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| An "Ice Leopard" (Alaska's Leo?) Steps Forward. |
Today I received a message from my dance teacher Joana, an impressive, intuitive & inspiring (if not a wee bit intimidating) Lioness of a creature which began with the words, "Take this train, dear..."
"This Train" is the Full Moon in Leo; apparently a prime window to find the courage to make vital changes, develop goals, follow our hearts, express ourselves, free our Spirits. Not being well versed in astrology, I will take her word on this. My sense is she has her own grasp of the Moon & the skies & everything else which Works in Wondrous Ways, so I take this message to heart.
Everything has been out of balance -- many priorities, particularly my own expressive endeavors (like writing, photography, art) as well as my my partner's favourite things (like love of reading, sleep, etc.) have been swept aside by the fray of daily life & the desire to facilitate the passions & dreams of (mostly) our people. I have overlooked this until now because there has been so much growth & success in these (mostly external) arenas.
Ah, but what a toll, what an unbalanced mess it has become. As I cast my gaze over the bits of our life strewn across the hours, days & weeks, I see a disjointed assemblage of disorganized, un-prioritized activity. Spinning, spinning, spinning from one event, meeting, social, class, meal, errand to the next.
I haven't even had time to get depressed by the dark & frigid Winter...
It is social overdose. (On so many levels.)
Where went the quietude of the Esbats?
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I recently purchased myself a children's book about the Full Moons, Long Night Moon, by Cynthia Rylant. I think it was the stillness of its pages that attracted me. The book tells me that this is the "Snow Moon." My child's school lunch menu tells me differently: it says the February Moon is the "Bone Moon" or "Starvation Moon." Funny, for a lunch menu.
Either way, both ideas imply a spartan atmosphere, a cold, quiet landscape. A time & place where we find & cling to only the most precious & essential things... to ensure our survival.
New snow,
a clean slate,
a place from which to step forward...
And so, with this sentiment in mind, the poetry for the Esbat, simple, ancient, meditative, reflective. Like the Moon.
Full moon --
stepping through the snow
the sound of the stones.
Chiyo-ni (1703 - 1775)
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| Stepping forward. Where will you find your priorities? Your Bliss? Your Self? |
Blessings to you this Esbat, my friends.
6 comments:
Ah, I always look forward to your full moon posts anyway and then you go quoting Chiyo-ni. Wonderful!
Almanacs for our small island call it a Wolf Moon though fear the last wolf to walk these shores possibly howled long before the name arose. The moon from my little corner.
Lovely shot! I will take this moment to tell you that your little picture book in the ether is one of my ~Favourite Things~. I like to choose the "Random" option & just wander... click, click, click... beautiful imagery here, thoughtful passages there... Thank you for Be-ing. :)
As for poetry, I have almost used that Jane Cooper piece several times. I believe I had it saved in my Poetry Foundation app before I finger-flaked my collection into oblivion. Oblivion -- kind of like the wolves that once roamed your corner of the planet. Humans go "oops," but by then it is already too late. Our mistakes are so easy to make & so impossible to recognize until they are also impossible to correct. "Undo," "undo," where is that button in the fleshworld?
Speaking of my Tumblr archive I just stashed you a little thank you for all the inspiration these past few years ...
*gasp*
LOVE!
Do I have your permission to add that to the Devotional Gallery here?
Sure. It's a gift (from her to you to me to you ...)
I know these feelings! When you realize that productivity doesn't always equal value, and that one shining peaceful moment surpasses a hundred trivial victories!
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