Third Quarter Moon of late July

Today's waning third quarter moon energy is yin - quiet, internal, heart-driven, intentional Being-ness. The focus for the next few days is on renewal, cleansing, and self-care.

Agenda:

1. Renewal plan

2. Self-care routine

3. Cleansing

Waning Gibbous Moon

Now the moon is waning - getting smaller - until it is new again. During the waning moon, the moon's energy changes, and we move gradually into the yin phase - slow down, go within, and focus on inner work. I back off a bit on actively pursuing my goals, and allow the ease of being a loving, thoughtful person to carry me towards my dreams.

The waning gibbous moon is a time to practice opening to receive blessings, feeling and expressing gratitude, and generosity with giving (towards others AND with myself).

Agenda today:

1. Journal queries:

2. Generosity Practices:

2. Gratitude Journal

Full Thunder Moon and Asalha Puja

Tonight is the full moon called the Thunder Moon. July days have the humming energy of a summer storm. The sun is at the peak of its power, lighting all corners with its radiance, and burning away all non-essentials. It's a month of passion and activity: I'm challenged to stretch, and try new, uncomfortable things. My life expands; my thoughts become clear. I am primed for success.

Today is also Asalha Puja, a Theravada Buddhist festival that takes place on the full moon of July. Asalha Puja celebrates the Buddha's first sermon, in which he set out the teaching of the four noble truths. The day is observed by donating offerings to temples and listening to sermons.

We are now at the peak of the strong-energy yang phase of the waxing moon, and will soon begin the quiet-energy yin time of the waning moon. 

But right now it's time to CELEBRATE! The full moon is a time of fruitfulness, creativity, and completion, and also strong (sometimes overwhelming) emotion. This month I feel energetic and loving, and also distrustful and melancholy, and I want to acknowledge and embrace the whole spectrum of my emotions.

Today I will celebrate how far I've come and give thanks for the lessons learned and the blessings received.

Agenda for today:
1. Journal queries
2. Study the Four Nobel Truths

3. Full moon ceremony

Waxing Gibbous Moon

The waxing gibbous moon is the not-quite-full moon: Waxing means getting larger, and gibbous means humped or protuberant. This phase of the moon has the high-energy that provides a push towards completion. In four days, at the full moon, we will turn again towards the yin time of inner activity, so I make an effort in these next few days to finish my tasks that require greater physical effort. The waxing gibbous moon a time for reevaluation, refinements, and creativity.

Agenda:

1. Journal queries

2. Creative visualization

First Quarter Moon of Mid-July

At the First Quarter Moon we are one-quarter of the way through the moon cycle. The moon is waxing - getting larger - until it's full again. Now is the time to remain flexible, use my obstacles as fuel for growth, and show full effort for priorities.

Agenda:

1. Journal queries:

Today, at the first quarter moon, I prepare to give full effort to my priorities. 

Which of my priorities am I having the most trouble acting on this month?

What potential challenges and obstacles do I face this week and month (things I don’t enjoy, don’t know how to do, or feel blocked on)? How can I best meet these challenges?

How will I find the inspiration that will spark full effort for my priorities, every day, over and over? 

I will certainly face obstacles. Today I feel my greatest obstacles are lack of confidence, inflexibility, and procrastination. I can use my obstacles as fuel for growth- 

• The challenge to persistence is lethargy and procrastination; practice taking one step at a time.
• The challenge to confidence is fear. Practice equanimity.
• The challenge to flexibility is rigidity; practice giving in, and being willing to help others.

2. Make a full effort plan: 

Full effort (sometimes called exertion) is one of the steps of mental discipline on Buddha’s eightfold path. Buddha was urging full effort for awakening the mind; a first step is to practice full effort for whatever is most important in your life right now - for your priorities. Full effort requires attention (remembering what it is you want to do and your deepest reasons why), a spark of energy and determination (connecting to your excitement for life each day and each moment, and sustaining it long enough to accomplish your priorities), and balance (holding your intentions lightly in the complexity of life). 

Waxing Crescent Moon

Now the moon is waxing - getting larger - until it's full again. During the waxing moon, energy remains high. In these first days of the waxing crescent moon, I will give attention to my growing energy, take first steps towards my intentions, and find my motivation to follow through with persistent action.

