First Quarter Moon of Late January

Today 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 and full effort.

I use this late January quarter moon's energy to lean in to love.

Agenda Today:

1. Journal queries

2. Read "Revolutionary Witchcraft"

3. Ongo  journal

4. Love cycle

5. Full effort for order

1. Journal queries:

Today, at the first quarter moon, I prepare to give full effort to my priorities. I remember that for each opportunity in life there is a challenge.

My theme this month is receptivity and love, and the challenge  is rigidity and anger. If I am stubborn and uncompromising, and I hold on to resentments and grudges, I will block the free flow of love in and out of my life. The practices for meeting these challenges are to give in, open up, offer help, and notice the joy.

Which of my priorities am I having the most trouble acting on this month? How can the practice of opening help me?

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) and how can I best meet them?

What do I need (tools, information, allies) in order to best practice the habits that lead to love? To whom can I offer help, and how do I remember to notice the joy?

Journal: Something has shifted - yes. AND I still need to grow and open. The Needs I am sensing this morning are appreciation and mutual growth (communication).

2. Read "Revolutionary Witchcraft":

I'm reading this sweet little book by Sarah Lyons (2019) that I got from my daughter for Christmas. The subtitle is A Guide to Magical Activism.

Chapter 1 is A Witch's Place is in the Struggle. And I'm on a section called A Radical History of Witchcraft. 

She's been talking abut the sixteenth century, when Europe was switching to a capitalist economy, and people in power in Britain and Europe  began appropriating and dividing up the commons. Before this time, people didn't own the land - Kings and lords and the church controlled some territory, but the rest was unowned wilderness - called the commons. The commons were de-commodified - one could live there without paying anyone.

"This new worldview and economic order wasn't popular with the general population at first, and it required violence to take root" ... including shutting down peasant revolts, wiping out indigenous people in the western hemisphere, and eventually quieting the women, with the witch trials.

At that time, a belief in magic was widespread in Europe, revolving around land spirits. But of course land spirits could only be a block to the exploitation of the land, so that belief needed to be stopped. Land spirits definitely interfered with a world of "work ethic, profit motive, [and] endless expansion across finite resources."

I realized today that my ancestors were forced into a new paradigm of land ownership only a little before the native people of North America. But then we took to it here in North America, because land was ours to have. 

She next compares the witch-hunts of the past to the labeling, targeting, killing, and subjection going on now of minorities and liberals. "Whenever systems of oppression expand they will always need new witches to burn to fuel their fire."

3. Ongo journal:

I'm going back through this book by Catherine Madden and Jesse Weiss Chu (2022), focussing on the solo practices. I'm into Week 5, and Day 1 is Life's Inbox. 

The first page contains a lot to unpack! First, the theme is entrusting a higher power or "the grace of the uncontrollable forces which support us". The quote at the top by Kaji Acquaviva, says, "And when you conjure up ... love ...you get to experience and be supported by that very love you are conjuring".

Then it goes on to talk about how, as we work at Ongo, our mind might produce advice like "I should be more calm and caring," and so my mind is both creating the chaos and anger and the advise to stop that!

And so, "Whether or not one believes in a Higher Power, we all need a place to rest our concerns that both honors their importance and gives our minds and bodies a real break."

The practice:

1. Make a box to contain my mind's preoccupations and concerns - could be God's In-box, or Love's In-box - whatever works.
2. Write down something I've been wanting to resolve, put it in the box, and release it into Love's hands.
3. Whenever that concern arises during the day, just breathe with it and remember that the great universal Love is working on it, and it will be resolved in good time.

4. Love Cycle:

Years ago I wrote this month-long meditation on love, with a daily reading and work. Day 6 is Give Full Effort.

I want to give full effort for what is important; that is, for Love. I can remember to lean in to whatever I am doing: When talking to someone, give my full attention; when cooking put care into the meal. Be mindful of the details, and strive untiringly for unity, patience, gratitude, and love. ... I don’t need to feel guilty about the state of my friendships- I just need to love my friends with diligence and enthusiasm! I let unkindness roll off of me, give up on gossiping, make an energetic effort towards listening and understanding. If I want equanimity, do the work of becoming calm. Practice love like my hair’s on fire, or like a snake has landed in my lap. I have to make sure that in each day I really connect to my excitement for life. Clean the house of my mind- tell myself to “let it go”, again and again and again; do this everyday, forever, because it is worth it.

“Like the other paramitas, exertion has a journey quality, a process quality. When we begin to practice exertion, we see that sometimes we can do it and sometimes we can't. The question becomes, How do we connect with inspiration? How do we connect with the spark and joy that's available in every moment? Exertion is not like pushing ourselves. It's not a project to complete or a race we have to win... Exertion is touching in to our appetite for enlightenment. It allows us to act, to give, to work appreciatively with whatever comes our way.” -Pema Chodron

Query: How do I create the inspiration that will spark my full effort?

Inner Work: Write a plan for how to spark full and energetic effort this next week, in my quest towards a more loving life.

Meditate on Full effort: Breathe in a spark of inspiration; breathe out full effort.

5. Full effort for order:

Full effort requires attention; you remember your intentions - what it is you want to do and your deepest reasons why - and also notice your emotions, energy, challenges, etc. One of my core values is Order: Cultivate the spiritual quality of Order, practicing habits of self-regulation and creative energy, instead of acting on impulse, or giving in to mental overwhelm. This week I want to give attention to-

• Creating order and simplicity in my sanctuary, so that everything I keep has a place, all things are honored, and I know what is in each space.
• Practicing order in self-care, because water, good food, exercise, and rest will give me the energy and stability I need to break a habit of slothfulness and mental overload.

Here's my plan for Morning micro-habit steps:

• 7:30 - Cue up chair yoga video; drink a glass of water!
• 7:45 - Do chair yoga - at lease a few stretches.
• 8:00 - Transition to Morning Order: Get dressed; entirely clear one surface into the sorting box. 
• 8:15: Morning Order: Reverently wipe and dust cleared surface, and sort back only essential items.
• 8:30 - Brunch, put on shoes.
• 9:15 - Daily walk: Walk at least to the corner and back.

Here's my plan for Afternoon micro-habit steps:

• 3:00 - Drink an energy drink and a protein snack (Yogurt, hummus, nuts)
• 3:15 - Remove 10 items from sorting box each day, and put or give them away