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 and set intentions for the next phase of my year.
2. Choose a month theme
3. Set intentions
4. New moon altar and meditation
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.
Agenda:
1. Retreat Day2. Choose a month theme
3. Set intentions
4. New moon altar and meditation
1. Retreat Day:
If at all possible, I schedule a day of retreat on the new moon, or near to it. My retreat day will be tomorrow, so I'll write about it then.
2. Choose a month theme:
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:
- Practice daily earth reverence - find peace in spring chaos.
- Cultivate resilience by being rooted in my body, aware of tension and pain.
- Keep my priorities straight; embrace my freedom of choice and will power.
3. Set intentions:
Last week I brainstormed some wild and crazy ideas for April, and today it's time to narrow it down a little, to the priority items that I could possibly focus on this next month. This isn't a list of the practical things I need to do this month; rather it's my top actions, studies, and growth goals that fit with the "taste" of this month of my life.
After I list my top 10-20 goals for the next 30 days, I'm ready to set some intentions for action. This is a 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 be proactive - make the time and take the time to think about and plan for all the creative details of my projects and responsibilities, because it makes me happy (and I feel less stress) when the process goes smoothly and without too many bumps that I could have prevented.
I intend to do the work of creating a sanctuary garden in our front yard, a little each day until it's done; each step will be thought out; each stone will be placed with love; each plant will be given reverence - to make a safe place for dreaming and communing, open to all species.
4. New moon altar and meditation:
- an origami crane - for peace
- a golden candle for balance in the center
- a basket of tiny eggs for hope, new beginnings, and completeness
- a soapstone cat for independence, mystery, and agility
- a dragonfly for change, transformation, adaptability, and self-realization.
Next, I light a small white candle on my altar, center and meditate on the Great Yin - all that is dark, quiet, soft, and mysterious- and how grateful I am for this energy in my life.
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