Following the Moon: Get a Move on

The Natural Calendar, portable version, Drozda, 2012

Welcome to Following the Moon... I had a terrific 10 days away hosted by Lorain County Community College where I presented an Artist Residency and the Earth Day Eve Creativity Salon...thanks to all... the wonderful Joan Perch, all students and faculty for such a fabulous week.

Students working on Medai Blend, Drozda, 2012

This week the Wisdom Moon carries us through the First Quarter Phase...that means it's time to take an action in direction of your wisdom as it is unfolding. We can't see the Wisdom that we contain we can only express and meet it as it comes to find us.


First Quarter began early morning (EDT) Sunday, April 29 and extends through Wednesday, early evening, May 2.

In honor of both the beauty and wonder of the First Quarter Phase I share my dear artist friend Sandra's writing and her ideas for how you can connect with this potent time...


read more here
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Following the Moon: Love is a Verb

Heart Work, Drozda, 2009, underpainting

Welcome to the First Quarter Moon phase of the ~Love Moon cycle~

“The love we give away is the only love we keep” Elbert Hubbard (1859-1915)

The First Quarter Moon phase began Sunday, September 4 in the early afternoon (EST) and extends through Thursday, September 8 at dawn.

At the time of the First Quarter Phase under this September Moon we rally and manifest what we’ve been working toward. We make a push forward and step up the pace. This Love cycle isn’t about getting our own needs met it’s about giving our best and making what we love visible.
The vision that we held at the Spring Equinox (March 22) and at the New Moon of August 28 (think gathering power) becomes propelled…think rocket booster…blast o’ power… and this level of moving forward requires courage. I may sound like a broken record but this is the month to send your energy ideas into orbit…this is the month to grab hold of your star and shine. And just to keep it all in perspective…a gentle reminder that blasting off into a place of depth connection to ‘loving the life that is’ requires major courage and committment...read more


            IT’S TIME TO BECOME AN AHA ADVOCATE:


On the New ‘Experience’ moon, September 27, AHA’s for the Art/Life e-studio will open with ‘Tools for Change’. Eight focused ways to deepen your calm and quiet as you balance intention, motivation and desire. Being a member of the AHA community will be a rich and enlivening no pressure addition to your Art/Life. This is an opportunity to experience a lot of joy in a time when…hello…we truly deserve to recognize that we as artists are responsible for bringing the best we have to offer to every situation, relationship, opportunity and challenge…this is the time we were made for.

Participants in the live workshop version of AHA wrote in their evals:

“I want more!”

“This is a very powerful,creative and wonderful course. The instructor is very talented and brings forward participants gifts and skills.”

“Uplifting, encouraging, motivating, self-encouragement.”

”This is the second time I took this course and I loved it even more this time…”

Thanks so much (!!) for your AHA interest, email me at drozda33ATgmail.com and we’ll have a grand time as we share this wonderful new adventure…specifics will be coming on September 19… I so appreciate your patience with me on this…I’m in a new world and I’m all a flutter with the technology ‘-) To Paraphrase the wisdom of Osho : “…one learns what is a mistake and how not to commit it. Knowing what is error, one comes closer and closer to AHA’s”…and so it is.

What's Your Program?

'Balinese Brahaman sculpture'

Journal page, Drozda

Drozda photo

I went to Bali for a month long retreat and while there I had the delightful pleasure of learning the phrase, "What's your program?"
On the days when a driver would arrive to take me to visit different places on the 'Island of Artists' he would ask that question: 'What's your program?'. It made me further aware of the usefulness of having a daily focus and the helpfulness for all in being able to communicate what that focus is succinctly.

 So, What's Your Program?

We're in the First Quarter phase of this moon cycle and it's a grand time to be knowing 'what's your program' and to be taking an action in that direction. This energy will extend right through the weekend so enjoy the opportunity to increase Wisdom (the focus point for this whole cycle) in the direction that you love to face and keep in mind that when 'Following the Moon' there is no race. 

'Girls Painted Hands', Drozda 2010

nontoxic ink on hands

This is a photo from last weeks Saturday in the Studio at the Contemporary Art center of Virginia...invariably there is the week when some of the young artists decide that their program is body decoration. I let them have at it.

I hope that you enjoy your creative program as much as they did.

 ~May you sing the day

Following the Moon

The Bodhisattva, Drozda 2001

48x60 Acrylic/canvas

The second phase of each moon cycle is called the Crescent. It comes three days after the New Moon. The new moon started Friday, May 14. Since then perhaps you've noticed that some new opening(s) has occured for you. I've noticed that in my own life. I've got a large and challenging project before me as I step into this new walk around the natural year.  And I have enjoyed seeing how Claudine and Sharmon are posting 'brand new' news. Be sure to pay attention and celebrate yours.

Stay connected to your current passion, your artist dream. 

It's here, this week, where we can place our focus upon the plan for our goal. The Crescent phase offers this space each and every month/moon...how cool is that!! 

Now we won't be naive and think that we're giving the Universe a shopping list of things we think we deserve. It isn't like that. It's more grown up than wishful thinking. It's recognizing and owning our gifts and our talents and realizing that this 'ain't no dress rehearsal'. ..I tend to look at, and experience, this part of the monthly cycle as if I am tending the seed vision that I recently planted.  During the Crescent phase I observe that seed as it begins to push up and down simultaneously...root down, shoot up toward the light. We can't make that happen...that's a natural unfolding...its instinctive, that's the Crescent phase.

Journal page, Drozda

10.5x8" ballpoint pen on paper

Next step: between Thursday, May 20 and May 24, take a specific action. That time period will be the First Quarter phase. Put it on your calendar: a specific action between Thursday and next Monday! Take intiative. Express some aspect of your artist vison and the dream that lives in your gut that you yearn to give birth to. Make a phone call, write an important letter, start the new series, pick up your camera, go exploring, set up your work area, scope out the gallery or on-line shop set-up....you get the idea.   

See what it feels like for you. Share your action in the comments and we'll all learn as we go.
 
Some excellent words to apply in thinking, conversation and generally moving through life this week are: growth, positive assertion, opportunity, motion, movement, development, breaking away.

Thanks Julie for asking, in the last post's comment section, "what comes after May 14?" I hope this brief post will give you some ideas for engaging in the start of the 'Wisdom/Illumination' moon cycle.

Journal page, Drozda

10.5x8" ballpoint pen on paper

Bottom line, as so many before us have demonstrated ...(listen all creatives who are now hooking ourselves onto the chain of all the artists who have ever lived and worked throughout time)...follow your passion, your bliss, your awareness of your skills. Be reminded as you gently apply the lunar cycles to your studio time that there is no one, ever before, who as had your artist eye, your artist soul and your artist opportunity to shine like the star that you are. Aren't we so blessed that you're here...yuppers we sure are!!

~Sing to your Muse...she loves that.