New Moon in Cancer, 3rd July 2008

Hi Everyone,
This marks the four-year anniversary of the start of these meditations – thanks to all of you who continue to share your thoughts, dreams, inspirations and experiences with me!

Calling the circle
As we contemplate this new moon, we call to the spirits of the East. Spirits of new beginnings, new starts. Element of air, first breath, The power of life, springing forth. We call the spirits of the East and ask them to join our circle.

We call now to the spirits of our season, the spirits of the South. Spirits of strength, power, warmth, clarity, motivation, energy, movement. Element of fire, the power of light, bright and powerful. The fire that is our passion, burning deeply within us always. We call the spirits of the South and ask them to join our circle.

And we call to the Spirits of the West. Spirits of our deepest feelings, our strongest emotions, our truest love. A sunset over a calm ocean, a still lake reflecting back the sky, the still waters that run deep, deep within. Element of water, emanating the power of love. We call to the spirits of the West and ask them to join our circle.

Now we call to the spirits of the North. Spirits of midnight, dark moonless skies in winter, places where truths are told, where laws are made. Element of earth, grounding us. Power of law, karma, ancestral wisdom, we call to the spirits of the North and we ask them to join our circle.

And we call to those spirits above us, angels, stars, heavens, light beings everywhere, those souls not yet incarnate. Children of our children. We call the spirits above and ask them to join us.

And we call to the spirits below us, to the earth that grounds us and keeps us steady, the green kingdom with its deep roots and to the lava beneath the crust that impassions us. We call the spirits below and ask them to join us.

Finally, we call to the spirits of the center, where all the directions meet and merge and where they meet and merge in each one of us. The central flame. The sacred spirit. This circle is closed, a safe and sacred circle where everyone is welcome and free to express herself.

Where is the Moon? The new moon is in Cancer this month, a deep loving moon – full of emotion, intuition, and soft edges. It feels like a really powerful moon for visioning and for tapping into our intuition to me – I’ve been amazed by my dreams and how present they feel. Also, though, with summer in full swing I feel the strength and power of making things happen, which is a great balance!

Talking stick
I have been so busy since leaving New York, but the week before this moon and through today I have felt so powerfully that it is a time for action in my life, and less a time for thinking about things. There are a few work-related things that require action, but also some home-related ones too. I set a really lofty goal for myself back in January around what I wanted to accomplish this year and now I really want to push myself to accomplish it, so that is my over-arching summer goal.

On a more spiritual note, I have been delighted because I’ve spent the last year or so looking at energy and how what we believe alters our perception of our experiences and for the last two nights I have had dreams that were around those concepts, which, to me, meant that I have finally really absorbed them – that they are now a part of just my unconscious functioning. That makes me really happy and I am hoping to remember that on days when I don’t feel strong or when I am awash in old fears.

Speaking of days when I didn’t feel strong, tomorrow is Owen’s second sports day, or return-to-feeling-and-behaving-like-a-child-yourself day, as I like to call it. My intention, and I really want to stick to it this year, is to feel great about the day, convey that to Owen, and be completely unstressed and at peace and just be grateful for the school, our friends, Owen’s friends – instead of getting sucked into the emotional drama of awards, races, and competitive parenting. I desperately want to be the grown up that I am, no matter what!

Also, today is Gary’s birthday. I’m so happy to be with him all these years – our 14th together – and as we grow older together all I can think is how we keep getting deeper and deeper, our roots, our love, our humor, our compassion for each other continue to grow. I love it.

