Moon in Balance
“The ingredients of both darkness and light are equally present in all of us,...The madness of this planet is largely a result of the human being's difficulty in coming to virtuous balance with himself. ”
Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat,Pray,Love
The moon has always influenced not only the tides of the sea, but the tides of our emotions and, consequently, our outlook on life. Looking for information on the phases of the moon, I came upon this site: https://www.moongiant.com/calendar
The images illustrate the moon in each of its phases throughout the month. I gasped when I saw the image for January 20! The moon is exactly half in light, half in darkness. One could look at this as a reflection of the division in the United States. However, here was my thought: This is a sign of hope. We have the opportunity, starting today, to bring the country back together. From this point on, the moon grows larger and brighter and daylight slowly increases. We can grow with it. This vision may seem farfetched, but each of us, in our own unique way, is capable of helping the world get brighter. Here are a few ideas…
Connect: We need each other, whether we like it or not. Our DNA is designed to like being together, depend on each other, care about each other. We just forget when we feel scared. We have had for very good reasons lately to feel scared, which often leads to defensiveness, division, and even hostility. What we have seen in this country, since May 2020, how extremely miserable we are when we fight our inborn tendency to connect. Look for little ways to re-connect with people you lost contact with in 2020.
Look for the Good: We can’t turn things around overnight. We can’t fix the government or bring back the people (and animals) who have died since Covid 19 began. We can’t make ourselves forget the trauma and pain we’ve been through (and it probably wouldn’t be good to do that anyway). We can’t erase the inequity, judgment, derision, and rage that have flared for so long. What we can do is look for and treasure small good things each day that bring some ease to our hearts. Doing this builds expectancy for more good things, which is contagious. Examples:
-the taste of your first cup of coffee in the morning
-kind greetings sent and received
-things you get done (especially when work is hard)
-the loving touch of a child, friend, partner, or pet
- inklings of hope from something you read or hear
-messages from spirit that you are fine and things will get better (often felt in nature)
Care: Find a way to reach out to people in your neighborhood or community. A simple greeting and smile at the store (people will hear it in your voice and see it in your eyes even when you wear a mask). An anonymous “pay it forward” action. A sweet note (paper or electronic) to someone you haven’t contacted in a while. See how many small gestures of kindness you can make in one day.
Move: Look at what you can do rather than what you can’t do. Take one small step in that direction. Can’t go to the gym yet? Do a 5-min online workout and congratulate yourself. Can’t travel? Learn the language of a country you want to visit or collect images of places you want to go. Can’t find work? Do one thing to look for work each day, be proud of that, and then do something fun as a reward for persistence. You get the picture.
Breathe: Notice you are alive. Air is coming in and going out and your body is working for you in whatever ways it can right now. Take a few conscious breaths, preferable outside, and let your body relax.
Play: It may seem frivolous, callous, or even selfish to play when the world is in chaos. However, I’ve tested it out many times. Happiness-related chemical changes occur in the brain when you do something creative and fun, which makes it more likely you will notice good things around you and want to share them with others. All kids know this, but it’s also basic brain science.
Try This:
Today, as the moon echoes our opportunity to come together in a better way and the new U.S. president takes office, choose one of the ways above to celebrate and envision hope. Please write and tell me about your experience.
