Closing January's Moon

We have come to the close of the first moon cycle of the new year. This cycle of Learn Truth reminded us of our connection and relationship to all things. It set the rhythm for coming together and being in relationship with ourselves, other human beings, animal and plant life, the planet, universe and Great Spirit! The color for the first moon cycle,orange, continues to remind us to kindle our inner fire, find ways to bring warmth to our relationships, and by caring for our relationships, keep those warming fires going during these long winter months.

Self-Reflection:  Rest and warm yourself in gratitude for the work you do and your willingness to be in the process of becoming, and the gifts your open yourself to receive from the wisdom of Grandmother Moon.

Some of Our Parts Are Slow to Change, but Shift Happens

I often look back at my previous years' moon cycle writing to see where I was in my life in the previous year(s). I came across my writing from the first blog for the Closing Moon (we called it 'dark' moon back then).  I was a bit shocked to read a very similar theme of self-awareness and self-analysis. When I read through my post, I was at first let down, questioning if I have made any progress at all.
But as I read it again, more slowly and with a compassion I would offer to anyone struggling with their way of living life.
I have made changes, albeit sometimes the change feels small.
I have grown as a woman, I hope more into a wise woman.
I AM more willing to be in truth as I currently understand it.
I AM more willing to be with the truth of others--even when I'd rather not.

Self Reflection: I take time to name and appreciate the small shifts in my way of being. I take time to have compassion for where my change is slow.

Talking to Myself. Listening to Myself, I Make Amends to 'Me', Feeling Deeply Touched in a Loving Way

Carolyn shares.  
My negative self-talk was pretty loud this week. That part that of me that is fueled by self-doubt.  This tape is so familiar, I can recite it without any cue cards--it's sometimes my go to response pattern. And this pattern often occurs after I have had a time period when I have made some positive change and growth.  I was sharing my self-criticism with an old friend. "STOP!" he said, as I whined on and on.  

This wise elder suggested I write an amends to myself for all my put-down talk--to write an amends to the part of myself that gave years to studying and working for her degrees and her license, and years of practicing and honing her skills; write to the Carolyn that commits to her purpose of supporting others in their quests for growth and health, and to the Carolyn who wakes up with visions for creating websites, and books, and paintings.  I didn't want to follow his guidance, but. I listened, and I wrote.  I wrote pages--and pages. Then, I read my pages out loud to myself and I self-listen. Well, I didn't make myself--after all that writing, I WANTED to listen to what my writing voice had to say. 

I read my amends out loud to myself. I read out loud what was behind all my talk was the need for staying small (so I could be safer) and not getting made fun of, or attacked, or shamed or making a mistake (does any of this sound familiar in your life??).  I read out loud  to myself of recognizing how much all my behavior and attitude had hurt the me over the years. I said I would do my best to stop the bad self talk habit (an addiction?). 

Something has shifted in me.  My willingness to write an amends to my self gave me permission to hear the part of me that puts myself down and holds me back and shames me. She/I got to talk and I/me listened from the heart.  My wise old friend, it seems, is a male incarnation of Talks With Relations. Since then, the negative voice is almost inaudible-just a little squeak now and then-I'm using it as a reminder to wake up and pay attention to myself, to recenter and refocus on the moment. And, with less background noise I can hear (I) inspiration and (G)guidance much more clearly.  

Self-Reflection:  Am I willing to talk with my self and speak ALL my voices?  How might I practice really listening to myself talk?

Learning Truth Does Impact One's View of Self and Others

Carolyn Shares: Holding fast to my commitment to communicate with an intention to Learn Truth  has brought to light how much 'fear' influences my behavior, my reactions, my choices.  My desire and longing to have Truth direct my life makes it possible for me to have a Voice that is stronger than the voice of 'fear'.  What is this voice? For me Truth is a name for the expression of 'Great Mystery', 'God', 'The Divine One', 'Creator', 'Great Spirit', in me, in all of creation.  Working with these cycles of Truth for the past years has brought the gift of ongoing, though not quite yet, continual contact with this Divine Force.  The teachings of Truth from all the great spiritual traditions tell us that Truth is another name for 'God', another name for Love.
I feel it changing me and changing my way of being with others.  I can be softer, more receiving, more honoring; even if we don't see Truth in the same way.  Progress...

Self-Reflection:  How do I feel when I don't hold the same truths as others?

