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Art Journal with the Moon April 3-9 2023

Art Journal with the Moon for April 3-9, 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.

A Few Thoughts Before We Begin

I noticed something interesting lately. As you may know, I consider myself to be highly sensitive. Typically, to me, this means I absorb more information (for example, sensory, emotionally or energetically) from my environment than most people do. This is magnified by the fact that my mast cells are ultra sensitive as well and, when I don’t tend to my nervous system or my emotional and energetic bodies, they react and cause a whole host of issues including full body inflammation.

I have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome so I know my mast cells don’t respond as they normally should or as they most likely respond in your body but I suspect that what experience when I’ve absorbed too much information or information I’m not processing effectively, is something we all experience in our bodies. I just happen to be more sensitive to it and react more aggressively when it does happen. That’s my hypothesis anyways. 

Last night, I had another great reminder of how true this is. I watched a series on Apple called “Extrapolations”. It explores issues of climate change and how we and the planet and her creatures are being affected by it. It was devastating, heartbreaking and hit way too close to what is actually happening. I was left with a mountain of grief and rage. I didn’t notice how affected I was until I went to bed. I fell asleep but I woke up in the middle of the night and I could tell my body was full of inflammation. My mast cells were not happy. 

Lately, I’ve become more finely attuned to when my body is feeling inflamed and I’ve gotten into the habit of listening to one of my Moon Mapping sessions to bring the inflammation down. I had no idea the MAP Method would work so well on my inflammation but I’ve been experimenting with it and on numerous occasions I’ve calmed my inflammatory response after listening to one or two sessions. It’s fascinating to me. How is this working? 

I don’t understand the science behind it yet but what I do know is it works so last night, when my mast cells were overreacting and causing havoc in my body, I listened to a session and tried my best to pay attention to what my subconscious mind was doing. I noticed my tummy was caught up in knots and I’ve learned over time that when my tummy feels this way it’s because I’m having an emotional experience that feels too challenging to process – as if my system is overwhelmed or like the emotions I’m feeling are too big for my body to process. 

At one point during the recording, I felt my guardian angel Cassandra’s presence and she showed me the mountain of grief and rage I was feeling and explained that I can’t process this all on my own. She said this mountain of grief and rage is for all of us to process because no one can process it on their own and we all created this mess and we will all be forced to face this mess together. Then she pulled off a little piece of the mountain and handed it to me and said, “Here. This is your part.” 

I no longer had to feel all of the planet’s grief and rage and loss. I could instead digest my part of it. My body responded immediately. Mast cells are like that. It’s actually one of the things I find fascinating about them but also one of the reasons it was hard for doctors to identify I have MCAS. They react instantly. I can experience anaphylactic symptoms within seconds of exposure to something and unlike an allergy where you react to one or a few things, my mast cells overreact to many things and emotions is one of them. 

Once my system stopped trying to manage the mountain of grief and rage I had tapped into when I watched the show and instead just focused on digesting a small part of it, the inflammation in my body came down. My body then had to release all the chemicals my mast cells dumped into my body while they were overreacting so that took a while but what normally would have been a one or several day reaction became something I was able to cycle through within a few hours. 

This is why I do the work we do, both with the MAP Method and with the moon and the cosmos and art!! Nowadays, we have A LOT to process emotionally and spiritually. Sometimes it’s too much for our bodies.

You might not experience atypical anaphylactic symptoms or excess inflammation like I do but I’m certain your body experiences it’s own challenges when you experience emotions that feel overwhelming to your body. Maybe you go into a trauma response. Maybe your mood is altered. Maybe your thoughts race or you spiral into negative thinking. I suspect we all experience one symptom or another when we are triggered emotionally or when our bodies are asked to process emotional or energetic information that feels overwhelming and boy oh boy do we ever live in an age where we are faced with this far more often than our bodies can manage.

Releasing, purging, processing, dumping, integrating, transforming and digesting our own emotions and the emotional information swimming around in the collective is important work if I want to feel good in my body. It’s also important work if I want to be present, mindful and stay centered so I can be a source of calm and support others through these trying times.

If we are relational beings whose nervous systems respond to and mirror the nervous systems of those around us, I want to do my best to tend to my nervous system. Yes, this helps my MCAS reactions but it also helps me soothe and comfort the nervous systems of the people I come into contact with which feels like a warrior’s task in this day and age. Solutions, innovations, agreements, patience, trust and possibilities come more easily to brains that are wired to calm nervous systems. 

