Moonpath: Week 4

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.
Maya Angelou

Last week, we met Cedar Snufflegort. She's becoming an herbalist and using some Moonpath techniques to help her along the way. Already, she's learning how to protect her braincave from monstrous memes (and you can, too!). If you're just joining us, make sure to check out our first post on what the Moonpath is and how to join us!

Through all of our weeks on the Moonpath I've been talking about the importance of creating small goals (and no more than three!) that can be easily accomplished within a seven day period.

Now I'm going to suggest that you throw all of that out the window.

Here's the thing. Sometimes you need to go all in and take on a gigantic task within a short period of time. Perhaps it's because you only have a limited amount of time to accomplish a task. Or maybe you've been putting it off and off for the perfect moment to arrive, when really you just need to do it. (Hence the espresso patronum cup at the top of the page.)

The important point of the wild, throw-your-schedule-out-the-door, and let's-get-it-done tactic is that it is to be done once in a blue moon - not as an ongoing approach to life. Why? Because when we're using up all of our resources at a high level of performance all the time we can burn out. Then nothing gets done.

The gifts of the just-get-it-done approach are many:

• You're done! 
• Working in the intensity of a short period of time can be an excellent crucible for not only accomplishing the task at hand but inspiring you further for new adventures!
• No, really, you're done!

Have you ever thrown caution (or planning!) to the wind and just got-it-done? I have. More than once, actually, including when it came to writing hundreds of pages of classroom material, learning to draw and then creating illustrations, dozens of study guides, and building a private learning community for the Lunar Apothecary (which I did in about 2 sleepless and, truthfully, delirious months). It's not something I necessarily recommend, but then again, it was what I needed to do. Sometimes you make your rules and then sometimes you break them. Post about your get-it-done adventures below!

Moonpath: Week 3

In my cells
are magnetic maps
of vast ocean spaces
Saya Wolf

Say "hiya" to Week 3 of our Moonpath, clever ones!

Honesty in goal-setting and accomplishing our goals is key, clever ones. We've got to be honest with ourselves in what is reasonable to take on in just a week's time. Is learning the entire esoteric history of the tarot really attainable in a week? Becoming the most talented pastry chef and learning how to take the best photos of your marvelous food all in a week's time truly realistic? Excited and ambitious though you may be (and that is fantastic and inspirational gold, so keep that fire burning!) we can be our own worst road block on the path to our dreams when we create giant goals to be accomplished in an unrealistically short period of time. When those big goals don't get done we can get caught up in a cycle of feeling like we're not getting any closer to our goals. Then those treacherous thoughts of "I don't deserve those dreams" begin to wriggle their way into our brain caves like monstrous little memes. Don't give up your brain cave to monstrous memes, clever ones!

Do this right now:

• Write down one BIG dream.
  • Cedar Snufflegort wants to become a registered community herbalist.
• Under that big dream, write three big steps that you need to take to accomplish that dream.
  • Cedar's three big steps are:
    • Learn about her herbal education options (she knows she wants to attend an herbal school but doesn't know what her options are)
    • Stock her apothecary with herbs, tools, and books
    • Learn at least 50 herbs and their uses
  • Just a quick note: Cedar's herbal journey is her own and the above steps are not the "required, official, approved" way of becoming an herbalist. There is thankfully no such thing!
• Now, choose one of those three big steps to focus on.
  • Cedar has chosen to focus on learning about her 50 herbs because she just can't wait to meet some cool plants!
• Under your chosen big step, begin to break it down into bite-size actions that can be accomplished with relative ease.
  • Cedar decides to study 2 - 3 herbs each month to begin. She knows that she'll probably learn a lot more each month once she chooses a school she'll probably be studying more than that at a time, but 2 - 3 herbs seems like a reasonable an attainable goal for her to commit to right now. This step is broken down further each month when she chooses her specific herbs. She begins with Dandelion to begin with because it grows in her neighborhood. This goal will also help her stock her Apothecary in a mindful and deliberate way. 
  • She puts purchasing loose leaf paper and a binder to organize all of her notes in on her list.
  • Another step is to visit her local library and see what books on herbalism they have in stock so she can start building her reference library.

