New Moon for February 2019

What does it mean to ‘Honor Truth’

I honor what ‘IS’ as I experience it.
It is a birthing to a new way of being 
               That I honor.
This requires letting go of the old.
 No rushing is allowed!

I am asked to accept 'what is' and to know it better.

I am just asked to experience ‘it’ as ‘it’ is.

I am asked to honor the truth of the histories...

                Of myself, of my family, my culture, and the whole of the world.

I am asked to taste what has been laid out before me;

                An abundant banquet of history, experiences, memories
                And of all the new things flowing forth 
                From Creator's Womb!

               

The 13th New Moon's Invitation to Be Your Vision, Be Your Truth

I am the Thirteenth New Moon.
Reflective.
Instructive.
From where have you come, so far? So far!
You are already the vision Creator/Great Mystery/All That Is/God birthed you to be.
Be here now and...
Learn who you are
Honor who you are
Know and Accept who you are
See who you are
Hear who you are
Speak who you are
Love who you are

I am the 'Be-ing Moon'.
Be with me in my rhythm and flow
My new is your re-newing
My waxing is your filling
My full is your fullness
My waning is your releasing
My void is your resting
Then you will begin again
On the path of your vision.

I am the 13th Moon Cycle.  I am 'Be Truth'.

Self Reflection: Become Your Vision; Be Truth.

Gratitude Replaces Resolutions

Carolyn Shares:  I try to be positive every time the end of December draws near, but I am most always crabby as I approach the final weeks of the year.  For me, there is a difference between the idea of starting over everyday and starting over in a 'new year' with a set of resolutions. So, here is my resolution solution:

The 13th Moon cycle, 'Be Truth', arrives during these weeks as well. For those of us who use the moon cycles as guides for growth and change the date of the ‘Real’ new year begins with the New Moon for January. One that day/night, we will take a deep breath in, and breathing out, start on the next leg of our journey.  

As we look for this new cycle to begin, do a review of the past year by asking for Guidance and Wisdom to see the Truth of your journey.  For the struggles there may have been that don’t yet make sense, set a place of gratitude for what is yet to be revealed.  For any successes, great and small, give yourself appreciation.  Sit in Praise for the journey that has been, and yourself for making the journey up to this point.  Rest in place.  Just rest and have gratitude for yourself, your fellow journeyers and the earth upon which we all travel.  Taking these remaining days of the waning moon phase to rest in thanksgiving without giving into new plans or resolutions will give more energy and clarity in the week to come as we prepare to step into the starting block for the 'real' beginning of a new year.

Self Reflection: This year instead of writing resolutions for the coming year instead, take time to reflect  with writing a gratitude list. Trust the time for new will come after this period of rest and reflection.

New Moon, December: Darkness Becomes Apparent When Exposed to Light

Darkness becomes apparent when exposed to light.
On this new moon, darkness is apparent, because, for the moment, the light reflecting from the moon is not visible to us. And in December, the darkness seems even darker as the night continues to lengthen.

This is the month to Thank Truth.  There may be things, rules,experiences, persons and institutions we struggle with, maybe even feel hatred toward, that we we not only don't want to hold in any form of gratitude.  These same 'things' we also repel from even considering that what have is true about them is not true at all, let alone ask with sincere intention to know and be grateful for the truth of these life experiences.

Gratitude is the light that will end the darkness of any situation.
We begin to bring in light by acknowledging there may be a truth in (the situation we are thinking of) that we do not yet understand and are not yet able to accept.  This can take effort and time.

Self Reflection: Am I willing to commit to continue looking for a tiny place for thankfulness, no matter how difficult or horrible the experience?  If not yet, what would I need (within myself) to look?

Our Journey to Share Truth:Begins

"The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are."

C.G.Jung

This moon cycle leads us in the way to share Truth in the world. Our first call is to use the skills, gifts, experiences and dreams we carry within to share our truth. Our willingness to share our truth as best as we currently understand this Truth. That is all that is needed. That is enough.  More will be shared as is needed-we need only be open to receive. Our understanding of the Truth of our being grows toward fullness only when we become willing to share our truth as it is in the now.

Self Reflection: I claim and move in the fullness of who I am,with humility, so that I do not shame or humiliate others.

