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

1. Read "The Exquisite Risk":

I'm just starting this small book by Mark Nepo (2005), with the subtitle, Daring to Live an Authentic Life. It's about how to stay awake and open to our experience of life, when our wounds make us numb and hidden. "But we all live on this shore between the depths of being and the dangers of experience."

Chapter 2 is The Practice of Being Human, about the pain and joy of being awake, and the personal practice of being fully authentic. "Are we here to achieve or experience? To be good or authentic?... Just what is the nature of our work once awake?"

"We each face the challenge to both survive and thrive, to be cautious and daring at once. ... Our task, then, is to live out the paradox of being opened and closed and to hold open the mysterious space in between."

2. Discern a way forward:

Yesterday I found unclarity with 3 things:

How can I best support Aldo this fall? 

How will we ever finish our Big Projects? 

How can I optimize my energy and get things done?

Since my month theme is balance and flow, I'm looking to discern how to ground myself and let my intuition lead me.

Discernment is a deep process: It can feel like intuition, or a gut feeling. You might experience it as butterflies, or tingling on the back of the neck, or as a flash that takes the breath away. Some call it a guiding voice, or leading of the spirit. Sometimes it is quiet and subtle, and sometimes loud and clear - a flash of insight, or creative impulse, or sudden clarity, or a leading or itch to act on something you never thought of before.

I've come up with these first steps:

• Projects: Have a discussion and make calendar for the next 2 months; set week goals and find out how I can best support forward effort. (Be reasonable and take it easy until school starts.)
• School anxiety: I've researched some ways to help; next I could talk more to Alexis and find out concrete steps we could take.
• Energy: I need a flexible flow plan to kick start afternoon tasks. When I do my Beingness, I could shrink it to One Priority instead of 5 things.

3. Review my priorities:

The days after the First Quarter Moon are a time for purposeful, focused action, with integrity and discernment. Today is a good time to review my priorities and (looking at this month's intentions) choose the top actions for the next month.

I have lots of things in lots of categories that I do every day, but which of those are priorities now in my life? I only have so much time each day, so I hope to give priority to the activities and people that matter most to me right now. 

My priorities are fluid; they change with the seasons and with my responsibilities. Today I ask myself:

-Which of my priorities have gotten the least attention this last month and why? 

-What seasonal focus and upcoming events are priorities now?

-What are my important responsibilities this month?

-What upcoming activities give me the biggest rewards?

-What would I do this month if I knew I only had 6 months to live?

-What activities best support my beliefs and values?

-Where do my strengths lie?

From my Journal: This next 3 weeks are all flowing towards the start-of-school transition. How can I help ground and smooth the way? And how can I be present with them, and finish all the big projects we need to finish? Or maybe we can wait to work at projects? 

After some thought, this is my slate of priorities for the next month: 

• Family: Transition relief. Talk about the new schedule, make a calendar... Talk to Alexis again?
• Writing: Fire, water, and draught articles
• Garden: Soil improvement, watering, harvest and preservation, fall starts
• Earth service: Preparation tasks for fall events and actions
• Home: Deep cleaning, paint the front, slow progress on Big projects (Make a calendar, take it easy!)
• Creative projects: Focus on a few important projects - new moth logo, good photos, a sign for Free Plants, 
• Health: Improving my diet, managing my impatience, and staying in the flow (authentic Being); Discern 5 things or only 1!

4. Writing themes:

The next few days are the best block of time I have for healthy obsession for my writing project. Today I will set themes and topics for writing and research:

• Th: Forest Fires
• F: Edit and post
• Sat: Awareness of Water and Draught
• Sun: Edits and post.
• M: Ally for the fishes
• T:  Edits and post.