69: TO THE BEDROOM?
Fri 5th April 10.50 - Mooning Monthly Edition 69 cleans out its underwear drawer.....
Solar soaked salutations dear Mooners
We trust you negotiated that big ol' solar flare on the Spring Equinox Full Moon which had a few of us wondering which way was up a couple of weeks back (solar link here). We were festooned with gifts from all angles by our illuminating, ever generous Sun, what with the flares and simultaneous emission of abnormal gamma radiation levels (gamma link) all amplified up to 11 on the solar dial via the reflective face of Lady Luna herself at Libra Full Moon. This may provide something of an explanation if you've found yourself disoriented or out of sorts recently. It was a significant, cosmic shed load to soak up dear ones but we hope you absorbed it all with Mooner's good grace.
Still slightly ginger from the solar overload - we've been suffering symptoms akin to a heavy hangover since last week's sun splash here at Mooning HQ - we start preparations for the Aries New Moon during our mid morning decaff coffee break this Friday. As the first sign of the zodiac, Aries is traditionally seen as fiercely independent, keen to beat its own compulsive, impatient path regardless of the often challenging directions taken. Always a signifier that Spring has sprung, the Aries New Moon exhibits its passionate motivation and relentless determination in cheerful blossom and blooms of the season, regardless of the still unpredictable weather conditions here in the Northern Hemisphere..
We are well advised under the influence of an Aries New Moon to follow suit. Regardless of our external circumstances, this is the new moon to think positive, act positive and stay positive. This is the new moon to really shine at our individuated best without worrying about approval from anyone else. It's time to blossom dear Mooners.
It's also time to get direct and dirty as we trawl the fertile ground of our subconscious once again for any remaining root systems of negativity waiting to express themselves as unhelpful weeds. If this year's seeds of intent are not to be suffocated by thorny behavioural brambles over the growing seasons of Spring and Summer, now is the time for vigilant, methodical preparation of the soil in which we wish to plant them.
The soil of the subconscious, once cleared and infused with nutrients (our positive thoughts, words and actions) will provide the ground in which our dreams can be nurtured and harvested. Let's face it, no one wants to drop their seed in a weedy furrow so this is the week for a right good spring clean - on all possible fronts.
Once out of the Mooning HQ allotment and through the front door of wherever we make our home, similar rules of mindful preparation apply under this Aries New Moon. We would suggest that, as a general rule, it is very helpful to have at least onespace in our homes that is free from clutter and mess. The natural place to start to declutter is the bedroom. This is the sacred space in every home where we trust ourselves to the healing properties of sleep; where we assimilate and reorder our waking experience of life in the dream state and where we hope to find peace at the end of our busy day.
Creating an environment in which to enjoy healthy, rejuvenating sleep can be advanced appreciably by the organisation of one's boudoir. Hopefully without sounding too much like a nagging parent, this is not the place to allow our soiled underwear and laundry to congregate and fester just because it's a space no one but ourselves and our life partners get to witness. Neither is it a place to bring a television or other media outlets (essentially the voices of other people's dreams and aspirations) to fill the lazy void of our own internal dialogue.
The bedroom is a place to listen attentively to one's inner most thoughts and intuition (far more interesting than any box set). It is a place for interior calm, quiet contemplation and rest, and the room's arrangement can helpfully reflect this intent. The fewer items in the room the better. Keep it simple: a bed (obvs) with neutral bed linen and possibly a chair and lightweight blanket that can be used for meditation at the start and end of the day should the desire arise; perhaps a couple of inspirational art pieces by fellow Mooners on the walls (commissions warmly accepted here at Mooning HQ).
A space on a bedside table or window ledge might be considered as a personal shrine for a few select objects and a candle and/or incense burner. Those select objects might relate to our recent life experience: momentos; photographs of those we wish to lovingly consider; a fresh flower. The selection should change regularly so that our attentions upon them stay fresh.
Let the shit pile up elsewhere, anywhere else but in the bedroom. It is our refuge; a sanctuary and the arena of our most intimate, loving behaviour toward ourselves (the irrefutable gift of rest). It is the birthplace of our dreams and should be treasured and tended, even if you inhabit it alone.
Over time, if carefully nurtured, the atmosphere in the bedroom rarifies like that of a good place of worship. One senses the purpose of place (peace, calm and rest) as soon as one enters. It is not a place for discord or to have arguments. It is a harmonious space to which one retreats after the challenges of daily living. Our habitual travails are left at the door in order to forgive and heal. It is the best place in the house to kiss and make up before sleeping with a peaceful, love infused body and mind.
We suggest that the degree to which we can manage our environment to aid manifestation of our wider intents is under estimated. If we live amidst shit and chaos - guess what?.... More of the same will likely follow in our day to day living.
If we walk through our front doors as respectfully as we would walk into our own temple of self reverence, we acknowledge our divine self worth and the gratitude we feel for life's blessings. We truly come home to the Self. The bedroom can represent a microcosm of that attitude of self love. To cherish and nurture that space is to cherish and nurture the relationship with ourselves - the deepest, sexiest, most fulfilling love affair we can ever hope to enjoy.
We then take an enveloping self love with us whenever we leave that space, wherever we go. It pervades every step we take, every breath we take (keeping it real Sting) and allows the external world to gravitate towards our prevailing loving attitude rather than constantly having to adjust ourselves to external circumstances. It's a subtle but seismic shift from victimhood to creator and what this 'ere Mooning is all about.
The spring clean-up doesn't have to stop at the bedroom. The kitchen cupboards and bathroom cabinets await! Our immediate physical and emotional home: the body and mind, also require our attention. Exposure to fewer toxins, physical or emotional, will help shift our sensibilities toward benefit for ourselves and others. Eat less: eat clean and organic; drinks lot of filtered water and train the mind to enjoy the good stuff that's constantly happening around us but is usually too busy worrying about other stuff to see.
The more consciously aware we become of our inherent power to create our reality, the less frequently we will look to place blame or responsibility for our life experience elsewhere. The more self-empowered we feel, the more likely we are to affect real change in our lives and the world around us. It's another Mooning win - win. As we feel benefit so does everyone and everything else. It's simple physics dear << Test First Name >> and it really does change the world: nothing is separate from anything else.
Here's a plan:
Clean up your bedroom.
Be OCD thorough.
Ditch the telly if you have one and henceforth ban the use of mobiles and tablets in that space.
Make a little shrine.
Light a candle/incense stick.
Sit on your bedroom chair wrapped in a blanket at the end of each day for the next week or so.
Concentrate solely on your breathing until your thoughts slow down.
When the mind is calm, use your imagination to rerun the day from start to finish in fine detail.
Make peace with it all, even the stuff that went horribly wrong.
Kiss and make up .... primarily with yourself.
Feel the love for your inner freak that only you can know.
Generously commit to as much restful sleep as you can allow.
Dream sweet. Dream vivid and if anything interesting pops up in the dream state, be sure to note it in a journal or voice memo when you rise to meet the following day.
Quite simply on this Aries New Moon, clean up your shit dear << Test First Name >>!
With love (sponsored by Cillit Bang and Round Up) 'til next time
