We are excited as we prepare to mark the shadow for this March the teshuva/equinox. It's getting close and it's time to be getting your set up ready! It's an exciting season as we prepare for the season of our teshuva - our restoration and return. Be prepared for marking by about March 10th. Equinox days show up between Mar 19th – 21st; while we are still in the 365+ day civil year. For those who may be marking for their first time, or would like a refresher, here's a few key points! To get started with shadow marking, you will need:

1. A marking board (about the size of a poster – see point #7 below)

2. A fine tip marking pen (the finer, the better) - at least 4 different colors will be helpful as you'll see in the power point files.

3. A gnomon that will cast a shadow (a nail, tall stick pin - anything that you can secure so it will not move). Experiment with different sizes on the same board while you are at it [eg: 3½” & 6”].

4. Sewing thread - to pull a line (do not use yarn/string, etc. - just use a single thread – see point 9).

5. A long measure - metre ruler/yardstick - metal is the best.

6. Find a location that will not have shadows from fences, trees, roofs, etc. (this is the most challenging part - this is the part you need to have some experimental time to find that "sweet spot" - even if you have to do something on top of the roof, or on top of a fence post - make arrangements for using a corner of a school grounds - maybe a corner of a church parking lot - use your imagination if your yard just will not work. But do try in your yard, as you may be surprised there is a spot between the trees somewhere that will work. The board should be as level as possible and you will want to position the length of your board in the "east/west" direction, as the sun moves across the sky. The board does NOT have to be exactly east/west. The board & gnomon must be secured so neither one moves, and if
you think there will be rain - you need some way to cover and protect it to prevent the board from warping. (Also, you will want to make sure outdoor animals [like cats] don't decide to use the gnomon for a scratching post.)

7. If you can get a few pieces of plastic corrugated signage material - that works really good (is not affected by moisture) - easy to nail to the ground, or even clamp to a table. In the files you will see where the gnomon is placed - that position is quite flexible. Finding the sweet spot without shadows from morning to evening is what will take the most time. The rest is easy - and fun! After the first day of tracking the shadow, you will easily see if you want to reposition the gnomon, or add another gnomon. Do 2 different sizes while you're at it. We suggest a gnomon of at least 3½”. For those that are close to the equator, it would be good to slant the gnomon at about a 45 degree angle. This is to keep the shadow marks away from the gnomon around the time of high noon.

8. Marking Points: The most important marking points are: 1st thing in the morning (as early as you can get); high noon [a must-see point 10]; and last possible shadow marking in the pm. Place stickpins, or push pins at the 3 marks and pull a thread from the first mark, to solar noon, to the last mark (and all pins in between if you have more). Do NOT wrap the thread around the pins - just follow one side. If you decide to mark about every hour even 10-12 days in advance (even every other day - just experiment), you will easily see a pretty curve. Every day the curve will begin to straighten a little more each time, until on the day of the equinox timing, the shadow line will be perfectly straight - until the next day when the curve will reappear - but it will be a flip to the other direction. The day of the straight-line shadow is the day of the equinox in your area – which determines the last day of the old
year, or the last day of the sun’s circuit through the constellations! The next day begins the next new year – at the first dawn light!

9. When pulling your line/thread, think about a bow and arrow (Robin Hood) ... you are pulling the "line" across your data set similar to how a string is pulled with a bow and arrow (the resulting patterns should appear the same ... people should see a slight "bow" on all days other than the equinox). You will quickly be able to look at the "midday marks" and see if they are away from the line or if they are ON the line. To pull the thread, only a single thread is necessary - of a good contrasting color – which is good for your close-up pictures.

10. To calculate solar noon just google: Solar noon in Salem Oregon (your city, state) including the date. For Feb 10 (date needed) it comes up as 12:26 pm as an example – but in areas that have day- light savings time, the solar noon will read as 1:26 pm. If possible, mark each hour according to the “solar noon minute” – eg: 826; 926; 1026; 1126, etc. [You’ll discover why this is so important if you have cloudy spots during the marking days.] Check your area for the solar noon time, as it will vary in patterns, either decreasing or increasing, depending on location.