New Moon for September; The Joyous Cycle of Live Truth:

Joyous Cycle, Live Truth!
Life is Truth
     when lived with open eyes
           and open ears
                  and open hands.
Then, heart can open, does open.
Live Truth (with a short 'i' vowel)
Live Truth (with a long 'i' vowel)

Self Reflection:  I am able to live truth everyday, in all my being and doing.  I am able to live Truth in my intention and my trying again. I live Truth and Truth lives me, lives in me.  Just by my being alive I live in Truth.  By my being aware of how I am choosing to live in my life, Truth becomes alive in me.  A joyous life awaits me on this path.  It does. It does!

Setting the Space for the August New Moon: Serve Truth and Heal

The journey of Love Truth has prepared us to step  into the moon cycle for August, Serve Truth, a month that invites us to VERY INTENTIONAL (and maybe intense) SELF-HEALING.  

We are called by the focus and energy of the August Moon Cycle to experience Serving what is True.  This serving begins with our own being, ourselves.  Otherwise, it is not possible to sustain serving others and the rest of the world.

Self Reflection:  Can I be truthful about what I need healed in my own being?  Mental, emotional, physical or spiritual?  Am I willing to accept, without knowing, the outcome of being healed? Am I willing to continue asking for healing until I can sense healing happening?  Can I ask for support in holding this space and staying steady in the waiting? 

PS.  A reminder that 'healed' does not mean the same as 'cured'.  

New Moon For July: Learning To Love Truth in All Aspects of Life

To Love Truth is to fully embrace 

joy and sorrow

pain and pleasure

triumph and failure

history and vision

with a full and open heart!

This Moon cycle teaches us to Love Truth in all her manifestations and in all experiences of our human journey. Love has an immense creative power when freely given, and horrifyingly destructive power when we are blind to the inevitable change and loss that is part of life.  

Self Reflection for today's New Moon: This cycle I am invited to expand my capacity and willingness to love. I first begin with loving myself.  Without loving self (as I currently am, not as I think I need to or should be) It is not possible to really love another, or the world, or even the one we name as our Source and Creator.  

On this new moon I reflect on how I AM loving my body, my mind, my emotions, my spirit. I will reflect on how I have yet to learn what it means to Love the Truth of these.  I make my lists and trust through the course of these next weeks, wisdom will come bringing me the teachings I need to learn to love my WHOLE self, so that I may love all.

June Moon Mandalas:Truth Words

Word Play Mandala #1. Lisa Kay, 4 " x 4",  pencil/pen, paper 

Word Play Mandala #2, Lisa Kay, 4 " x 4",  pencil/pen, paper  

Think, listen, hear word(s):
Speak - seek love, laughter, (k)now faith
Courage becomes truth.

Self Reflection: My courage to think, listen and hear my words has brought me courage to Speak Truth.

New Moon for June Brings Gifts Teaching us to Speak Truth

In the gift of June's  moon cycle is an invitation to be willing to  of speaking the truth we become aware of how our words (the quality of our voice, the energy with which we speak-or write)  impact the lives of others, the world around us, and our own growth and prosperity.

One way of thinking of how to Speak Truth is in the embodiment of the archetype of the Storyteller. Thinking of Speaking Truth in this way gives a certain spin on the teaching for the month.  Whether or not we see ourselves as a 'storyteller', the very act of living our lives and having contact with others, makes us a sharer of stories-either through others observation of us as we live our lives, or through our intentional sharing of our thoughts in words or actions.  

There are also other archetypal images connected with Speaking Truth-which you might resonate with more than storyteller: the archetypes of teacher, orator, preacher, writer, singer, Any archetype which uses voice or words to assert herself in the world (or to participate in the world) can claim an identification with the gift/skill of speaking truth. 

This cycle is an invitation to identify our own 'voice', and connecting with an archetypal image is a good way to do that. Explore how we are speaking the truth to ourselves—or not.  We can become open to sharing truth, as we understand it, with others.  

Self Reflection: NEW MOON EXERCISE FOR Speak the Truth.  As a new moon exercise for this cycle: go out in the darkness of the new moon night—and continue this practice as the waxing moon shows her color and light—speak out to the moon.  Hear yourself speak.  Better yet, center yourself, clear your being so that you become a hollow reed open to the song of Great Mystery, Great Spirit, and hear what words come through you, from you.  Words coming from the depth of your heart, from the depth of your soul, from the depth of your longings.  Words, too, that come in the silence with a willingness to hear what is offered as well.  Always with gratefulness.

