New Sleepy Moon

Tonight is the new moon. The Chinese call the third new moon the Sleepy Moon, because the drowsiness of spring is in the air. 

On the first three days of this moon, the Chinese in Beijing celebrate the birthday of Hsi Wang Mu with a temple festival. Hsi Wang Mu is the Grandmother Goddess of the Western Heaven, also called the Great Yin. She controls the cosmic forces of time and space, determines life and death, and controls disease and healing. She watches over the tree of the peaches of immortality.

The new moon is the start of the lunar cycle, a time of high energy and clear thinking. Historically, the new moon is when women took time to be alone; it's a time to retreat, set intentions, and initiate something new.

Agenda for today:
1. Retreat Day

2. Pick a theme

3. Goals and Intentions

4. New moon altar and meditation

5. Start something new

1. Retreat Day:

If at all possible, I schedule a day of retreat on the new moon, or near to it: I do less talking, less business, and more personal thought and action.

Since today also the birthday of Hsi Wang Mu, the Great Yin, I will spend today in yin mode, not doing, but rather being: Hang out in the garden, relax in my home, drink water, read a book, daydream, go for a long walk, take a bath, take a nap, linger over dinner, and go to bed early.

2. Pick a theme:

Today I choose a theme for the month, and begin to give attention to it. My theme this month is balance - the balance of concentration and mindfulness, action and study, social and alone time, yearning and resistance.

In feng shui, the center of the home is the area of Tai Chi, the great ultimate. The image is of the celestial ridgepole, the line that connects two sides; it's the circle around and the point between yin and yang energies.

 

The center is the place where my soul lives; it touches all other areas of my life. My life flows around the solid base of my center. Goals for balance at the center might have to do with grounded-ness, finding clarity in chaos, embracing paradox, or allowing myself to flow with life’s changes. Remind myself to look at change as an adventure not a disruption. Also, this is the place of connection to Spirit- I might seek a closer relationship with the Spirit outside myself. 

My balance goals this month:

• Seek clarity in the chaos of the transition to life after a pandemic - make a plan for re-entry.
• Find grounding in a daily art practice.
• Continue to become "naturalized" to the land I live on.
• Continue to take small weekly activism and community service actions.

3. Goals and intentions:

I have a two-fold task today: Plan some new goals, and set some intentions for the days ahead. Though lots of writers use these terms interchangeably, I am clear about the differences:

Goals are a plan for the future that help us stay on track with who we are becoming. 

 

Intentions are a pledge for action in the present; they remind us of who we are now, and our deepest, most essential, most passionate reasons for living. I write my intentions in present tense, and I use this model: action + deepest reason.

My goals for the next month:

1. Balance Focus: Daily art prayer time
2. Naturalization to my Valley: Daily practices
3. Take small weekly climate actions
4. Find the courage to re-enter in-person community, maintaining my own protocols for safety and integrity
5. Community service: Tree planting, committee work, + ?
6. Plant more food
7. Clean windows and clear clutter
8. Study balance, chakras, moon cycle
9. Study and write about reparations and right relationship with BIPOC.
10. Fun teaching projects for friends and family
11. Resolve to finish paintings: Paint abstract landscapes
12. Wrap up Meeting synergy tasks and clerking teamwork
13. Find inner synergy with reparations work (let go of guilt).
14. Earth care prayer flag series + Loving Earth panel
15. Baby art (post on blog)
16. Visit to Olympia to see my mom
17. Gifts and party for E.

After I list my top goals for the next 30 days, I'm ready to set some intentions for action. This is a very time-consuming but important process. I'm going to choose a few to write today - those I might act on today - then work on a few more each day this week.

I intend to practice a daily art prayer time (that includes at the very least a pause to look at my current works, and write an affirmation to myself), because a daily reminder of who I am will ground me and give balance to my life, and keep a conversation going with God.

I intend to find the courage to re-enter in-person community while maintaining my own protocols for safety and integrity (taking control of my own health decisions, and who I socialize and work with), because being with people should be a communion of souls.

4. New moon altar and meditation:

It's time to discern what to put on my altar for the next 30 days or so. (For my thoughts on altars see About Altars). I generally keep it simple and choose only things that speak to me and feed me, and reveal what I believe in. I ask, what quality of Spirit do I want to invoke?

Today I put out- 

• a golden candle for balance in the center
• a soapstone cat for independence, mystery, and agility

Next, I light a small white candle on my altar, center and give attention to my intentions, and picture each one accomplished. Then I'll let go of expectations, and feel myself fill with thankfulness for all I have now in my life. I also meditate on the Great Yin - all that is dark, quiet, soft, and mysterious- and how grateful I am for this energy in my life. Do this each day until the candle is gone.

5. Begin something new:
Even though I'm in retreat today, the new moon has the perfect energy for starting something new. Today I will choose at least one new project, idea, habit, or relationship to initiate.