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Art Journal with the Moon August 29 – September 4, 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
Imagine the moon is a big beautiful bowl that scoops up energy from the cosmos and pours the energy she collects down on us.
Some of the most important energy she scoops up is the energy she collects from the sun so, astrologically speaking, whatever is going on for the sun is going to influence the energy the moon reflects back to us.
Right now the sun is in the sign of Virgo. Virgo is a mutable sign which, if you think of it in terms of seasons, is a time when we’re leaving one season and moving into another. We’re not quite there yet but you can definitely feel the shift of seasons in the air.
In the northern hemisphere, summer is winding down and fall is drawing near.
When you think of the constellation of Virgo, imagine a giant angel hovering in the night sky offering a stalk of wheat to the earth. In the Greek Myths, Virgo is associated with the myth of Demeter and Persephone. Demeter is the Goddess of Agriculture. She’s concerned with the growing of crops, the tending of animals, the cultivation of soil and everything that needs to be done to provide us with the resources we need to eat and clothe ourselves. In the northern hemisphere, we see the Virgo constellation in the spring and summer but it’s not visible in the fall and winter so in mythology, it is said that when Virgo (or Persephone) was away, winter comes and life dies.
The moon flirts with the sun during a new moon where she huddles up close to the sun and they hang out in the same zodiac sign together then she travels across the night sky until she arrives in the zodiac sign directly opposite the sun. From that angle, the moon is in her full glory reflecting as much light from the sun on her surface as she can.
We just experienced a new moon in Virgo. The sun was in the sign of Virgo and the moon was huddled up in the same sign as the sun. Now the moon is slowly moving through the zodiac signs until she arrives in the sign of Pisces where she’ll be directly across from the sun and able to reflect all that light on us in her full moon glory. So when the moon is full she will be in the sign of Pisces but she’ll be scooping up all that light and energy from the sun who will still be in the sign of Virgo.
That’s how the moon constantly ties opposing zodiac signs together. A Virgo new moon will be followed by a Pisces full moon. A Pisces new moon will be followed by a Virgo full moon.
Below is a chart I created to demonstrate a brief summary of the themes each zodiac sign focuses on according to this full and new moon dance. (I also included a black and white version for a friendlier printing version).
As explained on cafeastrology.com, this new and full moon dance causes on opposition or a polarity for us to reflect on. The polarity in this case is having us look at balancing our desire to take care of the details, our health, order and our daily routines (Virgo) with our higher aspirations, our spirituality, disorder and the infinite (Pisces).
Personally, it makes me think of drawing my Divine Self (Pisces) down into the details of my everyday life (Virgo). How do I see the sacred in everything I do? How do I acknowledge the holy in my breakfast bowl in the same way I acknowledge it in the moon and stars? And most importantly, how do I allow my divine, holy self to lead my actions and choices while still seeing the sacred in my inner parts who aren’t in agreement with my divine, holy self yet?
Monday
The moon is in a challenging relationship with Jupiter today where its like they’re coming from opposite sides.
Although Jupiter is typically generous and expansive and harmonious, in a challenging relationship with the moon it might pull up those parts within us that overdo things – like the parts that are generous to a fault or the parts that struggle with addiction. The energy can feel a little too big or in other words, overwhelming. I think of it as Jupiter expanding challenging emotions to the point where its uncomfortable in our bodies. As soon as that discomfort is felt, we typically go into some sort of behaviour where we’re either trying to tune that discomfort out, ignore it or run away from it.
When we can stay with the discomfort, we can finally tend to parts that are struggling or trying to protect us in ways that actually harm us. We can finally see what we’ve been too afraid to see. Challenging energy like the kind the moon is reflecting from its relationship with Jupiter today can help those wounded parts rise to the surface so we can finally become aware of them. Be kind and patient with yourself today and try your best to be with your challenging or uncomfortable feelings today. Instead of trying to tune them out or ignore them, see if you can be with them long enough to feel them shift and change.
In your art journal, stay with and explore an uncomfortable feeling.
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 new moon phase and the energy of the moon in the sign of Libra as well as the opposing relationship the moon is having with Jupiter, the intense relationship it is having with Mercury and the happy relationship it is having with Mars.
The other energy from the cosmos we use to help your subconscious mind tend to your inner parts is the opposing relationship Venus is having with Saturn. We end our journey by dealing with the tense relationship the sun is in with Mars.
Tuesday
Today the moon is in the waxing crescent phase.
This moon phase is when a silver sliver of the moon begins to appear in the night sky. The moon is moving from being dark, still and invisible to growing and coming into full power.
