First Quarter Moon of August

Wednesday is my day to re-group and re-define my week. First I make a plan for getting over the bump of the mid-week, then I re-envision my emotional tone and perspective.

This week I'm feeling slow - how can I recover energy? 

And tonight is also 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. The First Quarter is yang, a time to take decisive and smart action on my intentions; during the yin of the crescent moon, I got clarity and made plans - now it is time to act on those plans. 

I use this August quarter moon's energy to ground myself and let my intuition lead me.

 

Agenda today:

1. Read "The Exquisite Risk"

2. Discern a way forward

3. Review my priorities

4. Writing themes and passion plan

Tuesday for Clarity

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 yin time of the waxing crescent moon, a phase of growth, when I am planting my intentions and caring for them. I'll take time to discern and create clarity. 

Agenda: 

1. My anger journal

2. Read "How to Deal with Anger"

3. Create clarity

Cleaning Reset

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 yin time of the waxing crescent moon, a phase of growth, when I am planting my intentions and caring for them. I'll take time to discern and create clarity. 

Agenda:

1. Read "Tiny Habits"

2. Deep cleaning

3. Giving each thing a home

4. Studio healing

5. Nurturing my intentions

Mindful Sunday

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

This is the yin time of the waxing crescent moon, a phase of growth, when I am planting my intentions and caring for them. I'll take time to discern and create clarity. 

Agenda:

1. Read "Your Heart Was Made for This"

2. Journal challenges and needs

3. Expressing Needs in the World

Proaction 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."

This is the new moon phase, 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:

1. Read "The Exquisite Risk"

2. Balance journal

3. Set intentions

4. Proaction and reciprocity plans

5. Preparedness

Thursday

Thursday is my day to open the door to creative thinking and doing; I've reverted to an earlier phase of my life, before painting and art school, when I was internally driven to Make Things, and they were varied and creative. But I'm also a different person now - as Grandma Earth Teacher I am led to make things that are a gift to the Earth in some way, sustainable, and with a message. 

Also, I need to prepare for the next week of Grandma Camps, with themes, projects, and field trips.

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: 

1. Balance journal queries

2. Review and my creativity intentions

3. Projects for the week

4. Camp preparedness

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

Thursday Habits

Thursday is my day to open the door to creative thinking and doing; I've reverted to an earlier phase of my life, before painting and art school, when I was internally driven to Make Things, and they were varied and creative. But I'm also a different person now - as Grandma Earth Teacher I am led to make things that are a gift to the Earth in some way, sustainable, and with a message. 

Also, I need to prepare for the next week of Grandma Camps, with themes, projects, and field trips.

Agenda: 

1. Read "Tiny Habits"

2. Review and update my watercolor habit

3. Camp preparedness

4. Projects for the week

Third Quarter Moon of early August

Photo by Alan Gillespie

Wednesday is my day to re-group and re-define my week. First I make a plan for getting over the bump of the mid-week, then I re-envision my emotional tone and perspective.

And tonight is the waning Third Quarter moon of August. Today's moon energy is yang, a time for reciprocity, generosity, collaboration and connection; a final time of action before the next moon cycle.

August is a time of transformation and abundance - but it's rich with both the sweet and the sour. We are having our hottest days of summer right now, as a north wind brings us smoke from the north. Today I will pause to consider what I'm transforming into.

Agenda: 

1. My bump plan

2. Generosity practice

3. Writing themes

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.

We are in the yin time of the waning gibbous moon - a time to receive the fruits of our labors, a time of quiet, internal, heart-driven, intentional Being-ness.

Agenda: 

1. My anger journal

2. Read "How to Deal with Anger"

Grateful Monday

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. 

We are in the yin time of the waning gibbous moon - a time to receive the fruits of our labors, a time of quiet, internal, heart-driven, intentional Being-ness. 

Agenda:

1. Gratitude meditation

2. Deep cleaning

3. Giving each thing a home

4. New food habits

Sabbath for Energy

Sunday is my day to be quiet (at least for a while), with the spirit, in contemplation and prayer, and in community with nature and other bipeds.

Today I have a good deal of community interaction, so I'll bolster my soul with time in the garden this morning. The sabbath is a celebration, a holiday - I will keep it holy with my attitude: no complaining, or worrying.

We are in the yin time of the waning gibbous moon - a time to receive the fruits of our labors, a time of quiet, internal, heart-driven, intentional Being-ness. 

