CANDLEMAS: READY, SET, LIGHT YOUR CANDLES

Be prepared for the blessing of the candles on Feb. 2

One of the most underrated and beautiful feast days in the Christian tradition, is Candlemas Day, which is winter's half-way point between the December solstice and the March Equinox. 

Though this tradition started in the 4th Century, I have a sneaking suspicion that it was stolen from the Greeks by the Romans who supposedly gave it to the Huns.  Traditions are many.  For example, the Germans picked it up and concluded that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, an animal, hedgehog, would cast a shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of bad weather, which they called the "Second Winter." In the United States, it evolved into Ground Hog's Day. Then Super Bowl Sunday almost as a throw back to the ancient Greek men running around with long pieces of animal skin. No matter. 

Get your candles out and ready to be blessed. Candles are supposed to be made of beeswax, however, in my research, one can use any candles that will be lit during the year in the home. My basket is full and I still need a few more as I burn candles by choice, or when the power goes off for one reason or another.  All I can say is how grateful I am that the Eqyptians came up with the invention of wax for candles. Yet, the Romans were credited with inserting wicks in the middle. 

The Priest at my church said to bring candles for blessing on Feb. 1 & 2.   The Feast Days double up for this extraordinary mark in liturgical time: The Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In paintings, we see Mary with a lamb and a pigeon (turtle dove) symbolizing the sacrifice of the lamb and a pigion for redemption of the human condition. Of course, the day is also celebrated as the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.  

The Polish celebrate Candlemas Day as the Last Day of Polish Christmas! Their churches are still fully decorated with Christmas flowers, wreaths and the nativity. The mass on February 2nd is celebrated with Christmas Carols in English and Polish.  The beautiful Polish Christmas Koledy will be performed. Attendees will get blessed candles for their homes. 

Afterwards, the meal consists of crepes that one is supposed to eat while holding coins to signify the incoming wealth of the New Year. The pancakes symbolize the sun and bright times ahead. 

Since Candlemas is a time of new beginnings, this is a good day to ritually celebrate all things new. Plan a ceremony to name a new baby, officially welcome a new person into a family or plight your troth to your beloved. Make a commitment to a goal (like a New Years resolution): this would be an especially powerful thing to do in a group.

If you plan your own ceremony, use these two powerful symbols: fire and water. For instance, wash your hands and bathe your face in salt water, which is especially good for purification. Light a candle as you make your pledge. Incorporate the third symbol of the holiday — seeds — by planting a seed or bulb in a pot to symbolize your commitment, or by blessing a bowl or packet of seeds that you will plant later.

Candlemas is an ideal time for reawakening our capacity to shine who we truly are in the separated darkness of this world. “Wake up sleeper. Rise from the dead. Let the Christ enlighten you.” teaches the Gnostic Paul, summing up the core message of Christianity, which implies releasing our dormant identities based on separation and resurrecting our united luminous nature. Blessing candles on this day can be an empowering ceremony to exemplify this process and to remind it throughout the year, whenever those candles are used.

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD: PLEA FOR HELP FROM CALLER

Boy & dog:Underground Railroad Monument

A lady with a vibrant voice called: 

"I am interested in the Underground Railroad February 20th trip. Can I give you my name to hold a spot for me. My social security check comes in about 2 weeks. So accept my reservation.  I need to be on this trip."

Me: "We don't have a lot of folks signed up for it at this point. I am not sure it will run." 

Lady: "Please, please, please run this trip. Can't you even with a few people? If I don't go out of the house on some kind of excursion with a group, my son will put me in an assisted living home. Please make this trip happen. Please. I don't want to leave my house. I can still take care of myself." 

We think we are done with slavery or with bondage, but clearly we are not. Somewhere along the line we give up our power to others and we don't even know how that happens.  

Clearly, I could hear the desperation in the woman's voice. She was scared of the consequences of dealing with the child she had reared all his life. If she doesn't go on this trip, will he really put her in a place for which she is not yet ready? Am I the determining factor?  And now his decisions hang over her head like so many "American" slave holders in the 1700s. 

There is a distinct parallel between her plea and Quilts, Quakers and Questors, a name I gave to one of my three Underground Railroad tours. 

Oh, how I would love to inject this woman with the fightin' spirit of Sojourner Truth who was in the era of the 'Underground Railroad' but not of it.  We will visit Sojourner's home and grave. This very strong, larger than life woman who walked from north to the deep south and back over 30 times with her charges to bring them to the North where they could be free from whips, overwork, disease, filth and in some cases, torture. 

