A Witch's Ramadan

This has been a hell of a year. I'm finally settling into my new locale. It's been a little over a year living here and my first harvest is one of great abundance and meaning. Facing all the new people and activities that are just about to settle into my life along side of me, I am seized by a need to reflect upon and sort things a bit. This month there was a solar and a lunar eclipse (there are 4 per year) and my being is turned to clearing and resetting the table, as it were. I had considered some kind of fast in the time between the equinox and Samhain. So, along comes the timely holiday of Ramadan--September 23-October 24.

I shared Iftar with the Muslim community of Davis last year. It was really special. Much of the night I shared a table with Jordanian immigrants. They were all very friendly... some new to the area like myself. First only women and children, then later progressive younger people who mixed genders at one table. I was polite and respectful and the younger people were eager to share their experiences and impressions of Ramadan and fasting. For total strangers, we had such interesting and warm discussions. The people of the Muslim community took it to heart--that they welcome everyone in town to dinner and share a holy day with them. I had fasted for the day (well, maybe 7 hours), but I remembered thinking that it would have been interesting to fast for a month as everyone else had. There was a sense of something shared--religious, yes--but more importantly... Human. Now, here we are this year and a Muslim co-worker mentions that Ramadan is coming. In fact it begins just after the equinox... isn't that special!

Equinox was grand!! We had a lovely circle of people present--my coven mates and at least as many guests. The food was great and the ritual was special and spontaneous in many respects. I got to break out my new Pakistani frame drum--a ritual virgin that has been played only solitary or set in it's case since I acquired last summer.

So here I am, two days into my Witch's Ramadan. Very interesting indeed. In the interest of my health and well-being, I could not give up water throughout the day--so that is my one allowance so far. I have to slow myself down and pay a particular attention to everything... as well as redirecting my mind throughout the day. It pretty much takes all my attention to function sometimes. Three trips back and forth from the greenhouse to the lab before I actually got my work done. I 'lost' my keys two or three times... often on my person. I think I'm getting used to this, but it's not easy. Though going without is challenging--moderating myself in the evening hours is a significant battle. It's also challenging to have patience with people and situations... or to write well.