51: THE SWEET SMELL OF JINGO
Fri 13th July 03.47 - Mooning Monthly Edition 51 on the World Cup stage hoping to score.....
Summer salutations dear Mooners
We have a new moon in Cancer packed full of counterpoint and contrast early doors on Friday the 13th (UK time). It also qualifies as a partial solar eclipse with Lady Luna visibly coming between us and the Sun (ever so slightly) if you happen to be surfing the very Southern coast of Australia or trekking across Tasmania.
Solar eclipses are, generally speaking, an ultra powerful New Moon; slightly unpredictable affairs that interrupt the Sun's energising flow of light to our subconscious and often leave us, temporarily, not knowing which way is up.
As you might have come to expect, we here at Mooning HQ like to take a positive reading of the situation, utilising the sudden interruption in our habitual responses and behaviours as a pause in which to recalibrate our general outlook in thought, word and deed to make substantive progress in our individual and collective evolution.
What does that mean in practical terms? Not much more than having a long hard look at ourselves and the circumstances we habitually create, assessing what's working and, perhaps more importantly, what isn't, before very consciously setting some clear intentions for what we want to manifest in the future.
These intentions, most effectively sown as seeds of change at a new moon such as this, if consistently supported by our thoughts, words and deeds, hold the potential to change and improve our lives, and as a direct consequence make the wider world a tangibly better place for all we encounter. It's a process we call Mooning and we naturally commend it to all.
The Cancer New Moon can be a mixed bag at the best of times, providing a wealth of contrasts. Cancer energy can be nurturing and family oriented whilst regularly volatile in mood swings and laced with insecurities. Under a solar eclipse, we can expect everything to be exacerbated, particularly in our relationships.
It would be fair to say that our understanding of life is defined by our relationships. As humans, everything we perceive or notice is because of our relationship with something else. It is the dominant theme of our dualistic, comparative experience: me and it/her/him/them; here and there; this and that; now and then.
Under the Cancer New Moon, these dualities are thrown into even greater contrast which, with a degree of self awareness, we can turn to our evolutionary advantage instead of writing ourselves into some great cosmic conspiracy as the ultimate victims of all the shite that ever was. In the comparative terms of our preferences, this is an optimum week to mindfully consider what we do NOT want in life; to focus attentively on that and by process of elimination, create an equal and opposite energetic focal point of attraction for those things that we actually DO want.
These great gifts do not then need to be as pedantically defined as the brand of Beluga caviar you desperately wish to find at an unbelievable price in the reduced racks at Waitrose. The process instead is to allow abundance to manifest in our lives unencumbered by our often over-specific, limiting wilful desires, confident that the universe continues its path of ever changing, positive expansion with our best interests inextricably thrown into the mix. If our best intents are represented in that evolutionary equation by very clear messages from us about what we don't want, the possibilities for realisation of everything else (our dreams and aspirations) are enhanced. It may seem a little arse about tit, but it's actually a very efficient way of harnessing the Universal Law of Attraction (more on which another day perhaps) - so we do suggest giving it a go.
Here's a plan: A little bit of mindfulness goes a long way!
Make time to find a quiet spot, in a quiet part of your day and STOP!
Sit with a straight back, eyes lightly closed and concentrate solely on your breathing: the physical sensations of your in breath and out breath, at your own natural rhythm. When your mind wanders (as it surely will), don't fret, just acknowledge where your mind has wandered off to and escort your attention back to your breath.
As you focus on your breathing for just a matter of minutes, you will begin to witness the slowing down of distracting thoughts, leaving space to observe the sounds and sensations around and within you - noises, smells, physical feelings. This process of non judgemental observation, allowing things to be just as they are, can quickly be developed into a state of hyper-awareness from which you are at liberty to choose the thoughts with which you engage. One becomes the author of one's line of thinking as distinct from the victim of continually distracted mental meanderings. In a word folks - concentration.
When the mental meandering slows down a tad (it rarely, if ever, ceases completely) you can choose to bring to mind the stuff in your current life experience that you intuitively know isn't what you want. Intuition is vital here and of increased power under the Cancer New Moon. It's your most reliable (but rarely trusted) navigation system on life's journey. It's a direct line to your wider purpose and the bigger picture to which you are inextricably connected; the big YOU if you like.
As you intuitively acknowledge the shite stuff you don't want in your life and, vitally, commit to changing the situation, you immediately realign your focus of attention to that new, improved vision of your reality, launching it toward manifestation.
As a result, everyone and everything wins. As you give undivided attention to the expanding, improving YOU that has seamlessly evolved from the simple process of working out what you don't want in life, your whole game plan shifts toward improvement and expansion at every level. As a sentient being and part of Earth's rich biosphere, it's kind of what you came here to do: to push things on instead of holding things back.
As a rule of thumb, if you feel shit, you're more than likely holding personal and collective evolution back; if you're feeling good, you're probably in the flow and good to go. And the universe (the Big You) has a vested interest in itself and yourself continuing to operate in mutual alignment i.e. the benefit of All. Much as we might give doggie treats to our beloved canines when they do as we ask (or simply as encouragement not to wee indiscriminately) the All in All of the universe naturally maintains the flow of abundance in our direction if we're behaving considerately.
After ten or fifteen minutes, or as long as you feel comfortable with the contemplation process in relative peace and quiet, you should have a clearer picture of what you don't want in life but, more importantly, some fresh impetus to instigate change and improvement towards your heartfelt desires. As you close your period of meditation, by offering a small word of gratitude, it's a good idea to jot down the ideas that intuitively came to mind so they can be returned to and reinforced in thought, word and deed in your everyday activities. The suggestion here is to stay clear minded. Mixed messages (aka doubt) just confuse everything and slow the manifestation process dramatically.
The suggestion here is to repeat these quiet pauses over the next week or so until the creative vision you desire is as familiar as quality time with your best mate and makes you feel just as good.
So, during the run up to this Cancer New Moon, let's have a go dear friends - 'cos we think we're hard enough! Just like the English World Cup Squad, let's seize the opportunity provided by the solar eclipse to re-boot (see what I've done there?) our vision of ourselves and what we might achieve. Those tender English, footballing lambs, shepherded by their manager Gareth SouthPark under the hideous yoke of perennial national team underachievement, have had to define how they didn't want to play before eventually finding confidence in their courageous, progressive, on field performances. It's been a long time coming. (Projected heroic disappointment on penalties in this Wednesday's semi-final notwithstanding.)
Under the contrasting, polarised energies of this Cancer New Moon, we Mooners too can defy negative expectation by positively reimagining our relationships, with ourselves and others, consigning our disappointments to the past as we perform to the best of our abilities on the biggest stage in pursuit of our ultimate goals.......Ahhh, the sour waft of fresh jingoism. We may puke.
"We're coming home
We're coming home
*_________'s coming home."
Traditional derivative English battle chant circa July 2018 - *fill as appropriate
May the ref be with us 'Til next time
