Wow, the world is very different from when I began this blog some months ago. I have been on a break because I was dedicating all of my time to promotion of my band, The Nest, and preparing for our CD release party, which was scheduled for March 21st, but postponed. This pandemic has pulled the rug out from under us all.
So now, like most of you, I am home with my family and temporarily out of work. I see from social media that each of us is trying to find healthy ways to face life with the threat of a virus that could take the lives of our most vulnerable and, perhaps, even a loved one. It can be a paralysing fear for some. And then there is also the added stress of loss of income and having to live in isolation in a threatening world. So I wanted to share a tool that helped me survive the darkest time of my life. In 2001, I was going through a divorce, my dog was dying of cancer, and then, on top of that, I woke up on September 11th in Seattle to find that the World Trade Center was literally gone. This ushered in a time in the United States where people were divided into "you're either with us or against us." I dragged through my days in fear and grief, propelled only by caffeine, my job at King County DNR, the support of friends and family, and caring for my dear dog, Zephyr. But for any of you who have gone through personal hardships, you know that the mornings, when you wake up and remember your loss and struggle is like being punched, and the evenings, when you lie alone in your bed trying to forget long enough to get some sleep, are times when no one else can really help you. What saved me was gratitude. It literally pulled me through and got me out the other side. Each night before sleep, I started a habit to list five things for which I was grateful. I was so low that, at first, I could not even come up with five. But soon, I would note simple, everyday things that had blessed my life - a cherry tree exploding into blossoms that I passed on my walk to the bus stop, a person who smiled at me on the street downtown, my dog having the energy to walk around the block, the smell of rosemary on my hands after rubbing a neighbour's plant on the walk home. I actually can still remember those moments, they stand out as bright spots in those dark days. And this gratitude practice started opening my eyes to the good in each day. For instance, I had been going to the same bus stop for over a year and had not noticed the trees that grew near it until I began my gratitude practice. It is so easy for us to go through our habitual patterns without being aware of our surroundings... being lost in mental chatter or in a hurry. It was like I woke up in the world - I could see, hear, smell, taste, and feel things that had previously been background noise. Almost 20 years later, I still use this practice, especially in rough patches, and I even say thank you out loud to the trees, waters, and birds that fill my life with beauty and solace. I also make sure to tell my family and friends how grateful I am for their love and presence in my life. My partner and I have even wondered if it can be bad to say thank you too much, and have so far decided it can't. At night when my son is going to sleep, we often share three things for which we are grateful. Through this simple practice, we learn to pay attention to the good, to the abundance, to what we do have, and this can give us balance when the scary or tragic in the world is turned up to volume 10. I wish each of you good health and that you and your loved ones get though this pandemic safely. I am grateful that you have read my words and I hope this practice can ease any hardship you face, and perhaps even make your life more full. Take care!
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Today is the full moon and so I thought I would share this easy ritual to celebrate the moon. The moon's gravitational pull tugs at the earth's oceans and seas, giving us the tides. We women have a monthly cycle that mirrors the moon’s. This Moon Tea Ritual acknowledges the influence that the moon has on us physically and also as a symbol of all the cycles of life on earth: birth and death, the changing seasons, or even the times in our life when we have abundance or are in a dark, lonely place. The moon’s waxing and waning can remind us that all of these are temporary and the hard times will pass like the dark of the moon and days of fullness will come again, over and over in a grace-filled circle.
My sister taught me how to make moon tea 18 years ago, so this has been passed on orally the way rituals have been throughout human history. I usually make full moon tea, when the power of the moon is at it’s height. But you can also make new moon tea, to honor something that you want to grow in your life. Choose a favorite ceramic or glass cup or bowl, depending upon your preference or the number of people who will be partaking in your ritual. Also choose some herbs or flowers that you like, though you can even rip open a bag of herbal tea or use nothing at all. I like to place an object in the bowl, such as a ring or a crystal, to absorb the moon’s energy and to wear as a reminder throughout the month (Wash these before you put them in.). But an object is not a necessity. Stand beneath the beautiful, shining moon with your cup or bowl full of water and herbs and look at her. If the weather is bad or it is winter, you can leave your bowl on a windowsill. It doesn’t matter if there are clouds; remember, the tides still happen on cloudy nights, so we always feel the moon’s pull even when we can’t see her brilliance. Take a few cleansing breaths so that you are grounded and present. Think of what the moon’s fullness (or newness, if making new moon tea) means to you in that moment and how it relates to your life. You might already have a particular thing that you want the blessing of the moon’s energy for, but I like to see what comes up in the moment since it is a result of communing with Mother Moon. Often I am reminded to have gratitude for the fullness in my life, even when life feels hard and stressful. Or I ask that the ritual remind me that fullness will come again and whatever hard thing I am going through isn’t forever. Other themes might be to have fullness in your relationship, your creative life, etc. If it is a new moon, then the subject of my prayer/wish is to have some aspect of my life grow. When I know the words I want to say, I declare it to the bright moon and place my object in the cup. I then leave the bowl outside where it will get some moonlight. I finish by expressing my gratitude. If you are doing the ritual with a group, you can start off telling about the moon’s phase and its symbolism. Then ask that each person pass the bowl and, when they hold it, state their prayer/wish out loud or to themselves and place their object in the bowl before passing it on. In the morning, thoughtfully sip the cool sweet tea that has bathed in the moonlight. With each sip, visualize the moon’s light and power, along with your intention, being drunk into your body. Then put on your ring, or take the object and put it where you can see or feel it, to be reminded of of your wish until the next phase of the moon!
This blog will be a place where I share my thoughts, experiences, and philosophies on life. It will be filled with poems and prose, with my joy and my pain. It will be filled with what keeps me up at night and what soothes my soul. I will introduce you to my teachers, both human and elemental. I will share my successes and my failures, and throughout it all will be the gratitude and humor that keeps me going.
This blog is called Ad Astra, which means to the stars and symbolizes, for me, a reminder to reach for what I want, no matter how far it seems. The banner picture is a painting of the same name by my favourite Finnish artist, Akseli Gallen-Kallela. I first got to know him through his illustrations for the the Kelevala, the Finnish national epic which is the most important literary work in Finland. I love the painting... ok, as a redhead, I am partial to redheads in art! But seriously, I always enjoy the way Gallen-Kallela uses color and I like the way her hair is a halo. Also, the moon holds a lot of personal symbolism for me as a reminder that all cycles from fullness to emptiness and back again (I have a tattoo of the three phases of the moon that I got over 15 years ago during a dark time in my life). It is thought that the painting depicts the artist's soul rising after death. We plan to visit the museum where this painting is housed to take pictures of it for the album cover for my band, The Nest's, first official album. Thank you for reading and I would love to hear from you if something I write resonates with you. Peace.
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sally armbrechtexplore my musings. they come from the deep, dark night when I am alone with my thoughts. ArchivesCategories |