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 plan

2. Read "12 Tiny Things"

3. Choose a month theme

4. Balance Journal queries

5. Set intentions

1. Retreat Day plan:

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 have two mostly unscheduled days ahead, so my plan is to be as quiet and slow-moving as possible!

Here's my plan for today -

• Start with reading from 12 Tiny Things
• Write about the balance I want in my life
• Take a long bath with bubbles and candles 
• Go to a Quaker Eathcare worship
• Work in the garden and plant sunflowers
• Take a Rogation Walk
• Finish some creative tasks: A sawfly drawing, and butterflies the bathroom

2. Read "12 Tiny Things":

I'm just starting this small book by Heidi Barr and Ellie Roscher, subtitled, "Simple Ways to Live a More Intentional Life". It's a book of practices how to tend your roots and "remember who you are". It will help you get unstuck, and hone in on the priorities, so you don't feel so overwhelmed.

"There may be days, seasons, and stages where external circumstances make intentional living challenging ... Tiny things are available to us all. One tiny thing at a time, we can find ourselves thriving and more in love with our lives."

The sections are Space (intentional time); Work (intentional meaning-making); Spirituality (intentional awareness); Intentional Food; personal Style; Nature (cultivating wildness); Communication; Home (gratitude); Sensuality (intentional pleasure); Creativity; Learning, and Community.

 

3. Choose a month theme:

Today I choose a theme for the next month, and begin to give attention to it. My theme for the next 30 days is balance - of concentration and mindfulness, action and study, social and alone time, yearning and resistance.

In feng shui, the center of the home is the area of Tai Chi, the great ultimate. The image is of the celestial ridgepole, the line that connects two sides; it's the circle around and the point between yin and yang energies.

The center is the place where my soul lives; it touches all other areas of my life. My life flows around the solid base of my center. Goals for balance at the center might have to do with grounded-ness, connectedness, finding clarity in chaos, embracing paradox, or allowing myself to flow with life’s changes. Remind myself to look at change as an adventure not a disruption, and to love life as it is. Also, this is the place of connection to Spirit, and enlightenment - I might seek a closer relationship with the Spirit outside myself.

My balance practices this month:

• Daily Balance Journal

• Daily exercise

   to restore health and energy
• Simplicity and order tasks
• Equanimity practice

• Afternoon Beingness routine

4. Balance journal queries:

This month I plan to I start my day with some thought about my priorities, and choose the top one or two to write brief intentions for, that help me to clarify why they are priorities. I ask-

What is the purpose these tasks support?

Then I think about the connections I will make this day, and ask- 

What is the patience and equanimity I might need? 

The balance I am seeking includes also rich, thoughtful inner dialogue, so I list some things I want to contemplate today.

Where is the flow of life taking me today?

 

My balance journal: Today my biggest priorities are planting sunflower (for earthcare) and finishing my creative project (see-expression and meaning-making). The equanimity I will need is with myself and my expectations and energy. And the flow is towards being alive and aware.

5. Set intentions:

Last week I brainstormed some wild and crazy ideas for May and June, 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 goals for the next 30 days, I'm ready to set some intentions for action. I chose a few to write today - those I might act on today - then I'll work on a few more each day this week.

  

I intend to focus on balance and intentionality this month with daily Balance Journal queries about purpose, equanimity and flow, and intentional time and flow practices, to remind myself to look at change as an adventure not a disruption, and to love life as it is.

 

I intend to practice equanimity with my family, friends and community, and act in peace, staying calm and patient with people and problems, not obsessed with any thought, not acting in anger or aggression. I'll support this intention with a daily equanimity note, and a by observing my thoughts (when I'm hooked by a thought that is affecting my equanimity, pause and invite skepticism), because everyone deserves that basic respect and compassion, and peace generates love. 

 

I intend to practice an afternoon Beingness Routine with water, a protein snack, and a pause to think about intentional time and flow: just BE, in this moment- aware and awake, listening to my intuition, because making self-care and being present in the moment a routine part of my afternoon will help me to gather afternoon energy and balance, at a time when I often feel exhausted and a little depressed.