rituals for spring: ash wednesday

a 6-week journey of self reflection as the seasons change

Hello, you.

I am so excited to pop into your mailboxes and Substack app on a Wednesday! This was nothing I had planned when I sent out my last letter/podcast on Monday morning - I had no idea that we’d be meeting in the middle of the week. But, over the past two mornings, as I’ve sipped my coffee and scribbled in my journal while the world slowly began to wake and the wild March wind whipped outside, I felt a calling stirring within me to dive deeper into the season of Lent. And to invite you to dive deep with me.

Traditionally, Lent is an ancient Christian season that marks the 40 days before Easter. It is a sacred time of repentance, reflection, reconciliation, and renewal. Six-ish weeks of prayer, fasting, almsgiving (service), and spiritual practices.

For Christians, it is a chance to strip things back in life, keep things simple, commit to practices of devotion and discipline in order to drop down into our humanity and connect with the divine.

Lent tells the story of Jesus sent out to wander in the desert alone for 40 days and 40 nights. It was a pilgrimage of challenges, hunger, fear, pain, and loneliness. But, it was a journey of self-discovery and resilience. It my belief that the story shows that it was only after his time in the wilderness that Jesus knew who he truly was (a human who suffered) and was fully committed to becoming who he was meant to be (divine love). And then, having committed himself to his calling, at the end of his wandering, Jesus set out to peacefully share a message of love and acceptance available to all, even all the way to his death.

Lent has always been my favorite season in the liturgical year of the church, though I haven’t practiced it for many years now since I am no longer a minister in a church.

I am no longer active in the church because my faith and spirituality have grown wider and deeper that I feel can be contained in any one religion. However, Christianity is still the foundation of so much of who I am and those roots run deep within me.

So, tonight I find myself writing to you because something about the mystical, simple message of Lent still whispers to me. Something is calling to me to follow in the example of Jesus. To create my own journey of self-reflection. To help me know who I am at this point in my life, discern where I am headed, and commit to what path lies ahead for me.

And what better time to renew my commitment to my self and my life than during the season of spring?

Inspired by the season of Lent, but not following traditional Christian ideas, themes, or plans, I am creating a six week journey of self reflection to guide us through the unfolding of spring. A simple rhythm of short letters and practical rituals each Wednesday over the next six weeks. Open to all spiritualities. Of any, or no, religion or faith.

My purpose for this journey is to create space for simplicity and devotion in life. A chance for us tap into the rhythm of this season and to participate in a short, committed, disciplined gathering each Wednesday (through letters and solitary rituals). A way of waking up to who we are and who we are called to be and embodying renewal as spring slowly arrives.

And we start right now.

Today is Ash Wednesday.

The official beginning of Lent. And so we start with an honest look at ourselves and our world. We start with remembrance and repentance.

Ash Wednesday is a day for remembering that we are made of the earth. That we come from the earth and will return to the earth. Dust to dust. And, all throughout our lives, we dwell here. Earthly beings. Fully human. Blood coursing through our veins and water ebbing and flowing throughout our body. Breathing, feeling, experiencing life. Alive, grounded, beautiful - skin and bones and organs and cells. Rooted. Anchored. Connected to all living beings. Part of nature. Children of Mother Earth.

But, our time on the earth is limited. We are part of the life-death-rebirth cycle of life. As for rebirth, that is a mystery that I cannot explain, but I know that it follows death.

On this day, we remember our humanity. Our imperfect humanity. And, knowing that we are mortals, that we are from the earth and will return to the earth, we repent. We admit, release, and let go of all that we feel that we have done that has not been in alignment with our highest self. We ask for forgiveness. We recognize that we fuck up and make mistakes. That we are, in fact, not perfect. And, that the person we have disappointed the most is ourself. We have failed to live the life that we feel called to live, we have forgotten to embrace ourselves and all of our magic and beauty.

But, we hold onto the hope that when we repent, we literally turn and face in the other direction and take a step onto a new path forward. One that leads us to who we dream of becoming. One that is led by the deepest callings and desires of our soul. One that frees us to be who we are meant to be.

Repentance is not punishment, but a personal, empowering decision to move in a new direction. So, today, Ash Wednesday, we dare to turn around and take a step in a new direction. We dare to follow our dreams and believe in the possibilities waiting for us. One that will lead us on a journey that I know will be more amazing than we could ever imagine.

So, today, we step into this rhythm of the next six weeks that I am calling Rituals for Spring.

Come with me on a journey of self-discovery through rituals and reflections on who we are and who we are becoming. Join me in dedicating yourself to a spiritual practice of your choosing. What is your soul whispering to you? What does your soul crave right now? Silence, yoga, time for writing, meditation, reading, crafting, volunteering, prayer?

Spend some time listening and discerning (the two main practices of Lent, in my opinion). Center yourself with deep breaths and quiet moments. And see if there is a spiritual practice to which you are called.

Create your own spiritual rhythm over the next week. Dedicate yourself to show up and practice for the next 6 weeks. I am meditating and stretching every evening. And showing up here on Wednesdays. What do you feel called to make space for?

Remember, I am available for questions, tips, thoughts, conversation all season long and throughout this journey. So, reach out to me, if you want or need to.

Blessed Ash Wednesday, my lovely, earthy friends. I cannot wait to journey with you as spring unfolds and all of life is renewed, including you and me.

xoxo. liz.

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the wsc rhythms of the year: seasons and festivals