Creative Rhythm

The more I accompany the earth on her rotations around the sun, the more I learn how to live in time with her rhythm.

Nothing on this earth is linear [except that which is made by man, but that is not what interests me]. Everything is governed by cycles: birth, growth, maturity, harvest, death.

Our culture, unfortunately, doesn't pay much mind to cycles. We are all about youth; we are all about constant production; we are all about tomatoes in February. We are so disconnected from our natural rhythms that many people don't even recognize it as a source of unbalance.

In much of my life so far, I have been on a path of reconnecting. Remembering. And I am remembering how to live the natural rhythm of cycles, rhythms that nourish and rejuvenate me.

Ever since reading Tami Lynn Kent's excellent and highly recommended book, Wild Feminine, I have reconnected to the creative cycles of my body and spirit. As one with the tendency to constantly charge full speed ahead [followed by the inherent burn out], learning to live in a cyclical manner has brought much balance and peace to my life. It has also erased the guilt I used to feel if I wasn't constantly doing and creating.

This is what I mean by referring to a creative cycle:
First, a phase of planting seeds, if you will. A time of birthing ideas, of setting intentions.
Then planning. What do I need to manifest my creation?
This all comes together in the growth of my creation, and then the harvest of some tangible outcome.
Last, but certainly not least, is the fallow period. As in rest, rejuvenation, renewal.

This last phase, the fallow phase, is the vital missing piece for many of us. Our culture and our lives are usually not set up for periods of rest; we are supposed to go go go all the time. No wonder we always feel so tired and crazy! [Or maybe I am only speaking for myself.]

On Friday I hosted a women's circle, and the topic of our conversation was the creative cycle and that missing phase of rest and rejuvenation. We all agreed that finding time to care for ourselves, to nourish and regenerate ourselves, does not usually take priority.

But my body and spirit have been calling out for me to make it a priority. It's easy to keep going, especially when one has small children; there is always more to do than I will ever get done. Then a couple of weeks ago I hit a low point - I was just so tired and devoid of energy and downright cranky. I realized that I hadn't been giving myself the nourishment [of my soul] that I needed, and that I had been so focused on "getting things done" that I hadn't been giving myself a long overdue break. If I don't take care of my own needs, I'm not that great of a person to be around. And when I do respect taking time to renew myself, I am a much better mother, wife, and creative being.

Last night I was reflecting in my journal, and I came up with the following list of my "fallow phases" [times to rest, recharge, rejuvenate]:
Daily: Nighttime. After the children are asleep, and usually the husband too, I need to focus on an activity that rejuvenates my Self [even if that just means going to sleep early].
Weekly: My husband often works nights, so those nights when he's gone are my special all-to-myself times.
Monthly: I like to let the moon guide my cycles of creativity. When the moon is in her 4th quarter [waning], I use that time to stay especially focused on my own needs.
Yearly: Letting the seasons guide me is more than just eating foods in season [although that of course is an important part]. Spring and summer are very outwardly active seasons. When fall and winter come around, I spend more time inward, in reflection, release, and rejuvenation.

Next in my reflections, I thought about what it is that truly recharges my spirit and renews my mind and body:
Meditation focused in my pelvic bowl [root chakra, home of Spirit]
Solitude
Being outside
Stretching
Energetically recharging with my "warm-up" [for lack of a better name]
Getting enough sleep (!!!)
Nourishing my spirit [with food, self-care, making art, dancing]

I am a list person. They organize my thoughts and bring balance to my mind. Making these lists focuses my awareness on the important task of renewing my body, mind and spirit.

When I'm feeling kind of crazy and overwhelmed, I try to remember that, with two small children, I am in one of the busiest phases of my life. And living my life through its natural cycles of active, creative times and more passive, restful times helps me stay balanced, stable, and joyful.

I bless you with the same.

*Gratitude*

The Dark Moon in Aries and My Daily Meditation

We are ending a cycle. The moon is now in her dark phase, and apparently it is a potent one. A friend sent me this article, and it struck such a deep chord with me, I must share it with you. [All quotations in this post come from this article.]

"A great use of the energy this week is to clear out old energy/patterns/toxicity/karmic imprints around the Masculine." If you have read this or this post, you will know this is exactly what I have been working on. Our masculine energy is the energy that gets things done, that acts, that produces. When our feminine and masculine energies are out of balance, the masculine can make us rigid, strict task-masters. We get so caught up in doing that we forget to just be. I know that I come from very strong masculine energy, and I must be constantly aware to balance it with my feminine energy. Masculine energy that is balanced with the feminine is strong but playful; it gets things done with flexibility.

"If we do the clearing work available to us this week we can start a new chapter with this New Moon in Taurus in regards to how we embrace and embody the feminine. It's all a balance - and part of the Divine Feminine activation this year requires rehabilitation/restructuring of how the Divine Masculine expresses itself. They are connected, after all."

I have a daily meditation that I have been meaning to share with you for awhile. I use it to balance my feminine and masculine energies, to clear and release and to set intention for the day. It is a variation from a meditation in Wild Feminine by Tami Lynn Kent, a book I can't recommend highly enough.

I begin by visualizing my womb area, or what Tami calls the pelvic bowl. I visualize myself sitting on the earth, with a warm light emanating from my womb down into the earth. I hold this visualization for several breaths. I then envision myself walking around my pelvic bowl. The goal is to sweep out old energy, to let it flow down and out into the earth. Sometimes I see myself burning sage as I walk; sometimes I am dancing like Oya the wind goddess; sometimes I am holding a shell and sprinkling water to wash myself clean. Whatever I see, I start at the front of my pelvis [pubic bone] and head towards my left hip, then back to my tail bone, to my right hip, and back up front [all on the inside, of course.]

Next I visualize my ovaries. According to Tami, our ovaries represent our creative fire. The left ovary houses feminine energy, the right ovary the masculine. I start first with my feminine left ovary [located below and to the left of the belly button]. For three to five breaths, I visualize my ovary shining like a warm light, getting stronger and brighter with each breath. I then move to my right ovary and repeat the visualization. I then see my womb, down in between my ovaries. I see myself sitting in my womb in meditation [it is my spirit self, I believe]. I take three to five more breaths and envision my whole pelvic bowl filling with warm light. This is the time when I set an intention for the day.

I then walk once more around my pelvic bowl, blessing myself and recognizing this divine space within. Often I am dancing. Sometimes I see grass growing and flowers blooming. Always I am joyous.

I hope you take the time to do this visualization, every day or any day. If this one doesn't speak to you, create one that does. Focus on releasing and balancing.

Together, let's spend this week clearing out our energy. Let's release our toxic patterns, our habits that no longer support us. "Take time during this Dark Moon to honor the shadows, endings, death and the Unknown."

Together let's find the strength to let go of the old. Let us prepare to embrace new energy, new direction, new inspiration. Let us embrace our feminine energy, using it to transform and balance the masculine.

[An extraordinary thing just happened. I am sitting here writing; it is night. I hear a fluttering sound outside and look to see some little creature flinging itself against the window, trying to reach the light. I go outside and find a small, dark bird flying again and again at the window. I catch it and hold it in my hand. It calms down, but I feel its little heart beating so quickly. I try to get it to fly away into the night, but she is so attracted to the light on the other side of the window. I catch her again, standing on the cold, wet deck in my bare feet, this little bird nestled in my hand. Eventually I get cold and leave her perched on the window sill. I'm not sure what else to do, but at least she isn't flinging herself against the glass any more. Little bird has lost her way. Or has she? What message is she bringing me?]

She brings blessings...

*Gratitude*