Blessings of the Waning Moon

In this time of the waning moon, she pours her gifts out over the world. Feel the blessings of her never-ending inspiration, teaching us how to be present, to be with the rhythm of life.  Open to abundance. Connect with our inner fire. Reflect the Universal Light on the fullness of our life.

Self-Reflection: I give myself time and quiet to receive the gifts of the waning moon--reminding me to be present to the rhythm and abundance of life.  I remember ebbing is part of the flow of becoming. All is as it should be. I am blessed.

Prayer for Learning Truth

O Great Spirit

help me always 
speak the truth quietly,

to listen with an open mind 

when others speak

and 
to remember the peace 
that may be found in silence.

-Cherokee Prayer-

Self Reflection:  O Great Spirit, help me always to speak the Truth quietly, to listen with an open mind when others speak, and ti remember the peace that may be found in silence.  

A Challenging Gift is Learn Truth

We have begun to embrace this gift of Learn Truth in our own life by our willingness to feel life and have conversation with ALL of our 'relatives'*.  It's not always smooth going or easy...  

* we are related to all beings, and all things. In the First People's way of praying that I was taught, all of creation is referred to as 'our relatives', reminding us to keep our relationships with all sacred. Carolyn

Self Reflection: Am I willing to stay the course of Truth to find the freedom of being my Self?

Learn Truth; Receive WIsdom

The usual practice for the time from the full moon to the closing moon is two-fold: 1) to release what we have come to understand as not serving our life, and 2) to put our selves more fully into the world. During the waning phase, we practice truthfully being who we are, the best as we are currently able and actively living our awareness.

However, during the first few Cycles of Truth at the beginning of each new year, the waning phase seems more appropriately to practice setting aside what we have discovered is not true/Truth, and taking up an attitude, openness and behavior of receiving--knowledge, wisdom, inspiration, hope...all this leads us to be more our Self, receiving all that we need to feel, learn, live and share truth.

Self Reflection: I name what I have learned as 'not true' of myself. I claim a wiser more Truth-full Self.  I become a vessel for Creator's inspiration.

Easing Into Vulnerability

Moving toward vulnerability can feel more like a battle than a journey of growth. As I Learn Truth through actively staying in connection with my life, an am able to set this battle with vulnerability aside. I turn my attention to what I might learn in opening my heart and my mind to what I am with in each moment.  Just to notice, closely, and sense what I have not sensed before.  Becoming vulnerable is a practice of small steps and self-checks. I notice my level of awareness with myself and the world around me.  I intentionally look for what I might learn anew. When I do this in all areas of my life, little by little; repeat by repeat, my vulnerability will take care of itself.

Self Reflection:  Am I aware of the places in my life where I squirm? What about the people, places, and things, I try to avoid? Do I have places where I doubt myself on a regular basis? Do I have activities I put off until crunch time, or crisis management is required?  I can take comfort in knowing I am not alone in answering 'yes' to any of these, or to all of them.  This is the front line for my battle with vulnerability.  Can I set the battle aside just for one moment?  And maybe another moment and another, until I don't need this set-aside practice any longer?

Learn Truth and Vulnerability

The calendar page for the January moon reminds us that to Learn Truth means a willingness to learn from the heart.  This requires a willingness to be vulnerable.  When we become willing to be vulnerable, things really do get easier, even though it might not seem that way in the beginning of this great experiment.
It is not a coincidence that the sense of touch is the place we begin  the Cycles of Truth.  Unless there is something amiss in the neurology of a newborn, the need for touch, for human contact determines survival, mental well being and physical and intellectual growth.  Our body never loses the need and desire for touch, but our minds may convince us that to be touched, physically, emotionally, energetically and/or spiritually is dangerous. Or at the least a sign of weakness.  Our minds will convince us that our best protection and smartest response is to avoid being vulnerable.  We grow up thinking it costs too much to be vulnerable, but really the opposite is true.  To not be vulnerable ends up costing us our health, opportunities for growth and pleasure, strong and reliable intuition.  It ends up costing us an ability to Learn Truth.  More tomorrow.

Self-Reflection: When I think about being more vulnerable, what do I think of?  What is my reaction to being more vulnerable?  Fear?  Possibility? Growth?

How Does Truth Impact MY Life?

The waning moon impulse is to put ourselves more fully out into the world. During these two weeks we experience what Learn Truth means particularly to ‘us’, individually.  As we come to know what is true, we become aware of what we need to let go of if we wish to manifest more fully who we are without a shell of protection, or a layer of guardedness.  We take our new knowing of Truth and begin to integrate what we have learned into our intentions, our growth, our vision and our awareness for what is possible in our life.  By continuing to tune in to the information from our felt sense we lay the foundation for living more fully in the world.  

