Letting Go...

Friday, December 30, 2005

Sagittarius Lunation Balsamic Phase Capricorn Sun Capricorn Moon

My mantra for the Balsamic phase is, "Relax, Release, Renew."

The Balsamic phase began on Tuesday and I awoke to thoughts of letting go. Letting go of the blog idea. Letting go of the web site. Letting go of our Moon Phase Calendar sales. At the least, to detach from the outcome of each. I wondered, if perhaps I was over reacting.

Wednesday, I remembered that my numerolgy and life cycle guru told me that I'd be entering a 9 year in 2006. As I understand it, 9 is a year of letting go. Maybe, I wasn't overacting afterall.

It did give me the idea of using the Capricorn lunation cycle (link only good from 5:11 PM Hawaii Time December 30, 2005 through January 28, 2006) to plan out my year of "letting go". During the dark of the moon, we not only let go of the last lunation cycle, we begin preparing for the next one.

And so it goes...

Happy New Month, Happy New Year!

Discipline

Monday, December 26, 2005

Sagittarius Lunation Last Quarter Phase Capricorn Sun Scorpio Moon

The key word for Last Quarter Phase is responsibility. Today I realised that discipline may be another key word. It took a good measure of discipline and self-control to bring me to the computer this evening when I'd rather be enjoying the final moments of the holiday weekend.

This is the time for reorientation and, if necessary, corrective action. A review of my progress related to my goals for this cycle tells me that I have accomplished what I set out to do. I set up this blog and posted at least once during each phase. The process has broadened my knowledge of the ways the Internet is or can be used.

This is also a time to cut losses; to recognize where expectations may have fallen short and make adjustments accordingly. The blog format serves extremely well as a journal, especially for someone like myself who wants to be able to track past entries and link to additional resources. However, I'm undecided how well it can serve as a teaching tool. One cycle now seems too short a time to draw meaningful conclusions.

So, there it is. I've gone as far as I can during this cycle, but I've determined that I want to continue with the blog. Exactly how I will proceed with it from here will be dealt with during the next cycle.

More Disseminating Thoughts

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Sagittarius Lunation Disseminating Phase Capricorn Sun Virgo Moon

Did you feel the shift in energy yesterday as the Sun moved into the sign of Capricorn?

I'm feeling a bit more optimistic after receiving 2 comments on my last entry. Which begs me to question my original intention. Am I blogging for attention? That and lots of other questions the last few days.

I've kept journals since the age of 8, but they've always been private. Although the purpose of this journal is more of a teaching/sharing exercise, I still find it rather intimidating to know that others are following my progress. I suppose that as I find my voice, I'll lose that inhibition.

Meanwhile, I've learned plenty; how to record and post audio clips, post photos and create links.

Speaking of journals, here's a book recommendation:
Life's Companion : Journal Writing As A Spiritual Quest
by Christina Baldwin.

A google search on journal writing brought up this interesting resource page.

I also found a Yahoo Group called Journaling for the Mind, Heart and Soul.

Gaining Perspective

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Sagittarius Lunation Disseminating Phase Sagittarius Sun Leo Moon

The Disseminating phase is about sharing what's been learned since the beginning of the cycle.



I received 3 responses from the 25 e-mails that I sent out during the Full phase. Not bad, considering the season.

All the responses were positive. However, they were sent to me personally, rather than being posted here as a comment. I'm not sure how to interpret that. I was hoping that this format would be conducive to sharing.

I've learned that my font was too small to read easily. Trusting this new size will work better.

Expect I'll learn even more before this phase is over.

Time to Share

Friday, December 16, 2005

Sagittarius Lunation Full Phase Sagittarius Sun Cancer Moon

This is my first formal sharing. I’ll send a select group of correspondents the following letter as soon as this entry is posted:

Dear _________,

I have dedicated the current lunation cycle to the exploration of blogging as a teaching tool. It seemed the Sagittarian thing for me to do.

I’ve opened a blog dedicated to my own creative practice of following the moon. I’m still in the process of figuring out how it works and what can be done.

Since the phase is full, and you have an interest in lunar cycles, I’m inviting you to visit my on-line moon phase journal and tell me what you think of it so far.