Born into slavery, Isabella Baumfree escaped and changed her name to Sojourner Truth.  The word sojourn means to stay somewhere temporarily, which is what slaves did as they were sold off several times in their lives. And truth was what she sought. 

No one messed with Sojourner Truth, who was such an eloquent speaker and captivated her audience with her Dutch accent. Slaves were often bilingual. 

So the lady who called will get her wish.  Whether there are 5 or 55, I will feature this tour. I will do what I can to help this caller remain free.  I will do what is right, not what is easy.  

DETROIT IS A JEWEL: STOP THE BASHING

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  This is a partial picture of the mural of Michigan's wealth in the Guardian Building
  

  Detroit bashing hurts all of us.  There was a story in the Detroit News Today that I felt I just had to respond to. I just hate it when people talk so pejoratively about our City.  It is our City. It belongs to all of us. We all support it with our taxes in way or the other. Detroit has beautiful gems and jewels. Ask me. I know every nook and cranny and love to show off the "D".
  
  
  
  
  Dear Editor, 
  
  
  Detroit bashing (Patterson Swipes Jan. 21, 2013) stabs all of us whether we know it or not. It affects tourism dollars, current & potential industry, revenue, taxes, etc. The more people negatively talk about the "D" the more our City and State suffers, which means the suburbs, too.  Stop the bad mouthing because it tortures our neighborhoods, our businesses, our restaurants our livelihoods. There are a lot of positive things happening in Detroit. I show tourists a Detroit that they end up raving about filled with interesting people and places.  So, if you can't say anything good, shut the heck up, pick up your mitt and just leave so you will no longer have a voice.    

Here is the link to the article: 

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140120/METRO02/301200098/Oakland-County-s-Patterson-swipes-Detroit-again?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE 

OH SHISH: AN INVITATION TO THE MIDDLE EAST

It took a Kentucky calligrapher who told our Detroit class that we need to go to Dearborn, MI, the home of a very large Arab population to visit various stores to purchase ancient Turkish music cds and learn about the Arabs in Michigan.  As very unusual music was playing in the background, he urged all of us to get out of our boxes and step into a different way of seeing.  I was thrilled to hear this because learning about cultures opens one up to different ways of thinking.

It is our not knowing about this culture that can cause so many problems.   Actually, I have been exploring Middle Eastern Culture since the late 1970s.  My mother, may she tenderly rest in peace, made me read the book: Shah Nama, The King's Letter. which tells the mainly mythological and somewhat historical past of the Persian Empire and what it brought to the world. How my mother even knew about this epic poem, I'll never know.

In my effort to introduce travelers to this wonderful culture, I developed "O Shish: An Invitation To The Middle East" scheduled for May 16. Once I start telling about it, I get a very positive response.

We are going to the Arab American Museum and other places, but lunch is the most important aspect of this particular tour because it is so very special as we are treated to an explanation of apparel for both men and women.

Can you imagine a fashion show of women showing their various headdresses and burkas, which are an outer covering that women in some of the Arab emirates wear when out and about in public.  Actually, the Qur'n stresses the importance of men and women dressing modestly in public. Much like the Amish where women are attired in their dress, apron and bonnet while men wear trousers without zippers but with buttons on the sides and their hat.  So many cultures have "dress" similarities.

In Israel, many women have taken to wearing of the veil? Why do people do this?  Well, it is believed that these rules of modesty should be followed to save men from themselves. After all, even the young Catholic Domnic Savio, according to his biographer Fr. John Bosco, wrote that Dominic said that when a man sees a woman's body parts, he is aroused and this might cause him to commit sin, even if he doesn't actually sin physically, his impure thoughts are sin in themselves.   So Dominic always averted his eyes to improperly dressed women.

Catholic Sisters used to wear a head to toe "habit", which is very similar to the burka however, it is donned with medals and a rosary . Cloistered nuns still wear their habits.  The respect that the ladies in their habits garner is so telling to me because when other see these women in their dress, they become a little more silent, they nod, they talk about how wonderful it is to see nuns dressed "Catholic." Same thing with the Amish.

Some Orthodox Jewish men wear the yarmulke, and so does the Pope.

These various outfits or uniforms that some wear, actually connect us more often than not. When one is reared in a certain lifestyle, it's different to remove the lifestyle from the person.

Last year while dining at a wonderful Arabic restaurant in Dearborn, a young lady served us.  I asked her about her headdress and she responded: Women are considered God's jewels. That's why I wear my head covering. I am special."

Here are some images of women wearing burkas.
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=burka+clothing+women&qpvt=burka+clothing+women&FORM=IGRE