Weaving the Web of the Full Moon/Living in the Present Moment cont.

Yesterday was the full moon for October.  The tenth moon cycle of the year and from my experience one of the most powerful moon cycles for creating in our life.  You can read about the 10th moon cycle on my Circle of Self site at:  http://www.circleofself.com/Pdfs/MoonCycle/10OctoberMOONCYCLE.pdf

The full moon energy and the energy of the waning moon, especially during the autumn months can remind us, on a daily basis,of two things:
1.  Like the shedding of leaves from the trees-we are reminded to drop what is not working, release what we have created and completed to make way for the new that will come with our next cycle of work, and to let go of what we hold on to that keeps us from having the full energy of our essence.
2. Harvest:  We are called in the autumn to harvest the fruits of our effort and to share this harvest with others.  The earth does not hoard her abundance for a select few. Nor does she hold on to her fruits-apples, squash, corn and pumpkins let go from their stems.  My tomatoes have gathered one last burst of energy, a sudden ripening by the branch-full after weeks of staying green. Mother Earth's fruits are meant to be available for all who need them.  If you take time to watch the squirrels gathering and hiding their winter stash-they do not hide more than they need-and in their gathering and hiding are actually planting for the next season for all of their fellow creatures (even if that is not their intent). 
Go outside and take some time to TRULY be in the fully moment of a fall day and see if you can connect with all your senses to the energy of autumn.  Be as much as possible in the present moment of the day and rest there for a while.  Notice what comes to you when you ask yourself these questions:
What are you called to shed , let go of, release, launch?
What are you called to harvest in your life at this moment? How are you called to share your harvest (your creation-s)?

Routive Versus Living in the Present Moment

I woke up the day before yesterday with the thought"Oh My God, the blog!" I seemed to have lost an entire month.  Traveling to the far reaches of both sides of our country in a four week time span can do that to a person-I guess.  This is a good review of 'being in present timet' for me-I remember again how much routine can substitute for living in the present moment.  OF course, it took me a day and a half to work through resistance and false guilt and remnants of school-girl shaming to open up the computer and click on the blogspot.  I have compassion for other peoples struggles and I learn more about patience and perception everyday.  AND, I am learning about the difference between honoring right-timing and excuses.

It is easy to say there are no easy answers, yet there is sometimes an easy answer-just 'do it'.  It's just that it's not so easy to 'do it'. Every time we re-member, re-connect with body, emotions, mind (thoughts), spirit and soul we are as complete as we can be in the moment. We have RE-membered ourselves.  put all the parts (members) together into our wholeness.  The meaning of the saying 'the parts are bigger than the whole' becomes clear.  Really connecting with the whole of the Self: we are bigger, more capable, more able to respond, more aware. I have experienced that sensation for myself, and I have witnessed it on numerous occasions with those I have worked with.  That sensation can feel too much to contain.  We forget we do not contain it alone, but as a part (a member) of something bigger.  I will write about that tomorrow.

September Moon: Answering Our Longings

The new moon for September was on the 29th of August this year-and it totally slipped by without my notice. Having my granddaughters here from Montana was just too much of an attraction and I misplaced my daily inspirational reading which would have reminded me of the approaching new moon. But, the whole idea is about the practice of living consciously and in the present moment--not about doing it perfectly-just about living it.  I cut myself some slack-those beautiful 18 month old and a 3 year old brought so much life into our house, that was enough. 

But now, I am reflecting on the arrival of the season of Autumn-it is one of the seasons that sneaks in on me, before I am ready for it-every year.  The ninth moon cycle is about honoring our longings.  Acknowledge them and do something about them.  Maybe not fulfilling them, but recognizing them and treating them as living viable energies.  Make a list of your longings-the things you long for in your life.  I don't mean passing longings,but the stuff, ideas, dreams and prayers that have been around in more than a passing moment or two.  The ones that keep coming back. Or wake you up at night.  After you make your list, imagine that each one of them is a living being-give them a an image of a body or a form.  Then, face to face, talk to each one of them about your feelings about them, your plans for them-whether you intend to let them go or out them on the shelf or do what you need to do (change what you need to change in yourself) to bring them into reality, not just imagination.  This exercise could take some time.  You might need to grieve the longings you recognize you must let go of to move forward in your life.  You might also grieve the habits and addictions you need to let go of to bring others into fruition.  And you can cherish the ones you are setting on the shelf for the future-they will keep you growing.  Fall is the time for harvest.  You are harvesting and sorting your longings this month.  I am,too.

