Waxing Gibbous Moon

Photo by Alan Gillespie

The waxing gibbous moon is the not-quite-full moon: Waxing means getting larger, and gibbous means humped or protuberant.

This phase of the moon has the high-energy that provides a push towards completion. In three days, at the full moon, we will turn again towards the yin time of inner activity, so I make an effort in these next few days to finish my tasks that require greater physical effort.

• Waxing Gibbous - Reevaluation, refinements, creativity

Agenda:
1. Journal queries
2. Creative visualization

3. Engage in creative obsession

1. Journal queries:

Right about now, things in my life might feel like they are aligning into a good order, and I will clearly see those things that are out of alignment. It's a good time to take a new look at my goals, reevaluate and refine them, and adjust my plans.

Do I still want to complete all the goals I listed at the new moon?

Which can appropriately be saved to complete in the waning (yin) phase, and which should I make an effort to finish now?

Which can be put off until next month?

What new habits will help me to nurture my ideas and projects? What creative shifts in thinking or acting can I take now?

2. Creative visualization:

At the gibbous moon, my last push for action, I call on the practice of visualization to help bring my goals to fruition. Today I'm choosing my top four action goals to shine a light on:

1. Paint another abstract landscape.

2. Start a Lino-block for my Wonder prayer flag. 

3. Spring cleaning (specifically in the living room).

4. Celebrate my daughter's birthday.

Creative visualization is a technique that uses my imagination to create change. It has three steps:

• First, center and relax each part of my body; count from 10 to 1, then open a connection to Spirit. Feel a soft warmth begin to grow and spread through me, until I am radiating quiet energy.
• Second, create a clear, detailed picture in my mind, as though the objective has been reached, and put as much positive energy into the image as possible. [Paint a vivid mental image of exactly how my landscape will look when finished and how it will feel to have successfully completed another painting.] 
• Lastly, affirm that this is what I want with a short positive phrase in the present tense; for example, "This painting will express my soul's feelings about my garden, and my love and wonder at nature."

The thought-image is like a signal-flare that guides the physical thing or deed to manifest in my life (or it's just a good way to keep my intentions in my mind). I will carry the vision of the completed goal with me, and focus on it often during the day, in a gentle manner.

3. Engage in creative obsession:
An obsession is a recurrent and intrusive thought, usually unwanted and inappropriate. But when I am caught up thinking day and night about my current painting or project- when I can hardly wait to get to my studio- I am in the grip of a creative obsession!

A creative obsession connects to my purpose. It is extremely difficult to ignore; it compels me to act, and it makes my life exciting. If I am NOT obsessed with my current project- if I find my work boring, if I can take it or leave it - I might have a problem. What can I do? I must convince myself again that my creative efforts matter as a primary way to make personal meaning during my time on earth.

“For Van Gogh, for a period of time, sunflowers obsessed him. For Dostoevsky, for decades, the question of whether an innocent--a “saintly man”--could survive in the real world haunted and obsessed him. Georgia O’Keeffe obsessed about how to represent the desert, thrilling herself when her imagery of bleached bones satisfied her for a time. It is no accident or coincidence that effective artists harbor preoccupations that rise to the level of positive obsession.” ~Eric Maisel

Today I will choose a juicy, compelling, energizing project to obsess about, and make a plan for how to grab it and go.