Art Journal with the Moon August 15-21, 2022

This is a summary of the moon’s energy for the upcoming week and the inner work and magic you can do in your art journal to make the most of the opportunities the cosmos is gifting us with.

Every week the emotional and magical opportunities the moon is sending you are different because the energy she is drawing down from the planets and stars changes moment to moment. Planets and stars and moon phases and moon signs each carry their own unique energy .This is my weekly update (Mon-Fri) of the moon’s comings and goings to support you in aligning with her energy.

Get your art journal or a scrap of paper you see lying around, your art supplies or those pencil crayons you have hidden away somewhere and have fun. Spend 10 – 20 minutes focusing on the themes the moon is supporting you to explore that day while you play with colors and shapes and watch what happens over time.

It’s amazing what a little consistent creative time can do.

A Summary

The moon is in its waning phases now. Can you feel it?

I find the waning phases really do feel a lot like an exhale. The energy isn’t as heightened. The mood doesn’t feel as intense. My nervous system feels a little more grounded or supported.

As I was learning about the astrology this week from astrologers I follow, the one thing that struck me is the way cycles of energy are created. Mars is coming into the sign of Gemini this week which means it is starting a seven month period where the energy and flavor it brings to us will be Gemini in nature.

Just as the moon cycles through its phases, planets initiate energy cycles as well as they move through the zodiac signs. There are, in fact, a lot of cycles happening in the skies. It makes me think of giant cosmic clockwork – one cycle affecting another cycle spinning around another much bigger cycle interlocking with yet another timely cycle.

The grandness of it all inspires awe.

Astrology has a way of zooming my perspective out in a big way and making me feel less attached or less affected by the chaos and drama of our everyday worldly experience. Instead of getting caught up in the details of the drama in the moment, I can zoom out and see the bigger picture and the journey of the cosmic cycles.

For instance, the moon cycles around the earth approximately every 30 days. The earth cycles around the sun about every 365 days. These are the cycles we’re used to and these cycles affect us in very real and tangible ways. The moon’s cycle affects the tides and each of her phases have a different flavor or feel to them. You can plant better gardens when you are in tune with these phases and our bodies and nervous systems are supported by following her rhythm as well. The earth’s cycle affect the seasons and it deepens that cyclic learning we get from the moon. As Ecclesiastes states, there is a time for everything.

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

The cycle of the seasons reminds us of this but it’s humbling when you realize all the other cycles happening in the cosmos. For instance, Saturn takes 29 and a half years to orbit the sun and Neptune takes about 165 years to orbit the sun.

To give you an idea of how that affects us, the moon takes about 2 and half days to move through a zodiac sign so it’s bringing that earth or fire or water or air energy for just a couple days then it’s shifting and changing again. It’s constantly reflecting down to us different flavors and moods but Saturn stays in the same zodiac sign for about two and half years. The flavor and mood of the energy it carries toward us lasts much longer. Whether the influence of its energy is working well with you or causing you to struggle a bit, you are with that energy for a much longer time than the energy the moon brings.

But all these cycles and flavors of energy are working together like a cosmic symphony of a hundred different notes and sounds or, better yet, imagine you are a child sitting in front of a large feast with many dishes of various flavors and your parent makes you take a bit of each dish on your plate and asks you to eat them all. Some of the flavors you will love and others you won’t like so much but all together they make the meal that is in front of you.

What I hope, when we art journal with the moon or when we work with the MAP Method and the day’s astrology, is to support your body and all your inner parts, or in other words, all those hidden parts of you that live in your subconscious realm and affect your thinking, decision making and actions, to face the plate that is in front of you with as much calm and confidence as possible so YOUR true self is not hijacked by outdated memories or emotional triggers.

Ultimately, it is my hope that the work you do with the moon helps you move forward in your days in a way that is most true for YOU.

Monday

Today the moon is in the disseminating phase. This phase is when the moon is just starting to become smaller. It is a time to rest, relax and rejuvenate and move inward and focus on self.

It’s a time to reflect. It’s a great time for expressing your devotion to Spirit and for presenting offerings to your Divine helpers, your ancestors or the Earth. It’s also a great time to share the wisdom and knowledge you’ve harvested.

There’s a generosity or giving back quality to the waning phases of the moon. We’re taking note of the bounty we received as the moon was growing in power and feeling grateful and wanting to share what we learned or received with the people we love and care about or with a greater community we feel connected to.

How do you feel acknowledging your wisdom?

Do you see yourself as a teacher?

Do you acknowledge your accomplishments and celebrate what you’ve learned?

In your art journal, acknowledge one of your accomplishments.

For those of you who have joined the Moon Mapping Year and receive the MAP Your Mornings podcast, on Monday morning we work with the disseminating moon phase and the sign of Aries. We tend to that moon phase and sign energy as well as the intense relationship the moon is having with Jupiter.

The other energy from the cosmos we’re going to use to help your subconscious mind tend to lost or young parts is the opposing relationship the sun is having with Saturn. 

Finally, we magnetize the happy relationship Mars is having with Pluto. We end our journey by once again magnetizing the greatness that comes with Venus moving into the sign of Leo.

Tuesday

Today the moon is still in the disseminating phase and the sign of Aries for the first part of the day after which it becomes void of course before it settles into the sign of Taurus. Taurus is ruled by the planet Venus so the moon is carrying a little of that planet’s energy as well today.

Taurus energy is stable and secure. It brings an air of grace, calm, tolerance, tenacity, comfort, pleasure, grounding, safety and security. Depending on the way it affects you or the area of your life it influences the most, it may also bring laziness, inactivity or stubbornness.

For today’s art journal prompt, let’s focus on the stable and secure energy of Taurus.

