This Week on The Spiral Dance Podcast
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The Spiral Dance with Hawthorne (blubrry.com)
Spring Cleaning
The idea of Spring Cleaning actually goes all the way back to ancient Egypt. We'll take a look at why Spring has become the time when we Clean House.
And, while House Cleaning IS TERRIBLY, BORINGLY mundane, it does have magickal implications, and so we'll talk about some ways we can bring our Magick into our chores in some very powerful ways.
While we're clearing out our attics, let's look for Crafty Ways to Rummage and Recycle. Afterall, "Repair, Re-fashion and Recycle" should be the watch words of the modern Pagan, right?
But in the midst of all that work, we should take the time to stop and smell the flowers. So we'll talk about some Pagan ways for "Herbalism and Herbal Healing".
Be well. Do good. Enjoy the show!
And, while House Cleaning IS TERRIBLY, BORINGLY mundane, it does have magickal implications, and so we'll talk about some ways we can bring our Magick into our chores in some very powerful ways.
While we're clearing out our attics, let's look for Crafty Ways to Rummage and Recycle. Afterall, "Repair, Re-fashion and Recycle" should be the watch words of the modern Pagan, right?
But in the midst of all that work, we should take the time to stop and smell the flowers. So we'll talk about some Pagan ways for "Herbalism and Herbal Healing".
Be well. Do good. Enjoy the show!
Spring Cleaning; Why and Where?
Spring cleaning is the practice of thoroughly cleaning a house in the springtime. The practice of spring cleaning is especially prevalent in climates with a cold winter.
The most common usage of spring cleaning refers to the yearly act of cleaning a house from top to bottom which would take place in the first warm days of the year typically in spring, hence the name. However it has also come to be synonymous with any kind of heavy duty cleaning or organizing enterprise. For example, a person who gets their affairs in order before an audit or inspection could be said to be doing some spring cleaning.
It has been suggested that the origins of spring cleaning date back to the Iranian Norouz, the Persian new year, which falls on the first day of spring. Iranians continue the practice of "khooneh tekouni" which literally means "shaking the house" just before the new year. Everything in the house is thoroughly cleaned, from the drapes to the furniture. A similar tradition is the Scottish "New Year's cleaning" on Hogmanay (December 31), a practice now also widespread in Ireland, New Zealand, and North America.
Another possibility of the origin of spring cleaning can be traced to the ancient Jewish practice of thoroughly cleansing the home in anticipation of the spring-time memorial feast of Passover. In remembrance of the Jews' hasty flight from Egypt following their captivity there, during the seven-day observance of the Passover memorial or remembrance, there are strict prohibitions against eating or drinking anything which may have been leavened or fermented with yeast. Jews are not only supposed to refrain from leavened foodstuffs (Chametz), they are expressly commanded to rid their homes of even small remnants of chametz for the length of the holiday. Therefore, observant Jews conducted a thorough "spring cleaning" of the house, followed by a traditional hunt for chametz crumbs by candlelight (called bedikat chametz) on the evening before the holiday begins.
In North America and northern Europe, the custom of Spring Cleaning found an especially practical value. Prior to the advent of the vacuum cleaner, March was often the best time for dusting because it was getting warm enough to open windows and doors (but not warm enough for insects to be a problem), and the high winds could carry the dust out of the house. For the same reason, modern rural households often use the month of March for cleaning projects involving the use of chemical products which generate fumes.
In Greece, and other Orthodox nations, it is traditional to clean the house thoroughly either right before or during the first week of Great Lent, which is referred to as Clean Week. This also often corresponds with the Julian New Year, or April 1.
The most common usage of spring cleaning refers to the yearly act of cleaning a house from top to bottom which would take place in the first warm days of the year typically in spring, hence the name. However it has also come to be synonymous with any kind of heavy duty cleaning or organizing enterprise. For example, a person who gets their affairs in order before an audit or inspection could be said to be doing some spring cleaning.
It has been suggested that the origins of spring cleaning date back to the Iranian Norouz, the Persian new year, which falls on the first day of spring. Iranians continue the practice of "khooneh tekouni" which literally means "shaking the house" just before the new year. Everything in the house is thoroughly cleaned, from the drapes to the furniture. A similar tradition is the Scottish "New Year's cleaning" on Hogmanay (December 31), a practice now also widespread in Ireland, New Zealand, and North America.
Another possibility of the origin of spring cleaning can be traced to the ancient Jewish practice of thoroughly cleansing the home in anticipation of the spring-time memorial feast of Passover. In remembrance of the Jews' hasty flight from Egypt following their captivity there, during the seven-day observance of the Passover memorial or remembrance, there are strict prohibitions against eating or drinking anything which may have been leavened or fermented with yeast. Jews are not only supposed to refrain from leavened foodstuffs (Chametz), they are expressly commanded to rid their homes of even small remnants of chametz for the length of the holiday. Therefore, observant Jews conducted a thorough "spring cleaning" of the house, followed by a traditional hunt for chametz crumbs by candlelight (called bedikat chametz) on the evening before the holiday begins.
In North America and northern Europe, the custom of Spring Cleaning found an especially practical value. Prior to the advent of the vacuum cleaner, March was often the best time for dusting because it was getting warm enough to open windows and doors (but not warm enough for insects to be a problem), and the high winds could carry the dust out of the house. For the same reason, modern rural households often use the month of March for cleaning projects involving the use of chemical products which generate fumes.
In Greece, and other Orthodox nations, it is traditional to clean the house thoroughly either right before or during the first week of Great Lent, which is referred to as Clean Week. This also often corresponds with the Julian New Year, or April 1.
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The Spiral Dance with Hawthorne (blubrry.com)
The Spiral Dance with Hawthorne (blubrry.com)
Playlist for This Week's Show
Carrie Newcomer: "Nothings Ever Wasted"
Fey Brotherhood: "Buried in the Peat"
Bill Douglas: "Sweet Rain"
Lipbone Reading: "Sacred Ground"
Marjorie de Muynck: "Light"
Radhika Miller: "Origins"
Seize the Day: "Bigger, Better, Brighter"
John Boswell: Sky Boat Song"
Spoken Word:
My Pagan Pal: "Spring Clean Your Sacred Space"
The Moody Blues: "The Balance"
Revels: "Breton Band Set"
Carlton Walker: "The Tribe"
Fey Brotherhood: "Buried in the Peat"
Bill Douglas: "Sweet Rain"
Lipbone Reading: "Sacred Ground"
Marjorie de Muynck: "Light"
Radhika Miller: "Origins"
Seize the Day: "Bigger, Better, Brighter"
John Boswell: Sky Boat Song"
Spoken Word:
My Pagan Pal: "Spring Clean Your Sacred Space"
The Moody Blues: "The Balance"
Revels: "Breton Band Set"
Carlton Walker: "The Tribe"
Announcements
If you or your group has anything coming up that you would like me to announce, drop me a line at [email protected]