Happy Ash?! The symbol of covering oneself in sackcloth and ashes as a sign of mourning and repentance is quite ancient. The Hebrew Scriptures refer to the mourning of Shushan (Esther 4, c. 5th-4th c. BCE) and the quite famous - and sudden, comprehensive repentance of the people - and livestock! - of Nineveh at the preaching of the caricatured reluctant prophet, Jonah (Jon. 3, as old as 8th c. BCE, ). How can it be happy?
For Christians who celebrate Ash Wednesday, Pope Gregory the Great (c. 540-604 CE) is credited with inaugurating the familiar opening ritual of Lent - the spreading of ashes on the crown of the head, etched with the sign of the cross of Jesus, repeating the formulaic, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." Meant to instill dread fear of eternal punishment and thus the need for repentance from sin, the formula was revised - somewhat mercifully - in the Roman Rite in 1969: "Repent, and believe in the Gospel (Good News)." (cf. Mark 1:15)
In the past half-century, as we have become less enthralled with Dante-like visions of fiery eternal punishment for sins of the mortal flesh, our theology has begun to reflect our disenchantment with the strict dualisms of matter and Spirit that captured the imagination of our forebears. Gone are the days when we attempt to subdue the will of the flesh as a sign of our commitment to the Spirit of God, the Spirit seen as somehow in opposition to the fleshly matter created in God's image.
Thus, "giving something up for Lent" (e.g., fasting, abstaining) to mortify the flesh which was considered "bad," and disciplining the flesh so that the soul could be purified for the paschal Mysteries of Triduum, doesn't seem to fit if the body is created as "good." Especially if the body is already disciplined by healthy food, regular exercise, gentle care and moderation in relationship, its "mortification" doesn't make sense. If many are already practicing discipline in their bodily awareness and health, and if sinfulness cannot be reduced to flesh = "bad," and Spirit = "good," Lent has come to mean something different, something deeper, something wider than a six-week detox or dietary purge tinged with heroic piety or debased self-loathing.
With a world crumbling from neglect and abuse, many spiritual practitioners are noticing a shift in awareness and commitment.
Our Ash is on the line.
As Pope Francis admonished in his eco-encyclical, "Laudato Si," ('Praise Be' - "In Care of Our Common Home," 2015), faith-filled focus today demands caring for all creation, the Body of Earth. Many faith-filled Lenten practices for some time have involved doing positive works of mercy such as forming lasting habits of moderation, forgiveness, peace-making, almsgiving, service, and justice. Because so many see the divine Spirit inhering in every facet of creation, in human bodies, and in the body of Earth, reflecting that Spirit in our practice makes more sense. Eco-conscious rituals are arising in this context, as we mark not the great chasm between heaven and Earth, Spirit and matter, but the great synthesis.
As ancient star detritus flared out, Earth was born as a disc of dust and gas orbiting the sun. All life in this biosphere is formed of this swirling dance of energy converted into carbon-based life; even we humans are descendants of Happy Ash. As my beloved used to say while administering ashes on Ash Wednesday: "Remember that we are stardust, and unto stardust we shall return."
What might Happy Ash mean for us today? If the symbol of ash reminds us of the inevitability of death - as the remains of a loved one in an urn on the mantle - what if it might also remind us of the inevitability of LIFE?
Example of Life-Affirming Ritual with Ashes:
Prep: Prepare a mixture of Earthy loam, dried leaves, twigs, and other organic material; burn in a well-insulated fire ring, dry outdoor space, in a fire pit or other safe, protected area with great care. Place ashes in a special vessel or bowl.
Give thanks for every component of life represented in the fire that returns to ash. Every form of Life is sacred. Every sunrise and sunset finds Life changing, transforming. Ash symbolizes transformation. We are also changing.
Environment: Celebrate the ritual at dawn or dusk, when the melding of light and darkness heighten our senses and draw us both inward and outward - expanding our sense of the wider "WE."
Celebrate: with family/friends or alone with creation. If you are without human companions, remember you are part of all creation. You are not alone in the web of Life.
Open: Listen to the song of creation - Earth's symphony - the natural love song that calls light from darkness and shrouds daylight with Mysterious quietude.
Call: "Holy Wind, Driving Snow, Gentle Rain - Mourning Doves and Barred Owls, Cat Mewls and Dog Howls - Filtered Light that crescendos with Dawn's Blaze or Sinking Red Orb that Seeps into Dusky Hush, bathe us in wonder, gratitude and hope."
Using your fingers, take some of the ashes and spread them on your/others' palms, heart, head and feet. Do this in silence. Let the stillness anoint you.
Then, speak with full voice: a refrain that reflects your love for Life, Beauty, Mystery (Love, Energy, Spirit, God, whatever your experience suggests), or another refrain.
Here are some possibilities:
"Remember - all Life is within you - and you are within all Life. You have come from Life and will return as Life."
"Become fully alive; you are Life shining forth from ashes."
"Remember you are one with all Life both now and forever."
"Life is transformed into ashes through flame. May Light and warmth transform your Life to reveal its Beauty and Mystery."
"You are the child of all Life that has gone before you. May your transformed Life be a sign of Hope for all."
Reflect: Remain within Nature's embrace, utilizing all the senses, and commit to one act of joy, gratitude, and kindness that shows care for Earth and all its denizens. Express it within, in writing, or aloud either using symbol, poetry, song, movement, or prayer.
Conclude with a Blessing: "In gratitude for the Life that stirs all creation into being, I commit myself to loving care, patience, kindness, active tenderness and nurturing of all creation, all people, all creature-kin, arbor-elders, and plant-kin, Sister Water and Mother Earth, my own beloved family and friends, those who challenge me, those who hurt me, and my own complicated, unique self. May the ashes I/we receive today symbolize the luminous web of Life in its infinite variety and magnificent beauty. May I/we go forth to welcome Spring and New Life in its gentle unfurling. May Light and warmth transform the ashes into compost, compost into fertile soil, fertile soil into food for all, and food into flowers, trees, plants, and us. May we lean into the Life that is emerging with courage, faith, hope, and love. May it be so!"
Happy Ash!
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