Your nervous system deeply benefits from dosing your field with feelings of safety. Taking care of your body includes caring for your nervous system and allowing it to remember what feeling calm and grounded is like. When you are able to achieve that feeling of safety its like medicine to your nervous system – a warm liquid medicine that flows through your nervous system and speaks to the energy you hold there and reminds your entire system you can let go and relax because in this moment you are safe. Your brain can take a break. It doesn’t need to stay alert. It can put down the guards.

In your art journal, work with the Taurus energy and paint, draw, collage or doodle imagery that makes you feel calm.

If you have joined the Moon Mapping Year and receive the MAP Your Mornings podcast, on Tuesday morning we work with the MAP Method and ask your subconscious mind if there’s anything to clear in your subconscious realm around the disseminating moon phase and the sign of Aries which the moon is in until the early afternoon (in the mountain time zone). The moon is then void of course until early evening after which it moves into the sign of Taurus.  We tend to that moon phase and sign energy as well as the tense relationship the moon is having with Pluto.

The other energy from the cosmos we use to help your subconscious mind tend to lost or young parts is the happy relationship Mercury is having with Uranus and for one last time we’ll magnetize all the goodness Venus is bringing as she moved into the sign of Leo.

Wednesday

Today the moon is still in the disseminating phase and the sign of Taurus.

The moon is also in a square, or in other words, a tense relationship with the planet Venus today.

Venus wants to bring fertility and growth. Venus loves the idea of reigning more beauty, grace, softness, love, friendship, harmony, passion, sensuality, intimacy and happiness into your life and relationships. The energy of Venus also brings playfulness, pleasure and joy. Venus wants to help you enjoy your life.

Unfortunately, in the kind of relationship Venus is having with the moon today, it makes receiving Venus’ energy difficult so you might struggle to see your beauty or the beauty in your life or in others or you might long for pleasure and joy but feel incapable of doing what brings you happiness. Or, since Venus isn’t in the best state in this kind of relationship with the moon, you might feel lazy or jealous, act with greed or indulgence or extravagance or find yourself in surrounded by people you’d rather not be with.

When was the last time you spent more money than you should or drank more than you wanted to or ate more than you wanted to?

Can you see those actions now with more compassion?

Instead of feeling shame or frustration or judgement, can you let the parts of you that behave in these ways know that they are loved and accepted for exactly who they are? Ask them to share their stories with you and help you see what it is they actually need or want?

In your art journal, explore what it means to love and accept yourself even when you do or say things you don’t like.

If you have joined the Moon Mapping Year and receive the MAP Your Mornings podcast, on Wednesday morning the moon is still in the disseminating phase and in the sign of Taurus. It’s a pretty quiet day according to moon mapping standards so this episode is short and sweet. We tend to that moon phase and sign energy as well as the tense relationship the moon is having with Venus.

Thursday

Today, the moon is now in the last quarter phase. This phase is when the moon is once again half in light and half in shadow. To me, this symbolizes choices and decisions. Take time to consider the choices you make in your everyday life and how they impact you and your community.

It also symbolizes seeing both sides of a story so finding ways to put yourself in the shoes of someone you disagree with at this time can help you gain wisdom or a perspective you had not considered before. It also a time to celebrate how far you’ve come, how much you do and how much you’ve grown.

Bring to mind a decision you want to make in the near future or a decision you think you might have to face sometime in the future that feels daunting or challenging.

What do you notice in your body when you think about making this decision?

How would you like to feel about making important decisions like this in your life?

In your art journal, draw, paint or collage what you would like to release around making important decisions in your life.

If you have joined the Moon Mapping Year and receive the MAP Your Mornings podcast, on Thursday morning we work with the MAP Method and ask your subconscious mind to invite all your inner parts to do the emotional and spiritual work they need to clear anything you need tended to around the moon being in the last quarter phase and the sign of Taurus.

We also tend to the tense relationship the moon is having with Saturn and the happy relationship it is having with Mercury and Pluto. The other energy from the cosmos we use to magnetize more goodness into your life is the happy relationship Venus is having with Jupiter.

Friday

The moon moves into the sign of Gemini later in the morning (in the mountain time zone).

Gemini is ruled by the planet Mercury so the moon is carrying a little of that planet’s energy as well.

Gemini energy is adaptable, flexible and brings swiftness and movement. It sometimes can bring energy that feels frantic or unstable as well as scattered, inconsistent, unreliable or unfocused but it is also dynamic, versatile, communicative, multifaceted, friendly and curious with the capacity to change and be interested in many different things which means it sees the good in people and the possibilities in experiences.

Try to think of something in your life you want to move more swiftly.

Perhaps it’s a challenging experience that you would like to process or move through more quickly. Perhaps it’s a dream you’d like to draw more closely to you.

With ease and grace, what is one thing in your life you hope shifts or changes quickly and easily?

In your art journal, celebrate the element of air and use it to depict the thing you want to move through more quickly or the dream you want to draw more closely to you.

If you have joined the Moon Mapping Year and receive the MAP Your Mornings podcast, on Friday morning we work with the MAP Method to clear anything you need cleared around the last quarter moon phase and the sign of Taurus. The moon then becomes void of course for a brief amount of time then it settles into the sign of Gemini for the day so we tend to that energy as well.

We also tend to the intense energy the moon is having with Mars.

Join Me

If you are ready to enhance your alignment with the moon and rewire your brain at the same time, check out the Moon Mapping Year. When you subscribe, you now receive the MAP Your Mornings private podcast as  a BONUS. MAP Your Mornings is where I align with the moon’s energy for the day and use the MAP Method to teach your subconscious mind how to rewire your brain. Every morning (Mon-Fri), we work with the MAP Method AND the emotional and spiritual themes the moon and the planets and stars are supporting us with to rewire your brain and help you manifest the changes you most want to see in your life.

with love,

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