New Moon in Leo, 1st August, 2008

Hi everyone,

Happy new moon – it’s a lovely summer day here so far although there a big rainstorm is on its way. I’m fine with that though; we are planning a day in of just hanging out and relaxing, which sounds perfect.

Calling the circle
As we contemplate this new moon, imagine that we are together, summoning the spirits of the East, spirits of Springtime, new beginnings, new starts. Element of air, first breath, cool dawn. The power of life, springing forth. We call the spirits of the East. We call now to the spirits of the South, spirits of summer, warmth, clarity, motivation, energy, movement. Element of fire, bright fires lit at midday. The power of light, illuminating us. We call the spirits of the South. And we call to the Spirits of the West. Spirits of deep feelings, strong emotions, a sunset over a calm ocean, a still lake reflecting back the sky, the still waters that run deep, deep within. Element of water, power of love, true love. Spirits of our intuition and our empathy. We call to the spirits of the West. Now we call the spirits of the North. Spirits of midnight, dark moonless skies in winter, places where truths are told. Element of earth, grounding us. Power of law, karma, ancestral wisdom, we call to the spirits of the North. And we call to those spirits above us, angels, starts, heavens, light beings everywhere, those souls not yet incarnate. And we call to the spirits below us, to the earth that grounds us and keeps us steady and to the lava beneath the crust that impassions 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. This circle is closed, a safe and sacred circle where everyone is welcome and free to express herself.

Where is the Moon?
The moon is in Leo and is focused on our selves – who are we, who do we want to be, what will we do? The Mountain Astrologer talks about how the root of the word destiny is the same root as the word destination. Where are we going and is it where we want to be? Is it where we need to be? Is it the path with a heart? Follow your love this month!

Talking stick
I love a good Leo new moon. I always feel full of optimism and creativity. And intensity. Certainly there are times when that intensity does not necessarily conjure optimism and light, but, with deep gratitude, at this moon it is.

I just got back from Scotland and the Lakes at the start of this week. We had a great trip and I was blown away by the beauty of Scotland in particular, and soothed by climbing a few mountains and looking at life from a few thousand feet up. It was there on the mountaintops and sitting contemplating life without the distractions of computers, phones, deadlines, etc. that I began to think about the word “calling” again, contemplating whether I am honoring mine. In many ways, I think I am. As a parent and the person primarily financially responsible for our lives, I think that I’ve definitely done as well as possible to listen, to serve, to give, given the demands on my time. And I am taking steps to align my business work with my social values – slowly but surely, and I feel great about that. But – it always comes to me, like a drum beating in my ears, “write, write, write, write..” And I remember that I haven’t finished my book yet. I can feel several of you nodding your heads, as I know you are in the middle of writing projects too (I can’t help thinking of Parties, Parades and Protests, Sparkles!). For me, I need to finish it to see what’s behind it. I am not thinking that the book is going to be some great catalyst in the world, with Oprah visits, Dalai Lama meetings, checks flying in – not at all, although that would be fine too! No – it is a personal catalyst for me somehow. I feel like I have to get it done to understand what is next and it is time for that next thing – whatever it is. Even in my business, the way I work is, I think, I think, I think, I think, I check Facebook, I think, I think and then, finally, I write. And I am there now. What I love is that it is a book about this, about all of you, about this journey, these meditations, which even in the busiest of months, and at the most stressful of times forces me to pause and reflect and tune in and forget all the other clutter – even if just for a few hours. I am so grateful to all of you for continuing to create this space for me and for yourselves. It is truly sacred and I feel so blessed by it. And it is time for me to get it done.

I’d like to go on about how great we all are, but my little boy is patiently waiting for me to go on the trampoline with him, and I must oblige because he doesn’t care anything about my work – it is a beautiful sunny Leo day and he needs the in-the-moment me, and I’m equally happy to be that this afternoon.

I will contemplate my calling later, when the moon rises and until the full moon!

Meditation
Imagine yourself lying on the ground in a field full of plants, in their height of summer growth. The tallest of them tower over you, with their beautiful white umbels open to the sky. The ground feels perfectly comfortable, the air warm and fragrant. As you breathe in and out feel that you are breathing in time with the gentle breeze around you, that you are a part of the setting that surrounds you. Then allow yourself to imagine that you are getting smaller – smaller and smaller until you are so small that you can stand up and walk into one of the tall plants that you were lying underneath. Walking into the plant, looking up, note how it reaches skyward – to the new moon. Looking down, note its roots, reaching 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. Imagine 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.

When you step through the doorway, the sunlight greets you, warming you. It is midday, in a beautiful meadow, filled with wild flowers, buzzing with bees and butterflies. The grass and plants are taller than you, making it difficult to see beyond the path, but it is so alive with life that you feel immersed in the earth and all of its life. You are drawn into the sounds and smells, making note of any messages that the landscape or its life may hold for you. The pathway winds through the meadow and then begins to head upward, a soft hill rising over the meadow. In the distance you can begin to make out a dwelling place. You walk in that direction, until finally you are upon it. You recognize it as a home that is ancient and familiar to you – the home of your wise woman.

As you are about to knock, the door swings open and you are greeted by your wise woman. She leads you to the kitchen where she is cooking for you, and the two of you sit and chat for a few moments, catching up about anything that is going on in your life, asking her any questions that you may have or just asking for her general advice.

When you are ready, your wise woman leads you to a hallway with many doors. You choose the door that feels right to you and walk through. In that room is a table and on that table is a book. You walk over to the book and pick it up. It is the book of your life, the book of your soul. You can write in the book, or you can read the book, which contains information about anything that you need to answer, any truth, any wisdom resides in the book. You read or write until you are satisfied. Your wise woman then turns to a part of the book that you haven’t read before; something that you need to know about this time in your life. If you have any questions, you can ask her anything you like about this part of the book. When you are ready, you close the book, knowing that it is always here for you if you need it.

You get up, leaving the room, walking back toward the front of the house with your wise woman. She leads you to the door, says goodbye, offering you one word or phrase to help you remember what you read. You give her a big hug then open the door, greeted again by the landscape, and all of its life. You head back down the path, toward the doorway that you walked through. When you reach the doorway, you step through.

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 moment of infinite perfection. 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 tall plant. Stepping out of the plant, you find your place beneath it, again enjoying the sweet night air. Then feeling your consciousness return to the space you are in, and, when ready opening your eyes.

Prayers for our circle

I’ve had no specific calls for prayers, so lots of love to all of you!!

Tara