New White Moon

The Chinese call the eleventh new moon the White Moon, perhaps because it brings the snow, or perhaps because it's a yin time of year: Night, female, water, and cold is dominant.

Chinese philosophy says the winter season is a time of conservation and storage; we slow down, go inward, and spend more time on quiet activities.

Agenda:
1. Altar:
It's time to discern what to add to my altar for December. (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? 

I cleared off some of the objects from last month, but left 

• my straw doll- for luck and protection
• an angel- to remind me to be giving and loving

Today I added:

• pine cones- for the earth
• a red candle for courage and will power
• a green candle for harmony, balance, and growth
• an early photo of me and W- for synergy

2. New moon meditation:

This month I use the Christmas colors as a focus in my meditation. I light the red and green candles, and a small white moon candle, and settle into quiet:

Focus on the red and find my courage and will power within.

Focus on the green and find harmony, balance, and growth.

Focus on the white candle. Feel myself fill with thankfulness for all I have now in my life.

Continue to sit this morning, and feel the presence of Spirit within me and without me. Just notice my feelings and sensations, and listen for guidance.

3. Journal:

The new moon is my monthly time for “seeding” intentions. I write down what I hope to focus on in the next 30 days or so, and then give my ideas a period of gestation, like seeds in the soil, before I take action. Having this regular time each month to focus my goals has helped to give me clarity of purpose.

This is the last new moon before the new year, so I have a lot to consider.

What is my inner Guide leading me towards?

What might give my life more wholeness?

What are my next steps in life?

List my intentions for the next month in these areas-

Self, Friends and Family, Teaching, Artwork, Writing, Home and Garden, Work/Business, and Volunteer work.

4. Start a new intentions poster:

My Intentions Poster for 2016, organized into 9 sections--
Top- Synergy, Depth, Stillness
Middle- Joy, Balance, Strength
Bottom- Receptivity, Integrity, Abundance

For the last two years I've made a poster, showing my intentions for the New Year. Today I plan to examine this year's poster to see what I've accomplished. I will remove the items that I have finished, or which are no longer needed, and consider what I might like to add for next year.

5. Practice at my theme:
My theme this month is synergy, the ability to seek unity, embrace teamwork, and work tirelessly towards a better end. It’s the eternally active primal force of creation: No matter what the conditions are-- they will change. You create synergy in your life when you make the effort to see clearly, stay open-minded, and take persistent right action. Synergy will allow you to experience the people in your life as angels, and the places you live, work, and play as paradise.

One place that I consistently experience synergy is in my marriage. I put a photo on my altar this month of the two of us in our youth to remind me that the hard work of being part of a team is ultimately worth the effort.

I think our country is in great need of synergy right now. Now more than ever, I want to be of use to my community, to work for peace and justice. But activism and teamwork are not my forte! I need to give attention to the usefulness of synergy, and the skills I need to develop:

• Be open to where God is leading me to work. 
• Take it slow. Choose carefully; no need to feel rushed or anxious.
• Be persistent. Be patient. Keep showing up.
• Create synergy within myself, and an explosion of passion, by engaging my heart, mind, body, and soul
• Seek to understand different opinions, and remember how to interact successfully with different personalities.
• Remember to wait for the unity that comes with divine insight.

“True unity may be found under great apparent differences. This unity is spiritual, it expresses itself in many ways, and we need divine insight that we may recognize its working. We need forbearance, sympathy, and love, in order that, while remaining loyal to the truth as it comes to us, we may move forward with others to a larger and richer experience and expression of the will of God.”

~ London Yearly Meeting, 1916