Occidental Ascetic Experiment

My first foray into ascetic experimentation will be to play Anchoress. I start with them, because I know the most about them. Anglo-Saxon (pre-Medieval Britain), usually upper class women would give their possessions to the church (no wonder the church encouraged women to take vows of poverty) and basically go through a burial ritual, showing that they were ready to become dead to the things of the world. They would stand outside a church wall while masons would brick an enclosure around them, usually attached on the NE (the coldest) part of the church. There they would pray, confess, teach, study, embroider priestly vestments, pray some more, think of something to make them more uncomfortable like a hair shirt or days of fasting etc. They did not work so either relied on the church to care for them or, more commonly, had money of their own to pay the church to take care of their needs (which were few with the amount of food, clothing, supplies needed to live in a 3'x6' cell the rest of their natural born life).

My plan is shaping up like this. For a week, Sunday to Sunday, I:

Start with some type of momento mori ritual. I don't want to be morbid, but I think it's healthy to consider one's own mortality every so often. Makes life seem more urgent.

Spend 7 hrs per day in complete silence and isolation-enclosed in a small room.

Wear plain clothes, no makeup, cover the head as modesty dictates.

No showers, spa treatments, body decoration or admiration--no looking in mirrors.

Write my thoughts during isolation, play music of the time period (circa) like plain chant.

Reduce food intake to subsistence level, no meat (Scholars of the time coined the term Holy Anorexia to describe the mindset of some ascetics who sometimes died of hunger.)

Sleep on a mat on the floor (Anchoresses had wooden pallets, but the hardcore ascetic divas slept on the stone ground)

Only speak when absolutely necessary

No phone, TV,email, blog can be scanned pages of my notes maybe?

Reading will consist of the Ancrene Riwle, Hagiography, the NT and writings of Julian Norwich, a famous Anchoress (No romance novels waa--only religious ecstasy allowed.)

You say, "She done loss' her mind." But, what I think I might gain and what I actually learn, I hope will be very different things. I have mixed prejudgements about women who chose to live this way--ceasing to be creative integral beings in the world. Christian based mysogyny at its best. But there must have been some benefit or women would not have done it. I hope to see things clearer, to edit and refine my priorities, to let myself be quiet. I realize that since I have children (that didn't stop some from choosing Vows and Enclosure--understandable sometimes isn't it?) I will be their parent and do whatever they need. And I have dogs that need care--Anchoresses were encouraged not to keep animals that required upkeep--the occasional cat was ok. And of course I'll have to talk to Cyler about the celibacy thing ouch. Now the trick is finding the right week to do this asinine thing. It's got to be before my friends' '80's party when I fully intend on dressing like Madonna and karaoke-ing till I puke (or more likely till someone else pukes.)