116: PASS THE GRASS?
TUE 27 APR 04.31 - Mooning Monthly fertilizing the lawns of abundance.....
Dearest Mooners of the Heart
We humans find it difficult to accept that most of the pain and problems we experience, we create for ourselves. We have a strong desire to apportion blame elsewhere, to find fault and dread in the actions of others and external circumstance rather than explore the possibility that we may be regularly poopng on our own doorstep with our thoughts, words and actions.
Collectively, we can no longer hide behind the economic and political systems that have brought a privileged proportion of the world population hitherto unknown material wealth. The costs of those belief systems are now in plain sight and they threaten the very existence of the invaluable biodiversity that sustains us on the cosmic planetary jewel of Earth. (Carbon emissions set to soar in 2021 - article)
Next week's Scorpio Full Moon is said to complete an intense cycle of inner expansion that highlights issues of trust, control, and power. In astrological speak, Scorpio and it's ruling planet Pluto rule the process of evolution and metamorphosis: these archetypes are linked to psychological death, rebirth, and regeneration. Personal responsibility for embracing change in an ever changing world is therefore likely to be a theme in the coming days.
The need for change in human behaviour is obvious and yet accepting change in our lives remains one of the hardest things to do. But why should that be?
The overarching intelligence of all existence is a never ending cycle of change, of birth and rebirth, within which humanity is inextricably entwined. Mentally, we have become divorced from this reality by cloaking ourselves for 'protection' with any number of misguided beliefs and comforts that distract us temporarily from the truth that we are all connected to everything else.
As a species, and as individuals, we have devised a philosophy of denial that has not served the whole. In focusing exclusively on individual gains in a world personified by a perceived sense of lack, we create division - a man made notion totally at odds with the self sustaining, symbiotic, interconnected reality of intelligent evolution and existence.
Like any web of deceit, as our philosophy of denial has grown in complexity the lies have become increasingly impenetrable and indistinguishable from the truth. We are now in an epoch where whoever shouts loudest dominates the narrative of people and planet regardless of the merit in their message. Sadly, we have come to unconsciously adopt ideas, often through a dearth of alternatives, that perpetuate misery and destruction rather than liberty and creativity. In effect we buy into, and vote for, a hell of our own making.....and here we sit, suffering in some perplexed state of complacent inertia hoping everything is going to turn out OK for everyone at some point in the future.
But instigating change needn't be an arduous task even if it represents a challenge. It arises spontaneously from an acceptance that change is the natural order of things. It involves a willingness to give up certain ideas we have about ourselves and others so that our lives are no longer dominated by the longlist of fear - the fear of loss, loneliness, and pain; of worthlessness, powerlessness, humiliation, betrayal and ultimately of death.
We have been conditioned into a fear fed, blame culture from the moment most of us were born. That culture has given rise to competitive, individualised notions that only the strongest will survive, ie: in order for our dreams to be realised, those of another must be forfeited. Dog eat dog; winners and losers; economic opportunity costs. This contracted, combative misconception of life has blinded us with its simplistic, brutal ignorance and has culminated in a global society that is struggling even to care. As long as our garbage is regularly picked up (both literally and metaphorically) to be dumped on someone else's doorstep, we can sleep easy at night. A question about the permissible notion of garbage(airborne plastic pollution spiralling around the globe - article) simply does not arise.
However, if we choose to look again, to refresh our inherent capacities to SEE, we can witness, appreciate and then cherish the sustaining natural life process that has generously allowed us to come up with all the distracting, useless crap we employ to avoid confronting our fears. Everywhere we find ourselves, the opportunity exists to look at our circumstances through a different lens of perception. Where there is conflict we can resolve to see peaceful resolution. Where there is hopelessness we can work towards optimistic purpose. Where there is fear we can opt to see and feel Love.
This Scorpio Full Moon is known in native North American traditions as both the Pink Moon (after the swathes of pink flowered Wild Ground Flox that bloom this month) and the Sprouting Grass Moon. Strangely enough I read a fascinating and positive article last week about grass. Sea Grass to be precise. (Rice of the Sea - article). The coastal sea plant, long considered a useless sea-WEED and valueless irritation around the coastline tourist resorts of the planet, has been closely observed and reevaluated by a Spanish Chef that specialises in unusual seafood. It transpires that this modest saltwater plant might hold a vital key to sustainably feeding the planet's population without the need of fertilisers, chemicals or depleting freshwater resources whilst absorbing 10% of the ocean’s carbon annually despite covering just 0.2% of the seabed. It's cultivation is potentially a massive global win/win but is only now being prepared for sustainable production because a Spanish bloke looked anew at this 'inconvenient' seaweed in the Bay of Cadiz, through loving, enquiring eyes.
Though we may not live near the coast, should we be fortunate enough to have access to patches of home turf we can apply a similarly alternative vision to grass maintenance and purpose. Allowing areas of lawn to flower and seed rather than being cut to a mono-culture micro length in which nothing much can survive, brings a new lease of life to the garden. Bees and insect life thrive in diverse grasses, bringing diversity and more effective pollination to all plant life in the area. Simply raising the blade settings of the mower to maintain a longer cut on your lawn can make a huge and immediate beneficial difference to the ecosystem of your locality. (Give your mower a rest - article)
The suggestion under this Sprouting Grass Moon is therefore to cleanse our own perceptions anew. To examine our own peculiar reactions, habituated behaviours and beliefs as potential impediments to our enjoyment of life. One helpful practice is to observe the world around us with greater attention and awareness. Or, put another way, the coming week is a very constructive time in which to simply sit and watch the grass grow. We can be witness to a myriad of audaciously vibrant, life affirming miracles in every waking moment should we tune in to them rather than passively absorbing the uniformly drab TV mono-culture. Instead of closing down our perceptions to protect what is or isn't 'right' for us (then worse, defend that need to be right through anger and conflict) we can open our world to acceptance and allowance of what is. What's actually happening around and within us is a living marvel but most of us don't give it a second glance.
The Truth - that which can free us from our painful misperceptions - lies in our engagement with the great mystery of Life that can never be fathomed but of which we are an extricable, valuable and perfect part. We are the very playground of our own experience. To allow ourselves to marvel in the good, the holy and the beautiful like children, unencumbered by the weight of past conditioning, is the swiftest route to reconnecting with the inherently blissful essence of the Self.
This Scorpio Full Moon challenges us to release our resistance to change and to overcome our limitations by remaining available to continuously transform.It's influence is likely to reveal which habitualised attachments need to be released in order to stimulate new growth for the benefit of All through the coming seasons. Let's let the past go and resolve, individually and collectively, to embody the change we want to see right NOW!
If you've enjoyed this Mooning missive please do share it with your mates. With love 'til next time.... Mark
Be on the look out for next month's edition of MOON LIT. According to the poet Steven J Fowler, our fifth contributor, Astra Papachristodoulou, is “one of Europe’s most interesting young poets.” She is a multi disciplined artist who focuses in the experimental tradition across poetry, visual art and performance. She has a mixed media treat for the eager readers of MOON LIT so don't miss its arrival in your inbox as the New Moon in Taurus rolls around in mid May.
Angela Cleland's remarkable selection of exclusively penned, moon drenched verse is still available to read in MOON LIT Edition 4 (here) and well worth a revisit under the sensorially renewed outlook of this Scorpio Full Moon.
FULL MOON MARKS
EACH MONTH DURING 2021 WE WILL CHART THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SINGLE, YEAR LONG LUNAR INSPIRED DRAWING BY ARTIST AND FELLOW MOONER MARK WEIGHTON
MOON 4
32 x 24cm charcoal on paper