So we've made it around the Sun, one more time.  The longest night of the year comes next week-- Winter Solstice is Tuesday, the 21st, with the Sun going into Capricorn at 3:38 PM, Pacific Time. 

In the midst of the Carnivalesque Rebellion Week, on Buy Nothing Day, Lyn and I continue our celebration of the spirit of rebellion.

Following on the heels of deep transformation, this month, Positively Revolting celebrates the Spirit of rebellion. Today is Guy Fawkes day--

Remember, Remember, the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot
I know no reason why gunpowder and treason
Should ever be forgot.

Well, I know that originally that rhyme was to warn all future generations that treasonous activities don’t pay off, but I’ve always looked at it a bit differently.

Today’s show is dedicated to Brigid’s Day, or Imbolc, celebrated last Monday, February 1st on the solar calendar, or on the next new moon, coming up on Saturday February 13th, on the lunar calendar.  This is the time of year to experience renewal at a deep level.  We see the signs of renewal all around us... the first flowers are budding, and the earth that has laid quiet since Samhain shows the promise of the coming spring.

This morning on Positively Revolting talk radio, I hosted a discussion on revolutionary spirit and radical social change. You can listen to the audio for that program here.

Remember, remember the fifth of November
The gunpowder, treason and plot

I see no reason the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot

So goes the rhyme that commemorates the actions of Guy Fawkes, who attempted to blow up Parliament in 1605. Fawkes was part of a radical Catholic group, that was seeking to displace Protestant rule. In England, bonfires are lit on November 5th, and Guy Fawkes is still burnt in effigy, four hundred plus years after the original attempt.

Well, it's the day before Valentine's Day, and my thoughts have turned towards love; after all, love is the strongest force in the universe.  Love is integral to profound social change work.  As we work together to build the world anew, love informs our visions and fuels our actions.  If we want to live in a world that holds the values of love, truth and beauty as central tenets of our creed, then we must open to love here and now, with each other and ourselves.

Of course it was Che Guevara who said, "At the risk of sounding ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by feelings of love."

Which is not unlike Buddha saying, "The thought manifests as the word. The word manifests as the deed. The deed develops into habit. And the habit hardens into character. So watch the thought and its ways with care. And let it spring from love, born out of concern for all beings."

So what does a world that values love and compassion look like? As we envision, manifest and build the world, how do we reflect love and compassion both in the making and in the result?

This has been an incredible week! In Portland, within a half and hour after the polls closed on Tuesday, voters began loudly celebrating the election of Barak Obama. As a 42 year old woman, I can say that I have never seen an election night like this. With cars honking, people screaming, and assorted fireworks here and there--- it was livelier than any New Year's eves I can remember (indeed, livelier than most 4th of Julys-- possible exception of The Bicentennial), too. The relief and joy felt by so many in this country was palpable.