well-being
The Mystical Cycle Of The Moon
Traditionally many cultures worldwide centered their spiritual practices around the Moon and the phases it cycles through once approximately every 29 days. These phases reflect the Moon’s journey around the Earth, revealing a little more or a little less of this mysterious satellite.
Much like the cyclic seasons of the year, the Moon’s phases represent different aspects of personal contemplation for the spiritual practitioners and metaphysicians. The Moon represents our intuitions, hidden aspects of self, and the nurturing empathy a mother would show a child.
The New Moon begins and ends each lunar cycle. As a ‘blank canvas’ it suggests new beginnings, or the completion of a full circle. This is the starting point for working with the Moon’s phases. Time your lunar calendar each month around the New Moon. Note, it will not be visible, but instead a dark circle. Use a white candle or another source of light to represent the fully illuminated Moon that is to come and start new ideas or projects.
As the Moon grows in size it goes into its ‘waxing’ phase. It will first become a crescent shape a quarter of the way in its orbit around the Earth, and later a wedge shape called gibbous. As it grows, so too will you and your ideas. Each day, ask yourself what is going right. Ask the Universe for guidance and inspiration, and remember that it’s all right to change plans or make revisions.
As the Moon is in its growing phase, each day a little more of its surface is cast in light. The Moon also rises an hour later each day in the cycle. Its many craters are a reminder that despite perceived flaws, something can be wonderful when illuminated.
We are all awed by the sight of the Full Moon glowing in the sky. This is the time in the cycle when we can enjoy the fruits of our efforts, and also examine what worked or did not work in practice. This is also the time in the lunar cycle when emotions run at their highest, so be careful of acting too impulsively. Be sure to also show gratitude and humility for what you’ve accomplished so far.
Everyone Is An Artist
Art is a powerful form of self-expression. It allows us to communicate complex emotions and spiritual concepts through various mediums such as the visual and fine arts, music, dance, acting, creative writing, and so on.
When we are being creative we connect with the subconscious part of ourselves. This can be a powerfully healing experience to help us process and integrate our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and life experiences on a deep level.
When we are children, we don’t have any preconceived ideas about art. If you observe young children, you’ll see this very clearly. They don’t worry about how ‘good’ an artist they are. Most kids just see art as a form of play. They love to draw, or paint, or color, and are typically pretty thrilled with their creations.
So, what happens along the way that we become so self-conscious about our artistic endeavors? It seems to me that at some point most people have had ‘the artist’ within subtly discouraged or silenced. Whatever the case may be,suffice it to say that life takes over at some point and being creative artistically takes a back seat.
“I was never very good at it anyway,” or “I just did it for fun,” are common remarks I’ve heard from people. But what’s wrong with not being very good at something? Especially if it’s fun? Moreover, the benefits of spending time being creative are vast! Art Therapy is growing in popularity and more studies are being done around this modality.
One particular study focused on people with chronic illness or cancer. The researchers looked at the impact visual art activities such as painting, drawing, and pottery had on patients and found that art helped to distract them from thoughts of illness.
Art therapy improved their well-being by decreasing negative emotions and improving positive ones. Depression levels were also reduced, and medical outcomes improved overall. There were also reductions in stress, anxiety, and distress. Further there were improvements in the patients’s spontaneity, expression of their grief, positive identity and social interactions.
The Spiritual Power Of Sweet Solitude
In a meditation circle the other day, there were many of us who got the same message from spirit: that solitude is of vital importance for soul growth and for tapping into our spiritual well-being and psychic potential.
It reminded me of my childhood. I was expanding my psychic awareness and started tapping into my psychic abilities at a very young age. I remember vividly spending time in a tree house, meditating and feeling so free and relaxed.
As I grew older, I began recording my psychic perceptions and spiritual insights in a journal, which at the time I simply thought of as ‘my diary.’ Reading back in later years, I discovered that I had unknowingly recorded many predictions that came to pass.
I would spend a lot of time in solitude and quiet contemplation. I would focus on a certain things or persons that were important to me at the time, and I would then receive intuitive flashes about what needed to be done, as well as what would come to pass, or not.
Discovering the power of solitude and quiet contemplation at such a young age made all the difference in my psychic development and personal spiritual growth. I can hardly imagine where I would be without it today, had I not cottoned on to this in my youth.
If you can spend just a few minutes in sweet solitude every day, or even a few times a day, you will boost your mental and physical health and reduce your stress levels. You will find you will hear your body better for what it needs for healing and well-being.
Spiritual practice in solitude will also empower you to become more creatively inspired and you’ll receive more insightful messages and guidance from spirit. If you want to connect with your intuition and psychic abilities, it is vital that you spend more time in alone in meditation.
Thriving In The Winter Of Our Discontent
Enduring a harsh winter with extreme weather, in the midst of an ongoing pandemic, is not an easy feat. It reminds me of the ‘winter of our discontent’ that Shakespeare refers to in the first line of his play Richard III. This winter-pandemic combo is certainly a ‘double whammy’ that could potentially break any camel’s back! But how we choose to deal with these times will determine how it will serve to improve our lives in the long run.
Winter is actually a great time to think about spiritual and personal self-care, especially in places where there are extreme weather conditions. Where I live, in the state of Maine, the winters weather conditions can be severe, making it a time to just surrender, to give myself permission to rest my body, mind and spirit.
