New Moon Musings

Fall is finally in the air here at We Are One Farm with crisp dewy mornings and leaves starting to turn along the woods trail, sunny days without the stifling heat we had this summer, great for all the outdoor work still to be done on the farm. I still identify September with the new year, from too many years spent in school no doubt. There’s that little pang in the heart, a combined sense of excitement and dread, looking forward to something new yet with uncertainty. The September New Moon was this past Saturday night. New moons are said to signify new beginnings, or an auspicious time to start something new, to plant the seeds of new endeavours, projects, courses. So I am feeling a September New Moon must be especially powerful to begin again.

I launched a new Soul Coaching® group program a couple of days prior, while not on the new moon, at least as close as I could get and still hold the first class on a Thursday. I was hoping to draw on the energy of this phase to help propel my group into a new chapter of their own lives, to support the changes they all desire, moving from feeling stuck or uncertain into a sense of purpose and passion and decisiveness.

As part of that process of renewal however, as always there needs to be some letting go as well. It is difficult to move forward if you are holding tight to all you did or were or had before…sometimes it’s a question of making time and space available in your life, to add a new aspect, a new thing, a new responsibility. So often we must release a grip on something else simply to make room. This is not only physically or temporally but also mentally & emotionally…for example to move with confidence in a direction that is new to you, some uncharted territory, you may need to make mental space by letting go of old expectations or limiting beliefs about who you are, what you deserve, and what you are capable of.

In the Soul Coaching® program one thing that supports that is clutter clearing, and we do that on all levels through the process, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, although much of that overlaps. That is, a lot of physical clutter clearing can also release mental and emotional clutter, like the “to do” list you carry in your head from unfinished projects, unanswered mail, or un-filed receipts or paperwork, the feelings of obligation associated with certain personal objects, the things you hold onto because you feel you “should”, even though you do not enjoy or use them. All of these can feel like anchors, holding you back, slowing you down, occupying your thoughts by worry or guilt, or negative associations with the objects.

So new starts always seem to necessitate a certain cleansing. I know lots of folks making major new starts right now, so I assume it is not just this new moon, since those are monthly occurrences, but there may be something bigger afoot astrologically, although that is not my area of study! But I know folks moving on, moving away, across the continent, across the ocean, out of jobs or occupations, out of relationships, into new ones, there seems to be a lot of upheaval lately. And others who are in an in-between stage, looking for guidance, trying to make important choices about their life path.

My wisdom for today is three-fold.

1. Know that so many of the decisions we fear making really do not have to be “all or nothing”. We can (and possibly should) keep working at one job, or cut back hours a wee bit, while trying to build something new like a new business, we don’t have to chuck it all at once, nor would it be responsible to in many cases. We can take steps in a direction of a goal and test the waters, we can do our research, lay groundwork, make plans, starting with getting clear on what we want.  And there is no shame in changing your mind! I’ve changed directions so many times in my life it would make some folk’s heads spin but I have been fortunate to be able to explore, do and do over, do differently, change course when I realize I have not chosen well or that another course of action brings me truer to my soul’s path. There are no guarantees. Take steps in the direction of your dreams, but don’t throw everything out at once if you need a financial safety net to start with. It may take sacrifice, and be slow, but it often doesn’t have to be all or nothing and we do not need to make the decision any more overwhelming than it is by thinking that way.

2. Simply do some clutter-clearing here and there in your home, in your life. Make some physical space where there were piles, fold the laundry and put it away. Take the old books to the library or the charity yard sale or consignment store, and throw out that dead plant on the windowsill. Attend to unfinished business and finish it, it takes a mental load off. Whether it’s doing your overdue taxes, getting the muffler on your car repaired, fulfilling a long-standing promise to one of your children, or making an needed apology to a friend, clear the decks so you are mentally and emotionally unburdened to move forward.

3. Spend some time outside, in your garden or the woods or on one of our gorgeous beaches if you are lucky enough to live near the coast. Stack some wood for the wood stove, deadhead your perennials, harvest the rest of your beets and potatoes, get physical. If you’re a city dweller, most cities have great parks and public gardens to walk in, play some Frisbee, run with your dog. The weather in Nova Scotia has been fabulous all season and continues to be so most days, so take full advantage before winter keeps you in, soak up the sun, get your hands in the dirt or a late splash in the surf, and fill your lungs with long, deep breaths. Eat a freshly harvested apple and really savour the crunch and the juiciness and the burst of tart flavour as you eat mindfully! The grounding energy of the earth and fresh air helps clear your head of the little hamster wheel of worries and “what-ifs?”. Connecting with the earth, doing something with your body, draws that energy downward, offering a more stable place from which to make those new starts and big changes. I know none of this is new, but it begs repeating, a lot, and may be new to the person who needs to hear it right now. And it works.

Astrologers say the next little while may be tumultuous for some. I don’t know if that’s true…I would wager that at any given moment, somewhere in the world, someone is having a tumultuous time and a major life change. But unless you are in a life-or-death situation, try these three steps to reduce fear, get clear, get grounded and present to what is really happening in the moment, and take a step toward the changes you want to make, being loving and patient with yourself through it all. Best wishes and good luck to all those making big changes.

~Mary