11. Camera - you will need to take pictures - keep a file with dates and times - this needs to be well organized so you can compare what is going on from week to week, or day to day in the last 5-7 days of marking from about Mar 14 to 22. It is good to mark every hour on the last days of marking - and also mark/record [with a sticky note on the marking board] if something distorted the shadow (a wispy cloud; movement of the board). After marking for a few days, you'll figure out what has to be done as in this case, personal experience is the best teacher.

12. Sample Data examples for Northern Hemisphere: It’s good to record your data on the board, or place on a sticky note before taking a picture. Include: date; size of gnomon; place; name; location; solar noon time. Note how well the line is pulled from the first to the last mark and where solar noon is.

Shalom Mishpocha,

We find ourselves entering into the 6th month of the Hebrew calendar – the month of Elul!  With every season, every month, there is a message embedded within revealing the plans Yahweh has for you and I.   This message also gives insight in to the direction we should be going and should direct our steps, words, thoughts, and actions!  The month of Elul begins the 40 day season of Teshuva (repentance) leading to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.  Elul is the month of soul and heart searching, the weighing out of our words and deeds.  In fact it is connected to the Aramaic root meaning to search.  Yet at the same time, this Hebrew root means vain or nothingness – perhaps indicating for some this month is a season of searching and anticipation, while for others a wasted season filled with vanity and nothingness?

Most are probably familiar with the fact that Elul is an anagram for the Hebrew phrase “Ani L’Dodi, V’Dodi Li” – “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” (Song of Solomon 6:3).  Perhaps this month reveals those who have this as their heart cry?

It is also often pointed out that this season in ancient Israel, occurs directly before the coronation of the King at Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets), and before the King sits in judgment (a pattern based off of the cycles of our Heavenly King of all Creation)!  This is the season the King could be found walking in the field…accessible and among His people.  Perhaps the deeper meaning of this month is that not only must we search our own hearts, but its about putting forth the effort to search out the one who our heart longs for, our beloved, who is Himself in the field waiting.  Yet the field is also symbolic of the work and cares of the physical world.  Perhaps here we find the line of demarcation.  Many will find themselves distracted by the worldly matters during this season, their hearts will chase other desires, their search will lead them elsewhere, a path that leads to vanity and nothingness.  

Yet for those who put forth the effort to find the King in the Field, they are those who will be called in return by Him, My beloved!  Looking further, the numerical value of Elul is the same as the Hebrew word Binah בינה to build, to rebuild – this is the month and season that those who seek the King will in turn see the materialization and building of the vision and promises we have been entrusted with!  

The field connection lends further insight…it’s directly connected to the daily afternoon prayers, the Minchah prayers.  The minchah prayer (part of the Amidah) is said to be taken from Isaac, in Genesis 24:63 – “And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide:”

The Hebrew term for meditate is suach שוח meaning to meditate, commune with or speak; closely related to another Hebrew term shavah meaning to become like, to resemble, to be sufficient, or fitting!  

Could this be the purpose of the month of Elul?  To spend this month lifting up the heart’s cry and prayer that has the ability to change you and I?  To cause us to become like the King we are seeking, to be seen as a sufficient and fitting helpmate to our beloved?  This season, our prayer is that not only will we stay the course on our search for the King, but that when we find ourselves standing before Him, that He will see one that mirrors Him!  1 John 3:2 – “Beloved, now we are the sons of Yah, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”

The King is waiting…

Simple Instructions for Shadow Marking
Attached below are some files that Covenant Calendar Classroom members that have put together to help beginners.   To get started with shadow marking, you will need:

