Third Quarter Moon of May

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 "First Things First"

2. Renewal plan

3. Evaluation House

4. Monthly journal brainstorm

5. Surrender, rest, recuperate

Seasoning

Seasoning is a Quaker term that means “taking the time to seek the Light" (A Western Quaker Reader). When difficult decisions must be made, it is the Quaker way to slow down for reflection, and allow residual unease or discomfort to surface. Seasoning makes our decisions better - it strengthens them. It gives us an opportunity to listen and appreciate a problem from multiple perspectives. Through this thoughtful process, love and unity are preserved and Friends are able to move forward with confidence in an inclusive and respectful community.

When I take time to season any issue or response in my own life, the additional time to ruminate helps me to ensure that I've taken into account all thoughts and stances.

Agenda:
1. Read "First Things First"
2. Synergy plan

3. Simplify my office

May Garden

The May garden is exciting but demanding. Most planting is done this month, watering is crucial, and harvesting begins. We are having some unusually warm and dry days, interspersed with wet spring days - a nice mix.

Agenda:
1. Read "A Comfort of Crows"
2. May harvest
3. May tasks

4. Creative Visualization

Full Flower Moon and Wesak

Today is the full moon called atantal, the "camas blooming time", by the Kalapuya of our area, and the Flower Moon by others, because - well - May flowers!

The flowers in my garden are a delicate reminder to me to project a gentle, honest spirit (less cactus, more columbine).

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

Today is also Wesak (pronounced way-sak). The full moon in May is the day that Buddhists honor the birth of Gautama Buddha in Lumbini, Nepal, in 623 BCE, and also honor his enlightenment and death. Buddhists all over the world celebrate this day by pausing to remember the Buddha's virtues, expressing their gratitude and appreciation for his teachings, and by finding ways to be more Buddha-like.

Agenda Today: 

1. Take a vision walk

2. Celebrate synergy

3. Read "First Things First'

4. Find ways to be more Buddha-like

5. Make a lantern
6. Cook Hath Maaluwa (Seven Vegetables Curry)

First Things First

My themes in May are Synergy and Simplicity. I've decided to take time each Monday to set myself some goals, and this week I'm focusing on simple, synergistic time. 

Stephen Covey says, "For most people, the large majority of waking time is spent communicating or interacting with other people - or dealing with the result of poor communication or interaction. Effective interdependence is core to the issue of time management." 

This week I want to get a better handle on how to communicate in the moment with love and flexibility - and stop wasting so much time dealing with the fallout of my poor communication.

Agenda:
1. Read "First Things First"
2. Synergy plan

3. Simplify the studio

First Quarter Moon of May

Tonight is the First Quarter Moon; we are one-quarter of the way through the moon cycle. The moon is waxing - growing in light and energy, creating a time for decisive action. I use this May quarter moon's energy to create synergy with all my partners, and spark synergy within myself.

Agenda Today:

1. Journal queries
2. Make a full effort plan
3. Read "The Art of Facilitation"

4. Review my Leadership Manifesto

A Birdseed Garden and a Duck Cafeteria

This spring I'm planting food for the birds, both the wild birds and my ducks, as part of my Unity Arts practice. 

Unity Arts is designed to open the doors of creative healing, to heal our connection to the earth - to Creation. We are all (de facto) connected because we are a part of nature, but we have built walls to keep nature separate, because our culture is human focused; we've been taught that we are more important than other parts of nature, and that's a hard lesson to unlearn.

Unity Art includes these parts: 

1. Set an intention
2. Collect seed and plants
3. Observing
4. Prepare the beds
5. Plant the beds
6. Creating

7. Sharing and giving thanks.

Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day, and a low-key time for me, now that my daughter is a mother and I am a grandmother!

Agenda Today:

1. Journal query

2. Mother Meditation

3. Call my Mom 

May Retreat for Inner Synergy

I'm celebrating synergy today - the ability to seek unity, embrace teamwork, live holistically, and work tirelessly towards a better end. Synergy is the eternally active primal force of creation: No matter what the conditions are, they will change.

