November 9, 2022
Here we are, in deep Fall with diminishing light and colder temperatures seducing us into a more hygge lifestyle. As much as I live for the golden apex of early October in the mountains, I am enjoying the calm moment of stillness in nature’s song… This season is a time of contrast. We go from equal light to diminishing light so quickly and from the most brilliant colors to the most dull in what seems like a blink of an eye…Earth has asked us to abide by her infinite promise of death, decay, and then of course regeneration. We can fight her rhythms or we can learn to flow with them.
I have found a tremendous amount of flow this Season which has afforded me creative output, and a general sense of peace and wellbeing. I was able to put together a mountain art calendar for the 8th year in a row, I developed the second edition of my gratitude journal, and I’ve even taken on the largest map illustration job I’ve ever done. As “elf season” (when artists make all their money selling art around the holidays) approaches I can feel my obsession for completion creeping in, but a last the work is never done…
As I’ve learned more about the Moon and all the wisdom she offers, I’ve tried to shift my connection to timelines. Our culture operates at such a fast pace, revolving around a 24 hour cycle, demanding everything out of us in one rotation of the sun, day in and day out. Shifting my focus to measuring time and productivity by a 28 day cycle (just like the moon) put me at so much more ease with myself. There are times when we have more energy and can be more productive (like right now when the moon is full) and there are times that serve us best with rest and reflection (during a new moon.) I’ve always struggled with the desire to be excellent all the time… and to demand excellence out of others ALL THE TIME. It’s just not realistic and the more I notice these tendencies, the more I can let go of them and allow more ease to flow into my life.
A friend recently shared some advice for coping with the fullness of life with small kiddos that I think is worth sharing and is somewhat universal- kiddos or not. She said she uses the mantra it can wait as a way to sort out what is most important in any given moment. The dishes can wait. Formatting a new page on my website can wait. Crossing one more thing off my list can wait. It does not mean that being a slacker is a great business or life strategy. It just means that its important to be strategic about what matters most. Cuddling my baby by the fireplace, watching my toddler pick apples from the tree and carefully place them in a basket or taking a family walk before the sun goes down (at 2pm in Redstone :) is more important that most of the things on my to-do list. It’s not always easy to be present for those moments but they are the moments that matter most.
Thanks for reading! I hope this week’s Full Moon gave you energy and momentum that allows you to downshift and reclaim some rest as we slide into one of the most magical and also busy seasons of the year…