Working with the Healing Moon of August

For the next 10 or so days we have the opportunity to gather healing energy,feelings thoughts, behaviors and prayers into our lives as we live in the waxing cycle of the August Moon.  In Eath Medicine, on page 207, Jamie Sams writes, "There is nothing that has been done to you or that you have done to yourself that the Great Mystery and the Earth Mother cannot heal."  What if you really lived this truth for even the next ten days.  How do you think it would change your perception of your self? of your life and your world? 

Here is the catch, however, that in my eperience, both personally and with clients, which keeps us from being able to embrace Sams' words. (And certainly, she is not the only one who has written or spoke of this truth.  You can find similar teachings about healing in the words of all our great teachers and healers through out history.)  The catch is, particularly in our western culture that we confuse 'healing' with 'curing'. 

As I struggle with some hip pain and a lump in the bottom of my foot that has been 'coming and going' for over a year I am reminded that I still wrestle with my belief of what it means to be 'healed'.  At the very least, this struggle keeps me from judging clients who also insist that to be healed means their malady (which sometimes is very serious) must go away. 

For today,  contemplate what healing meansto you?  Is it different from being cured? 

Dark of the Moon

We are closing the 7th moon cycle for this year.  We move from the moon energy of love for all of creation, and embrace the energy of healing (first the injured and ill parts of ourselves and then those of our fellow human beings and of our community and the earth).   I had a month of the practicing living my calling from the focus of the energy of 'love'. Now I am going to focus my energy in the coming month toward healing those places brought to my attention from last month's focus. 

As I reflect on my Circle of Self work during the past month, with my focus on my Creative Aspect/Work Self, I have made some great progress toward completing the Website for a new complete launch. I also completed my commitment to write daily for 28 days, which I did.  But, what I noticed during this pat month, was how difficult it was for me to hold a place of love for my Self when I struggled with lack of inspiration, distraction and self-doubt.  These three things are human conditions that are not likely to EVER be absent from my life, so noticing my reaction and self-criticism and pairing that with the moon cycle energy to be with my self in a 'loving' way. That didn't (and doesn't) mean to let myself off the hook.  Rather, I continued to work with reactions. Where was I procrastinating? Where was I being impatient with myself? How was my tendency toward perfection interfering with my progress?  Where was I lacking in discipline to complete the work?  Perhaps the biggest question I have for  monthly reflection my is how often did I take my focus off my life calling and purpose as it relates to Creative Aspect and my Work Life. 

This kind of reflection and self questioning is the exercise for working with the dark of the moon.  In the deepest, quietest time of the moon energy, we can more easily go deep within ourselves and with love see where we need healing (in body, mind and spirit) to live our calling more fully.

Enjoy this quiet time, and may you have abundant healing in your life in this coming month.  May our country also have abundant healing from the stress, anger, hatred and divisiveness and fear we are currently experiencing.  It is my hope and prayer that our 'leaders' are supported by the new  moon energy of this August moon month for healing our country and our woundedness.

July's Waning Moon-Releasing Loving Energy for the Creation of Our Future Selves

Yesterday I wrote briefly about the Full Moon and the repeating cycles of the moon. These cycles remind us of how Divine Love invites us to begin again and again and again, as many times as we must, to live our calling and fulfill or purpose for our life.  While it may never be easy to stay focused, having a routine and living in our familiar and usual environment can help us to keep stay in alignment with our intentions. Not that we can't use whatever is going on to sabotage ourselves! 

So, what happens when we are not in a space or environment where it is easier to stay with our intention for living what we have identified as our life calling?   This long road trip has been great for exploring this question in my own life. 

Two thoughts come to mind. The first one, I mention just briefly: our Life Calling should be broad enough to encompass the moment to moment of our daily lives. 

The second is that our Life Calling is an anchor for our future, which draws us toward our life purpose, even when the path we are on becomes rocky, crooked or takesa detour!  The moon cycle energy for this month-and the energy of summer and the cycle of the south, all  are reminders for loving what is, loving ourselves,for love is the most nurturing nutrient there is for growing a healthy human-a healthy life-style,whether in regards ot others or ourselves.

It's the Full Moon for July

Days and nights and moon cycles come and go whether we pay attention to them or not.  I have four posts, begun, interrupted and languishing in the drafts folder. I have spent the last three weeks on the road. Somehow, I thought having nearly three weeks away from home would offer me lots of time to focus and concentrate on my writing commitment.  But, the great out of doors, grandaughters and socializing proved more inviting...this is so much of what I experience in my own life, as well as in the work with my clients.

So, it is now full moon, and faithfully ever month, our grandmother moon invites us again (and again and again) to recommit, begin anew, start over.  This month's moon energy focuses "Loving All Things"...and that does include ourselves-with a good bit of compassion!  As I rush to go out the door for one more School visit, I remind myself, and my readers, we have the extra support of Grandmother Moon today, to consciously birth our intentions and bring them to more fullness in the coming weeks.