This Sunday and Monday was the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah and I dove into a house full of guests for the holiday (which means cooking lots and not writing emails!)
Rosh Hashanah is interesting because it is both the celebration of the new year but also the beginning of a time of deep introspection. The next 10 days, between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are called the Days of Awe.
During this time, we look back at the past year and reflect on our deeds and actions. It is a time to ask forgiveness and give such to others. It is a time to do good deeds and give care to those around you. It is a time of inner cleansing -- which with the rain we've had the past few days has felt appropriate.
In addition to Rosh Hashanah, we also just passed the Autumn Equinox. I LOVE the equinoxes as times for balance as both hemispheres of the earth experience the same amount of light and darkness.
I feel like both these occurrences, Equinox and the Jewish Holidays, invite both reflection backwards while also looking towards the future. In Judaism, we eat sweet and round things (like apples dipped in honey and round challahs) offering blessings for a sweet coming year. At the Equinox, we hang in the balance at the height of abundance looking back at a farming season and forward towards what we can savor for the winter months.
This is a great practice for all of us -- to honor what has happened and look towards what is next. I had a period where I would do this every night before bed. I'd write first 3 fantastic things I wanted to acknowledge for the day that just happened and then 3 things I'm looking forward to tomorrow. To me, this is a wonderful practice to being present while acknowledging the past and future.
So, my invitation to you, if you are interested, is to play this game with me and explore this bedtime practice in your own way.
May your coming year be sweet as you enjoy the abundance of our fall harvests here at Crown Hill.