You can share a story, add a teaching, leave a comment or ask a question there, or respond to me personally. Either way, I will greatly appreciate the feed back.

With gratitude and In joyful spirit,

Speaking of gratitude, I want to thank Howard Hill, my mentor in this project, who has been extremely helpful.

Is it coincidence that I asked a Sagittarius for guidance?

Full Moon

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Sagittarius Lunation Full Phase Sagittarius Sun Gemini Moon

A quiet day, fewer crises to contend with than I'd normally expect for a full moon. Perhaps it's the void of course moon in effect for most of the day. We'll see what the next 3 days bring to light, as the phase continues to be Full until Monday morning. The twist comes tonight when the moon enters the sign of Cancer.

The requirements of the Full Phase remind me that it's time for me to share this blog with others. I most definitely will learn something more about blogging, whether or not any comments are left.

Playful Revision

Meet George, the Alphabet boy. He spends most of the time in Linda's rocking chair. I've been admiring him for the last 2 weeks.

See the similarities between the colors in this photo and the Sagittarius Mandala. There they are more muted. Here a little more intense.

George is a teacher. He teaches by example. His body can make the shape of each letter of the alphabet. And, he looks like he's having fun teaching.

Adding something both real and symbolic to the mind's image, gives texture to the abstract qualities of form and color, helping to create a more refined vision.

Everytime he catches my eye, I'm reminded of my vision of this blog!

The Refinements of Gibbous

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Sagittarius Lunation Gibbous Phase Sagittarius Sun Gemini Moon

Have you heard about the Full moon tomorrow? Are you feeling the Gibbous Wobble? The shifting emphasis of activity upsets the sense of balance. Fortunately, the Gibbous phase allows some time for adjustment and encourages the inner child to come out and play.

My work with the moon phases has taught me that the Gibbous period is geared to revision. The original inspiration for creating a blog came from my desire to keep my journal on the computer and organized, so that I could easily refer to previous entries and link to related materials.

I envisioned it as a specialized journal for tracking my work with the moon phases. Something, though, that could be shared with our ZodiacArts.com readers; an illustration of our work in practice. Something that might eventually be the basis of an interactive on-line Moon Phase Study Group.

But, what about my other journals? Do I open a blog for each one? A spiritual blog. A mandala blog. A travel blog. An astrology blog. A whimsical blog. A philosophical blog. Or maybe, my challenge and reward is to finally combine them all. Relax.

Folow the lessons of Gibbous. Resist the urge to be judgemental. Set self-criticism aside. Filter and analyse. Look for common themes. Refine the vision.

This is where the play comes in. Take all the components and create a new image.

What is a Creative Practice?

Wendy Richmond says in her Communication Arts article, Developing a Creative Practice,

"Anyone who has pursued creative freedom knows that it’s a double-edged sword. Personal work is an opportunity to fully explore your own vision and passion, to follow paths further. You make your own timeline, set your own goals, follow your own passions. How inspiring! Then again, how intimidating!

We are accustomed to relying on business and school to provide the structure for creative output: a problem to solve, a client or teacher to please, a deadline for adrenaline, a good grade or a paycheck for acknowledgment and kudos. It’s difficult to find and sustain personal motivation outside of those structures. No one’s telling you what is worth doing. A photographic diary of a desert pilgrimage? A story of a community? A visual interpretation of an internal journey? Your choices are infinite, and you’re the one in charge of deciding what’s worthwhile.

So how do you maintain your allegiance to doing your own creative work when the support structures that you have relied upon disappear? You develop a creative practice."

Mandala Sagittarius 2005

First Quarter Action

Friday, December 9, 2005

Sagittarius Lunation First Quarter Phase Sagittarius Sun Aries Moon

1st Qtr Motto: Just do it!

The seeds for this blog were planted during the New phase of the Sagittarius lunation cycle that began December 1. The commitment was made during the Crescent phase when I signed up with Blogger.com on December 5. Since then, I've been playing around; getting familiar with how it works and thinking about how I want to use it.

I know from my work with the phases that the First Quarter phase is about taking an action to get things moving. I must step out now, even though there is still much for me to learn about blogging. I can count on having to make modifications later in the month.

It's time to make my first post.