Self-Reflection:  How am I demonstrating Truth in  my life?

Awake Body, Tender Heart, Open Mind

It is no coincidence that the teaching of this cycle of "Learn Truth" has a focus on our senses and that the archetypal Clan Mother of this cycle is "Talks With Relations". Learning is really communication; taking in and processing stimuli from the outside world and from within ourselves, relating our perceptions to others and receiving feedback (and the cycle repeats).

Learning "Truth" occurs when we relate with presence.  When we are present, we suspend judgments, have full awareness and are in relation to all of Creation. In her book, The Five Keys to Mindful Communication, Susan Gillis Chapman teaches us that presence requires an awake body, a tender heart and an open mind. All three are required to fully take in and integrate the lessons being presented to us.

Sara shares: Multiple sources in the waxing parts of this moon cycle have been pointing (sometimes quite strongly) to my need to honor and balance body, heart and mind.  For me, this is a theme that runs through the teachings of the Moon Cycles.  My work for the waning portion of this cycle is to practice presence and awareness in how I relate. I will be aware of how I relate to my own self; body, mind and heart. I will bring that presence to my relationships with others and Creation.  In this way, I am best able to Learn Truth.

Self-Reflection:  What helps me stay awake to what my body teaches me? What helps soften my heart? What helps me keep an open mind?  Do I willingly receive these things?

Full Moon heightens Our Shadow and Our Light

Shadow and Light 8PM CST
night of the full moon at Carolyn's  

Carolyn shares: The moon here in the suburbs of Chicago seem to be playing hide and seek with the clouds, creating reverse shadows.  I'm writing this on the night parts of the US has been buried in snow and in some places pummeled with a high tide. The weather people are talking about the 'high lunar tide because of the full moon'.  While I am sorry for the suffering the storm tides cause for the residents on the coast, I feel some satisfaction that the weather scientists are talking about the moon's influence on our earth, on us. This is the place where myth, magic and Truth meet.

How have I received the influence of the gifts of this cycle? I am beginning to understand the Truth I learn most is about myself, and my ability or willingness to be in truth with others.

Self-Reflection: Can I hold a commitment for the waning moon be more Truth-fully present in my relationships with others?

Full Moon: Learn Truth Is the Light in the Dark

Taken in Carolyn's backyard January 2016

Carolyn's Share: The Full Moon in the winter months always seems to have the blackest of nights as her backdrop.  Every year I am surprised by this, yet it is true that in January I often find myself in a personal shadow of darkness.  I am reminded of January's full moon Moon Circle Journal page where co-author Sara penned the 'shadow words' for the : "...in my heart's shadows, I feel Creator's touch". 

As I stood under the luminescent full moon on the backdrop the darkest of night skies, I experienced my own need and willingness to go into the shadows to feel Creator's illuminating touch.  The black sky is the dark shadow of my heart and the glowing moon shows the miraculous impact of Creator's touch.

As I  Learn Truth, I learn that what I am able to Trust in others is that I can trust them to be who they are, not  to be whom I want them to be, which may be a big difference. That is an initial lesson in Learn Truth.

Self Reflection: When my heart is open and my fear and judgment faced, I receive these gifts:

I remember my source.

I remember who I am.

I can trust myself.

I can live in truth, meaning I can trust life, creator, creation and others.

Learning Truth the Easier, Softer Way

In this last day of the waxing moon of Learn Truth, take time to ask for clarity about anything about which you would like to learn more Truth.  The practice of this moon cycle, learning through what touches us and our life is not complete without our full participation. Asking for clarity is an excellent practice of being present (if, of course, you also practice listening).

As the Full Moon approaches she illuminates our world so we can learn more about ourselves, our life path, and those relatives who are fellow travelers on our journey.  We human beings sometimes resist being on equal ground with other creatures and other forms of life, let alone our fellow human beings.  The path for learning Truth is gentler and easier when we travel with humility.  A truth we learn is that the alternative to living humbly is to live with humiliation as our traveling partner.  Humility opens our mind and our heart to learning truth an easier softer way.

Self Reflection:  Am I willing to be humble, inviting truth into my life in an easy, softer way?  Am I willing to let go of all sense of superiority I carry? 