New Moon for May Brings the gift of Hearing Truth

This is the last of the moons for the season of spring. The May's Moon is the cycle for Hear Truth and invites us to listen to ourselves first-our inner voice, our out-loud voice (Is it whiny, seductive, open-hearted, compassionate?  Does it change depending on who we are speaking to?) Learn to listen from the metaphor of a ‘blank slate’.

The color reflecting the May moon is obsidian or black. In deep blackness, there is no influence to what we hear-other than ourselves. The Celtic medicine wheel invites us to have compassion for ourselves during this final month in the season of the east. We are learning how to hear ourselves above all the din and distraction of ruminating thoughts, worries, unfounded fears etc. All this takes practice, and having enough compassion for ourselves to keep re-committing to the practice of listening.

Listening, to oneself, what is it that I am REALLY saying? to myself? to others? What are others are saying. There are so many levels of communication. What would I need to change in my life to develop the skill of discernment and use it in my abilities to listen? Listen to what is really being said, listen to my intuition, listen to my conscience, listen to the voice of the Creator, and listen for the real NEED underneath the WANT, from myself and from those with who I am in relationship.

Self Reflection: Am I willing to listen? Am I willing to hear, and am I willing to take action on what I hear? Can I discern the differences in the voices of my ego, my spiritual essence and Divine voice?

Being with the Darkness of New Moon as a Path for Transformation

It is the time of the new moon.
Sometimes I forget the depth of darkness that arrives with the new moon.

Are there parts of my life where I am trying to push away darkness?
I push it away instead of living with it as a teacher and bringer of transformation?
This does not mean I partner or collude with darkness.
I just am with it, waiting to know what knowledge it brings to me.
What is it teaching me?
How might I be transformed by just being with it, to see what it tells me.
It is interesting that, given time, my eyes adjust to the darkness.
I can see, where only moments before I was blinded by the dark.
I can trust in the knowing to come.
I can trust what comes when I stay with the dark until my eyes can see.
This adjustment comes more quickly when I remember I can see through the eyes of my heart.
I remember the light comes.
The light comes, in Her own time.
I will see the Light.
Trust

Self Reflection:  How might the darkness of this new moon be an opening for me to see my life with new knowing-a knowing founded in trust.

Carolyn's Vision and Intention for March--weighing the truth of from where I have come and where I may go (grow)!

This month I want to look at the truths underneath my reaction patterns and my response to my experiences.  
I commit to exploring how the beliefs I carry are not really truth, but are based on fears and staying small.  I want to see if this is really true—or if this is just another area where I am not being truthful with myself and others.  
My intention as I move from the new moon through the full moon is to seek clarity around settling in and creating a secure home for myself.  
I ask for wisdom and discernment about how to best steward my home and for good and wise decisions.  
I seek that my decisions are based on truths and not on my fears.  
My second intention for this month is in the Element of finances in the Creative Aspect.  
I commit to seeing the truth underlying my reactions, behaviors and spiritual connection around money issues.  
Prayer contemplation and seeking support from others and from Source is what I commit to –releasing what is not true and being willing to see more clearly the vision for what IS possible in my vision for my future.  
I realize I have only allowed myself glimpses of what might be possible for me (and my life). I commit to building a clear and abundant vision as I also commit to seeing and forgiving the origin(s) of my fears.

March New Moon: The Cycle of Know/Accept Truth (Discernment)

It is the New Moon for March and the Truth Cycle of Know/Accept Truth
This cycle to know/accept Truth teaches us the elements of discernment, a skill and tool necessary for becoming and living as a wise and just person.

New moons invite the resetting or refinement of our vision.  An ability to know and to accept (elements necessary for discernment) help us to know a bigger vision, We are no different than the tiny mustard seed or the little acorn.  Our potential to become something magnificent is held within each of us.  It is our task to open to the vision of what is within, and yes, this does require a great deal of discernment--but there is a whole month for that!

For now, Take time during the hours of the  new moon  to invite your inner vision for your life to make it self known to you.. Envision your life at it's fullest. Envision all the support--both from the inside, from Creator/God/Great Mystery, from the world around you.  What does this support look like?  Don't worry about from where it comes, just that all the support you might possibly need shows up for you. Write it all down. Write a job description for 'God'--what you would want 'God' to do in terms of supporting your commitment to living fully.

This can and should be a fun exercise, don't hold back.  It may not be an easy exercise, many of us have difficulty allowing ourselves to know our vision and to accept it.  We have a whole month to explore what is Truth for this vision for our selves, and to accept what we come to know.

