Welcome: Elul and Ganesh Chaturthi

Last Friday was the beginning of the month-long Jewish celebration of Elul which is a period of self-reflection before the high holy days. 

Personally, as I think has been clear from previous posts on this blog, I tend to be drawn to structured or ritualized periods of self-reflection. I am someone who loves adding rituals and reflections to my life during the period of Lent, and who therefore loves getting a second such period during Elul (or sometimes third or fourth depending on how many extra reflection periods I have added over the course of the year.)

This year I am getting several Elul daily e-mail's (If you want a good one which incorporates zoom meetings, comics, poems, embodied practices, justice, etc try out Elul Unbound) as well as keeping a separate Elul Journal in order to be in right relationship with myself and others and maybe even a "God". When the month of Elul is over I will write more about what I ended up exploring each day in my journal. 

But so far in summary: "Use the period of Elul to avoid becoming Neil Gaiman’s The Day The Saucers Came", "Dear Ganesha please help remove the obstacles in the way of me facing my pain, so that I can bring healing to that pain, and boldly go forth in Belovedness and Belonging. (In response to a James Baldwin quote)" and "It is in the disconnect between others and the self-knowledge of where I am where I typically feel the pain I want to avoid."

In addition, this past Saturday turned out to be the start of Ganesh Chaturthi a 10 day Hindu festival dedicated to Lord Ganesha, son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. 

Lord Ganesha is a cool god who I am drawn to for a number of reasons. He has an amazingly fun origin story for a God, he is always jolly and joyous (sorta like the spirit of Christmas present in The Christmas Carol) and I bet would be the best god at cuddling, he is a God who loves sweets, he is the remover of obstacles which is always helpful, he is the patron God of us writers (Thank You Lord Ganesha), and he is typically celebrated (like many Hindu Gods) with fun music, bright colors, dancing, and yummy foods. 

I am celebrating this Ganesh Chaturthi (which I learned of during a virtual "summer dance" program here in Chicago earlier this summer) with music and dance and some sweets I am sure. I am taking time to be jolly and joyous with Lord Ganesha.