Everything We Encounter Comes Through Touch

All our experiences, everything that comes to us through our senses, touches us.  Everything we learn in life comes to us through some form of touch.  We can taste the sweetness of a peach by the juices connecting with our taste buds.  We smell skunk because the acrid odor travels through the air touching our nasal passages as we breathe in and out. We hear the birdsong through sound-waves bouncing against our eardrums.  We have spent these two weeks of the waxing moon phase learning how touch is a primary informer for how we understand our life.
With the invitation to adopt (or be adopted by) a stone people companion, we receive a gift from Earth Mother’s first children, the stone people to practice staying conscious to being touched by the world outside of us, and to stay in connection with All Our Relations (all things).  In this way, we are learning to ‘talk’ with and to listen to what all manner of life can teach us about living our own life.

Self-Reflection:  In what ways have I been touched by the world around me in these past few weeks?  What learning of truth have I resisted receiving?  What learning of truth have a welcomed with an appreciative heart?

Learning Truth Through Our Kinship with ALL Beings

Twylah Nitsch, the Seneca elder who, at the encouragement of her Grandfather, Moses Shongo,   brought the Truth Cycles out to the world, shared her story of connecting with her Stone Person guide. In her journey learning to connect and communicate with this Ancient One, who Twylah relayed 'chose her', found his way into her life. This stone person offered a way for Twylah to listen for guidance in a new way. This way of learning took her beyond her known way of communicating with humans, animals, and even trees. She learned a new capacity for relating with ALL manner of Creation.  In the act of being with the stone people, Grandmother Twylah learned a deeper way of learning the truth of her world. This experience of learning truth through the stone people is easily available to everyone, to each of us.

Self Reflection: Find a stone that calls to you and make it your traveling companion as you move through your day. Hold this stone in the palm of your hand in your prayer, meditation and contemplation time. If you listen, stone-person will indeed share with you and be a steadfast partner on your journey.



   

More Pathways to Learning Truth

It is no mistake, no happenstance, that we Learn Truth only through touching and being touched by the whole of the world.  Not only the physical touch, whether from another human or our pet or the wind and sun on our face, but the energetic touch of a look or action of another, or being touched by the beauty or the horror of an event or place.  Activating our felt sense invites us to put our focus outside of ourselves. We tend to be a very self-centered species.  We mistake self-centeredness for self-centering and this leads us to mistaken views of the world, ourselves...and Truth. If we are self-centered, our attempts at contemplative prayer or meditation (forms of self-centering) can feel futile. Amazingly, connecting to the world around us is a path to self-centering, as we must go outside ourselves to connect.  When we go outside of ourselves we then can center ourselves from a different perspective. We are much closer to connecting to our own deep soul, and Truth.

Self-Reflection: Do I know the difference between self-centeredness and self-centering?

The Link Between Truth and Love

We are not separate from anyone or anything.
We are all connected:
Sharing the same air
Bathed in the same water
Molecules shared, formed, re-formed, exchanged.
Our kinship runs deep.
Our relatedness can be traced back to source.


What a family tree!

"You must love all that God has created, both his entire world and each single tiny sand grain of it. Love each tiny leaf, each beam of sunshine. You must love the animals, love every plant. If you love all things, you will also attain the divine mystery that is in all things. For then your ability to perceive the truth will grow every day, and your mind will open itself to an all-embracing love."
Fyodor Dostoyevsky 

Self-Reflection:  How do I love my kin, my relation that seem so different from me?  Is it enough for me to love them just because we have the same source of creation?

Being Reminded We ARE 'Talks WIth Relations'

Karin Shares: Early on a brisk 45 degree morning, my husband and I set out on one of the top 10 Texas trails (less than a mile away from our apt!) along the Barton Creek. The creek has burgeoned into a wide river from all the rain we've received, tinted with deep olives to Caribbean blue-green. At times it whooshes in white rapids over limestone boulders to still clear pools at the banks. I squat to rest my hands on small boulders upended and keeping watch at the water's edge. In a burst of energy, I run through sprinkling rain, knowing that a cold front is arriving, happy that the skies are clearing the cedar pollen. I am suddenly stopped by the sweet jit-jit of 3 tiny green and yellow birds with needle-like black beaks, flitting on branches laden with flood debris. They pay me no heed as they chatter to each other. I love this month of listening to and communing with the nature beings in Austin. 

Carolyn's Note: To me, Karin's sharing reflects her willingness to embody the January wisdom that Jamie Sams called "Talks With Relation'.  This wisdom is within each of us, we need only be willing to embrace it.


Self Reflection: I conciously embrace the wisdom of my own being.  How does this change the way I feel about my body?