102: SWEET TALK
MON 03 AUG 16:58 - Mooning Monthly spouting kind words aplenty....
Happy Lughnasadh dear ones In the northern hemisphere, the first days of August are traditionally tied to festivals expressing gratitude for an abundant, blight free harvest. Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-nah-sah) falls midway between Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox; also known as Lammas, (Loaf Mass Day) bread was baked from the first cut of wheat and ceremonially delivered to the local church back in the day. This was the proto-Great British Bake Off and another fine example of early Christian church appropriation of pagan ritual. Let's get baking Mooners! This year's festivities are handsomely accompanied by a full moon housed in Aquarius. In moonspeak, full moons are generally seen as periods in which we harvest the fruit nurtured from the seeds of intent sown at new moons. It can be rewarding to observe the fortnightly transitions between setting new moon dreams in motion and their progress toward manifestation under full moon. This cosmic tidal rhythm sets the tempo with which these columns are written and shared. This Aquarius New Moon carries a shed load of planetary influence: Uranus, Saturn and Mercury all playing their part. The upshot is that Uranus dominates, harbinger of great change - often uncomfortable. Mercury, the great communicator, sits opposite Saturn, ruler of the structures and institutions of our personal and societal worlds, which suggests we should be choosing our words very carefully over the next fortnight. We'll manage to piss people off without quite knowing how or why, potentially undermining relationships that represent the power structures in our lives: partners, parents, work, bosses, government, law and how those structures are maintained. This is not the week to push the buttons of anyone in authority or the previously mentioned uncomfortable change might be forcefully imposed upon us. We are more likely than usual to reap what we have sown under this Aquarius Full Moon. Our words may come back to haunt us as the law of cause and effect (Karma) provides an instant reflection of our thoughts and verbal output. If we take a negative approach in thought and word the outcomes will be negative. Similarly, a positive thought and comment will naturally lead to positive outcomes - mostly everyone feeling a bit better about themselves. (Positive Language Will Make You Happier - article) This is the week to take every opportunity to spread a few kind words wherever you find yourself. In the unrelenting discipline of only speaking positively, essentially finding the good in all circumstances however challenging, one trains the mind to follow suit. This is not a denial of the shit stuff, merely a reinterpretation of its influence on our life experience. Positive words encourage positive thoughts encourage positive actions begetting more positive thoughts, words and actions. It's one of those exponentially expansive, cyclical win/wins that we love so much here at Mooning HQ and, under this Aquarius Full Moon, could go some way to countering the predicted communication/relationship difficulties. As always at full moon, our emotions and instinctive behaviours (conditioned responses) are likely to hit their peak. Let's make a conscious effort to recalibrate any prevalent negative default settings to full on, full moon positive. Accordingly, we offer a couple of positively phrased do's and don'ts that might help sweet talk this testing Aquarius Full Moon into a boundless, bumper harvest. DO get positive. Upon waking each day for the next fortnight, consciously train your mind to exercise positive thoughts and words. Share them, in person or by text to anyone that is with you or that intuitively comes to mind. "What a beautiful day.......I love the incessant rain, it allows plants to grow and keeps us hydrated." Repeat the thought until firmly believed. DON'T contribute to or endorse other people's negative narratives. If you suspect an iffy whinge is in the offing, find a way to diplomatically walk away. Negativity will eventually start to feel like an ill fitting outfit - so why not strip off the pessimistic corsetry and slip into something a little more comfortable? DO mind your language. Words are a powerful tool. Make sure they are used only to good effect. If you're in danger of commencing a verbal downer STOP! keep your mouth shut until confident of picking up your positive thread. DON'T swear. Most of us are liberal with our effing and blinding (this column being a regular case in point). However, it is a good exercise once in a while to consciously cut out all profanities as an act of mindfulness. DO keep a swear/negativity box. For the next fortnight, charge yourself a quid every time you cuss or find yourself returning to patterns of habitual skepticism. DON'T cheat. Donate the proceeds to a worthwhile cause. DO switch off the news apps and outlets. It's a relentless stream of negativity that most of us would function better without. DON'T kid yourself that you're keeping up to date with current events. It's somebody else's editorial decision about what's important in life that has little to do with you at all. Nothing is more important than you. You are the narrative. You are the story and it's a daily miracle. Be your own editor. Switch that other shit off. DO end each day by sitting quietly and recalling the day's activities with gratitude, regardless of the challenges that may have been faced. DON'T underestimate the power of positive thinking (Stop Negative Self-Talk to Reduce Stress and Improve Health - article) DO encourage and nurture yourself and others through positive thought, word and subsequent action. It is a simple definition of Love and makes the world a better place to be. DON'T say don't...... We hope this message finds you happy and healthy. Do please share these affirmative words with friends of similar sensibilities - it's another valuable way in which Love continues its unlimited journey of expansion. Stay positive Mooners With love 'til next time....
FULL MOON MARKS
EACH MONTH WE PUBLISH A LUNAR INSPIRED DRAWING BY MARK WEIGHTON
AQUARIUS FULL MOON - IN MEMORY OF MARC 'STARMAN' TREANOR
18 x 18cm charcoal on paper
The eighth of 13 Full Moon inspired drawings for 2020 by artist Mark Weighton