Stephen Covey says, "Fulfilling the four needs [spiritual, mental, physical, social] in an integrated way is like combining elements in chemistry. When we reach a "critical mass" of integration, we experience spontaneous combustion -- an explosion of inner synergy that ignites the fire within and gives vision, passion, and a spirit of adventure to life."

I'm going to create some synergy today, here at home, all by myself.

Agenda

1. Read "Writing and Being"

2. Practice the Stoic Art of Inquiry

3. Create synergy for Art

New Peony Moon

Beautiful peonies growing in my neighborhood.

The new moon rises today; the Chinese call the fourth new moon the Peony Moon. Peonies are the flower of riches, romance, and honor, called sho yu in Chinese, which means "most beautiful." Their lush blooms are an omen of good fortune, and also foretell a happy marriage.

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:

1. Retreat Day

2. Journal queries

3. Pick a theme

4. Goals and intentions

5. New moon altar and meditation

May Synergy and Simplicity

My themes in May are Synergy and Simplicity. I've decided to take time each Monday this month to set myself some goals.

Writing of simplicity, Thomas Kelly reminds us, "Life is meant to be lived from a Center, a divine Center - a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It takes no time, but it occupies all our time." 

My feelings about synergy are very similar - the power of the group comes from the Center. 

Agenda:
1. Read "The Art of Facilitation"
2. Synergy plan

3. Simplify the kitchen

Rogation Sunday

Rogation-tide begins on the Sunday five weeks after Easter and continues for four more days, through Ascension Day on Thursday. 

Rogation is an early Christian tradition of singing psalms and chanting prayers of petition for God's protection on crops, beasts and people. Since medieval days, parishioners in Britain would walk around the parish boundaries, bearing a cross and banners, and asking for God to bless the crops, livestock, and fishing holes. The procession was called 'beating the bounds'; it helped everyone to remember the parish boundaries, in the time before maps were commonplace.

These boundary walks were also known as ‘gang days’ from the Anglo Saxon word ‘gangen’- to go. The parish would bond together as a community, offer charity to poor people they met along the way, and the priest would stop to preach at each prominent tree or landmark.

Now Rogation-tide is celebrated more as a time to honor the gift of creation of the land and waters, to offer thanksgiving for the labors on land and water that feed us, and to pray for stewardship of the earth.

Agenda Today:

1. Beat the bounds

2. Bless my garden

3. Make Rammalation Bisquits

May Retreat for Joy

I'm setting aside a couple of mornings this week to give attention to joy, contentment, self expression and play, in order to wrap up my month-long focus on joy. 

Joy is a deep feeling, maybe too much to expect, a little over the top; most days I'm satisfied to feel calm and grounded, perhaps even mostly happy. But I think when we open to the possibility of feeling joyful we set the tone of the day to one of playful expectation.

Agenda:

1. Read the Creativity Book

2. Explore color

3. Indulgent field trip

4. Go to a parade

May Day and Third Quarter Moon

May Day, on May 1st, is a spring celebration of the blooming flowers. It's an ancient holiday that originated with the festival of Floralia which honored Flora, the Flourishing One, the Roman goddess of spring. Flora is a bright nature goddess who makes trees bloom- she is a “lady of pleasure", but also a symbol of motherhood. She wears a garland of flowers in her hair, and in her right hand she holds a columbine, for fertility. In England a young woman is still chosen as May Queen, representing Flora, and is crowned with hawthorn blossoms. She is often accompanied by a May King.

Maying is what we call the things we do to celebrate this beautiful month-- going on picnics, picking flowers, dancing around a maypole, and sharing our love.

Today is also 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. Renewal plan

2. Evaluation House

3. Monthly journal brainstorm

4. Prepare a Beltane fire
5. Bring in the May
6. May baskets
7. Make Tippaleivät (Finnish May Day Fritters)
8. Maypole Dances

9. Surrender, rest, recuperate