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Art Journal with the Moon April 10-16 2023

Art Journal with the Moon for April 10-16, 2023

April 9, 2023

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.

Last Week’s Journal Pages

Venus and the Moon

When the moon was in an intense relationship with Venus, I created this page exploring what it means to me to thrive.

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. Venus wants us to see what its like to thrive not just survive.

The moon was intensifying all this goodness on that day.

A busy, buzzing, fertile garden feels like thriving to me. The moments in my life that feel like that are rare but oh so sweet when they come around.

New Moon in Aries

At the new moon in Aries, I invited us to use her motivational, spring energy to explore what seeds of intention you want to plant for new beginnings in the area of life where Aries exists on your birth chart.

Aries exists in the eleventh house on my birth chart. The eleventh house has to do with groups, community, friends and hopes and wishes. This was one of the most powerful pages I created – not in terms of imagery but in terms of clarity. I became so very crystal clear of who I am, what my spirit longs for and what I want to create in my life.

I’ve been circling around my deepest soul desires for years trying to pinpoint exactly who I am and what I want. I don’t suspect this journey of understanding my self and my true spirit ever ends. I’ll never arrive. I’ll forever be seeing more about myself but it’s always such an experience of awe and wonder when I peel back the layers and catch of pure, unobstructed glimpse of my true self. That’s what the seed in this image represents to me – my true spirit and what she longs to create in this lifetime.

First Quarter Moon

When the moon was in the first quarter phase, only half the moon seemed to be lit up in the night sky.

This is the phase in the creation cycle where there is a tendency to give up or doubt the process. Challenges or obstacles may come between you and your goals and your job is to remain committed despite whatever gets in the way. This is the time to observe your self-talk and heal whatever shadows surface.

The art journal with the moon prompt was to create an image that captures inspiring or encouraging self-talk.

Kind words to myself remind me of the Great Mother and the way that divine goddess has of holding me in love. In my art, roses always seem to come through when I’m connecting with Great Mother. The rose bud in the palm of my hand feels like an offering – to myself but maybe also to Great Mother as if I’m saying, “here I am. Your little rose bud.”

Gibbous Moon

The moon was in the gibbous phase last week.

This moon phase is when the moon seems almost full. In the creation process, it’s a great time to clear any trapped emotions or energy so that all parts of you, even the hidden wounded subconscious parts, are on board with your goals or your new moon intentions. Some of those blocks include ancestral memories stored in your body, past life memories or energy and emotions you unconsciously absorbed from other people. You are most likely carrying subconscious beliefs or stories that no longer serve you so it is helpful to spend time in your art journal tending to those.

The art journal prompt was to create an image that captures how I feel about my family tree. It’s a tall order for a single image to capture so I focused on the gratitude I feel for my ancestors (pictured here as the white leaves) and the people in my family who are queer and belong to the LGBTQ community (pictured here as the rainbow leaves). They help me feel like I belong and remind me that we are all a unique expression of the Divine.

Full Moon in Libra

This image holds my full moon intentions.

I created it during the live online Art Journal with the Moon class I held on Tuesday night.

In the class, we didn’t just go over the full moon. Because the full moon happened at the beginning of the month, we also explored the healing and magic opportunities that are happening in April. Each finger and the palm of this hand holds me reflections and magical intentions for each astrological event we explored.

I recorded the class so there’s still time to sign up. I’ll happily send you the recording and you can create your own version of this art ritual or create whatever you feel inspired to as you listen to my prompts and follow my lead.

https://danadaponte.com/…/art-journal-with-the-moon…/

Saturn and the Moon

The moon was in a happy relationship with Saturn last week.

Saturn is associated with the earth element and it wants to bring responsibility, seriousness, deep thought, reflection, wisdom, strategy, maturity, structure, sensibility, frugality, discipline, routine and actions that inspire order in your life. Saturn brings this stability to your emotions and intuition today. I think of it as emotional maturity. You can feel confident trusting what you feel, including your gut feelings on a day when Saturn and the moon are working well together.

You’re more likely to respond when you feel emotionally triggered versus reacting. Saturn and the moon being in this kind of happy relationship also helps you to see your dreams and your future with clarity and have realistic expectations of what it will take to become who you are working on becoming.

The art journal with the moon

prompt was to draw, paint or collage an image that represents who you are working on becoming.

