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The new Moon is upon us this week. As we empty our cups and let go of the last cycle, we are given the opportunity for creating something new and cultivating renewal.
Mandalas are my preferred activity for both new Moon and full Moon as they symbolize wholeness, a sacred container, and unlimited creative potential. Use the pelvis this week as your somatic entry point. Move hips from side to side and in circles; notice the connection to the lower half of the body and the upper half. Note the nearness to the belly. Pelvis helps us work on vulnerability, giving/receiving, creation/creating and fulfillment. Bring presence to your body with complete breaths and fluidity of your movements. If you did last week's CE Activity, look at your garden as a prompt for this activity. Come to your drawing pad and draw a circle. On the outside of the circle write down the pieces of life you are discarding, that aren't working, that need to be let go of; pieces that aren't bringing you harmony and joy. The inside of the circle is where you are free to create what you are moving towards. What fills your circle? What do you need right now? What are you making space for in your life? Harvesting questions: What am I filling my Self with? What am I emptying my Self of? What am I letting flow towards me? What am I moving away from? What space am I creating for spring? What is there no longer space for in my life?
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From this week's Horoscopes and Transit report:
Similar to exalted planets in that they are "full" and can't be "added to", a Full Moon (or Purnima) means that it is full to capacity, there's no more room for it to expand and grow; it is complete. In this way, we can interpret the Full Moon as a "New Moon" in that it marks the beginning of a new cycle of emptying itself and refilling itself (mirroring our internal process). Beginning a lunar month at the Purnima is called Suklanta and differs from starting the count from the New Moon (Amavasya) which is the point when the Moon is empty and is waiting to be filled by the Sun. Purnima is in the middle of the Lakshmi phase of the Moon cycle whereas Amavasya is the moment during the cycle where Kali and Durga meet. Clearly, the energy is quite different; mirrored in our internal experience as well. These different methods of starting the lunar calendar remind me of the saying "is your glass half empty or half full?!" When do we start our "New Moon" calendar and begin our new lunar month? When we are full and satisfied or when we are empty and needing to be nourished? It is with this question in mind that I came up with this week's Creative Engagement Activity. Read more about the importance of the Moon. Often for a New Moon or a Full Moon, I like to work with the image of a mandala. Mandalas help us to create and express fullness, to fill empty space, to work with what is. Mandalas are a container, filled, with our visions, creativity and desire- much like a metaphor for life. With this idea of "creating within a container" as well as half the image of full/empty, I invite you to draw a large shape on a piece of paper. Divide this shape in half. Cover up one of the halves with a sheet of paper while you create within the other half. The theme for this half is "being filled". When you feel complete, look at both halves. One is "full" and one is "empty". What thoughts come to you? What feelings? Write a few notes down. Then, begin on the second half. The theme for this half is "being emptied". When you feel complete, write a few notes down about this half as you look at the entire piece. Then harvest your thoughts on this process. Circle ten words that leap out at you. Form these words into a three to five line poem. (Adding extra words is ok). Extra credit for dancing (embodying) your poem at some point this week. Last week we worked with "moving forward" and taking "action steps" while utilizing the feet and legs as an entry point for the self tracking and excavation process. This week, we will use the metaphor of "filling up" and "creating new space" for ourselves through mandalas. Mandalas are metaphoric in that the circle creates a space of either emptiness or fullness depending on how you look at it. We can therefor "fill up" our empty space with meaning, create and re-create what feels whole and meaningful for ourselves within this process.
Look at your harvesting questions from last week's Creative Engagement: What am I stepping towards? What am I moving away from? As I move forward, what do I need/want? As I close old doors, what do I need/want? What are my actions steps for growth and change? This week? This month? This year? Circle at least ten words that leap out at you and use these as a way to cultivate presence with your "theme". Can you name your theme? Draw a circle on a fresh sheet of large paper. With theme in mind, begin filling up your empty space with images, colors, shapes and symbols that create a sense of wholeness for you on your path. You can use a collage theme and cut up photos/images or use paints depending on what feels right to you. Think of this as an intuitive map for your journey. What are you creating for your Self in this space? What seeds are you planting for the days, weeks, year to come? What guidance/compass do you need to light the way? |
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