Tag Archives: @wicca

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Welcome to Moon Matters, my Moonbeams…
As I’ve been watching the waxing of the big golden coin in the sky this past fortnight, I’ve been thinking a lot about debt. Debts of all kinds. Fiscal. Temporal. Spiritual. Tangible. We are all, in some way, in debt – even if we don’t owe a dollar to anyone.
How we acquire debt is one thing. How we repay debt is another. Yet they are two sides of the same coin.
I am indebted to you, my Moonbeams, for your support of my journey as an author and in so many areas of my life over the years. I hope to repay you, in some way, with interest.

The Moon Knows

I have completed the Playlist of Song Chapters for Book One: Intention and will be reshuffling the Spotify playlist in the next couple of days to put all the songs in order. Now to entitle the chapters of Book Two: Activation. Hope you have an adventurous musical palate – some songs will be familiar, others new.

I’ve been formatting Book One for ebook/Kindle and finalizing the cover art. I hope to finish formatting over the weekend – because my deadline is June 21 to submit it to Amazon. Earlier if possible. I’m not sure how long their approval/upload process takes, but I will be facing the wrath of a very angry God if I miss my deadline. I will honor the debt that spurred the genesis of this revelation – that I have written and published a novel. Bucket List – check.

Watch my BTVM and personal social feeds (be my friend!) for updates – as soon as Beneath The Visiting Moon is available for sale on Amazon. Here’s this week’s question: What are you willing to pay for an ebook? 5.99? $9.99? Let me know.

MoonShine

Read a phenomenal article on Organizational Debt – which can be extrapolated to apply to more than the workplace. It speaks to the perils of the “Just Get It Done” mindset, which usually can navigate its way around the big rocks seen on the road ahead but doesn’t account for the less obvious, subliminal, or unintended problems that are just out of sight around the bend of time.

This concept can also apply to the rules and restrictions we place on ourselves and others – we respond to a one-off aberration by making a personal or family rule, creating a routine to circumvent another recurrence of said aberration, or restricting interaction or behavior. We can also blindly follow our self-imposed rules, guidelines, habits, or behavior, without wondering why things are being done in the way they are done. Here’s a story (not mine) that captures this, and I challenge myself and you to think about your day-to-day with an eye to identifying organizational debt.

A newly married person called their sibling to get some advice on how to cook their first pot roast. Their sibling provided all the instructions based on what “Mom used to do,” – including cutting a few inches off the end of the uncooked roast. The new chef did so and served up a lovely roast dinner. They continued to prepare the roast the same way for years – following all the steps, including cutting the roast into two pieces. That was “the way” to cook a pot roast. Their mother came over for dinner one Sunday and happened to be in the kitchen as the roast was being seasoned and prepared for the roaster. “Why do you cut the roast into two pieces,” she asked. Their child replied, “but Sibling said that’s how you prepared your roasts, so that’s how they, and now I do it – just like you.” The mother replied, “I only cut it into two because my pan was too small, and I needed to make the roast fit. Why are you cutting it when it fits in your pan with room to spare?”

And the lesson was learned.

MoonShadow

Why does my “Today-Self” do things that my “Future-Self” is going to regret? I’m trying to recognize the internal balance sheet of credits and debits that I am continually tallying up when I do something out of expediency rather than investing in doing it in a way that creates a better tomorrow for myself. What is the long-term impact of my action?

The old adage, “There’s no time to do it right, but there’s always time to do it twice. Whether it’s hanging up my clean laundry as soon as it’s done so it doesn’t wrinkle versus leaving it in the basket an extra day or two (so now I may have to iron – who does that anymore, anyway?) Sticking a dirty pot in the sink without rinsing it, then complaining about the time it takes to clean it tomorrow. Procrastination is the devil’s loan shark.

MoonDance

Something a bit more melancholy, as befitting the deep dive I am doing these days. Life circumstances are forcing me to confront fears, hopes, dreams, grief, joy, and spend some time in both the broken and scarred places. So finding a Bulgarian Girls Choir that interprets pop and rock hits was like finding a forgotten gift card in an old birthday card. Their half-speed minor key versions of Radiohead’s Creep, REM’s The One I Love, and my pick for the playlist, U2’s With or Without You speak to that slight dark, slightly sad, quiet place deep inside where the dusty shelves of unbalanced personal ledgers reside, waiting to be audited by the Great Accountant of my Soul. Likely for Book 3, but here it is in advance of its chapter placement.

