March Almanac

Entering Lent, a garland of March inspiration, & our monthly focus

In March the earth remembers its own name.
Everywhere the plates of snow are cracking.
The rivers begin to sing. In the sky
the winter stars are sliding away; new stars
appear as, later, small blades of grain
will shine in the dark fields.

And the name of every place
is joyful.

Mary Oliver, excerpt of “Worm Moon” from Twelve Moons

A quick note:

With the Spring Equinox & the Annunciation approaching (once considered New Year’s Day), I thought it was high time to reveal some fresh offerings. Welcome to the first of our monthly Almanacs, intended to help us enter into each new month with curiosity and a whole reservoir of ideas.

In these Almanacs, you’ll find a ‘book of days’ to track this month’s HF gatherings & resources…a reveal of our monthly in-depth focus (giving you some sense of what to expect this month, a bit further in advance!)…whimsical creations to accompany & inspire us throughout all our March days…and a playlist to serenade.

• MARCH 1 | Saturday | St. David’s Day
  » Prepare your garland of inspiration (see below) - explore all the prompts and ponder how you’d like to respond to them

• MARCH 5 | Wednesday | Ash Wednesday - Lent begins
  » Begin your Lent botanical coloring calendar

• MARCH 6 | Thursday | March focus: St. Gregory the Great reflections, art, & resources available

• MARCH 8 | Saturday at 11 am PST | St. Gregory the Great & the Anglo-Saxons
  » Zoom gathering with Medievalist & Oxford lecturer Dr. Eleanor Parker (for paid members)
  

• MARCH 12 | Wednesday | Feast of St. Gregory the Great (our March focus)
  

• MARCH 13 | Thursday | Spring book club announcement

• MARCH 25 | Tuesday | Solemnity of the Annunciation
  » Print out an Annunciation Book of Hours page, fill-in worksheet, & prayer
  

• MARCH 28 | Friday at 5 pm PST | Lent in Middle English literature
  » Zoom gathering with early English literature scholar Dr.

  Jessica D. Ward
  (for paid members)

You can also find this calendar of upcoming events posted in the Village Green

The bunny in a field of crocus being greeted by her worm friend?… that emblem represents March’s full moon, also called the Worm Moon as this thawing time is when worms are more active.

To help us stay curious & attentive throughout March, let’s create a garland of inspiration. Each emblem (hand-drawn & painted in watercolor) is a prompt: an invitation to look at the holy wonder of these days & how they meet us in our varied circumstances. They’re accompanied by simple ideas for responding to the prompt - lean into them for inspiration, or mark the days in your own way!

As you respond to each prompt, hang its emblem on the twine…while the month whirs by, you’ll have a visual story of your days, representing all that you’ve done to commemorate them.

» Available in the Scriptorium for paid subscribers:

As we wind our way through March, we’ll be giving extra attention to the feast of St. Gregory the Great - and, though St. Gregory’s feast day was later moved to September, its original placement at the cusp of the Spring Equinox is illuminating to explore.

• Dr. Eleanor Parker - Oxford lecturer, Medieval historian, & author - will be joining us to discuss the importance of this saint and his feast in the Anglo-Saxon world

• I’ll be sharing reflections, agrarian connections, artwork, & resources to help support us in celebrating this feast - keep an eye on the horizon!

Getting to wander through the liturgical & natural seasons with you is such an utter delight - thank you for welcoming my work into your space. If you’re inclined to share this with a friend, I’d be so grateful…your support is what helps me to continue researching, creating, and bringing other illuminating voices into our discussions.

Pax et bonum,
Kristin