Third Quarter Moon of early September

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 (no matter that I'm cynical) has successfully kicked me into action!

The third part of the book (Week 3) is about Healing Our Beliefs. The author suggests that I go inward and do a complete inventory of my belief systems, fears and anxieties, and any other limitations that are holding me back. No big deal.

Day 18 - Shadow Work: "Jung termed the shadow as the aspect of an individual's personality often deemed as unsavory or unacceptable, which then gets repressed into the hidden parts of the human psyche." It's those desires, feelings, and urges that society or our family doesn't approve of - the taboo parts, that we hesitate to express.

The theory is that when we repress or neglect that part of us, it gets projected into our lives as anger, jealousy, addiction, and other unhealthy behaviors and patterns of thought; so, shadow work is when we integrate our shadow-self in a healthy way.

Jung identified four steps:

1. Accept the truth that we can't repress our shadow traits out of existence.
2. Contemplate and accept the root of each shadow trait.
3. Work to bring aspects of these shadow traits into the light.
4. Express them in healthy ways.

I appreciate this simple description! I've never been clear about what shadow work is. Now... I guess maybe I've got to do some?

 

Day 19 - Fear Setting: This is an alternative to goal setting: You write down all your fears, and the worst case scenario. And your back up plan. "Fear setting is a great way to prove to yourself just how often your ego will tell you all the different reasons why something will go wrong when it's just not true. ... We can choose to meet our fears and try to investigate the content behind them."

This is all about comfort with uncertainty, which is an ongoing theme for me. I remind myself that the venture I'm undertaking will have twists; and some people might judge me, but that is of no importance. I can rest in the assurance that I'm creating meaning in my life, and that the Universe will send me the strength and Light I need.

Day 20 - Healing the Past: "We embark on a healing journey not because we are damaged and broken, but to become closer to our soul, our true nature." She talks about personal and intergenerational trauma, and says that we can't manifest our dreams until we heal from the past. Getting better informed about the history of our ancestors will help us to understand our own limiting beliefs.

It helps to remember that my parent's childhoods were pinched by war and poverty, that they worked hard from the time they were young, and that they grew up in a colonizer culture that took what it needed to survive and prosper; that "way of being" has transferred to me in some ways, along with ideas about what success is, what is possible for women, and body image baggage. (And I still have that need for the withheld approval of my father, who has been dead now for 30 years.)

Part of generational healing is correcting my world view, connecting with and forgiving my ancestors, and doing the work in this life to heal the world from a damaging system. To heal myself, I simply need to pursue the things that bring me love,  joy, and meaning.

Day 21 - Release Ritual: The last chapter of this section asks me to plan a ritual to release all the parts of me that are no longer in alignment with the new self I'm manifesting. She suggests gathering up the papers on which I wrote down my fears, burn them, and say a prayer.

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: This is a transition time of the year, and my renewal plan is shifting. I'm practicing empathy in a creative way, and renewing the skills I need to lead and teach. I'm finding new ways to be in unity with nature: New daily practices to listen and connect with the earth and the season, and study goals to help me better understand the science of earth care.

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!