MoonLight

Here’s some insight into my process for writing Moon Matters. I start by just writing about what I’ve felt, observed, or learned in this lunar cycle and see where it goes. I pick the song for MoonDance mindfully. But for the Moonlight section, I shuffle my trusty TdeM deck and start turning over cards until I get to one of the Higher Arcana cards I have not used yet. Once again, the Oracle speaks to Alignment. Presenting the Judgement Card.

Depicting the Resurrection at the End of All Things, we emerge from our graves whole perfect and complete. Our debts are paid, our sins are forgiven, and our life is restored. We are summoned to wakefulness by the trumpet blast of our Holy Guardian Angel, that energetic intermediary between us and whatever Source or Creator we acknowledge as the foundation of all things – could be “god/goddess/science/random chance/alien science project” – whatever works for us. We are called to begin again, do better, try harder, to live in peace with all beings.

This card marks the end of a phase, a cycle – everything you know has come to an end and everything will now change. Will you change to meet the challenges of a new dawn, a new day, a new life?

What if we started looking at more situations* in our lives through the filter of “debt paid” – no more shame or guilt. Acknowledge we did our best, did what we could, and now, we can begin again. What if we let others off the hook for old emotional debt? What if we gave more people or situations the benefit of a clean slate? It would change us – and them.

“I release the past, and let the healing power of love into my life.”

*(not applicable to all situations, I get that – don’t go getting all absolutist and literal one me, friends. Remember, I’m the one that doesn’t believe in forgiveness as a concept and thinks that selfishness is a virtue, being somewhat of a moderate objectivist)

MoonCraft

Not a spell or a practice this fortnight, but a poem, not quite a litany, written tonight, just for you.

We are, I am, the sum of many parts.
Intangible debts to people, places, opportunities – I thank you all.
You taught me.
Immeasurable debts to family, friends, spiritual brethren – I love you all.
You sustain me.
We are, I am, the sum of many hearts.
Double-helix DNA encoded from my Ancestors – I honor you all.
You made me.
Longship fjords, stone circles, heather highlands – I remember you all.
You ground me.
We are, I am, the sum of many arts.
The Muses, The Graces, Spirits d’Artes Magickal – I honor you all.
You inspire me.
The Craft of the Wise, the crafts of the cottage – I practice you all.
You connect me.
We are, I am, the sum of many starts.
Cradle to grave, milestones of movement and mind – I experience you all.
You measure me.
Ways to work, play, and change the world – I explore you all.
You challenge me.
We are, I am,
The sum
Many parts.
You. Me.
We.

That’s all for this time, my Moonbeams.

That’s all for this time. Expect your next love letter around the time of the next New Moon. And remember to bounce your love of the moon to those you hold dear in your heart – it will reach them! We all sleep under the same sky.

Sending my love out to you…

MoonLove: You’re invited to find and follow me on all the social channels! Hope to see you there – and to hear from you!

And if you are reading this on the web, sign up to get Moon Matters in your inbox every Full and New Moon. Share with someone of like mind who might want to be a Moonbeam too!

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Welcome to Moon Matters, my Moonbeams…

It is good to walk with you for a while under the dark night sky.

Nighttime is when it is easiest to tell our secrets, share our stories, and see things just a little bit differently than in the bright glare of daylight. Mystery and magic can be found in the night when things are not always what they seem.

And as always, you reflect the light back to me to light my way…

The Moon Knows

Exciting times. I’m now registered with Amazon as a vendor, complete with US tax paperwork, have almost finished finding all the song snippets for the Chapter titles, and will next be starting the process of formatting Book One: Intention for Amazon’s Kindle formatting, including a few last edits to the cover art. 

Here’s this week’s question – Do I have a launch party (Virtual, of course.) If I do, what would you like to see? Let me know!