• A marking board (about the size of a poster size)
• A fine tip marking pen (the finer, the better) - at least 4 different colors will be helpful as you'll see in the power point files.
• A gnomon that will cast a shadow (a nail, tall stick pin - anything that you can secure so it will not move) Experiment with different sizes on the same board while you are at it.
• Sewing thread - to pull a line (do not use yarn, and just use a single thread, not doubled)
• A long measure - metre ruler/yardstick - metal is the best.
• A location that will not have shadows from fences, trees, roofs, etc (this is the most challenging part - this is the part you need to have some experimental time to find that "sweet spot" - even if you have to do something on top of the roof, or on top of a fence post - make arrangements for using a corner of a school grounds - maybe a corner of a church parking lot - use your imagination if your yard just will not work.  But do try in your yard, as you may be surprised there is a spot between the trees somewhere that will work.  The board should be as level as possible and you will want to position the length of your board in the "east/west" direction, as the sun moves across the sky.  The board does NOT have to be exactly east/west.  The board also has to be secured so it does not move, and if you think there will be rain - you need some way to cover and protect it to prevent it from warping. (Also, you will want to make sure outdoor animals [like cats] don't decide to use it for a scratching post.)
• If you can get a few pieces of plastic corrugated signage material - that works really good (is not affected by moisture) - easy to nail to the ground, or aven clamp to a table.  In the files you will see where the gnomon is placed - that position is quite flexible.  Finding the sweet spot without shadows from morning to evening is what will take the most time.  The rest is easy - and fun! After the first day of tracking the shadow, you will easily see if you want to reposition the gnomon, or add another gnomon.  Do 2 different sizes while you're at it.
• Marking Points:  The most important marking points are:  1st thing in the morning; high noon [a must]; and last shadow marking in the pm.  Place stickpins, or push pins at the 3 marks and pull a thread from the first mark, to solar noon, to the last mark (and all pins in between if you have more).  Do NOT wrap the thread around the pins - just follow one side.  If you decide to mark about every hour even 10-12 days in advance (even every other day - just experiment), you will easily see a pretty curve.  Every day the curve will begin to straighten a little more each time, until on the day of the equinox timing, the shadow line will be perfectly straight - until the next day when the curve will reappear - but it will be a flip to the other direction.  The straight line shadow is the equinox!  The next day begins our new year!
• When pulling your string, think about a bow and arrow (Robin Hood)...you are pulling the "string" across your data set similar to how a string is pulled on a bow and arrow (the resulting patterns should appear the same...people should see a slight "bow" on all days other than the equinox).  You will quickly be able to look at the "midday marks" and see if they are away from the string or if they are ON the string.  To pull the thread, only a single thread is necessary - of a good contrasting color - and good close-up pictures.
• To calculate solar noon just google:  Solar noon in Salem Oregon (your city, state).  For Feb 10 (date needed) it comes up as 12:26 pm as an example.
• Camera - you will need to take pictures - keep a file with dates and times - this needs to be well organized so you can compare what is going on from week to week, or day to day in the last 5-7 days of marking from about Mar 14 to 22.  You will want to write on your board [or attach a sticky note on the board] with this information: Name/initials; time of each data point marked [it's good to write the time on the board too]; date; location; time zone - so when your data is sent to Nathaniel or Charlene - we can keep track of where the data is from.  It is good to mark every hour on the last days of marking - and also mark/record [with a sticky note on the marking board] if something distorted the shadow (a wispy cloud; movement of the board)  After marking for a few days you'll figure some of these things out for yourself - you'll just know what to do.

Revere Magazine is a free online publication created by Gwendolyn Caskey.  She lends her talents and efforts to helping spread the teachings of both Remnant Manna United as well as Covenant Calendar.  A great resource to access the latest articles, timely information, and the monthly calendar layout!  Download your copy below of the Jan/Feb 2025 issue!

Tune in as Pastor David Mathews joins for a special interview with Maria N. from Greece discussing the relevancy of the Feasts today!

Revere Magazine

Revere Magazine is a free online publication created by Gwendolyn Caskey.  She lends her talents and efforts to helping spread the teachings of both Remnant Manna United as well as Covenant Calendar.  A great resource to access the latest articles, timely information, and the monthly calendar layout!  Download your copy below of the Nov/Dec 2024 issue!