This is my image. I’m working on becoming a confident creator – someone who is kind to her creations. Someone who values and respects her creations even when they don’t look good. Someone who believes in her dreams and creates the best possible conditions to support them becoming a reality – even if they never actually become a reality in her lifetime.

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. This isn’t a time to start anything new. 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 generous 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.

There’s also a releasing and letting go that happens in the waning phases. It’s a good time to look back on everything that has happened since the new moon and reflect on the abundance you received during the full moon. What were your intentions during the new moon? Did they manifest in your life yet? If they didn’t, did you witness tiny shoots starting to grow in the direction of your dreams?

Think of the disseminating moon like the beginning of a great satisfying exhale. Reflect on what you need to release or let go or who it is time to forgive (including yourself) in order to support your new moon intentions manifesting solidly and confidently in your life.

In your art journal, draw, paint or collage an image that captures what you’d like to release during the waning moon phases.

Tuesday

The moon is in the sign of Capricorn today.

Capricorn energy is receptive and nocturnal in nature. It is also pragmatic, deliberate, persistent, disciplined, and conservative. Capricorn energy likes to focus on practical and useful actions but it can be emotionally restrained or reserved.

When the moon is in Capricorn, it’s a good time to look at your boundaries and limitations and understand how they affect your goals.

Capricorn is ruled by Saturn so the moon is carrying a little of that planet’s energy as well Saturn brings wisdom about time, endings, limits, responsibility and maturity. Capricorn also carries the energy of our ancestors. Some of the archetypes associated with Capricorn include the Crone and Hecate.

Let’s use this Capricorn energy to focus on strengthening your ability to be persistent and committed.

I want you to think about all the positive memories you have about being persistent.

When you look over your life, when were you truly committed to something?

How would persistent, practical actions help you reach your most important goal in your life right now?

In your art journal, draw, paint or collage an image that celebrates where you have been persistent in your life.

Wednesday

The moon is in a happy relationship with Mercury today.

Mercury is the messenger of the gods. It is concerned with communication and connection. It influences transportation, commerce, language, writing, speaking and education. It also represents the mind. When it’s happy it is helpful to the mind and learning and inspires curiosity, ingenuity and business. In a happy state like it is today it brings helpful thoughts, good communication, ease with technology, curiosity and success in business.

It’s a day where your right and left brain are harmonious and respectful of each other. You’re more likely to trust your intuition or follow your creative impulses. Because the moon rules your emotions and dreams it’s also a day where you’re more likely to communicate how you feel in a way that others will respond to in a caring or helpful way.

In your art journal, create an image that celebrates your curiosity.

Thursday

The moon is in an intense relationship with Pluto. Astrologically speaking its like they are close together and the moon is amplifying Pluto’s energy.

It’s a good time to dig deeper into things and see what’s at the root of your behaviours or what you are feeling.

Think about a situation that is currently troubling you. Maybe it’s an area of your life that isn’t going the way you’d like it to or maybe it’s a relationship that isn’t feeling easy or fun or maybe it’s a goal that you are having a hard time reaching.

Take a few deep breaths as you think about this troubling situation and as you do ask your spirit guides and angels if they have any insight or support they can send your way. Tell them you want to see what is at the root of this troubling situation.

What well-buried traumas or hurts is it connected to?

In your art journal, create an image that represents the emotional or spiritual root of a problem you’re currently experiencing.

Friday

The moon is in the air sign of Aquarius today. Aquarius is ruled by the planet Saturn so the moon is carrying a little of that planet’s energy as well today.

Aquarius is fixed air sign so it brings that energy of fluidity and the ability to change but it couples it with being constant, dependable and able to persevere. Aquarius energy likes to act its own way and distance itself from groups. It is air energy so it concentrates its focus on the intellect and the mind but it can be stubborn but if you’re having a hard time being your own person, the moon in Aquarius can help you love and accept the quirky, different and unique things about yourself.

Imagine you loved every bit of yourself and knew that everything that made you different was deeply on purpose and ultimately helpful to everyone you are connect with today.

Imagine you are perfect just as you are – exactly where you are right now in your life with the exact perfect personality, habits and ways of being. Imagine nothing about you has to change for you to reach your goals.

In your art journal, draw, paint or collage an image that celebrates what is unique, quirky or different about you.

Have fun with your art journal and the moon this week.

with love,

Dana da Ponte

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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.