New Moon in Taurus (today, tonight), May 17-18, 2015 ... Big Growth, New Beginnings

The New Moon in Taurus is blessing us with all kinds of growth. In the woods around us, these shoots of Bracken ferns starting in a small way (March 11, 2015) 

are now nearly six feet tall ...

The season of big growth comes with radical and riotous pollen season. I am one of those who collects the pollen, and must learn through experience, trial, and error what I can do to make peace with Nature wanting, and needing, to grow. Climate change, and global warning has been pointed to as a 'reason' for such long and intense pollens. Washington State is officially declared 'in drought.'

While I weather the storm of pollens from my tiny shelters, I muster the energy necessary to root myself in practices that respect my sensitivities, and concoct toxic-free remedies. My ears are plugged with cotton balls to keep warm olive oil, garlic pressed through a sieve, and dried 'olena (turmeric) sent to me from Kalihi Valley on O'ahu (my grandmother's birth place).

The two month waiting period that limits my ventures out of the woods, tests my patience and my practice as makua o'o (elder in training). A lifetime's journey. I dig in around here, and it's the inner journeys that occupy my time. Time curves, just as the moon fills, flows, pauses, empties ... kaulana (cycles) mahina (the moon). The cotton balls in my ears create a baffle to hearing what Pete says to me, but, I can hear myself very clearly. Funny. Anyway, Last night as Pete was penciling entries and shapes of the moon into his journal we had this conversation.

"How has living with the moon calendar affected your life?" I asked.

Pete didn't hesitate much in answering. "I notice that the moon's light balances everything else. The sun is not everything. When the moon is in her second, ana ... he hesitated with the pronunciation.

"Anahulu," I said.

"Anahulu (10-day/night Hawaiian calendar week)," Pete repeated. "The forest is lit up at night. [Life] is not just about what the sun does."

Then Pete asked me the same question, "How has living with the moon calendar affected your life?"

"It's the 'ole phases that make the most difference for me. The phases that make me slow down and consider whether my actions are going in the right (pono/harmonious) direction...."

"They (the 'ole phases) have become part of everything we do or don't do." Pete added.

Living with moon time, life changes. Governed as we have been in our beliefs about time, the return to Moon time is slowly and steadily make a new coral reef upon while we gain steadily, until we become firmly established.

The New Moon in Taurus tonight is a time for setting intentions, and feeding that intentions with action. Read here for our intention for this MUKU nei. 

And lastly, a 5 minute energy routine from Donna Eden that I re-started this morning. Another good intention ... clear and clean the collective pollens with something re-newed; practice good health practices.

An astrology question

What do you see/read in the chart below?

New Moon in Sagittarius, December 2, 2013

"The new moon in Sagittarius takes place on December 2nd at 11 degrees. It comes just in time to give people hope. If you already have hope, your hope will be reinforced. This is a very positive new moon... -read the whole post at ElsaElsa for thoughts about the new moon in the Houses

This new moon in Sagittarius will be in my 11th house. "New Moon in the 11th house – Give to friends and make some new ones," suggests my astrologer. I've been given the start of a new year, that in many peoples' eyes, especially those who have rebuilding, relearning, and restoring themselves after experiencing loss or as I've come to call it a personal typhoon. Relating to that sort of water-born devastation, the wounds are fresh. Typhoon Haiyan is no accident. What I can do about that typhoon does start with recognizing how one wound affects all. My astrologer Elsa P. is offering me an opportunity to recognize the hope that comes after wounding(s). The hope I feel during my freshly begun new year I put down in the Route 66 posts that have begun here. The energy of the Sagittarius New Moon coming up helps to transform the episodes of wounding when I try to step into spaces that are unsafe for me: try as I might to push on the borders of "safe" some things, some situations are still 'no goes.' Pete and I had one of those situations yesterday. It threw us for a toxic loop. We fell back into the anger-loss-wounded place.

Where's the hope?

