Mindful Moment #16 - Lunar Conversations

Dream Chaser

If you have been waiting for a sign, let me share one with you.

This week, the full moon was a super moon and has lit up the night in my backyard quite remarkably. It’s bright enough to navigate a midnight stroll in my non-streetlight-having neighborhood without a flashlight. I have a friend who complained that she couldn’t sleep because of it “pulling on her brain.”

Maybe that’s why my own brain keeps seeking it out. Although, I confess that I have always been drawn to the moon, even going as far as calling “The Man in the Moon” my boyfriend when I was little. True story. Although I did rename her “The Lady in the Moon” when I was around 16, because I read about the theory that the Mona Lisa was based on the moon. I can see the resemblance. I also have a rather romantic devotion to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and here we are…not quite “mid,” but certainly entrenched in the sizzle of summer.
Anyway, I kept wondering what “exactly” is causing my attention to keep going to the moon. What is it trying to tell me?

So, we had a chat, the moon and I.

I wrote not too long ago about conjuring hope, and how play, creativity, and education can help recenter your focus on positives and buoy your spirit. I am still determined to make the most of this life, so I played and painted and dove into a few new subjects. And in my quest to conjure hope, I also re-conjured a couple of old passions, dug out some old novel manuscripts in progress, and looked up a particular post-grad program I have had my eye on, wondering how to afford it.

When I went to talk with the moon, I said, “Listen, I have a newfound inspiration to pursue these interests of mine—these things that I love—but I don’t know how to move forward. I don’t know how to make these ideas and notions come to fruition.”

And she beamed down with that benevolent little half smile with this gloriously shining face, and it made me think of how just two weeks ago, I could only see the tiniest sliver of the moon setting in the western sky. “Time keeps moving with or without my participation,” I thought. But then my next thought was, “It still doesn’t happen all at once, it goes through a predictable cycle, with small changes each day, slowly waxing and gradually waning, going from the fullest, most brightly lit globe, to total invisibility.”

This left me pondering, “How do I apply this concept to moving toward a goal?”
And rather hilariously, I heard one word in my head: “Try.”

Yes, uh, sassy moon, I know THAT, but how? If it was that easy, I would have already accomplished what I used to dream about before…life…happened and knocked me off of those paths. I would already have three novels published and be a professional genealogist. Then the moon phases ran through my head, again, cycle after cycle. Predictably. Like a schedule.

A-ha!

What if I make a schedule? Like…just start tomorrow and start working on it bit by bit, but start with a schedule. What if I allow myself to join in some creative process that is somewhat orderly? Can I fashion a cycle where some days are easy or wholly “unbooked,” while others give me the chance to spend more time, even the occasional block of days to really, really dedicate myself to the dream I am chasing? Why not try?

Why not?

Try.

I invite you to follow suit. Even if you haven’t found some sort of mission to pursue, go out and have a midnight chat with the moon. It doesn’t have to be the full moon or a super moon or anything special. Heck, it can be the sun or a lake or a tree. Just try to go have some kind of conversational back and forth with the earth. Allow your mind to be open to insight while you focus on nature. You don’t have to say anything out loud if that feels too silly, but I give you permission to be silly and just go talk out loud if you want. You’ll feel like you are talking to yourself, probably. And that’s okay, too. But if you are paying attention, you might be surprised at what message you receive.

Here’s to conversations with the moon and chasing dreams, friends!

As ever, namaste.

-Amy

INSPIRATIONS THIS WEEK

We’re feeling inspired by these incredible and thought provoking pieces:

Contrary to popular belief, woodpeckers don’t protect their brains when headbanging treesShock absorption would make them less efficient at pecking, study argues.
Chronic pain: Mindfulness changes how the brain processes painNew research suggests that mindfulness meditation reduces the intensity of pain by uncoupling the pain-processing part of the brain from the brain regions responsible for self-referential processing.
This Week’s New Space Images From The Webb Telescope And More Will Make Your Jaw DropIt’s been one of the best weeks ever for space images, with the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope providing the highlights. Here’s everything you missed.

That’s all for today, y’all – remember, taking time to focus on you is an act of love.

We hope you found this helpful – don’t hesitate to reply with any feedback on how we can improve future Mindful Moments! We can’t wait to hear from you.