Welcome to the art/life trail!

It’s the week before spring equinox and here on the trail we are looking through the doorway into the first 12 weeks of the Natural New Year! The new beginning of the Natural Calendar occurs on March 27 with the Aries New Moon.

This is, of course, an unknown path. As we are well aware and celebrate…on the art/life trail there is no knowledge of what lies ahead. Standing here at the close of the 12 weeks of the Mystery Quadrant we might be sensing into all manner of possibility and potential. It’s an exciting time of natural rebirth…

 

Steppin’ In, Drozda, Acrylic/board, 48 x 36″, private collection

Here’s a brief review:

In the month of October we began the six moon/month inward turn. You might want to look at your Experience of October, your Introspection of November and the resulting Strength of December. The three moon/months of autumn deepened us into a relationship with Life. These were followed by three moon/months of January’s Clearing, expanding out into February’s Renewal and now the Purifying quality of March all the while we’ve been sinking into the rich loam of the Mystery.

Creatively and energetically these past six moons have been a time for winding down, reviewing and regenerating. This has been the Yin side of the Natural Calendar reconnecting you and me and we with the Divine Feminine, the Earth Mother, the Goddess archetype within. There is a lot of BEING that happens naturally during the six moon/months ‘Underworld’. There has been the opportunity to reconnect and recommit to being rooted, grounded and capable of standing on ones own two feet.

For six moon/months the emphasis has been placed upon the power of consciously making this deeply rooted feminine alignment choice even, as we remember, if only for 15 minutes a day.

Sleeping Goddess, Sybil Mays, Journal Entry, 2016

Here is an excerpt from the early October trail.

We are here to explore the inward turn of the Natural Calendar of the year by seeking a relationship with the hidden realm of the feminine.

We are making space for feminine/BEING in the midst of a world obsessed by masculine/DOING. We are choosing to not abandon either the masculine or the feminine but to weave a conscious relationship between these predominant forces. At this point on the Natural Calendar of the year we can trust that it’s safe and appropriate to engage, through the fall and winter, with the treasure of the feminine stored and waiting for us deep within our roots.

H E R E

Let’s be present and imagine that we’re setting forth on a pilgrimage to meet our deepest vision. What an honor to travel together. We turn inward, and like well-trained archeologists we’ll respectfully dig, pick and brush delicate in our hand, excavating gifts and talents in a most natural manner. We would expect to remain here for as long as it takes to uncover the treasure. In this case we will unearth the gold within.

We’ll do this with great focus. Being here together will make this a journey of magnitude and beauty. For the six months ahead, we’ll be exploring the rich feminine energy of fall and winter.

We are fortunate to have the freedom to nose into the rich loamy earth and dig while looking for nourishing roots. It’s as if we’re tracking our creative genius “underground.” It’s within the deep Still-point/Center that the process of greatest feminine effectiveness comes to meet us . . . through clear inner seeing, identifying creative patterns, building appropriate and sage scaffolding, opening to the evolution of our creative gifts, honestly and humbly reflecting (while courageously facing and dancing with any demons), and eventually gathering the treasure and sharing what we’ve discovered in the dark corners of our personal gold mine.

The Artist Studio, Drozda, mixed media/Arches paper, 12 x 9″

Now it’s time to look forward with a sense of gusto to what will be coming to meet you in the six moon/months ahead.

I find the spring/summer Yang/Father Sky/God/Masculine side of the Natural Calendar to be highly energized and invigorating. Throughout the six moon/months ahead I will seek new ways to engage and stretch.

With each passing trail ride on the Natural Calendar I envision increased vitality and opportunity to plant, grow and harvest the best of what my trail yields.

I invite you to open the door to the vibrant energy of the Natural Year ahead! Make a commitment to being and doing your level best to make this the most exceptional and extraordinary trail ride thus far.

Fire Dance, Drozda, Acrylic/canvas, 36 x 54″, private collection

In this last week before the spring equinox we prepare to close the door on the Mystery Quadrant. This time between winter solstice in December and spring equinox in March has given ample time to tend to a creative rebirthing.

In January the keyword was Clearing and during the 4 week cycle we cleared away debris.  We found any clutter of physical, emotional and intuitive channels. We discovered the blocks on our insight and inspiration. In February we challenged ourselves to Renew. Throughout the four weeks we became freshly invigorated and ready to begin to flow outward into the world of active engagement. Now in the moon/month of March we have received 31 days to accept the challenge: purify thinking and feeling so as to be ready to act upon a renewed and refreshed vision of possibility.

Are you feeling the thaw? Have you packed your seed-vision ideas into your saddlebags?

It’s time to midwife the creative birthing process! The Natural Calendar door opens with the Aries New Moon on March 27.

The Gateway, Drozda, Acrylic/board, 48 x 36″

This year I will be inviting you, on a regular basis, to become creatively engaged in specific and empowering ways. Issue by issue the next six moon/months of the trail ride will contain focus and functional tools for advancing your seed-vision idea into manifest form…I call it putting the FUN into functional.

Now to close out the Mystery I share with you the last two prayer poems from my book Twenty Two Prayer Poems for Care Givers. If you have enjoyed the poem,s written during my time as a hospice volunteer, I invite you to purchase a copy.

Rosalynn Carter’s testimony before congress might teach each of us in turn:

There are only four kinds of people in the world

• Those who have been caregivers

• Those who currently are caregivers

• Those who will be caregivers

• And those who will need caregivers

My Brother, My Self, Drozda, Acrylic/board, private collection

Let There Be Light

“Only Light can come to me and only Light can be here.”

ACIM

Dear One,

I am here in a spirit of sharing and surrender.
I release my will and all the false beliefs
That stand between me and a fulfilled
Transformed life.

I forgive everyone who has ever
Caused me pain.
I forgive myself
For all my mistakes
Both past and present.

I declare myself an open channel
For Spirit
For Light
And for creative energy
And I gratefully accept
All that comes to me
Through this channel.

I ask that honesty
Insight
And love
Be a part of what I share
With others
Today.

All is Well

Dear One,

This Holy Instant would I give to You
Be You in charge.
For I would follow You
Certain Your direction
Brings me peace.

And if I need a word
You will bring it to me.
If I need a thought
That will You also give.
And if I need but stillness
And a tranquil open mind,
These are the gifts
I will receive of You.

You are in charge
By my request.
And You hear me
And answer me,
Because You speak for God
And for God’s holy child.

Thank You for everything.

Amen

Paraphrased, with permission, from ACIM

Happy week of Mystery and unfolding dreams!! I’m excited for each of us as we turn toward mid-wifing fresh creative energy in this new Natural Year.

It’s exciting and excellent to ride the art/life trail knowing that you are here.