I like to think of this phase as the time when the dream seeds I planted during the New Moon are just starting to form shoots or tiny roots. I might not be able to see my prayers being answered or my dreams manifesting but I can have faith that despite the limited capabilities of what my physical senses can pick up, Spirit is conspiring in my favor and there are invisible forces at work in my life helping me to grow, heal, evolve and create.
In my art rituals, this is the time when I’m meditating on the intentions I set during the New Moon. I’m revisiting my intentions and trying to call them up in my imagination again and trying to tap into the emotions those intentions evoke within me. I’m feeding my dreams with the power of my imagination and my emotions.
How far can you stretch your imagination today?
How much goodness can you imagine growing in your life today?
How many invisible forces can you imagine are helping you today?
How many invisible actions can you imagine your angels and spirit guides are taking to help you reach your goals and manifest your new moon intentions?
In your art journal, play with your imagination and combine images or colors you wouldn’t normally bring together.
If you have joined the Moon Mapping Year and receive the MAP Your Mornings podcast, on Tuesday morning we work with the energy of the moon in the waxing crescent moon phase and in the sign of Libra. We tend to that moon phase and sign energy as well as the happy relationship the moon is having with Saturn.
Wednesday
The moon is in a tense relationship with Pluto today.
The moon is the queen of the night. She wants to illuminate the darkness, bring about change, be a mirror to reflect us back to ourselves and awaken our receptive and intuitive powers. She represents your body and emotions and reminds you that life is an ever-changing cycle of birth, death, decay and rebirth. She wants to bring kindness, nurturing, novelty and adaptability.
Pluto wants to illuminate what is hidden in your subconscious realm to help you transform. It can bring endings, new beginnings, deep spiritual growth and rebirth. With Pluto’s energy influencing us, its helpful to face your shadows and your inner darkness – and hopefully you can do that with compassion.
In this tense kind of relationship the moon and Pluto are having today, challenging emotions can surface and affect how you speak or act. It can stir up difficult issues to process or unresolved issues that still need to be tended to.
Personally, I see this as an opportunity to address those exiled parts within our psyche. The ones we’ve hidden away because of shame, fear or the worry that we won’t be loved or accepted. Those parts get activated in this kind of moon energy and yes, it can cause challenges in your life and relationships but its hard to tend to those deeply hidden inner parts without them being activated so there is a blessing to this kind of tense moon energy – especially when we are introspective in our art journals or we work with the MAP Method. It supports our emotional and spiritual growth by giving us the opportunity to meet the emotional or spiritual needs of our hidden parts.
Think about the last time you faced a hard truth – about yourself or someone else.
What was that experience like for you?
In what way did the experience set you free?
In your art journal, draw, paint or collage what it looks or feels like to face a hard truth.
If you have joined the Moon Mapping Year and receive the MAP Your Mornings podcast, on Wednesday morning the moon is in the waxing crescent moon phase and in the sign of Libra for the first part of the day after which the moon is void of course then it moves into the sign of Scorpio in the late morning in the mountain time zone. We tend to that moon phase and sign energy as well as the tense relationship the moon is having with Pluto.
Thursday
The moon is in the sign of Scorpio today. Scorpio is ruled by Mars so the moon is carrying a little of that planet’s energy as well.
Scorpio is a fixed water sign. It brings energy of containment, introversion and defensiveness.
Emotions are of great importance to Scorpio energy so don’t be surprised if you feel extra sensitive or touchy when the moon is in this sign. Scorpio energy does, however, help you to dive deep into your emotional and spiritual realms which is a necessary quality for healing and transformation.
In your art journal, draw, paint or collage what the sacred dark means to you.
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 waxing crescent phase and the sign of Scorpio. We also tend to the tense relationship the moon is having with Saturn and the opposing relationship it is having with Uranus.
Friday
The moon is 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. Venus isn’t great at making you get your work done or motivating you to put effort into something but Venus does love to help you express yourself artistically and with love.
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 indulgence or extravagance or find yourself hanging out with people you’d rather not be with.
Think about what it’s like to struggle to see the beauty in your life? We’ve all had times in our lives where it was difficult to see the beauty that was right there in front of us.
What beauty might be right in front of you today that you might otherwise have missed had you not taken this moment to consider it?
In your art journal, celebrate beauty.
If you have joined the Moon Mapping Year and receive the MAP Your Mornings podcast, on Friday morning, the moon is still in the waxing crescent phase and in the sign of Scorpio for the early morning in the mountain time zone after which it becomes void of course until the later in the afternoon then it settles into the sign of Sagittarius for the rest of the day. We tend to that moon phase and sign energy as well as the intense relationship the moon is having with Venus and the happy relationship it is having with Neptune.
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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hi i'm dana...
This is a space where art and spirit come together. On the blog, I share art rituals for working with the magic of the moon. I also work with the subconscious mind to lighten your emotional load and follow your creative dreams.
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