Lent

I'm giving up sugar and cream in my coffee for Lent, along with not watching or listening to the news. I don’t even enjoy the news and only listen to National Public Radio as it is, but even NPR has been too doom and gloom for me lately.

I see Lent as a time for quiet reflection; rich in character building rewards for sacrificing something you enjoy. Lent is humbling, yet also builds gumption. We are giving up something we love for a higher power, but really lengthening our inner power as we are learning to balance aspects of our life that are unbalanced. Lent, which means lengthening, sings in harmony with the changing season as the daylight hours grow longer and we remove mundane pleasures in order to hear the beautiful song of the universe.

The idea itself is older than today’s religious boundaries, but for those of you Heathens who think this is a little too Christian, you can try something similar from Candlemas to Ostara.

Ever since Candlemas at Kenny's, I've desired more elaborate prayer and ritual. There is also an inner nagging for something Buddhist. Haha, how knows where these desires come from, I'm just following my authentic self as Sarah Ban Breathnach would say. I've begun a nightly Lent prayer ritual with candles, incense, prayer beads, prayer scarf and the Buddhist Chant: om mani padme hum. This ritual is much more involved than my normal spiritual ongoing. It's sort of how Inara Sera might practice Lent. I guess that's just what I was going for!

Lastly, a quick look at my prayer beads. I made these myself a few years ago when the Ya-Ya's and I did a series of beading workshops together. We called our workshops Beading Bitches - no shorted of crass and charm with us! These beads are Pietersite & Blue Agate with a spell box on the tail.