Meditation
Imagine yourself lying beneath a dense oak tree on soft mossy earth, with a gentle rain falling above you. The leaf cover is so thick that the rain doesn’t reach you, but the air sweet with new rain. You are aware of your breath, breathing in and out in time with the sound of the wind, carrying the rain. As you breathe, you feel yourself getting smaller and smaller, until you are so small that you are able to walk right into the tree. As you look up, you note the vast branch system, how tall and high it is, looking down, you note the vast root system, reaching down into the earth farther than you can see. Then, notice that one of the roots is larger than the others, and resembles a spiral staircase that you can walk down. Imagine then stepping onto the 13th step, the step of transformation, then spiraling down and around and inward to the 12th step, then down and around to the 11th and the 10th, spiraling down and around and inward to the 9th, then the 8th, then around and inward to the 7th and the 6th step. Then, pausing on the sixth step, note that as you look up you can no longer see the top, and looking down, that you can no longer see the bottom. You are standing in the middle of the spiral, in a moment of infinite perfection. If there is anything that you are carrying that you don't want to take with you on your journey, you can leave it on this step. Continuing then to the 5th step and the 4th, spiraling around to the 3rd and the 2nd and then finally the 1st step, then stepping into a clearing with four doorways, each pointing in one of the four directions. Imagine yourself walking down the pathway that heads south

It is midday, warm but comfortable and with a gentle rain. The rain softens the landscape as well, a lush forest. You walk along a pathway that heads into the centre of the forest, following the path of a small stream. The sound of the water calls to you, speaking to you as you walk along. You can speak back, or just listen to the wisdom of the summer waters. The stream winds around and around into the centre of the forest, until you reach the very start of the spring, where it bubbles up out of the ground. You realize that this place is very sacred, noting that others who have passed this way have left offerings at the stream’s birthplace. Then, although you didn’t notice it before, you realize that you are standing in front of a dwelling place, one as familiar as it is ancient; you have reached the home of your wise woman.

As you are about to knock, the door opens and your wise woman greets you, welcoming you in. Her home is comfortable and dry after being out in the rain, and she leads you to the kitchen where she is cooking. She offers you whatever it is that she has cooked for you, and you sit and eat or drink with her, asking any questions that you may have, or asking for any wisdom that she might wish to share with you. When you are ready, she leads you down a hallway, with many doors. You walk to the doorway at the end of the hall. Stepping through the door you find yourself in a forest clearing, with a small, still pool in the centre of it. Your wise woman leads you to the pool and you look into the water. It is still and perfectly reflective. You are able to see yourself very clearly, noticing anything about yourself that perhaps you need to see. Your wise woman holds out a crystal, and begins to stir the water with it and your reflection changes to swirling images, and you are able to look into the pool and see whatever it is that you need to see at this time in your life. When you are ready for the scene to change, your wise woman stirs the pool again until you have seen everything that you need to see. She then hands you the crystal, and offers you a word or phrase to remind you of this place and what you learned here. When you are ready, she leads you back to the door, but reminds you that this place is always here for you if you need it.

You head back toward the kitchen, sharing any last minute thoughts, asking any last minute questions. As you reach the door of the house you say goodbye, knowing that you can return whenever you need. When you step out of the house you return to the stream’s source, leaving the object there that was given to you as a reminder of what you most need as an offering to the Goddess, the Universe, God, however you choose to see it. Knowing that your vision will be well looked after here in this sacred space. When you feel ready you make your way back along the path until you get back to the doorway, and then the staircase.

Stepping back up onto the first step, spiraling upward and outward to the second step and the third, and upward and outward to the third step and the fourth. Then spiraling around to the fifth and the sixth step, and pausing now on the sixth step, retrieving anything that you left behind before, or just leaving it behind in that perfect moment in infinity. Climbing now to the seventh and upward to the eighth, upward and outward to the ninth, then the tenth, and around to the eleventh and the twelfth and then finally to the thirteenth step, the step of transformation, then back into to the tree. Stepping out of the tree, you find your place beneath it, again enjoying the cold night air. Then, feeling your consciousness return to the space you are in, and, when ready opening your eyes.

Prayers for our circle
I have a few prayer requests: one, for Luke and his writing partner Kristen: that their script land in just the right hands at just the right moment.

Also, for Dan M. : that he is able to turn a seemingly difficult situation into the stepping stone toward more happiness, more freedom, more security, more abundance.

Much love to everyone,
Tara