Namaste Beloveds,

September Greetings of Unity & Oneness! And blessings for new beginnings! September is still the traditional back to school month as well as home to the first day of fall. In the last 10 years since the 9-11 tragedy, September has signaled new beginnings for different reasons. We spoke to 9-11 with a host of other mindful matters on the blog ~ be mindful with us! September is also usually host to the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah and this year is no exception. Read on for this holy & happy tradition as well as our monthly updates from New Thought Families. We are so grateful to have you here with us. Your precious presence makes what we do come full circle! Thank you, thank you & happy, healthy hugs at this time of the turning of the wheel!

Prayer Practice

On September 23 is the Autumn Equinox so we offer a Mabon Prayer of Balance. At the end of Sept., is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Part of the tradition includes the Apple Honey Prayer.

Mabon Balance Prayer by Patti Wigington

Equal hours of light and darkness
we celebrate the balance of Mabon,
and ask the gods to bless us.
For all that is bad, there is good.
For that which is despair, there is hope.
For the moments of pain,
there are moments of love.
For all that falls,
there is the chance to rise again.
May we find balance in our lives
as we find it in our hearts.

Family Faith: Sacred Space

Our home consciouness practice this month is to open up to more oneness awareness; we are playing with mandalas! In our aforementioned web calendar, we narrate the pages and these pray & play unity thoughts center us into a heart space of unity. For a home practice, we have out the craft supplies ... mostly paper plates and colors ~! for making our circular reminders of oneness. Mandalas are a great way to play & pray! I made a little sandbox mandala on our deck to play & pray in. Our short video, Making Mandalas Home Practice shows you how I made the sandbox mandala; it's on the In Our Hands webpage. Also there is this month's Green Living segment of In Our Hands which features Jeremiah & his school lunch bag ~ Jeremiah is taking responsibility for living green!

In Our Hands Home Mandalas & School Lunches!

Interfaith Inspirations

Rosh Hashanah ~
Jewish New Year

In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year." Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah is one of the holiest days of the year; beginning at sunset, this year on September 29, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year. No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah. Much of the day is spent in synagogue ~ the synagogue is the Jewish House of worship like a church, temple, mosque. One of the most important practices in the synagogue this day is the sounding of the shofar ~ a ram's horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. During Rosh Hashanah, it is traditional to eat apples dipped in honey, to symbolize hopes for a "sweet" new year.  The apple is dipped in honey, the blessing for eating tree fruits is recited, the apple is tasted, and then the apples and honey prayer is recited. http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday2.htm