My father was a teacher and my hero. He was a night owl like me. He loved the night sky and as a child I would gaze up in wonder as he pointed out the North Star, Orion´s Belt and the Milky Way. When I grew older and came home from university during the holidays, we often talked through the night. At sunrise, we would drive to the beach and catch a glimpse of the moon and stars before they disappeared in the morning light. Being young, my opinions were black and white, but he gently taught me the nuances, the shades of grey, how to appreciate a different point of view. He also taught me about the phases of the moon, the waxing and waning, and about the cycles of life.
At the waning moon it´s time for releasing and letting go, and as the full moon approaches, like the tide, emotions run high. The new moon, the dark moon and the full moon are like the crests of the waves, points at the top and bottom of the cycle. During the dark moon, just before the new silver crescent appears, the moon is hidden. The night sky sparkles, glorious in all her diamonds. This is the best time for release. The pull of the moon draws feelings to the surface and sometimes there are tears. Diamond droplets, emotions we haven’t got words for.
We´re now a couple of days into the first week of a waxing moon, the time for planting seeds, setting intentions, planning new projects. I set my intention to work on my Endless Possibilities series. I want to create a healing painting for balance and harmony. The process starts in the first days of the waxing moon. I´ll begin with gold leaf and inscribe the Reiki Master symbol on the back. I might paint the colours of the rainbow, the chakra colours, moving from red to violet. Rune symbols will also be used and perhaps I´ll paint a tree for strength, reaching up into a golden, lilac sky. As the moon grows stronger, I´ll use crystals and the moonlight to draw the healing energy into the canvas.
That was my intention, anyway...
But I spent the day fiddling about on my website and doing lots of practical things, painting something completely different, resisting the emotional pull. The lunar phases reassure me that life is in a constant cycle of renewal, of learning from the past and letting go, creating space for something new. My resistance and efforts to control the process are the source of considerable discomfort. Go with the flow sounds easy, doesn´t it? But I will try and swim upstream before I do that. The tattoo on my forearm reminds me that “this too shall pass”, bringing me back into the present.
The lockdown has meant an almost total disconnection from the material world for me, but it has enabled me to take stock and learn new things. I signed up for courses on Mind Valley and embarked on a fascinating, fruitful, spiritual journey. As restrictions relax and the shops begin to re-open, I´m mindful that this is a new beginning for us. We´re not travelling back in time “to normal”. This is a new adventure and balance is needed to tread lightly on a familiar but fragile new path.
On April 26 there will be a Super Pink Moon which always signifies rebirth and renewal. It was given its name by the Algonquin tribe in North America, in the spring when the pretty pink wild ground phlox is in bloom. The Pink Moon is all about finding balance in turbulent times. It will keep me awake all night playing and painting, stargazing and moon watching, thinking of my Dad.
In the meantime, I´ll be busy doing anything but what I intended to do.
Marja Brown
Landscape Artist
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