This week, in my Tuesday Live Online class, I will share my thoughts on how we can emotionally and energetically prepare for the month ahead according to the moon and the upcoming astrology. I’ll also share how we can use the upcoming full moon to find balance in the area of our lives the moon is illuminating. As we do during every Tuesday Live Online class, we will wrap up the night with a MAP session to process, release, purge, integrate, transform and digest whatever emotions and energetic information your subconscious mind sees you need to tend to. My Tuesday Live Online classes are a great place to come to do the inner work and support your nervous system through these troubling time. I also try to make them as affordable and accessible as possible. If you can’t join us live, you will be sent the recording. 

You can learn more about the class or register here:

Art Journal with the Moon Live Online Classes

Monday

Today the moon is in the gibbous phase.

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.

Themes you can explore in your art journal for the gibbous moon include, clearing ancestral memories, your family tree, past life memories, co-dependency, the heart chakra and daily habits and routines.

In my art rituals, this is the time when I’m thinking about whether or not my everyday life supports my New Moon intentions.

What about your everyday life can be shifted or changed to better support the direction you want to move forward in?

Are there routines or habits you can begin that will support your dreams, new moon intentions or goals?

In your art journal, draw, paint or collage an image that captures how you feel about your family tree.

Tuesday

The moon is in a happy 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. She also wants to improve your relationship with your emotions, your body and your intuition.

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.

With this happy relationship Pluto is having with the moon expect your sensitivities to deepen, your creative gifts to flourish, your imagination to be expanded and your intuition to be open and receptive. Communication with the realms of Spirit and your ancestors is easier in this energy. It’s a good time to clear ancestral beliefs that no longer serve you or express gratitude to your spirit guides and angels for all the support you receive – seen and unseen.

In your art journal, draw, paint or collage an image that represents the gratitude you feel for your spirit allies.

Wednesday

In western astrology the April 5th full moon is considered to be in the sign of Libra. 

Libra is a cardinal air sign that represents relationships, collaboration, partnerships, peace, compromise, connection, balance, harmony and the pursuit of the ideal.

Libra is ruled by Venus so the moon is bringing a little of that planet’s energy as well. Venus centers on love, beauty, art, pleasure, sex, joy, fertility, grace, gentleness, sensuality and growth. 

A couple good questions to ask yourself at this full moon include:

How will connecting with others improve your situation?

In order to experience more balance in your life, what do you need to release?

The full moon is in a tense relationship with Mars. This kind of tension can cause emotional triggers in relationships to heat up. Be mindful of your desire to blame or react impulsively. It’s a good day to slow down and process your feelings before you take actions. To avoid unnecessary drama, when dealing with a challenging situation during this full moon, ask yourself what you can take responsibility for.

Astrologically speaking, the sun and Chiron are amplifying each other’s energy during this full moon so it’s a good time to speak about and share your inner wounds. You can inspire and change lives by sharing your journey of healing with others.

If your rising sign is Aries, the full moon is inviting you to bring balance to your close, intimate relationships or partnerships. At the new moon, you set intentions around your identity, body, appearance or your spirit so bring these two areas of your life together during the full moon by asking yourself, “How can I experience more balance in my marriage, intimate relationships or partnerships? How will experiencing more balance in this relationship support the intentions I made at the new moon for my body, spirit, appearance or identity?”

If your rising sign is Taurus, the full moon is inviting you to bring balance the areas of your life that have to do with daily routines and work tasks, pets or your health. At the new moon, you set intentions around your subconscious mind or shadow work so bring those two areas of your life together during the full moon by asking yourself, “How can I experience more balance while I perform my daily routines and work tasks or interact with my pets or manage my health and wellness? How will experiencing more balance in this area of my life support the intentions I made at the new moon?”

If your rising sign is Gemini, the full moon is inviting you to bring balance in the areas of your life that has to do with your children, hobbies, pleasures or creativity. At the new moon you set intentions around friendships, community or your hopes and wishes so bring those two areas of your life together during the full moon by asking yourself, “How can I experience more balance in the areas of my life that have to do with my children, hobbies, pleasures or creativity? How will experiencing more balance in these areas of my life support the intentions I set at the new moon for my friendships, community or hopes and wishes?”

If your rising sign is Cancer, is inviting you to bring more balance to the areas of your life that have to do with family, your ancestors or your home and living situation. At the new moon you set intentions of bold new beginnings in the areas of your life that have to do with career, reputation or your ideas of success so bring those two areas of your life together by asking yourself, “How can I experience more balance around my family, ancestors, home or living situation and how will experiencing more balance in these areas support the intentions I made at the new moon for my career, reputation or ideas of success?”