Gratefully it comes with time and an informed knowing. Today I see how to apply the energy of the feminine, the moon energy of Sagittarius. There are friends (old and new) that could be made by generously giving what I authentically have. My long-time readers and family know that my blogging life began with the blog VARDO FOR TWO. I closed that blog to the public in 2011. I've reopened it with a new attitude based on my awareness that some good can come by sharing the story of building a two-wheeled Gypsy-style home. We built it with hope. Today we live in it and thrive because I've found a recipe for weaving magic and myth into stories that transcend obstacles. I need these stories, and they come. I write them down, and hope grows. These are mythic times believe it or not.Vardo For Two my first blog is reopened continuing with "Stories Five Years Later ... life on the borders where myth-making and magic are the remedy". Link to VardoForTwo. 
(the link works now, thanks jt!)

New Moon in Leo, Tuesday, August 6, 2013 ... 'grounded creativty'

Pete and I were talking things over earlier this morning. Our cat was recouping from a boundary dispute with the neighboring feline and not at her morning best. I was still sleepy from the night, but I'd been across the orchard to let the chickens out and already having my first dose of astrology with Elsa P. Even before oatmeal, I check the sky with my internet astrology pair, Elsa Panizzon and 'Satori'.

"Every day, she's at it," Pete said in between spoonfuls of oatmeal. "For years!"
"Yup, for eleven years," I said remembering the first time I found ElsaElsa when we lived in the basement kitchenette in South Seattle. That was in 2008. What a time it was. I count that first discover of ElsaElsa as a safety pin of great importance. We were dazed and amazed by the changes brought on by illness and choices we made; and would need to sort out what we could (and can't) do about choices others made that affect us. That was five years ago, and a zillions decisions and experiences later. We have finished the process of building the vardo pictured below and still ... I am often amazed at 'what next' means.

I am in the midst of a creative project now that has been (it seems) a life-time in the making. The Safety Pin Cafe is a mythic memoir, mine. The story is written and the beat of the storytelling journey is out there keeping the rhythm going even while I am not quite sure how it will conclude. Slower than I'd like, I am teaching myself to format the story into a book. Learning new software and applying it is tedious stuff. I just keep at it. Some days less energy is available to me; I recoup like GJots our kitty. Astrology keeps me posted to the energy that is available, or angles that might assist or hinder. I pay attention. The New Moon in Leo coming soon is energy worth embracing. Elsa writes about the Leo New Moon,

"...Uranus will trine the Sun and Moon in Leo, blending independence with originality and creativity. Hard to complain about that!
Quirky will be in. Purple, red and gold in combination.

Here are some key phrases to keep in mind:

• Free your heart

• Daring creativity

• Shiny innovation

• Surprising talent"

  
  The New Moon in Leo will be in my 7th House of Relationships, and within a degree of my Pluto's position when I was born. The potential for deep and meaningful relationships will be highlighted. I'm excited in a positive way with that Leo New Moon coming up. The work of 'grounded creativity' is what I can feel today. I'm meeting with someone new on Monday, August 5th, the afternoon prior to that Leo New Moon. Annie Zeller Horton co-hosts an internet radio program on WhidbeyAIR  called "Isle of the Art." She's invited me to join her and talk about The Safety Pin Cafe from 1PM-2PM, on Monday, August 5, 2013.  Listen in, it ought to be a lot of fun!

•  "Free your heart" ... Leo is all about heart. I've been feeling for the freedom to my dear old Leo heart with tinctures of this and that.
• "Daring creativity" ... The Safety Pin Cafe journey has involved a daring to include people I have not met to join me in reading a quirky story about aging and changing face. The process is ...

• "Shiny innovation" ... not exactly understandable to all, but perhaps it is just right for those who do straddle the borderlands and wish for a cozy place to reckon their backbones to a new center.
• "Surprising talent" ... that might apply by some standard. I find it surprising myself to discover what does work today.
  Where will the Leo New Moon be in your chart? What independence and creativity will combine in your life?

