New Moon, Conceiving Something New

This is a pretty special new moon for me.  My hope is that it is a special new moon for a number of you as well as you begin your Circle of Self program with this new moon.

Last week, after a LONG gestation,the official birth of http://circleofself.com// occurred.  Only with the support of a community of many was I able to achieve this accomplishment. It has been a labor of love.
This morning, I reset my sacred space, both the room in which I work as well my altar space.  I set my intention for continuing to work in my Creative Aspect in my Work Element: being present for the ongoing growth of Circle of Self.  I invite any and all of you to share what you are comfortable sharing about your intentions and focus for this current moon cycle.  Our mutual support benefits all!

Just as I finish helping in the birth of one project, I am helping to support the gestation of another project which is happening today http://conceptionday2012.com.

I wanted to share about the Conception Day 2012 event--which will be attended by thousands (some virtual, some in person-I'll be in the virtual group!) of people from more than 120 countries.  I have been part of this group (albeit a quiet part) for about a year now, and I feel blessed to be a member of this group whose focus is to help create a world that is peaceful, sustainable, healthy and prosperous.  Check out the website and the Conception Day invitation. It is open to all and without cost. 

Waking up to the First Full Moon of Spring

The full moon in Glen Ellyn was obscured by clouds and came in with a bang and left us in the dark.  Somehow a transformer near our house blew last night. It nearly threw my 17 year old out of her bed from the fright of the sound! The end result was that all of our clocks were wrong and we all scrambled to get out the door on time.  Rushed, not fully prepared, not looking our best because there was not time for a shave or shower or make-up. 

All of this seems quite relevant coming just after my last post using the metaphor of pregnancy.  I stayed to long in the womb of my bed.  I was not so aware of the rhythm of the day calling me awake and dependent on the alarm, I was late.  Regardless, I enter my day-prepared or not, and into a household where everyone else was also late and trying hard not to be crabby with one
other.

Here is where having a commitment to work with a daily inspirational reading helps me. It takes less than a minute for me to read mine. Today I'm reading Earth Medicine, by Jamie Sams (My Book Store). My reading asks if I am ready to look at the places in my life where I would like to improve my reactions or responses, reminding me that I can change my reactions and responses for myself.  I'm the only one who can do that. What will follow is needed inner serenity.  I reset my inner perception.  Suddenly I have time to write this blog and take a quick shower and be just on time (no make-up though, that was sacrificed for the blog-priorities). 

Be Blessed, Everyone.

First Full Moon of Spring March 8th. Are you ready to birth your renewed self?

The first full moon of Spring is this Thursday March 8th. 

More births seem to happen on the full moon than any other time of the month.  I'm not sure if that is true, and if anyone know, please share!  What is ready to be birthed in your life?

With the warm winter we have had, all the plants and trees have buds which look pregnant and posed to pop fully open at any moment.  They are ahead of their natural cycle.  Have they been influenced more by the weather than their genetics?  My neighbor and I were examining the tender shoots yesterday and she wondered to me if there was still a risk of a killing frost.  I'm not savvy enough about plants to know, but I hope not.

What do pregnant buds have to do with us?  Well, it got me to thinking about how like pregnancy, we sometimes,have parts of our lives which have their own timeline.  Influenced by things outside our control, wishes and plans...when the time is at hand for birthing (or budding) it happens.  We may have done everything required to be ABLE and READY for a pending birth.  But are we WILLING to fully embrace it? 

Another reason I'm reflecting on buds popping and birthing:
Next week is the official launch of the renewed Circle of Self website.  More to come...

New Moon's Arising--shining on our homes and hearts

The new moon for March is upon us.  With the March moon the Spring Season also begins.  As it happens, season of lent in the Christian liturgical year also begins this week. 

It's time to begin 'spring cleaning'-not only in our homes,but in our hearts and our lives.  I grew up Catholic and lent was always a time of giving up something we 'loved'.  For us kids, that usually meant candy.  I have friends who still follow this practice of giving something up-most often it's alcohol, coffee or chocolate. 

This year, I've decided to do this Lenten practice again: I've decided to give up being irritated-just for the next 40 days and forty nights. I might not be able to stop being irritated, but I commit to stop myself from putting what irritates me onto others.  (IE stop bitching, crabby, and blaming).  I am going to watch myself, watching myself with my reactions: (to learn about how to practice this exercise go to http://www.circleofself.com/Pdfs/aspectselements/PersonalAspectofSelfOverview.pdf  )

If I'm going to be successful, I will spend time doing some spring cleaning.  Starting in the 'easiest' place I will be truthful with myself about what needs to be cleared out of my home space-my office,my kitchen, my closets and the stuff I have stashed in the basement over the winter. Then I might move to my heart.  What am I clinging to that invites irritation into my life?What are my resentments and past hurts that small things stir up again? I will do an honest inventory of where I need to have boundaries for myself and others and where it is time to have a more clear and open heart.  Finally, I will work on housecleaning in my life--a few bad habits have taken residence in my life over this past winter.  I've brought some new people, activities and plans into my life and I  need to make space for them, so I will use the Spring cleaning and truth weighing over this first moon cycle of Spring. 

