November brings complex energetics to the table

Hello my friends. Can you believe it is already November 2017?? To me it seems the year has flown by. Energies are high right now, as influenced by the Full Moon and the intensity of the changing season. Let's start by looking at what this Full Moon brings:

In November we have an Otter Full Moon (or Beaver, depending on your source), which is a somewhat complex energetic because it taps both an awakening of consciousness and a sense of being grounded. Generally speaking, these may be two opposing impulses, but at this time, they come in harmony to create a powerful energetic that supports us in releasing what no longer serves to make space for what does. 

You may feel especially emotional during this Moon cycle (I know I do!) as new levels of clarity come to you. You may also notice a broadening of your perceptual field and a stirring of your spirit that actually leaves you feeling more, rather than less, connected and grounded. 

Combine that with the ending of the Harvest season. This month our energy begins to turn inward as Winter approaches. If you have not yet taken stock of your personal "harvest" this year - what you grew in your life and what is ready for releasing - now is the time to do so. Your personal harvest begins in the Spring with what you plant into your life; then moves into Summer in which you tend to those dreams; then becomes your harvest in Autumn. 

Sometimes what we find excites and pleases us; sometimes it does not. No matter what you find in your personal harvest, give thanks for it. Growth comes through both gains and losses. And as the Otter Moon suggests, we have to release what does not serve us to make room for what does, just as a tree releases its spent leaves during Autumn, making way for fresh growth in the Spring.

Consider allowing this Thanksgiving to hold something different for you: an opportunity to celebrate the whole of your harvest - that which is to be released and that which is growing - in your life. By keeping your connections to the things in your life current and clear, you free up the space and energy needed to keep you feeling vibrant and inspired, ready to move forward. 

Til next time, Namaste'

Come Present

Hello Friends!
It has been a while; life is full and I was delayed in connecting with you. Today I feel compelled to blog about coming present with what is.

We find ourselves midway through October 2017 and quickly approaching Samhain (pronounced "sow-in") - the celebration behind All Hallows' Eve and modern-day Halloween. Samhain was originally celebrated to honor the spirits of the dead, for it was believed they visited the Earth on October 31st and provided insights into the future. Sacred hearth fires were burnt all night as a gesture and request for protection through the approaching darkness of the cold, harsh Winter months.

Photo by Olivia Henry on Unsplash

 

Samhain comes at an auspicious time of year when the season shifts from long, warm Summer days to long, cool Autumn nights. The color of the leaves on the trees signals the change most prominantly. Traditionally this meant the energy and activity of the season was shifting too: crop growing was done and harvesting began.

Photo by Evgeni Evgeniev on Unsplash

Though our context may be different, these same shifts apply to us today, if more to our internal world than our external one. Our body wisdom responds to the energetic shifts inherent in the change of seasons. And if we pay close attention, we may feel a shift in what we long to do that mirrors this change.

While Summer is typically filled with a lot of external busyness and play, Autumn beckons us to start slowing down and bring more presence to what is...to take stock of what we've created in our lives, trash what didn't work, harvest what did, and be grateful for it all.

Today we can use the symbology of Samhain this way:

• honor and release what no longer serves your life (the crops that did not grow or no longer serve your life; your "dead")
• claim what does (the crops that grew to enhance your life; your "harvest")
• be grateful for what is (all the gifts born of your year and your life so far, both tangible and intangible)  

 

Photo by Simon Maage on Unsplash

 

You might want to write down the things you are releasing and ceremonially burn the paper; you might also want to make note of the gifts of your harvest and ceremonially bury the paper. By honoring the ancient Samhain tradition in this way, you can clear your energetic field, gain perspective, and better prepare for what approaches next.

This placement of your attention is a powerful tool to keep you present with what is, in a way that leads to the next aligned step toward right action in your life, rather than getting caught up in messy distractions and distorted reactions that don't serve. I define right actions as those based in love, and distorted actions as those based in fear. For what it's worth, now is a great time to be curious, to stretch beyond your comfort zone, and to choose love above fear.

Photo by Jez Timms on Unsplash

Each and every one of us is called to stop being shy, and to step into right, aligned action for ourselves and for the greater reality of which we are a part. For what better purpose is there to life than serving the world in a way that leads to positive changes for you and for all the beings you share this Planet home with? I can't think of any...

Until next time, fare thee well my friends,
Dr. Ceci Zuniga