New Budding Moon

Tonight is the new moon; the Chinese call the second new moon the Budding Moon. As we cycle nearer to spring, I can feel my energy growing and swelling like the buds on the trees! 

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, prepare, and set intentions.

Agenda Today:

1. Retreat Day

2. Choose a theme 

3. Set intentions

4. Proaction and reciprocity plans

1. Retreat Day:

If at all possible, I schedule a day of retreat on the new moon, or near to it: I do less talking, less business, and more personal thought and action. I had my retreat the past weekend. 

2. Choose a theme:

At the new moon I choose a theme, and begin to give attention to it. My theme this month is joy and creativity. Joy includes contentment, serenity, harmony, and living with a wide-open, unbiased attitude of appreciation for life; creativity is the ability to have original ideas, to make something out of the ordinary, and to find new solutions to problems.

Curiosity, humor, and attention are supports for a joyful mind. A childlike quality of joy supports my spontaneous, innovative, creative spirit. When I am in a joyful mood, I feel relaxed, expansive, and spontaneous, and I can turn a problem into a creative challenge. Also, my joyous mood is infectious and brings success with my relationships.

Joy and creativity goals might be to experience more harmony, happiness, and lightness in my life; to take time to relax and play; to exercise my intuition and my creativity muscles; to become more flexible, expansive, and hopeful.

My joy practices this month:

• Daily steps for creative projects
• Contentment in the garden, with daily planting and care, and time each day to be quiet and aware with nature.
• "Reverse joy" practices

3. Set intentions:

Last week I brainstormed some wild and crazy ideas for the next 30 days, and today it's time to narrow it down a little, to the priority items that I could possibly focus on this next month. This isn't a list of the practical things I need to do this month; rather it's my top actions, studies, and growth goals that fit with the "taste" of this month of my life.

After I list my top 10-20 goals for the next 30 days, I'm ready to set some intentions for action. This is a time-consuming but important process. I'm going to choose a few to write today - those I might act on today - then work on a few more each day this week.

I intend to sneak up on happiness with a study of stoicism, embracing uncertainty and paradox, and anti-affirmations, because I know that joy is ephemeral and flighty, and is found best when not looking for it.

 

I intend to take daily tiny steps forward on my creative projects (including kid projects, gifts, sewing, home beautification, and service projects) because one way I find happiness is by completion.

I intend to find contentment in the garden, with daily planting and care, and take time each day to be quiet and aware, in unity with nature, because my spirit needs attention and care in order to grow, and I especially want to grow my connection to the Earth and the Sky, as a little part of nature myself.

 

4. Proaction and reciprocity plans:

On Wednesdays I often journal a bit about the future, and my dreams and goals: What GREAT things do I want to accomplish? How will I serve people? How will I use my talents? How will I stretch myself? How can I become an “island of excellence”? What is essential?

Then I try to define achievable, meaningful goals and prioritize the goals and tasks with the greatest long-term impact.

In the next week I hope to:

• Publicize a discussion of the Clean Water bill. Become more well-versed and educated in the facts.
• Update the Interfaith Earthkeeper calendar, and communicate with faith groups to advertise it.
• Next steps for the Little Plant Library: Make signage and web info. 
• Go to the QEW sharing time about the EMERGE testimonies, and write about how they apply to me. 
• Begin to visualize next steps I want to take this spring to advocate against the climate and biodiversity loss crisis: Focus on forests? Climate cafe?
• Schedule tree walk with Carrie, and medicinal plant walk with Wren - spring.