Guiding Words for Working with the Waning Moon

What we have to move us through the work for the waning moon:

Our Vision
Our Energy
Our Effort
Our Spirit

All must be in balance one with the other.
In this way, we Incarnate  to the fullness of who we are.

Vision, Energy, Effort and Spirit manifest in our Work in the world.
Vision, Energy, Effort and Spirit inform how we Walk in the world.
When each is in balance, our life can be balanced, regardless of the events of the world around us.

When Vision directs the show, looking to far to the future, we become dissociated from the 'now'.
With too little Vision, we forget our direction.
With too much Energy, we are manic and life is chaotic.
When depleted of Energy, we sink into hopelessness.
Exerting effort without regard for the capacity of body, mind or emotions, they become diseased.
Lethargy, the lack of intention for Effort, breeds entitlement and poverty of Spirit.
Spirit connected to Self and to Source, supports our life, our well-being.
Spirit, with no connection to Self and Source, distorts the Truth in our work and our walk.
Disconnected from Spirit, there is no life in our work and our walk.


Self Reflection: As this waning moon moves toward closure, I reflect on awareness of my vision, how I use my energy, my right use of effort, My connection to Spirit.

Visions and Dreams; How to Avoid a Nightmare

There is a ancient Japanese Proverb:
Vision without action is a daydream.
Action without vision is a nightmare.

Sara's words for the waxing phase of the October moon create a pattern for working and walking Truth in our life.

There is a sense and order to how those four words words are laid out on the pages.
Our dreams and our desires enrich one another.
Our desires and our visions inform one another.
Our visions and our goals instruct one another.
Our goal and our dreams energize one another.

The places they intersect reveal and are the template for our calling, for our becoming.
When we honor the interplay of our dreams, desires, visions and goals, we can be sure we will walk and work in Truth.

Self Reflection: If I am willing to take time to come to know my dreams, desires, visions and goals, they will support me in who I am called to BE in my life.  Will I embrace my dreams, my desires, my visions. my goals?

Aligning your Dreams, Desires, Goals and Vision

Sara writes:  To be honest, when I sat down with the four circles of 'Dreams', 'Desires', 'Goals' and 'Vision' this morning, I wondered why on earth we had chosen four words that meant the same thing. Then I started writing:

• Desires-what my heart is calling for, that for which I feel a lack or emptiness 
• Dreams-what I would love to have in my life.  Again mostly what I don' have (yet)
• Goals-what I hope to accomplish, in specifics
• Vision-how I see myself manifesting in the world and how the Universe manifests around me

I remember a time, about 13-14 years ago when a similar exercise (in the middle of a corporate  retreat) nearly caused a complete emotional breakdown.  I was living my life trying to fulfill someone else's desires, reach goals that had been set by those who controlled my financial future, had room only for the dream of safety and didn't dare let myself look at a vision of how my life was manifesting.

When we are not in touch with our inner self, we lose the ability to weave a coherent web.  Those four apparently similar words end up disconnected when they do not spring from our own inner truth,  from our own core wisdom.  

Self Reflection: Are my Dreams, Desires, Goals and Vision in alignment?  Can they all be contained and supported by the web I am weaving with my choices and my life?

Strengthening and Aligning Our Internal Flame, Part 3

From Sara’s waxing moon inspiration: “To be born again is to accept the gifts of life consciously and with humility.”

Humility and Alignment: It is unfortunate humiliation and humility sound so similar.  Humiliation is an invitation to crawl back into our hiding places; to fight for our emotional life- to struggle against being under others’ control.

To be humiliated is one of the worst feelings and experiences we can have as human beings.  It is a truly a violation of our being to our deepest core sense of self.  Most of us will do whatever we can to avoid humiliation-and a big part of that avoidance is hiding our light and our life from others.

Humility is the ability to carry, with grace, our gifts, making space for those around us to feel safe, supported, seen.  True humility allows us to be visible in our gifts and abilities, and vulnerable to others response to these gifts.  

Self Reflection:  Embracing humlilty, I carry my gifts with grace; making space for those around me to feel safe, supported, seen. Embracing humility, I, too, am safe and supported.

Strengthening and Aligning Our Internal Flame, Part 2

From Sara’s waxing moon inspiration: “To be born again is to accept the gifts of life consciously and with humility.”

To serve implies a commitment followed closely by action!  Every time I consciously commit to accepting and living/expressing/making visible/using the gifts I have, I am born again, and again and again.  New birthing of myself happens over and over.  Every time I take action, I become an updated version of ME (My Essence), closer and closer, more and more in alignment with Creator’s Vision of me. 

Humility is the vessel which has the capacity to hold the magnificence of Creator’s vision for our unique expression of life.  Doubt and mistrust limit our humility, and constrict the space available in our life to birth our vision.  

Self Reflection:  I consciously accept my gifts. I commit to live an ongoing updated version of my possibility!

April's Closing Moon Opens Our Eyes to Be Able Hear Truth

Spirit and matter dance together 

In dreams and far visions 

I have learned to see. 

I notice and reflect on my journey this month, 

I see where I have become one who embodies the willingness to look through the eyes of my heart. My ability to see and perceive experiences clearly and accurately is growing. 

More and more, my perceptions are trustworthy. 

Now, my decisions are made with wise guidance, not fear. 

The gift of experiencing wisdom through dreamtime is awakening.  

My wisdom and abilities will continue to expand as I receive the gift of the May moon cycle, 

to Hear Truth.

Self Reflection: I reflect, notice and see what See Truth has expanded in my life. I take time and prepare to hear what truths will be told, next. 

Responding to What Beckons Us, Traveling in 'Blind Faith'

In our journey toward full humanity, we are willing to travel a path to deeper and fuller knowledge of our divine humanness. We come to see our purpose---and we also become able and willing to be holders of sacred/safe space for others taking this same journey toward embodying their full self.