Agenda:

1. Plan first steps

2. Write some more intentions

3. Mindfulness

Lotus New Moon

The Chinese call the sixth new moon the Lotus Moon. The lotus is the "flower of open-heartedness", an emblem of purity, fruitfulness (because of its many seeds) and creative power. And since lotus leaves protect the goldfish under them, the lotus also symbolizes abundance year after year. 

Detail from "Connect", acrylic

A lotus flower grows out of the mud, and blossoms above the muddy water surface; Buddhists teach that, like a lotus, we can rise above the suffering and conflicts of life. The Lotus Moon, then, is the natural time to sink into the mud of my life, and seek out the best ways to grow above the fray.

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, set intentions, and initiate something new.

Agenda for today:
1. Journal queries

2. Retreat Day

3. Pick a theme

4. Goals and intentions

5. New moon altar

6. Lotus meditation

Tanabata

Tanabata is a Japanese summer festival, observed on the evening of July 7th. Tanabata means literally "Evening of the seventh", but it is also known as the Star Festival, because it celebrates the story of two heavenly lovers.

The story goes that Shokujo the Weaver (Vega), and Kengyu the Cowherd (Altair) were two young star people who worked for the gods, making cloth and milking the heavenly cows. They fell so much in love that they forgot to do their chores. The gods became angry when they found they had run out of cloth and milk, and put the two lovers on separate sides of the Milky Way.

The lovers were so sad to be separated that the gods eventually took pity on them and agreed that they could meet once a year on the night of Tanabata, if the sky was clear. It is said that the birds fly up to make a bridge so that the lovers may cross.

Agenda Today:
1. Shinto prayer
2. Hang Paper Streamers
3. Make a tanzaku wish
4. Kigan-sai (Wishes Ceremony)
5. Make Hiyashi Somen (Cold Noodles)

Waning crescent

The waning crescent moon is the final phase of the moon cycle. The next new moon, in four days, will be the New Lotus Moon. At the new moon I'll set my intentions for the month ahead.

But right now, at the waning crescent, it's time to evaluate and brainstorm, find purpose, and surrender. I'll open to curiosity and attention, contemplate what I might want in the 30 days ahead, and rest up for the move back into yang-action mode. These next few days are a chance to look back and look forward, and think about the big picture of my life.

Agenda:

1. Evaluation House:

Today I get to reflect back on the whole lunar cycle that I've just passed through. I reviewed the intentions I set at the start of the cycle and drew a house with 4 rooms: 

• A room for things I have accomplished and completed
• A room for things I will finish in the next couple days
• A room for things I will save for the next month (and new ideas)
• A room for the things I have released because they became irrelevant or didn't go as planned.

2. Review my purpose:

My purpose right now is to love and serve my family and my community (learning greater equanimity and compassion); lead a simple life of integrity (caring for the earth and working to become anti-racist); and be a creative force (expressing myself to the world with my writing, art, and actions).

3. Review my priorities:

I have lots of things in lots of categories that I do every day, but which of those are priorities now in my life? I only have so much time each day, so I hope to give priority to the activities and people that matter most to me right now. 

My priorities are fluid; they change with the seasons and with my responsibilities. I like to review them monthly, before the new moon. Today I ask myself:

-Which of my priorities have gotten the least attention this last month and why? 

-What seasonal focus and upcoming events are priorities now?

-What are my important responsibilities this month?

-What upcoming activities give me the biggest rewards?

-What would I do this month if I knew I only had 6 months to live?

-What activities best support my beliefs and values?

-Where do my strengths lie?

4. Monthly journal brainstorm:
At the new moon this week I will transition from attention on the theme of Abundance to a focus on Integrity. Today I will write down my goals, dreams, and exciting ideas for the next 30-days; just write lists of ideas without judgement - put down everything I think I should do, everything I really want to do, and everything I only dream of doing. Include these broad categories:

            -Self-care and life-style

            -Love, social skills, friends and family

            -Career/work and life path

            -Creativity and self-expression

            -Activism and service

            -Stillness, knowledge, skills and growth

            -Home and garden

            -Seasons and celebration

5. 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! 

Third Quarter Moon

Today's waning third quarter moon energy is yin - quiet, internal, heart-driven, intentional Being-ness. The focus for the next few days is on renewal, cleansing, and self-care.

Agenda:

1. Renewal plan

2. Self-care routine

3. Cleansing