Pastor David joined Covenant Calendar Classroom for a special teaching and early Shabbat service!  In case you weren't able to make it, check out the teaching below!

The topics addressed were the ability of Adam and Chavah (Eve) to procreate through speaking prior to the fall - the power of language!  As well as the subject of Hebrew nouns and their verbal origin.  Hebrew is an action language!

Many of you have tuned in and listened to the latest teachings by Pastor David regarding what we believe to be answers to questions we've had for close to 20 years concerning the proper timing of Yahweh's Calendar!  Not only will he be continuing to share on this subject, but we also wanted to take a moment to explain the basic points and hopefully answer some questions.  In addition, we are joining with Covenant Calendar Classroom who have been studying and tracking this for over 15 years.  They are extending the invitation to all of our listeners to join us this year in tracking the March Equinox shadow.  Details will follow below of how to do so!

Tim & Charlene of Covenant Calendar are a trusted ministry and source that have been beyond a blessing to us personally on this journey.  For more detailed info and to see the mathematical evidence, years worth of charting and hands on calculations, visit their website!

The Basics!
This is not the Zadok or Enochian Calendar.  In the past we have searched, prayed, and waited knowing every calendar we had come across was not quite checking off all the points.  We have kept the Aviv barley, the Hillel, and have often said all are still off.  It is only now that we feel the answers are being revealed to those questions with this calendar!
Pastor David has taught for YEARS that the original calendar was a perfect circle - 360 days (degrees), yet due to several huge calendar shifts documented in the Torah, our current year is 365 days.  Yet unbeknownst to us, that does not affect or hinder Yahweh's perfect 360 days Feast cycle and calendar system.
Where other calendars highlight the role of the moon, Genesis 1 clearly states that the luminaries created for signs and for seasons (the calendar calculations) are the Sun and the lesser light - the stars or constellation signs.
The beginning of the year based on the Torah's instructions commences at the Spring Equinox (when the straight line shadow is seen).  The very next day is Aviv/Nisan 1 - the first day of the first month of the new year.
Yahweh's Calendar is then composed of 12 months of 30 days, and His feasts plug in accordingly.
Due to the changes regarding earth's rotation, we find ourselves left with approximately 5 extra days at the end of that perfect circle calendar cycle (yet those days are being shortened!).  But instead of attempting to manipulate His perfect cycle (as all other calendars do with intercalation), these days are the days of waiting - where we wait on Yahweh (Isaiah 40:13) to see the straight line plowing and separating the new year from the old to begin again.
We now realize that Yahweh's day reckoning begins at dawn (the first rays of light) to the following dawn (first rays of light), rather than evening to evening.

Tracking the Equinox
In our current society, many rely on NASA or the world to tell us when things are happening (such as the timing of the Spring Equinox).  Yet this is for Yahweh's people to know and be invested in!  Israel was given a timepiece upon leaving Egypt (the round Tabernacle) that would have been instrumental in calculating the Calendar!  And NASA has been wrong - Covenant Calendar students who tracked for themselves proved it!

Everyone is Invited to Participate in a World Project of Marking the March Equinox Shadow in 2024 - for the Everlasting Blood-ratified Covenant Calendar
Please join Covenant Calendar Classroom as we enter into the last phase of this world project to mark the straight line shadow this March 2024.  Everyone should be getting ready to go by Mar 1st, so you have about 2 weeks of practice time, and then that last week (about Mar 12-21) of serious marking.  Consider trying to buddy up with others in your time zone and stay in close contact with your comparative results from day to day - just in case you have clouds in your area (that will not move), it could be that your marking buddy has a good day to track the shadow.  This is a team effort around the world that you won't want to miss out on.

