Art by Pascal Campion
(http://pascalcampion.deviantart.com/art/Status-Single-359282986)

My Women’s Sacred Circle has begun a new year with a different plan, and it was a great opportunity for me to jump back in after a busy summer. They split it into two monthly meetings. One is to be similar to what we had been doing, which was like a book club, where we will be reading Caroline Myss’ “Sacred Contracts” (last year it focused on Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés’ “Women Who Run With The Wolves” which is a favorite of mine) and keeping a journal for the work we do in that book. The other meeting will be a moon circle on the night of the full moon, where we will do ritual together and discuss the symbolism of that month’s moon. Last month it was the Hunter’s Moon. :) We will also be keeping a moon journal for this meeting.

So I’m keeping two new paper journals, and reading a book, and attending these two gatherings. Next month I’m facilitating the moon circle and presenting knowledge about December’s Cold Moon. My eldest daughter (age 16)  is going to the moon circles with me, and she signed up to facilitate one of the months, as well. I was very pleased that she not only came with me, but wanted to participate fully, like the adults, with a commitment for future meetings. I let her pick one of a particular set of blank journals I have, and so our journals sort of match. :) (I also have generic mother-daughter journals with both of my daughters, which we pass back & forth. I’m into journaling! :D)

I may play with the moon journal a bit, and not only track the waxing and waning energies in my life, but also add a more intuitive, poetic bit of writing. Maybe drawings, too. Perhaps even some dream journaling. Moon energy seems to call for such creativity and etherealness. I never do this, but I felt the urge to use a pencil in that journal, so I have been doing so, and thinking about the impermanence and fragility of dreamy moon-silver… secret shinings in the dark that come and go. In that spirit, I write these lunar meditations in grey graphite. :)

I remember nights of my youth, talking to the moon on my roof, and pulling my bed over to the window, so I could sleep in a moonpool. I named my future husband “Moonlight” in my poetry. I preferred (and still do) silver over gold. And yet, I never thought of myself as having a thing for the Moon. Well, I do now! It joins the thing I have for the Sun, which grew in me as an adult.

So I look forward to getting to know the women of the circle better, and perhaps sharing friends with my daughter. I also look forward to sharing feminine energies and etherealities with them, as well as diving deep on my own into moon lore, moon energy, dreams, and creativity, which have all been calling me like a bell lately.

P.S. Speaking of creativity, I’ve also begun singing with the Chancel Choir. It has been around 20 years since I sang with a choir! It feels so good to be making music with people, again! I’ve missed it so much! But I was surprised by how out-of-shape my voice is. Seriously, it has never been hard to sing, before. So I’m practicing at home every day, and doing warm-ups. At least my sight-reading skill was still intact! We’re currently working on a gorgeous song cycle written by the minister of a neighboring UU church (lyrics) and her partner (composer), called “Songs of the Earth” which we will be singing at an interfaith concert series at the Mormon Temple Square. It’s making me want to work with a composer to make Pagan songs, like a sabbat cycle, or myth cycle, or anything, really. I’m rekindling my musical flame, and it feels good!