On Being Kind

“Be kinder than necessary, 

for everyone you meet is fighting 

some kind of battle.” 

― T.H. Thompson and John Watson

I have a friend and colleague who writes a blog for her friends.  She has disciplined (committed and supported) herself to do a piece of verse everyday as her morning prayer/meditation.  She sent this along to us, an invitation to 'be kinder'  and this includes to ourselves.

I'm fighting a cold today.  I succumbed to it by the stress I put on myself over the weekend.  I wasn't even aware of it until I woke up in the middle of the night unable to breathe , my sinuses were so clogged.  For me, getting a cold is always connected to stress of some sort.  I have come to the awareness nearly everyone has a pet 'illness' that visits them when they get too far out of balance.  We get out of balance when we stop being kind to ourselves--which most likely means we have also not been kind to others at the same time.

February Moon Cycle begins with today's new moon

 It's so gray out today-this 23rd day of January.  10 days until the groundhog has a chance to see his shadow--or not!  Regardless we will have many more gray days to get through before the spring sun dominates our Midwest sky.  Maybe it's not surprising gray is the color associated with the February moon cycle which begins today. It kind of goes with the current landscape! But, gray is also the color that represents neutrality. When we look at the events in our lives, our beliefs, our feelings from a place of neutrality, we are then able to see more possibilities and have more options for creating change. The grayness we experience in these waning winter months can have new meaning for us. We can see it as a reminder to move into a place of neutrality and then be able to see the bigger picture, rather than be sucked into mid-winter depression and despair.

Gray is the perfect background for reflecting all of who we can be and help us to see outside of ourselves more accurately. Try this: Take a gray piece of fabric (or paper), a white piece of fabric (or paper) and a black piece of fabric (or paper) and lay upon each one a colored object (or paper or piece of fabric). You will notice that the colored object has more vibrancy and depth against the gray as in comparison to the white. So it is also in our lives. When we become willing to live in the gray of things, rather than insist on a black and white world, we see things more fully and brilliantly and can also see more possibilities. By learning to come into a place of neutrality, we can release our judgments and embrace the wisdom of discernment. (For those interested in archetypes--discernment is the matured and enlightened aspect of the judge archetype.) The ability to be in the ‘gray zone’ is also the gift of humility, a necessary virtue for having wisdom.

How do we know when we should hibernate or get out and fully embrace where the winds of winter send us?

From the Circle of Self Website  http://www.circleofself.com/MoonCycle.htm
"January’s suggested Aspect/Element is the Element of Nature (Collective Aspect). Depression, despair, and seasonal affective disorder symptoms all raise their difficult heads during this month. It is easy to hunker down and wait for spring to come, and sometimes it is good, healthy and supportive to hibernate during this month. But for some of us, withdrawal and hibernation lead to more self-sabotage and a deepening of addictive behaviors. By taking time to focus on nature, by spending time out in the winter world, committing to care for the birds and other creatures who may need extra support during these months of scarcity of food, we also support ourselves. Focusing on practices that support your emotional health during this cycle has the ability to change historical patterns of winter depression."

How do we know when we should hibernate and withdraw from the world or when we should bundle up and get our selves out in the world?  Or as another option, invite the world into our own?  It's a tough question many of my clients struggle with at this time of year.  For some of us, over indulgence and succumbing to our addictive  tendencies during the holidays, leaves our bodies and minds exhausted and depleted.  If we don't take time to re-group or take some retreat time to get rebalanced, our bodies will often give us a good bout of flu or a bad cold as a way to slow us down.  This happened to me this past week.  I could feel it coming, but I was too stubborn to slow down.  And too emotional to acknowledge to myself  I desperately needed a time-out!

Perhaps the healthiest way is the middle road-plan out a few days to hibernate--no commitments, simple foods, NO LAYING IN FRONT OF THE TV or GETTING HOOKED ON VIDEO GAMES.  NO COUCH POTATO.  In your retreat time do things differently. Allow yourself to sleep.  GO to bed soon after sunset and don't set the alarm.  Wake naturally.  Indulge in a morning beverage and connect with the morning world of nature, even if it's just through the window.

Make a plan to do a winter hike.  Even a short one.  One of the most magical times to do this as at twilight.  The winter sky is beautiful in January, the sunsets are miraculous.

Finally, plan a celebratory meal with close friends.  It needn't be stressful or fancy.  Only invite those friends who can accept a not so perfect house and who are willing to help with some clean up afterward.  Celebrate each other.  Celebrate the gift of human life.  Celebrate possibilities. But mostly, just be with one another.  Be gentle with one another and enjoy community.