Thanksgiving - Gratitude and Attention

Being rooted in American myth and tradition, Thanksgiving is obviously not a Celtic holiday, but there is a clear parallel to older Celtic traditions. The ancient ones from the Celtic tradition paused numerous times every year to acknowledge their complete dependence on Earth to provide food, shelter, medicines, life-meaning, and spiritual significance. Earth is generous that way. The Celts paused at the beginning, middle, and end of the growth and harvest seasons to offer celebration, songs, feasting, community focus, and prayerful hope that the Creator would once again move in and through Creation to provide what is needed for life to thrive as humans and as all beings. In a certain sense, American Thanksgiving, at least in its mythological intent, is quite similar. A pause around a meal filled with the fullness of harvest is a beautiful time to be purposeful in turning our soul-attention to the One who brings life from death, food from dormant ground, energy through plant and animal that originated in the explosive energy that created what we know as all material things and finds its way in and through our very bodies. Our lives are all from the Originality that is Life. I hope that you will pause this week to be purposeful, humble, and full of gratitude for your remarkable and miraculous life.

Additionally, we need to be guided by the ancient Celtic way of hospitality and always attentive to care for and be aware of the needs of the "stranger" and those who are either harmed by structures of power and need our help or are lacking basic needs for any reason. Thanksgiving spotlights two such needs. The first is the history of European dominance over and exploitation of Native American culture that can easily go unnoticed in the images of "pilgrims" and "Indians" in harmonious feast-gathering. The second is the loud call to be aware that there are millions upon millions of lovely souls on Earth who do not have enough to eat, and that on the feast day of Thanksgiving, there are many who are desperately hungry and will have no feast because they never do. Please send prayerful awareness toward those in desperate need as you enjoy your food this Thursday, and perhaps consider providing food for those in need (not just on Thanksgiving but throughout the year). Be thankful for your own bounty and be aware of those who do not share that same bounty.