If your rising sign is Leo, is inviting you to bring more balance to the areas of your life that have to do with learning, teaching, communication, siblings, the goddess or earth-based rituals. At the new moon you set intentions of bold new beginnings around your faith, spiritual practices, long-distance travel or your future success so bring those two areas of your life together by asking yourself, “How can experience more balance around learning, communication, my siblings, my relationship with the goddess or moon or earth-based rituals and how will experiencing more balance in this area of my life support the intentions I made at the new moon around my faith, spiritual practices, long-distance travel or ideas of future success?”

If your rising sign is Virgo, is inviting you to bring balance to the areas of your life that have to do with money, income or livelihood. At the new moon, you set intentions around your psyche, debt or taxes so bring those two areas of your life together by asking yourself, “How can I experience more balance around money, income or my livelihood and how will experiencing more balance in this area of my life support the intentions I set at the new moon around my psyche, debt or taxes?”

If your rising sign is Libra, the full moon is inviting you to experience more balance in the areas of your life that have to do with your identity, body, appearance or your spirit. At the new moon, you set intentions around your marriage or close intimate relationships or partnerships so bring those two areas of your life together by asking yourself, “How can I experience more balance around my identity, body, appearance or spirit and how will experiencing more balance in these areas of my life support the intentions I made at the new moon for bold new beginnings my marriage, close intimate relationship or partnership?”

If your rising sign is Scorpio, the full moon is inviting you to bring more balance to the areas of your life that have to do with your subconscious mind or deep inner shadow work. At the new moon, you set intentions around your routines, work, pets or wellness so bring those two areas of your life together at the full moon and ask yourself, “How can I experience more balance around my subconscious mind or inner shadows and how will experiencing more balance in these areas of my life support the intentions I made at the new moon for bold new beginnings in my routines, work, pets or wellness?”

If your rising sign is Sagittarius, the full moon is inviting you to bring more balance to the areas of your life that have to do with friendships, community and your hopes and wishes. At the new moon, you set intentions around your children, hobbies, pleasure or creativity so bring those two areas of your life together with the full moon and ask yourself, “How can I experience more balance in my friendships, community or my hopes and wishes and how will experiencing more balance in these areas of my life support the intentions I set at the new moon for bold new beginnings around children, hobbies, pleasure or my creativity?”

If your rising sign is Capricorn, the full moon is inviting you to bring more balance the areas of your life that have to do with your career, reputation or ideas of success. At the new moon, you set intentions around your family, ancestors, home or living situation so bring those two areas of your life together during the full moon by asking yourself, ‘How can I experience more balance in my career, reputation or ideas of success and how will experiencing more balance in these areas of my life support the intentions I made at the new moon for bold new beginnings in my family, ancestors or home?

If your rising sign is Aquarius, the full moon is inviting you to bring more balance to the areas of your life that have to do with faith, spiritual practices, long-distance travel or future success. At the new moon, you set intentions around learning, communication, siblings, the goddess or earth-based rituals so bring those two areas of your life together during the full moon by asking yourself, “How can I experience more balance in my faith, spiritual practices, long-distance travel or future success and how will experiencing more balance in these areas of my life support the intentions I made at the new moon for bold new beginnings around my learning, communication, or earth-based rituals?”

If your rising sign is Pisces, the full moon is inviting you to bring more balance to the areas of your life that have to do with debt, shared money or taxes. At the new moon, you set intentions around money, income or your livelihood so bring these two areas of your life together during the full moon by asking yourself, “How can I experience more balance in my psyche, shared money, debt or taxes and how will experiencing more balance in these areas of my life support the intentions I made at the new moon for bold new beginnings in my money, income or livelihood?”

In your art journal, create an image that captures your full moon intentions.

Thursday

The moon is void of course for almost the whole day in the mountain time zone.

This sometimes happens when the moon is moving from one zodiac sign to another or when it’s not making any aspects with other planets – I think of it as though the moon is just hanging around alone and in the in-between space – no longer where it was but not yet where it will be. The moon likes reflecting energy down to us but when it’s void of course there’s nothing substantial for it to reflect so its reflecting that emptiness back to us.

When the moon is void of course it is a good time to rest and relax and look inward. If you can prevent it, don’t start anything new or sign anything important when the moon is void of course since the energy it carries speaks of not having the momentum to carry it through to the end or in other words, whatever you start when the moon is void of course won’t go anywhere or won’t go where you thought it would.

It is a good time, however, to connect with your subconscious mind and your intuition and to do a little divination work.

Ask your spirit allies for a message then pull a tarot or oracle card and contemplate the wisdom and how you can apply it in your life.

In your art journal, repeat a pattern or work with colors that make you feel relaxed.

Friday

The moon is in a happy relationship with Saturn today.

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. 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.

In your art journal, draw, paint or collage an image that represents who you are working on becoming.

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.

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