It does not matter where you are in the process of your human journey —just that you remain willing to look far enough to see the eternal flame of love beckoning you.
We are beckoned in our dreams.
We are beckoned in our longings.
We are beckoned in our visions.

We say 'yes' to what beckons us.
Sometimes it feels we move with blind faith.
As we travel this path of becoming ourselves, we will (eventually) awaken to the awareness
our path leads us deep into the core of our own essence*.
We will recognize we have and are a light of the eternal flame of love.
This is what seeing Truth will reveal when our eyes become willing to see the eternal flame of love
in all of creation.

*This is the 'door in the crack of the universe' of the Story of Looks Far Woman in Jamie Sam's The 13 Original Clan Mothers. (pgs 89-94)

Self Reflection:  I say, "Yes!" to what beckons me forward, 'blind faith' transforms to knowing, love and vision. I learn to move with ease. 

Seeing as a Watcher Watching

Before we step through the doorway, leaving behind the shadowy image we hold of ourselves, and over the threshold from illusion and into the vision Creator has of us, we must learn to see in a new way. We learn to see with the same kind of eyes Creator has for all Creation. 

When we learn to watch ourselves while still staying present to our experience, our way of seeing begins to shift.  We choose to become observers of our self in the world, and of the world as it touches our life.  This kind of ‘watching/seeing practice’ brings a kind of illumination to the act of looking at the world.  We begin to see how all is interconnected.

Self Reflection: Imagine that you are a watcher (one who watches) and you are watching yourself watch yourself—you are watching the watcher, watch.  You are observing yourself, observing yourself, observing your life. This kind of three times removed observation brings a level of objectivity and depth to your ability to see what is really happening, to see the judgment and beliefs you carry.  and to develop a wider view of possibilities, potentials and options for your life.  

As We View Our Selves and Our World, Is How We Co-Create Our Life

The April moon cycle energy is the energy for new-life and the gift and teaching of Seeing Truth.  The 4th moon reminds us that our thoughts and emotions are like lasers that focus the energy of our life and sharpen our point of view, resulting in how we see the world.  Our thoughts and emotions give life to what they are focused on.  In this way, we really do have the capacity to create our own reality.  This capacity comes first through our view of ourselves, and second by how we view the world around us.  What a difference it makes if our view of the world is fear or ego driven verses coming through Divine Guidance.  

Unfortunately, many people do not understand that in order to create the possibility of a desired reality, thoughts and emotions must be finely tuned and carefully focused, as this impacts our ability to see what is Truth-- even in the midst of distortion and chaos. For example,  if our thoughts and emotions are focused on feelings of guilt and non-deserving, our way of seeing in the world is through the lens of this point of view and creating a space for our deeper desires and longings is not possible.  We can only create more situations that reinforce guilt and non-deserving, and lack. However, when we invite Divine Guidance into our vision, we  co-create through our connection to Creator, and see with eyes of possibility and potential.  

Self Reflections: How do I choose to see myself, my world, what is possible? 

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?

Connecting Our Hearts to Our Visions

Carolyn writes:

This past July, I had the privilege of spending a weekend with Bob and Lee Nitsch, the son and daughter-in-law of the late Grandmother Twylah Nitsch.  Twylah was the Seneca Elder who shared the Seneca teachings of Cycles of Truth, a foundational part of the Moon Circle Journal, with all who would listen.  Bob and Lee carry on her work, and came to Philadelphia to lead a weekend seminar for contemplating and experiencing the meaning of the Cycles of Truth in our life.  Participants were invited to take contemplation time outside in the gardens surrounding our meeting place.  During one walking meditation, I came across this placard peeking out from among the flowers:

When I uploaded the pictures off my I-phone last week the photo I snapped of Jung's quote was the one that 'just happened' to land in the front of the album. Jung's quote is fitting for the waxing moon phase for October's call to walk and work with/in Truth. I think about my difficulties having 'clarity of vision' and I reflect on Sara's intuitive interconnection of visions, dreams, goals and desires on the Waxing Moon journal page. I ask myself, "where inside me, do I need to look (or sense) more fully, deeply, thoroughly to be more fully awake to my work and to the way I walk in my life? Am I willing to look there?"

Self reflection: Are there places I need to look within myself to be more fully awake to my vision for my life? Am I willing to look?

Waxing Moon: Our Vision is NOW; Not Some Time in the Distant Future

All the work and effort for this month will bring together these three 'parts' of ourselves: the person Great Mystery created us to be for this lifetime; the person we sense we are, in those brief, fleeting moments where we ARE fully present; and the person we dare dream we could be-if/when...

We are already who and what we were created to be.  Because our sense of self is not in alignment with our 'Divine Template' it only means that we must learn how to bring our vision back from the distance of 'someday' to the present moment.  

We already are the person we sense we are called to be.  We CAN and WILL learn to experience ourselves as this person! How?
We start by paying attention to the reaction of our senses in our daily lives.  We notice our preferences, likes, dislikes, prejudices, beliefs.  No judging, just notice.  No judging, just notice.

As we move through the days of becoming, filling and receiving which are represented by the waxing moon, we notice how our senses fill us, and with what.

A Thought for the Closing the Cycle of Love Truth and Moving to the Blue Moon Cycle 'Be Truth' and Wholeness

Lisa and I spent the this past weekend at a workshop and ceremony with the son and daughter-in-law of Twylah Nitsch, who inspires the way I set my intention to live, as well as the work I do.  Lisa found this quote by Carl Jung on a sign post outside the center where the workshop was being held.  Wisdom teacher come from many places, and their teachings ring familiar truths.