MoonShine

Green grass. Tulips. Leaves on trees. Smelling the wet earth as it wakes up. Hearing, then seeing the first Motorcycle of Spring (It was a Harley – a good omen.) Planting our seedlings in our garden beds and our greenhouses. Being able to sit outside without having to wear shoes or a sweater.

It’s almost June, it feels like April, but I’ll take it over February any time. I’m very much enjoying seeing the world recover from winter’s grim greyness, and I hope you find inspiration in the natural world. Go to a Park, walk along a river, or find a trail in the trees – even if you need a rain slicker or umbrella. Get outside – on your porch or balcony or deck or back yard.

Let nature restore you. (I’ll be in my screen gazebo in the backyard.) 

MoonShadow

What self-imposed rule or law do I believe in so strongly that I won’t let it go, even though it is causing me harm?

We all have our own personal inviolate second amendment, that emotional third rail of belief that we must not touch, lest everything falls apart. We have them as individuals, we have them as families and collectives, and we have them as nations. 

Best case scenario, we only harm ourselves. Worst case scenario, we sacrifice others for the orthodoxy of our beliefs. We cut ourselves on the sharp edges of our broken belief systems, our toxic traditions. 

Challenge the words “Must” and “Should” and “Always.” The “Moonlight” section below might help.

MoonDance

It has been challenging to find joy, even in music, given the mounting despair of recent events – mass murder, war, famine, and more. We humans are unbelievably cruel to one another, and that cruelty can only be mitigated by being even more kind.

During this cycle, I’ve found myself taking refuge in music that inspires me to be better, do better. Number One on that playlist is Ages and Ages’ incredible live version of “Divisionary (Do the Right Thing).” You need to experience the vibe this communal performance creates as it inspires us to do the right thing – all the time, and at the same time, to not let our spirits be broken or taken advantage of. 

MoonLight

Change your perspective, change your understanding. Change your understanding, change your thinking. Change your thinking, change your life.

We all need to shake things up from time to time, step back, step away, and cut ourselves some slack to gain a new perspective on the world and how we move through it. Stephen Covey calls it “Sharpening the Saw.” Everyone’s method of gaining insight and enlightenment is up to them to discover and empower. 

Here’s something that might help you slow the hamster wheel of life. Embrace some slack.

MoonCraft

This ancient prayer from the Jewish Tradition comes from a contemporary translation of a collection of sacred writings, the Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Patriarchs). Some of us use it as a prayer, a mantra, a mediation, a statement of acceptance that action trumps passivity and fuels change. 

We are here to do, and through doing to learn.
And through learning to grow.
And through growing, we experience wonder.
And from wonder, we attain wisdom.
And from wisdom, we find simplicity.
And through simplicity, we give attention.
And through attention, we see what needs to be done.
We are here, to do. 

That’s all for this time, my Moonbeams.

That’s all for this time. Expect your next love letter around the time of the next Full Moon. And remember to bounce your love of the moon to those you hold dear in your heart – it will reach them! We all sleep under the same sky.

Sending my love out to you …

MoonLove: You’re invited to find and follow me on all the social channels! Hope to see you there – and to hear from you!

And if you are reading this on the web, sign up to get Moon Matters in your inbox every Full and New Moon.

Sign up to get Moon Matters “right on time” and in your inbox on the Full and New Moon!

Welcome to Moon Matters, my Moonbeams…
From where you are, were you able to see the May 15 Lunar Eclipse? 
I often think about how our ancient ancestors experienced a lunar or solar eclipse. The dependable, regularly scheduled light in the sky gets eaten by an invisible dragon. The world goes dark. Then the dragon spits the sun or moon out, and the light returns. Order is restored, fear vanquished. Life goes on.
Who or what steals your light? What can you do to keep the inner and outer dragons at bay? How brightly can you shine, so they spit your fiery power out to light your way? How do you celebrate the return of your light? Let’s explore all this and more…

The Moon Knows

I have cover art to show you. And I’m proud to say that I did it myself, with the help of Canva (unpaid endorsement). To those of you who are with me on the various social media platforms, the look will not be a surprise. Needs a bit of work, still.

Here’s my question: Would it entice you to pick up the book from a bookshelf, or book table or pick it out of a row of books online?  PS: I’m over 15K words into Book 3.