Self Reflection: Do you see one tiny intention from what comes forward for this month that is calling for your attention?  What support would be needed to commit to this intention?

Starting the Cycle From a Place of Neutrality

The color for this moon cycle is grey. Grey is the color that represents neutrality. When we look at the events in our lives, our beliefs, our feelings from a place of neutrality, we are able to see more possibilities. We have more options for creating change, making movement happen. The greyness we experience in these waning winter months can have new meaning for us. We can see it as a reminder to move into a place of neutrality and then be able to see the bigger picture, rather than be sucked into mid-winter depression and despair!

Grey is the perfect background for reflecting all of who we can be and help us to see outside of ourselves more accurately.

Try this as an experiment: Take a grey piece of fabric (or paper) and a white piece of fabric (or paper) and lay upon each one a colored object (or paper or piece of fabric). You will notice that the colored object has more vibrancy and depth against the grey as in comparison to the white.

So it is also in our lives. When we become willing to live in the grey of things, rather than insist on a black and white world, we see things more fully and brilliantly and can also see more possibilities. By learning to come into a place of neutrality, we can release our judgments and embrace the wisdom of discernment. (For those interested in archetypes--discernment is the matures and enlightened aspect of the archetype of the judge).

Self-Reflection:  If I am willing to live the neutrality of grey, my true brilliance will be clearly reflected. I can Honor can Truth. 

Mandala and Inspiration for the February New Moon

copyright Lisa Kay 2016

February New Moon Mandala

I created this mandala drawing on a snowy gray day. The sky was oppressively beautiful;  Mother Earth  stunning! The set of gray pastels that used to draw the background, I have had since my undergraduate art school days. For some reason, this seems important to mention. The nautilus shell magazine image I recycled from a "Soul Collage" that I created years ago. This seems important to mention also. I hear the chorus of Joni Mitchell's Circle Game.  I "go round and round and  round" the moon cycle circle remembering my stories.

"And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look
Behind from where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game."

After listening to February's New Moon call, these words flowed.  

K/now
Know now,
Notice,
Taste a new vision,
Take note.
Notice.
Being mindful of old visions;
Welcome the new 
Truth(s)
Trust.
Honor the resolute.

Self-Reflection:  What in my history is circling round for me to contemplate?

We Learn Truth Through the Sense of Touch

We begin the experience of being human through our 5 senses.  The 5 senses are not instincts, but they inform our instincts, and also, the other way around. We begin our learning about what it is to be human with our sense of 'touch'. We learn comfort and pain, hot and cold, hard, soft. Our first experience of being loved or rejected comes through our tactile experience during our birth.

In working with the Cycles of Truth, we begin with Learn Truth and the first of our five senses, touch.  This tactile sense is our first informer as to whether our world is a good and safe place to be. It is the first way we are in relationship with all of our world.

Reflecting on our early experience in the world gives us clues about where we need to update our sensory systems (quite literally).  Jamie Sams' experienced this first cycle of truth as 'Talks With Relations'.  Through the story she tells, she shows how our willingness to step into relationship with all of creation (not just people and our pets) is a tried and true way to Learn Truth AND to open our sense of touch to a higher level of sensitivity and frequency, which brings healing for us and for all we touch...

Self Reflection: I enter a new year of cycles and rhythms. I will be touched by the experience of living my life in rhythm and flow. I will Learn Truth through being present to whatever my life touches.

Eternal Love - January New Moon Mandala from Lisa

Lisa Kay has been a member of our moon circle group since shortly after we began gathering. Lisa’s wisdom around the moon cycles includes her knowledge of the Celtic medicine wheel.  She is also a gifted artist and writer.  Over this year, Lisa will share the mandalas she creates as she contemplates the Cycles of Truth and rhythms of the moon.  We hope they inspire and bless you on your journey as well.

Here is Lisa's January New Moon Mandala:

The orange flame represents Eternal Love that the great spirit has placed in the heart (core) of every part of creation. Words from the chapter Clan Mother of the First Moon Cycle  and the last two lines of Jamie Sam's poem, Talks with Relations,  "Mother, I see you in the dewdrop, I hear you in the Eagle's call"  holds the circle together. In this mixed media new moon mandala, I layered prismacolor pencils and pastels and collaged dried rose petals and used matches from my morning meditation sessions.  Lisa