Gazing at the moon
How do you mark out time? I feel deeply connected to the shifting seasons and the energy of each one. This energy (or lack of) informs the way I express the landscape and how I live with the seasons. Tracking the passage of time are the months though they are quite arbitrary and only over time have we ended up with twelve manmade months, and they are of varying lengths. The rhythm of time for me is marked by the waxing and waning of the moon. I celebrate each full moon and use it as a time to conclude projects. I start projects with the new moon and feel energised at this time. Perhaps as I let go of my own monthly cycle, I am attaching greater reverence to the large rock that orbits the earth with us.
I am a great promoter of gazing at the moon….howling if you prefer. In our over-scheduled lives, taking a moment to review one cycle before beginning the next I think keeps us focussed on what matters. If I attribute to the moon my soul self and let her keep watch over me, I can focus time for reflection to make sure that I am serving my soul, with ritual, with time for being my truest self, with time for caring for myself. The clock driven, made up time of the months can be kept for the mundane stuff.
Moon and Stars - Helen Hallows
So as this new moon cycle begins, what are you beginning? Starting new things is part of the creative mindset. There is no shame in not finishing them all. I advocate for following your intuition, indulging in a sense of play and not focussing on endpoints and outcomes. Not all your beginnings will work out. Let them go. Some will lead to fruition - perhaps on the full moon.
Let nature’s beat mark out time and keep on starting new projects. Take the pressure off yourself. Once you realise you are a minute spark in an infinite universe, perhaps you can just enjoy the moment of creating, tuned in to the wonder of being alive.
Gazing at the moon…
If you enjoyed reading this and enjoy the meeting point of art and wellbeing; If you want to find your creative flow and stand in the infinite space of art making, you might like to subscribe to my monthly posts. Each month I connect to the season and share what is validating me, what inspires me. I offer a deeper space for reflection, and prompts to help you into a space of stillness, noticing and expression. Some months I will share a technique for your practice, other months I will be connecting with other artists and seeing how their practice brings them joy and what art and wellbeing mean to them. My subscriber post is emailed on the first of the month and I would love to share it with you. Join my community and together, let us create a web of wonderment.
If you like what you read, please click the ‘heart’ button and consider re-sharing this to your Substack notes. If you know someone who might enjoy my posts please forward it to them. And let me know what you think in the comments!
I loved reading your post about creating with the phases of the moon - I don’t create by the phases of the moon, but it’s a fascinating concept especially as the moon affects our own cycles and energies. I do live as seasonally as possible and as an artist, each season brings lots of inspiration and change in the way I create, especially with the light changes and daylight hours.
I love the Moon and Stars picture Helen, the small size of the house really captures how big the night sky is and how tiny we are in the universe. The colours are so wintery and I can feel the chilly air. Thank you for this post.