Third Quarter Moon of August

Photo by Alan Gillespie

Today is the Third Quarter Moon: This waning moon energy is yin - quiet, internal, heart-driven, intentional Being-ness. At this phase we can ease off a bit on actively pursuing goals, slow down, go within, and attend to inner work and self-care.

Agenda today:

1. Read "How to Manifest"

2. Renewal plan

3. Evaluation House

4. Monthly journal brainstorm

5. Surrender, rest, recuperate

1. Read "How to Manifest":

I'm reading a book called "How to Manifest", by Laura Chung; it's a 40 day program to "Make Your Dreams a Reality". I have one big dream that I'm making slow progress on, and this book has successfully kicked me into action!

This second part of the book (Week 2) is about alignment, which she explains as "remembering who you are at the soul level"; to connect your mind, your body, and your soul.

Day 11 - Living in the Present Moment: "Your life can only be savored in the moment to moment. ... The present moment is where all the magic lies." She talks about settling your body back to the present moment, over and over.

Day 12 - Rewilding: "Modern civilizations are out of sync with nature and the natural cycles of the life, death, and rebirth process of transformation. ... Part of tuning in to creative energy is learning how to rewild ourselves. This means syncing ourselves back in to natural cycles." She talks about forest bathing, and being in nature, to remind yourself to slow down, observe natural cycles, and tune in to your intuition.

Day 13 - Joy and Play: She also suggests that we are better able to manifest our dreams when we are having fun. "We just have to dispense with the belief that we are more worthy of something if we worked hard for it. Hard work has nothing to do with it! ... So, if you are feeling limited, instead of defaulting to lack, change it up and just have fun."

Day 14 - Act As If: She loses me a little in this section, because I'm such a sceptic to the New Age idea that you can think something into being. But she says, "... you must practice discernment and know when to be in the yin and when to be in the yang - when to give and when to receive. ... the biggest part of manifestation is faith". She breaks it down to: 

• Think about it (mind) = air
• Envision (passion) = fire
• Act As If (emotions) = water
• Physical manifestation (body) = earth

So, Acting As If is having faith that the manifestation is taking place on some level other than the physical, and will eventually become solid.

My take away from this section is that I need to care for the hurts I've suffered for a while longer, to become the strong, resilient person who can be a teacher again. I need to realign with my authority.

2. Renewal plan:

I try to renew all four dimensions of my life (body, mind, heart, and spirit), as Stephen Covey taught: I spend about an hour each day on a combination of physical, mental, and spiritual regeneration activities, plus work to improve my social skills and relationships. Today's waning half moon is my opportunity to review how I'm doing, and make note of new ideas for the month ahead.

My plan: My late-summer renewal routine is simple. I get my mental renewal done before dawn usually, and renew my spirit in the garden as early in the day as possible. I also focus on drinking more water, and being more active early in the day, before it gets too hot to move. My heart is renewed by building connections with grandchildren, family, and friends. And I'm Acting As If I've found the courage to be a creative force in the world.

3. Evaluation House:

Today I get to reflect back on the first 3/4 of the Lotus Moon lunar cycle that I'm passing through. My theme has been Integrity. I reviewed the intentions I set at the new moon and drew a house with 2 rooms: 

• A room for celebration of all I have accomplished already this month.
• A room for discerning what to do with the unfinished parts (Some of these I will finish in the next couple days, some I will save for next month, and some I will release because they have become irrelevant or didn't go as planned.)

3. Monthly journal brainstorm:

At the new moon (next week) I will transition from one focus to another, and a whole new field of opportunity. This week I'll take time to write down my goals, dreams, and exciting ideas for the next 30-days.

4. Surrender, rest, recuperate: 

This next few days is a time to be empty; the time for striving is past. As the moon’s light fades into darkness I get to relax and surrender to the universe. 

Some things will always be out of my control. As the moon's appearance dwindles, I let go of useless beliefs, unreasonable expectations, grudges, defensiveness, projects that don't fit into my life, and anything else that isn't working for me. I turn these all over to the Divine and give thanks, my way of opening to receive new intentions in the new month.

Then I give myself permission to rest!