Riding to the New Moon in Cancer, Monday, July 8, 2013

" Saturday night the Moon in Cancer, its home sign, conjuncts Jupiter and trines both Saturn and Mars. This is the ride up to the new moon and it lights up the grand trine in water as a delicious prelude. Moon to Neptune is dreamy and Moon to Saturn is solid. Isn’t it romantic, okay? It’s an opportunity to feel the possibilities, the soaring fantasy of your dreams and the solid support of reality. It’s also a time to experience joy and hope and the feeling that you can make these dreams real. Whether or not that’s true, who knows. But it can feel true, so why not enjoy it?... - Satori

The New Moon in Cancer begins the newest cycle of possibilities. In the sign of the crab, the nurturer, it means a lot for my family so I look close to home and notice. The effects of the New Moon in the houses of astrology offer this for my family:

• 7th house – Nurture your partner
  
• 10th house – Communication in the workplace

"Nurture your partner" ... there's my clue for Monday's New Moon in the 7th house. "Communication in the workplace" ... both my husband and son will have the New Moon in their 10th house.  I can see how valuable it is for me to nurture my husband who cares for a lot of people in our community. He's got many irons in the fire, so I get that home base is precious space. It's easy to love him, keep him fed, and fuel us both at the same time. Time has taught me what Satori is talking about "to feel the possibilities, the soaring fantasy of your dreams and the solid support of reality. It’s also a time to experience joy and hope and the feeling that you can make these dreams real."

The New Moon, Hilo, in Kaulana Mahina (The Hawaiian Moon Calendar) is a time when fishing is good. A dark night sky the fish will be feed, and a wise fisher person will know which fish feed and where. Hilo moon is not a particularly good planting moon, the water within plants will not rise with growing energy. So wait to plant. See how this might apply to fishing and planting in your life?

Where will the New Moon be in your chart?

New Moon in Gemini, June 8, 2013

Something opens our wings. Something makes boredom and hurt disappear. Someone fills 

the cup in front of us: We taste only sacredness. -Rumi

The quote from Persian mystic and poet Rumi says it all for me. It's a beautiful day in my Pacific Northwest neighborhood, I'm excited to be alive and want to fill some cups, just like Rumi said. Timing is the secret to comedy, and the time seems right to spread the word and put the challenge out to my neighbors far and near. I'm hoping for viral.

The astrology prep work of the New Moon in Gemini from Elsa P. has me "brainstorming how to be effective" with the New Moon in Gemini conjuncting my natal Uranus.


Here's the back story ...

In 2000 I traveled to Hiroshima Japan to deliver 1,000 origami (Japanese paper folded) cranes to the Sadako Peace Park. My friends and I gathered at my home to fold paper cranes all year long; they folded cranes at work; they gave me cranes from their 1,000 wedding cranes. One of my friends who helped fold cranes was a flight attendant with Northwest Airlines she came through with a buddy pass. She and I made the trip and we were bumped into First Class to enjoy the trip.

Here's the thing that added sacredness to an already miraculous experience: a few days before we left I severely injured my lower back teaching yoga. There was a big lesson to learn with that, and I would learn it for years to come. See many someones filled my cup to get those cranes to the Sadako Peace Park. There was my ticket to Japan (first time in first class, first time Japan); then the heated massage pillow for easing the pain while I flew; the hospitality of the Japanese people, especially the owners of the Soba Shop who fed us wonderful noodles and had a secret oitment for my back.

Now, thirteen years later the injury to my back and the lesson about pushing from ego have mostly realigned me. I have had many people fill my cup since, and feel it is time to fold more paper. Maybe my current lesson is "Use it or lose it." Pass it on, pass it forward. Like attracts like. This time I would like to fold paper cups. A Thousand Paper Cups. Paper cranes are beautiful, but they're intricate to fold and honestly I have difficulty with them now. Paper Cups are breezy, easy and so cute!

Here's the challenge:
Would you like to join in, from where you are (any where you are!) and fold A Thousand Paper Cups?