Full Strawberry Moon

Photo by Alan Gillespie

Tonight is the full moon called anishnalya, the "camas ripe" moon by the Kalapuya of our area, and the Strawberry Moon by others.

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.

Agenda:

1. Take a vision walk

2. Celebrate balance

1. Take a vision walk:

The full moon shines a bright light on everything, and I might experience intuitive and creative breakthroughs. I might be surprised by the clarity of my insights.

I celebrate each new day and the Truth it brings. But I am happily aware that I will never have an orderly shelf-full of the Truth. Truth is a mystery - it hides in the shadows, revealed to me one bit at a time. I am so happy to know this, because it releases me from the need to have all the answers. My real work is to ask all the questions.

Today I'm going to settle into silence and access my intuitive mind - my connection to the Creator and the Inner Guide - and seek a leading of the spirit with an open mind and heart, using these queries:

How do I find the center that supports and nourishes all the functions I play in life? How do I access that Central Self when I am caught up in identifying as one of my habitual roles?

In what areas of my life do I feel most in unity with the universe? How can I celebrate that?

What is one place in my life where "opinions and needs" often put me out of balance with the universe, and what adjustments could I make?  

Consider the Great Ultimate, where all energy is replenished; How have I learned to draw from that well of peace and renewal?

2. Celebrate Balance:

My theme ​this month ​is Balance: I'm not speaking about the illusion of balancing your work and your life - like a juggling trick, but rather the balance of Taoism's Tai Chi, the circle around and the point between yin and yang energies. The image is of the celestial ridgepole, the place of ultimate equilibrium, where chi is always available, where energy is replenished and then moves on. 

The center is the place where my soul lives; it touches all other areas of my life. My life flows around this solid base. I think about balance as "being in unity with the universe": The feeling that I can let go of my opinions and wants, and let God work through me, and feel calm and centered in that.

Today I remind myself of my intentions, and then celebrate my accomplishments and reaffirm this theme for the next two weeks. Today I am ready to celebrate balance in three ways:

1. Prepare for clerking business with careful communication and pro-active thought. 

2. Paint an Earth Mandala of Thanksgiving.

3. Celebrate with friends tonight, and make strawberry shortcake.