MoonShine

This moon phase, I’ve been inspired by those who speak their truth. I recently had someone I respect and care for share their truth, unexpectedly and at some cost to themselves. We all are raised to tell the truth and not to lie, but our social contract and social conditioning often reward prevarication and qualified honesty over plain-speaking and forthrightness. 

I appreciate it when I am told, with kindness and love, some hard or challenging truth. Without honest feedback, how can we grow? Properly delivered, honesty doesn’t dim our light. It helps us shine brighter because it makes us better.

Some people use “truth” as a weapon, confusing their personal opinion with universal truth. They often follow up a cutting statement with “Just Kidding,” – but they mean what they say, at some level. They don’t realize that we’re on to their manipulative verbal game. They give themselves away, and we are the better for it – because by revealing who they are, we can then choose to limit our interaction with bullies.

May your light shine undimmed, and may you live in a bully-free zone. As I learned at the Firewalk event that I participated in many years ago, “Speak your truth and speak it kindly.”

MoonShadow

Has time been moving faster for you too? Suddenly, it’s Monday morning, then I take a breath and blink my eyes, and it’s Friday afternoon. Sip some water, maybe eat an apple, and the weekend’s over. How did it get to be mid-May already? Where does the time go? Hours, days, weeks, months, quarters, years… everything seems to be speeding up. The 24-hour news cycle doesn’t help.

So here’s what I’ve been asking myself. Am I investing my time in doing the things that give me joy, feed my soul, and make my light burn more brightly? Will I have time to get everything done that I want to do before… my light no longer shines? (not being morbid, just practical.) When I think about the projects I want to accomplish, the books I have yet to read (and write), and the wool I have yet to knit – how can I focus myself to make better use of my time?

It’s been on my mind more lately, and I’m making some different decisions about where I invest my time. I hope to have a productive, satisfying summer. It will be up to me to make it so. 

MoonDance

At my second ever Folk Festival, this man saved my life. 

Martyn Joseph‘s delicately-crafted folk songs of love, pain, loss, longing, triumph, hope, faith, and affirmation were like balm to my broken spirit. I’m so grateful for him and his music and have had the opportunity to tell him in person how much his music and presence as a man of faith have meant to me.

He does good works quietly with little fanfare and then writes songs like this: Still A Lot of Love Around Here. He is a beacon of hope in a dimly lit world.  

MoonLight

I believe that the Hermit is misunderstood. He’s not running away from the world, he’s just protecting his Light. He knows when to step away from village life to take time to learn, and if a worthy student or two can find him. He is not hiding or hibernating; he is “reclaiming his time.”

In the wise words of Yung Pueblo:
Saying no is a sign of progress.
Saying no is a sign of commitment.
Saying no is a sign of empowerment.
Saying no can help you fulfill your goals.
Saying no can support your mental health.
Saying no can bring you to the right people.

I’d add, and sometimes that right person is yourself. That’s what I’m learning. 

MoonCraft

I’ve recently rediscovered a powerful magical tool that is helping me keep track of those elusive little moments that either run through my fingers like beach sand, leaving me holding not enough time, or puff themself up like balloons to make me think I have more time than I actually have. 

It’s a timer. Sometimes the one on my phone – sometimes the Pomodoro timer built into my Chrome browser, sometimes it’s my Llamalife program that helps me prioritize and stay on track. I’ve been consciously applying it with increasing frequency, and I find it helps me switch tasks, refocus, and measure my productivity. 

Even when doing fun stuff, like knitting or writing – setting a timer helps me remember that it’s time to stop, switch focus, or take a break – all so important to remain focused and productive. 

For all that it sounds so mundane, it is having a transformative impact on my world, and isn’t that what magic really is all about? 

That’s all for this time, my Moonbeams.

That’s all for this time. Expect your next love letter around the time of the next New Moon. And remember to bounce your love of the moon to those you hold dear in your heart – it will reach them! We all sleep under the same sky.

Sending my love out to you …

MoonLove: You’re invited to find and follow me on all the social channels! Hope to see you there – and to hear from you!

And if you are reading this on the web, sign up to get Moon Matters in your inbox every Full and New Moon.