It is a time to go within, to meditate, to read, write, paint, to do things that feed the soul. It is good time to connect deeply with our inner being, the subconscious mind, the higher self. It is a time to retreat, allowing the mind to regroup, and to replenish your body, mind, and spirit. When we take the time to get acquainted with ourselves again, we find truth, wisdom, mental and even physical healing.
If you are going through a snowed-up winter right now where you live, use this time to review your bucket list. Reflect on all that is good about your life. Think about things that are not working for you anymore and the best course of action to move forward. Give yourself time to process it all.
The past year has also been a time of getting to know who we really are and what matters to us most. The global pandemic had some major shocks and surprises in store for those of us who had lost touch with ourselves and the people around us. I have been helping many clients working through these challenges.
For many the pandemic has notably been a time of intense solitude. A time of learning to be comfortable in your own company. In the beginning, the hope was that life would go back to normal in just a few months. But as time has gone on, we have had adjust to the so-called ‘new normal.’
The Spiritual Power Of Joy
I have decided that this year I would consciously invite more joy into my daily life. Joy is the feeling of happiness, pleasure or fulfillment that comes from having success, finding good fortune, or achieving a sense of well-being. The wonderful thing about joy is that it can be found in both large and small doses.
Joy is an enormously powerful spiritual force. Spontaneous laughter can shift a mood in an instant, and tears of joy come at moments that move us to our core. Joy is a state of mind that focuses on the present, despite our circumstances.
Joy brings renewed energy, a feeling of lightness to our body and mind. Suddenly there is enough energy to get things done that need to be done. Joy invites action, instead of procrastination, and encourages gratitude over envy, and peace over anger.
Joy lingers after the laughter and invites us to a state of mind that is peaceful, full of grace, ready to extend compassion, and find forgiveness. In a state of joy spontaneity comes easily, inspiration and intuitiveness peak, and our creativity flows.
Children are masters of demonstrating joy. They are comfortable living in the moment and not filtering out any opportunity to celebrate. They carry no baggage, or expectations. They are wonderful teachers of this powerful spiritual tool.
Anchor your soul purpose and choose conscious ways you can invite and practice joy in your daily life. Even a small dose will do, and it may lead you to seek out other experiences that resonate with your spirit and add to your experience of joy. Notice what makes you smile. Pay attention to the person, the activity or the situation that uplifts your spirit. Stop and savor the feeling.
Simplicity and joy go hand in hand, so don’t overlook the little things. Practice smiling! Smiling releases endorphins which create that sensation of relaxation and happiness.
By The Light Of The Moon
Oh, the Moon! How I love the Moon. What’s not to love? I love watching the moon dance on the lake’s surface outside our home or just to observe it in the night sky. It is so healing to me.
I remember going outside and just basking in the light of the moon. I remember waiting for it to be full and then putting a big bucket of water in the garden. I would let the light of the moon reflect on the surface and I would prop up my feet on either side of this and just go into the alpha state and meditate.
To this day I will wash my precious stones, like my moonstones and agates, with salt water. After that, on a full moon, I will let them absorb the light. I feel it recharges and cleanses them.
I always agreed with the school of thought that the moon affects the fluids in our bodies, just like the tides of the ocean. I also view the moon as a lovely lady who is in charge of our emotions and feelings; she is the ‘bringer of moods’.
Usually you can see her influence very clearly on a full moon. For example, emergency services and police sirens are often more prevalent on the roads, there are more arrests and accidents and people lashing out and doing things they normally wouldn’t dare.
There is much power and control to be found in knowing when the different phases of the moon are, and to have the heads up as to how it affects us. The moon also rules all female physiology; she is the mother of all things which are important and necessary for creating life and nurturing. It virtually has an effect on the growth of all living things, including all plants and animals. I call the moon ‘she’ because of this. She rules over the ‘internal ocean’ that keeps us all alive.
Realign Your Spirit This New Year
With the difficult year 2020 finally in our rear-view mirror, it is time to stop for a moment, clear our minds, hearts and spirit, and embrace the hope, happiness, well-being and prosperity that awaits us in the new year. We do not have to carry the pain and chaos of 2020 forward with us.
The first step to achieve this would be to check our alignment body, mind and spirit. Alignment is defined as the “arrangement in a straight line, or in correct or appropriate relative positions,” as well as a “position of agreement or alliance.” Happiness, well-being and abundance becomes blocked for us when we are not in agreement and alliance with our spirit.
Many of us have been in survival mode the past year, instead of in thrive mode. Dramatic changes in our health and wellness, career, business, finances, relationships, family and social life, and our lifestyles in general, can cause our soul energy to go sideways and out of alignment, just like being sideswiped by a car.
If you step off a curb suddenly, fall, twist an ankle, or pull a muscle, it will often put unusual stress on our spine and central nervous system. When the spine is misaligned a myriad of symptoms such as headaches, lower back pain, neck pain and numbness can manifest. Symptoms like these are the body’s way of letting us know something needs to be urgently attended to.
The same holds true for our spiritual well-being. When our energy, mental processes, and emotions begin to run amuck, our spiritual alignment needs to be corrected to regain our balance. Our body, mind and spirit must all be facing the same direction for us to move forward.
Staying in alignment with Spirit enables us to bounce back quickly, stay on course and manifest happiness and prosperity in our lives. Alignment with Spirit is our natural and preferred state, and while we may find ourselves temporarily off for various reasons, we are never too far to come back.