to remain flexible, use my obstacles as fuel for growth, and show full effort for priorities.

I use this February quarter moon's energy to lean in to love.

Agenda for today:

1. Read "It's a Meaningful Life"

2. Journal Queries

3. Full effort for Love

4. Make a full effort plan

Why Love?

Every year or two, I practice a 30-day love cycle of reading, thought, and small actions that help me to cultivate and improve the habits that allow me to keep love central in my life, and in my everyday interactions. 

Love is the key to happiness and success in all areas. Life is lived in relationship- in community- and no matter how brilliant and effective I am, I will struggle if I have poor relationships with the people in my life. Love is also a frame for my bond with the earth, with Spirit, and with myself.

Love is a practice, not a belief or feeling. It’s a set of habits learned over a lifetime: Listening, giving, speaking and acting in a loving way. It’s a way of being, with my attention on compassion, patience, generosity, kindness, and understanding. 

“By celebrating—and sharing—the love that already lives inside us, we can free ourselves from the fear, anger and sadness that cause so much suffering. I have seen firsthand that when we open our hearts to love’s abundance we are able to transform our lives and make the world a more just and peaceful place… When put into practice in our daily lives, these simple habits help us make the choice, day after day, to reject fear’s hold and embrace, instead, the immense power and grace within us.” --Ed Bacon

Agenda today:

1. Love plans

2. Be at ease

3. Talk journal on patience

4. Teachable Two's plan

Kitchen Questions

Our kitchen is the central courtyard of our home, where we light the hearth fire. It used to be a gathering spot, but we don't eat there anymore; we flow through from the front to the back of the house, in and out all day long, gathering only long enough to make a cake together, or load our plates.

We had many reasons for not eating at the table, and that led to the decision to install a mattress-fort under the table, making it impossible to pull chairs up to it anymore.

My biggest question today is: Is that how we want our kitchen to be used or is it time to reintroduce meals at the table?

Agenda today:

1. Read "One Year to an Organized Life"

2. Clean and clear the kitchen

3. Simple steps for health

Imbalc

Today is Imbalc (pronounced Im-molc), the Celtic Sabbat that falls between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It's celebrated sometime around the first of February, as the "beginning of the end" of winter.

Imbalc means "surrounding belly" - the Earth Mother’s womb; soon the seeds in the womb of the earth will begin to swell and creative forces will begin to come alive in the world.

Imbalc is sacred to Brigid, the European and Celtic goddess of healing, crops, poetry, and creativity. As a sun goddess her powers are light, fire, inspiration, and vital energy: Wow! She’s one of my favorite images of the Spirit.

Brigid is the maiden aspect of the Great Goddess and so her color is white; her symbols are a sun-wheel, Brigid's cross, snake, and cock (herald of the new day).

Agenda for today: 

1. Read "Everyday Simplicity"

2. Make a Brigid's Cross

2. Make Irish seed cake

3. Seed blessing ceremony

4. Have a fire

February Phenology Report

Phenology is the study of cyclic and seasonal changes in nature. It's nature's calendar - when flowers bloom, leaves break bud, birds begin migrating, leaves change color and begin to fall, and so on. Farmers and gardeners use phenology to develop a planting schedule. Researchers observe changes in phenology as an indicator of the vulnerability of species and communities to changes in climate.

I've decided to study the phenology in my garden to broaden my awareness, deepen my connection to the wildlife around me, and to better understand the calendar of my environment and how it is changing. I'll focus on a few native plants and personal favorites in my yard, the birds at my feeder, and some specific patches of leaf mulch (for insects).

Agenda Today:

1. Read "The Serviceberry"

2. Phenology Journal

3. Mason bees