Following the Moon/Stepping Through the South Gate

'The Handless Maiden', Drozda 2001

13.5x9

Acrylic on wood

Welcome to a brief look at the 'Luna See' for the week ahead. 'Luna See' is presented as an artist tool.  Choose what you will, apply it, invest in your creative movement through time. 


I chose the painting 'The Handless Maiden' from my archives file because my hands are 'speaking to me' during this broken bone healing time. I'm drawn to symbolism and metaphor and life has prompted me to once again read the tale of The Handless Maiden as told and interpreted by Clarissa Pinkola Estes in Women Who Run with the Wolves.  Estes says, "The Handless Maiden" covers a many-years-long journey...the journey of a woman's entire lifetime...so read it and sit with your Muse, turning it part by part, over a generous period of time."

I hope that you'll find the stories that speak to you, that help you grow.

It's time to say 'Thank you'.
A lot of creative brilliance has happened since the cycle began on June 12 hasn't it?  On June 21st the Summer Solstice point opened the South Gate and you 'turned a corner'. June 26 brought the Lunar Eclipse and the stage is set for pure poetry.

Much of 'Luna See' is sourced in the Earth Calendar/Medicine Wheel teachings of Sun Bear. In future posts I'll bring in more information and diagrams so that you can actively visualize the movement and the patterns of your creative life within this beautifully grounded approach. Today I want to introduce you to a fabulous teacher of 'walking in balance'.  In her  Dancing the Wheel of Psychological Types Mary Loomis, Ph.D. equates the Summer Solstice point in the year to "Choosing a myth that allows you to learn through pleasure instead of pain."
Working with them since 1989 I have great respect for these 'quarter points' of the year. Each one marks an excellent opportunity for setting a 90 day studio goal. Year upon year you can focus upon 'what needs to be addressed and acted upon' for your creative growth during the time between Summer Solstice and Fall Equinox.

Robyn asked a question in the comments section of last weeks post. Living in South Africa she wondered how to translate particular seasonal aspects of 'Luna See' to her hemisphere. I would suggest intuitively applying the parts of 'Luna See' that feel natural. Recognize that within one year this wheel will give you the opportunity to feel a deeper connection to your own creative rhythm. Simply applying the monthly keywords to your studio work is majorly creative. In the July 11 'Luna See' newsletter I list all of the keywords and how you can begin to use your personal pair. Subscribe here.

Through Wednesday, July 7, we are in the phase called Third Quarter or the Waning Crescent. It is here, at the 3rd Quarter each month, when we can pause and review what actually has taken place since the cycle began. Factoring in gratitude and thankfulness for three whole days is quite empowering and energizing. Make a list. Appreciation and recognition of what has been received, as you know, opens the way for more inspiration and ideas to arrive. So first of all say Thank you very much, Gracia, Merci, Dankeschön.

Growth is the keyword for the month of July. Thursday morning we enter the Balsamic phase, the last three days of the moon cycle that began on June 12. Dream about the growth that you want to have happen in conjunction with your creative work. This is an excellent time to meditate on the way that your work is currently being shared. You might ask for dreams to show direction regarding the best way for your art/life to Grow. 

Journal page, Drozda 2005

11x4.5"

ballpoint pen

On Sunday the New 'Growth/Trust' Moon cycle begins with a Solar Eclipse. Here's a portion of what Sandra writes at Zodiacarts:

A solar eclipse is a New Moon with tremendous impact. The Sun that gives us life and lights our path is joined briefly with the dark and mysterious qualities of the Moon. The Moon blocks the light of the Sun. In this moment of perceived darkness, spirituality and the psyche combine anew, beginning another cycle in the spiral of our personal development.


The last time there was a solar eclipse at this same degree of Cancer was in 1991; the next one will be in 2029. Think back to the personal themes in your life during the summer of 1991 and review the progress of your personal growth over the last 19 years.


All eclipses indicate change; solar eclipses signify beginnings and usually manifest as events in the outer world. At solar eclipses we: begin something new, make promises to ourselves, commit, announce, present ourselves, show up, make plans, select events, make decisions, rise to the challenge, make an effort, change, mature, take on greater challenges, travel at a faster pace, feel restless, feel pressured by deadlines and a buildup of emotions, experience a crisis and feel excited.


On July 11 move into the proactive realm of a vision. Actively connect to the emotion that can propel you forward. During this new cycle be Artist/Explorer. Let everything be new. A consciously chosen fresh view makes the relationship with your creative work, and all of life, take on a richer, dynamic and inspired hue. Go for the stretch in this July 11-August 8 Growth/Trust moon cycle.

The 'Luna See' e-newsletter can be delivered to your mailbox each month on the new moon...subscribe button here.

~May you sing the days~