More Busy
RITUAL: Seasonal Planning | SOLAR TERM: Mang Zhong | SEASON: Summer
June 6 - June 20
The ninth solar term of the Chinese calendar is called Mang Zhong. The third solar term of Summer, Mang Zhong means “Grain in Beard”. This is the time of year in which the wheat and barley become mature enough to harvest. The wheat ripens with its beard and the seeds to plant next season are secured.
Another translation of Mang Zhong is “Busy Planting”. These long, hot days that mark the beginning of midsummer are considered the busiest time for farmers who are harvesting grain in the Northern regions and planting rice in the Southern areas. We are approaching the days with the most hours of sunlight, so farmers are busy planting and reaping, sowing and harvesting, weeding and tending to their fields and farms.
Summertime and the living is easy.
~ George Gershwin
Instead of the Western concept of the lazy days of summer, the Chinese farmers have little to no leisure time during the summer growing season. But they still make time to have some fun. In celebration of the wheat harvest, they grind the new wheat into flour and use vegetable dyes to make colorful steamed buns. After planting the rice, farmers will have mud wrestling competitions. After what’s called the “plum rains”, the ripened plums are picked and made into plum wine. In ancient times, the Chinese would perform Farewell to The Flower Goddess rituals, depicted in the Chinese classic novel, A Dream of Red Mansions by Cao Xueqin.
This is the time of year to wake with the sun, work (or play) hard before the heat of the day becomes too intense and take naps in the hottest part of the day to rest from your physical labor. According to traditional Chinese medicine the best fruit to eat during this time of year is mulberries. It’s customary to make steamed buns with the newly harvest wheat and plum wine with the plums that ripen this time of year. It’s also important to avoid ice water but to eat cooling foods like tomatoes, cucumbers, bitter melon, eggplant, celery, asparagus, watermelon and strawberries.
If you grow your own food, spend time in your garden, planting and watering, weeding and harvesting. If you don’t have a lot of space, try growing some herbs inside on a window sill or outside in pots on a deck or patio. Or, invest in a small greenhouse so you can grow some berries and salad veggies.
With the end to the school year, you may have some plans that promise to keep you busy all summer. You may have some outings, day trips or summer vacations planned. If not, take a few minutes to make a list of some Summertime Fun things to do this year with your children and family!
Share in the comments below the summer plans that will keep you more busy this season.
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Dara Eden is the author of HER Rituals for the Divine Feminine, a periodical guide created in December of 2021. The 8 Elements, her life’s work, provides guidance about how to honor the essential needs and highest values of your personal feng shui element. Inspired by an Internet challenge designed for men, she created 365WISE, a daily self-care practice that supports women in honoring their needs and listening to their inner wisdom.
In HER Rituals, she offers insights, ideas and intuitive guidance about ways to honor your needs, values and unique expression of the divine feminine.
HER Rituals is a Womb Wisdom KeepHER’s guide to cyclical rituals for sovereign women. It provides insightful information, inspirational ideas and intuitive guidance on daily and seasonal rituals you can practice as a form of self-care. Read about ancient wisdom and philosophical principles, holistic approaches and traditional skills, slow work and intentional living, embodiment practices and immersive experiences.
