New Hungry Ghost Moon (Ghost Gate)

The Chinese call the seventh new moon the Hungry Ghost Moon, or Ghost Gate, because today the Hungry Ghosts are let out of hell to roam the earth, looking for entertainment and seeking out their enemies. This whole month is called Ghost Month, and special ceremonies take place today, and on the full moon, and again on the last day of the month.

The Hungry Ghosts are depicted with huge, round bellies, large mouths, and very thin necks. They have two manifestations: They appear as the spirits of unhappy, homeless souls, and we also have our inner hungry ghosts.

This month I acknowledge my unhealthy cravings and insatiable greeds, that are always hungry and never satisfied, and that haunt me - though I'm so used to feeding them, I don't really notice them anymore.

The new moon is the start of the lunar cycle, a time to journey to the well of wisdom and intuition. Historically, the new moon is when women took time to be alone; it's a time to retreat and set intentions, but it's also a yang time to initiate something new.

Agenda for Today:

1. Choose a month theme

2. Balance journal queries

3. Ghost Gate ceremony

4. Writing themes

5. New Moon ceremony

Tuesday

Tuesday is my day to look at my social and emotional self, and make an effort to shift my perspectives around how I view and treat the people in my life.

This is the time of the waning crescent "balsamic moon" - the final yin phase, a pause that marks the end point in this phase. Now we can ease off a bit on actively pursuing goals, slow down, go within, and attend to inner work, renewal, and self-care.

Agenda: 

1. My anger journal

2. Read "How to Deal with Anger"

3. Brainstorm for next moon

Monday Rhythm

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and how I will step up for the Natural Living Challenge.

This is the time of the waning crescent "balsamic moon" - the final yin phase, a pause that marks the end point in this phase. Now we can ease off a bit on actively pursuing goals, slow down, go within, and attend to inner work, renewal, and self-care.

Agenda:

1. Read "How to Keep House While Drowning"

2. Deep cleaning

3. Giving each thing a home

4. New food habits

Sabbath for Renewal

Today is my sabbath - when I step out of the fray and regroup. We are at the beginning of the end of summer, and I want to take time to prepare myself - body, mind, and spirit.

My perfect sabbath is a celebration, a holiday. I keep it holy with my attitude: I don't rush, complain, or worry. Everything I do has a flavor of peace. I schedule some work, but it's work I find fulfilling, or uplifting. Simple is a great word to describe my ideal activities for the sabbath: Simple tasks, simple foods, and an undemanding schedule.

This is the time of the waning crescent "balsamic moon" - the final yin phase, a pause that marks the end point in this phase. Now we can ease off a bit on actively pursuing goals, slow down, go within, and attend to inner work, renewal, and self-care.

Agenda:

1. Read "Your Heart Was Made for This":

2. Surrender, rest, recuperate

3. Renewal brainstorm

4. Expressing Needs in the World

Early August Garden

Summer is a season with three distinct phases in my valley, and August is clearly Mid-summer. It's often very hot and very dry, but the days are noticeably shorter. It's time to think about the winter garden.

Agenda:

1. August harvest

2. August garden tasks

3. Prepare for the winter garden

4. August planting

5. Prune my raspberries

6. Drying peas

Friday

Friday is my day for proaction: Proaction is taking initiative to anticipate and shape future events rather than simply reacting to circumstances as they happen. Some people think Covey should've just used the word ACT, but proaction requires a thought: "I could do this or I could do that; I choose to do this."

And I'm still in third quarter yang moon energy time for reciprocity, generosity, collaboration and connection; a final time of action before the next moon cycle.

Agenda:

1. Summer action plan

2. Evaluation Journal

3. Proaction and reciprocity plans

4. Preparedness