Simple Instructions for Shadow Marking
Attached below are some files that Covenant Calendar Classroom members that have put together to help beginners.   To get started with shadow marking, you will need:

• A marking board (about the size of a poster size)
• A fine tip marking pen (the finer, the better) - at least 4 different colors will be helpful as you'll see in the power point files.
• A gnomon that will cast a shadow (a nail, tall stick pin - anything that you can secure so it will not move) Experiment with different sizes on the same board while you are at it.
• Sewing thread - to pull a line (do not use yarn, and just use a single thread, not doubled)
• A long measure - metre ruler/yardstick - metal is the best.
• A location that will not have shadows from fences, trees, roofs, etc (this is the most challenging part - this is the part you need to have some experimental time to find that "sweet spot" - even if you have to do something on top of the roof, or on top of a fence post - make arrangements for using a corner of a school grounds - maybe a corner of a church parking lot - use your imagination if your yard just will not work.  But do try in your yard, as you may be surprised there is a spot between the trees somewhere that will work.  The board should be as level as possible and you will want to position the length of your board in the "east/west" direction, as the sun moves across the sky.  The board does NOT have to be exactly east/west.  The board also has to be secured so it does not move, and if you think there will be rain - you need some way to cover and protect it to prevent it from warping. (Also, you will want to make sure outdoor animals [like cats] don't decide to use it for a scratching post.)
• If you can get a few pieces of plastic corrugated signage material - that works really good (is not affected by moisture) - easy to nail to the ground, or aven clamp to a table.  In the files you will see where the gnomon is placed - that position is quite flexible.  Finding the sweet spot without shadows from morning to evening is what will take the most time.  The rest is easy - and fun! After the first day of tracking the shadow, you will easily see if you want to reposition the gnomon, or add another gnomon.  Do 2 different sizes while you're at it.
• Marking Points:  The most important marking points are:  1st thing in the morning; high noon [a must]; and last shadow marking in the pm.  Place stickpins, or push pins at the 3 marks and pull a thread from the first mark, to solar noon, to the last mark (and all pins in between if you have more).  Do NOT wrap the thread around the pins - just follow one side.  If you decide to mark about every hour even 10-12 days in advance (even every other day - just experiment), you will easily see a pretty curve.  Every day the curve will begin to straighten a little more each time, until on the day of the equinox timing, the shadow line will be perfectly straight - until the next day when the curve will reappear - but it will be a flip to the other direction.  The straight line shadow is the equinox!  The next day begins our new year!
• When pulling your string, think about a bow and arrow (Robin Hood)...you are pulling the "string" across your data set similar to how a string is pulled on a bow and arrow (the resulting patterns should appear the same...people should see a slight "bow" on all days other than the equinox).  You will quickly be able to look at the "midday marks" and see if they are away from the string or if they are ON the string.  To pull the thread, only a single thread is necessary - of a good contrasting color - and good close-up pictures.
• To calculate solar noon just google:  Solar noon in Salem Oregon (your city, state).  For Feb 10 (date needed) it comes up as 12:26 pm as an example.
• Camera - you will need to take pictures - keep a file with dates and times - this needs to be well organized so you can compare what is going on from week to week, or day to day in the last 5-7 days of marking from about Mar 14 to 22.  You will want to write on your board [or attach a sticky note on the board] with this information: Name/initials; time of each data point marked [it's good to write the time on the board too]; date; location; time zone - so when your data is sent to Nathaniel or Charlene - we can keep track of where the data is from.  It is good to mark every hour on the last days of marking - and also mark/record [with a sticky note on the marking board] if something distorted the shadow (a wispy cloud; movement of the board)  After marking for a few days you'll figure some of these things out for yourself - you'll just know what to do.

Keep in touch with others that are also marking, close to you in the same time zone.  While one place may have clouds - the other may have clear skies - but really we are asking Yahuah to part the clouds for everyone this year.  He parted many clouds for Charlene (May to Sept) and others as well.  He wants us to be marking - He will do His part, if we do our part.
Share this information with everyone you want!

Thank you everyone for being part of this project - it will be worthwhile.
Charlene Fortsch (BC Canada)
email:  charlene@studythecalendar.com