  • Learn more about easy steps on beginning your herbal studies!

Cedar Snufflegort's dream of becoming a community herbalist went from being "Holy heck! How am I going to do that?!" to "Holy heck, I've got a vision of where I'm going and it looks pretty dang clear!" Feel free to invoke the energy of courageous Cedar Snufflegort whenever you're feeling overwhelmed and be sure to practice the steps she followed to keep the vision of your dreams clear on the horizon til you finally reach them!

Be sure to join me next week, when I throw these rules out the window!

So, clever one, with a sense of greater clarity, you're invited to do the following:

• Prioritize your 1 - 3 study + practice goals for the week.
• Pursue these 1 - 3 study goals by choosing what you will do to accomplish them. Then do them!
• Make Pleasure in your practice.

Check out tips for success on our original post!

So how are you walking your Moonpath this week?
Post your goals below!

The Moon will be in her Waning Quarter phase in the sign of Scorpio on the February 11th (PST).
She'll be sitting in the 19th Mansion so named Al-Shaulah or the Sting.
What unwanted energies or situations might you be hiding from?

Moonpath: Week 2

I love to long for my future, and I love when
my future longs for me. It feels as good as dancing
to the most kickass song, when my body predicts beats and breaks
and rhythm changes, when it's all tight and suave, like all I've
been waiting for is right here, and I'm drinkin' it down easy.
Dawn Serber

Week 2 of the Moonpath is here, clever friends! Also, a very blessed Imbolc to the northern hemisphere folks and very blessed Lughnasadh to my southern hemisphere readers!

How was week 1 for you? Did you create goals? We're they just the right size? A bit big? Or did you finish them up quickly?

After the first week or cycle of a new practice it's important to look back and reflect on what worked and what didn't, improving, discarding, and adapting as needs dictate. Along with your goals for the week, post below about what did and didn't work for you, tricks that you think are pretty useful, and ways that you're planning on following through or adapting your practice for next week.

Just like last week, you're invited to do the following:

• Prioritize your 1 - 3 herbal study + practice goals for the week.
• Pursue these 1 - 3 herbal study goals by choosing what you will do to accomplish them. Then do them!
• Make Pleasure in your practice.

Check out tips for success on our original post!

So how are you walking your Moonpath this week?
Post your goals below!

The Moon transits into the sign of Leo at 9:41 AM/PST.
She sits in the Tenth Lunar Mansion - a place of restoration.
Tomorrow is a Full Moon in the sign of the Lion.
Courage and brave ambition are her energies.

Moonpath: Week 1

The people who say you are not facing reality actually mean that you are not facing their idea of reality. Reality is above all else a variable. With a firm enough commitment, you can sometimes create a reality which did not exist before.

Margaret Halsey

Welcome to our first week of Moonpath! For the full details of why I'm doing Moonpath and how it works, come this way, but mostly all you need to know is each Monday you are invited to the following:

• Prioritize your 1 - 3 herbal study + practice goals for the week.
• Pursue these 1 - 3 herbal study goals by choosing what you will do to accomplish them. Then do them!
• Make Pleasure in your practice.

Check out tips for success on our original post!

Our inspiration for this week is inspired by Halsey's quote above and the name of our very adventure - Moonpath! Halsey's quote points out a key component of pursuing a path of study, a path of life, a path of enchantment that reflects what you love and believe in - that reality is malleable and we have a central roll in shaping it. So what does this have to do with the meaning behind the name Moonpath? I'm glad you asked!

The Moon is a changeling in the sky - but only because we perceive her to be so. Even though we know that the Moon is a rock that maintains its general shape night after night, our perception of her changing and the waxing and waning of her light, holds power for many of us. It represents change as a dependable constant and the ability to shed and reshape ourselves and our world as we need to. The Moon can represent renewal, trying again, and learning to ebb and flow. I think that is powerful, reality-shifting magick.

So how are you walking your Moonpath this week? Post your goals below!

Today the Moon is in its Waxing Quarter phase in the sign of Taurus.
She is visiting the Third Lunar Mansion.
Sustainable success + pleasure are her energies.
Want to learn more?