Agenda:

1. Read "Your Heart Was Made for This"

2. Discern my receptivity

3. Love meditation

4. Expressing Needs in the World

Lughnasa

Lughnasa (loo-na-sa) is a Celtic festival celebrated in early August, usually August 1st. It's called a cross-quarter day because it falls approximately midway between summer solstice and autumn equinox, marking the end of summer in the Celtic tradition, and the beginning of the harvesting season.

The name Lughnasa comes from Lugh, the Celtic God of harvests, crafts, and the lightening flash, and nasad, which was an assembly or gathering. The Lughnasad was a gathering to honor and appease Lugh, so he would hopefully not throw a summer storm temper-tantrum, and ruin the harvest.

All of the cross-quarter days are times of transition from one focus to another. At Lughnasa the shift is from growth to harvest. 

And it's the yin time of the waning gibbous moon - a time to receive the fruits of our labors.

Agenda Today:

1. Journal Queries
2. Make bread

3. Arts and Crafts

4. Take a pause to enjoy the season

5. Catch up with planting

6. Nasad (gathering)

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 the thrall of the active full moon phase!

Agenda:

1. Summer action plan

3. Depth of Purpose ritual

3. Proaction and reciprocity plans

Art is Life

Thursday is my day to open the door to creative thinking and doing; I've reverted to an earlier phase of my life, before painting and art school, when I was internally driven to Make Things, and they were varied and creative. But I'm also a different person now - as Grandma Earth Teacher I am led to make things that are a gift to the Earth in some way, sustainable, and with a message. 

Also, I need to prepare for the next week of Grandma Camps, with themes, projects, and field trips.

Agenda: 

1. Read "Tiny Habits"

2. Design a watercolor habit

3. Start a fire for watercolor

4. Camp preparedness

5. Projects for the week

Full Thunder Moon

Wednesday is my day to re-group and re-define my week. First I make a plan for getting over the bump of the mid-week, then I re-envision my emotional tone and perspective.

And tonight is the full moon of July is called ameku, the mid-summer moon, by the Kalapuya of our area, and the thunder moon by others. July days have the humming energy of a summer storm. It's a month of passion and activity: I'm challenged to find integrity in my actions and expand into my Truth.

The sun is at the peak of its power, lighting all corners with its radiance, and burning away all non-essentials, and we are now also at the peak of the strong-energy yang phase of the waxing moon, the time to harvest what was planted and nurtured.

Agenda: 

1. My bump plan

2. Full moon shift

3. Celebrate depth

4. Writing themes

5. Start a fire for clearing space

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.

We are in the Waxing Gibbous moon phase, when I pause to reconsider my intentions, my patterns and approaches, and make adjustments. I will look at the big picture of my life as I practice mindfulness, self-care and trust. It's a time to review and refine, a time to practice Being and trust in the ebb and flow of the universe.

Agenda: 

1. Remember my past and my path

2. Read "How to Deal with Anger"

3. Considering my intentions

Monday Home Coming

I got home late yesterday afternoon, after a whole week away, and this morning I am reveling in all the normalcy of home: Waking in my own bed, making my favorite coffee, and sitting at my desk to write. It seems like I have a lot of catching up to do, but really I just need to pick up the threads where I left them.

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. 

We are in the Waxing Gibbous moon phase, when I pause to reconsider my intentions, my patterns and approaches, and make adjustments. I will look at the big picture of my life as I practice mindfulness, self-care and trust. It's a time to review and refine, a time to practice Being and trust in the ebb and flow of the universe.

Agenda:

1. Read "How to Keep House While Drowning"

2. Giving Each Thing a Home

3. New food habits

Sabbath for Vision

Sunday is my day to be quiet (at least for a while), with the spirit, in contemplation and prayer, and in community with nature and other bipeds.

Today I will be on the road most of the day, so I will have time for contemplation and not much action. The sabbath is a celebration, a holiday - As I sit in the car, I will keep it holy with my attitude: no complaining, or worrying.

We are in the Waxing Gibbous moon phase, when I can settle again into the yin of Beingness. Now is a time to reconsider my intentions and make adjustments. I will consider the big picture of my life as I practice mindfulness, self-care and trust.

Agenda:

1. Read "Your Heart Was Made for This"

2. Creative visualization

3. Expressing Needs in the World

Aspiration

Wednesday is my day to re-group and re-define my week. First I make a plan for getting over the bump of the mid-week (not an issue this week because I've had an extended weekend!), then I re-envision my emotional tone and perspective.

Agenda today:

1. My plan for annual session mental health

2. Read "Your Heart Was Made for This"

3. Mission haiku