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Art Journal with the Moon for October 9-15, 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 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.
Working with the Solar Eclipse in Libra
We greet a new moon in Libra this week which is also a solar eclipse making it extra powerful and it’s happening on Friday the 13th. Isn’t that some fun, strange energy to work with?!
The solar eclipse will look like a ring of light around the moon because of its position, creating a unique visual and one I think would be fun to play around with in your art journal. Imagine creating a page in your art journal with an autumn background to symbolize release and letting go then painting a large dark circle in the center of the page to represent the new moon then painting a ring of light around that moon. In the dark circle, write or draw your new moon intentions but don’t forget to consider the timing on this one. Setting new moon intentions during eclipse season is different than at other new moons.
The two points astrologers I follow explain about eclipses that I find helpful is that one, eclipses signal a time of major beginnings and major endings and two, eclipses signal a time when we are experiencing massive energetic and spiritual downloads. For these reasons, and the fact this particular new moon has signatures of release and letting go that I’ll talk about in a bit, you might want to wait until a couple days after the official new moon time to set intentions in your art journal. So think of setting your new moon intentions in your art journal on Monday and Tuesday of next week instead of on Friday the 13th of this week.
This eclipse cycle lasts about five and half months so when you do set your new moon intentions, think about what seeds you want to plant that will affect the next five and a half months not just the next 28 days.
This eclipse emphasizes major growth and transformation opportunities for all of us. The focus is on our relationships and patterns from our past, urging us to release what no longer serves us.
As we experience this eclipse, there might be some feelings of uncertainty. But remember, it’s a period for us to recalibrate and align ourselves with the universe’s energies. It’s a reminder that the cosmos has our back, guiding us towards our soul’s evolution. Don’t rush things; instead, go with the flow and trust the process.
This period is also a call to look at our relationships critically. Are they serving us? Are they balanced? It’s a time to find grounding amidst the chaos, especially with so much change and unpredictability around.
There’s a lot going on with this particular new moon solar eclipse but I just want to highlight a few things for you to consider.
South Node
This new moon’s alignment with the south node is especially significant when it comes to the themes of release and letting go. In astrology, the south node is often linked to our past—be it past lives, ancestral patterns, or behaviors and beliefs we’ve held for a long time. It represents lessons we’ve already learned and areas where we might be stuck in old, familiar patterns.
When the new moon, a time typically associated with fresh starts and new beginnings, aligns with the south node, it adds an additional layer of meaning. Instead of solely focusing on what’s new, we’re being prompted to look back, reflect, and identify what’s holding us back. It’s as if the universe is highlighting the importance of clearing out the old to make way for the new.
This connection emphasizes the need to release attachments, habits, and patterns that no longer serve us. It’s a potent time for emotional and spiritual decluttering. By letting go of what’s no longer needed, we free up energy and create space for new opportunities and growth.
Think of it as a cosmic invitation to shed unnecessary burdens, much like trees dropping their leaves in the autumn. By releasing the old, we’re making way for fresh growth and new possibilities in the coming cycles.
Venus
Venus, often called the planet of love, beauty, and harmony, is playing a starring role during this new moon solar eclipse because Libra is ruled by Venus. Venus is currently in the sign of Virgo, a sign associated with service, health, and daily routines, so Venus is nudging us to focus on the nitty-gritty of our relationships and our personal care.
During this time, there’s a push and pull between the need for balance in relationships (thanks to the eclipse’s Libra energy) and the practical and nurturing energy of Venus in Virgo. We’re being called to ask important questions: Are you truly satisfied in our relationships? Are your daily routines serving you, or are there areas that need refinement?
There’s also an emphasis on not just romantic relationships but also our relationship with ourselves. Venus in Virgo wants us to take care of ourselves, to focus on our health and to ensure our daily habits support our overall well-being. It’s a time to acknowledge those who bring ease into our lives and to evaluate areas where we might be giving too much, perhaps at our own expense.
Lastly, Venus in Virgo reminds us of the importance of simplicity. It’s an invitation to declutter – both our lives and our relationships. By focusing on what’s truly important and discarding what isn’t serving us, we’re making space for more nourishing experiences and connections.
Pluto
During this new moon solar eclipse, a key aspect to consider is Pluto squaring the nodes. In astrology, when a planet squares the nodes, it’s seen as a pivotal point urging us to confront and address significant issues related to that planet.
As Sonja Francis describes in her YouTube video about this new moon, “Squares are turning points we have to take to make progress. They ask us to stretch and grow beyond who we used to be and with Pluto that has to do with our own personal empowerment. How do we want to empower ourselves to make progress in our own lives?”
Pluto is a planet associated with transformation, rebirth, power, and the deep, hidden parts of our psyche. It often brings up issues related to control, power dynamics, and deep-seated fears or desires. When Pluto squares the nodes, it amplifies the challenges and lessons we need to address in order to grow and evolve.
The nodes themselves, consisting of the north node and the south node, represent our life’s journey. The south node points to our past, our habits, and patterns we’ve carried over, whereas the north node indicates our future direction, where we should be headed for our soul’s growth.
With Pluto squaring the nodes during this new moon solar eclipse, there’s an emphasis on deeply transformative experiences. It’s urging us to look closely at areas in our lives where we might be holding onto power, where we might not be stepping into our power, where we are giving away our power to another, where we need profound change, or where old patterns are preventing us from moving towards our higher purpose.
The square can bring tension and challenges but also offers an opportunity to break free from what’s holding us back. It’s a call to release old structures, beliefs, and patterns, especially those connected to power and control, and to rebuild with a renewed sense of purpose aligned with our higher self.
In essence, Pluto’s interaction with the nodes during this eclipse is a powerful signal for us to confront and address our deepest issues and to make the necessary shifts that will help pave the way for profound transformation and evolution.
As I mentioned earlier, there’s a lot more going on with this new moon solar eclipse and I encourage you to follow your favorite astrologers to dive deeper into it, but these are the bits and pieces of what is happening with the moon this week that I wanted to highlight as you art journal with the moon to practice magic, tend to your soul and do your deep emotional healing work.
Join Me
If you want to work with this lunar energy alongside me, you might want to join me for my regular “Held by the Moon” live online gatherings. Our next gathering is Monday, October 16, 2023 at 6:30-8:30 pm MT. It is a live virtual event but if you can’t join us live, I will send you a link to the recording later in the week.
During these online creative gatherings, we combine the ancient wisdom of lunar cycles with the power of art journaling and the MAP Method to facilitate profound inner work. Together, we overcome limiting beliefs and neutralize memories that are standing between you and your dreams so that you are one step closer to experiencing the results you’ve been working towards.
Each time we gather we focus on a different theme.
Our next theme is Working with the Solar Eclipse in Libra
Join me here
Monday
The last quarter moon is in the sign.
The moon is also in a square, or in other words, a tense relationship with the planet Uranus today.
Uranus is a planet that can bring unexpected changes or shocks into your life and these changes usually inspire you to awaken or grow emotionally and spiritually but not always in a gentle way. Sometimes these changes are welcome and wanted and sometimes you don’t want them or welcome them whole-heartedly. It’s great energy for surprises, innovation, experiments and creative genius. It wants to overturn things in your life that have lost their usefulness -even if you’re not entirely ready for that change.
The tension between the moon and Uranus might have you feeling constricted by responsibility. Because the moon rules the realm of emotions, you might feel annoyed by the expectations other people place on you or the expectations you think other people are placing on you or even the expectations you place on yourself. The benefit of this, of course, is that you end up wanting to break free from the expectations that are not aligned with your highest self so shake it all off my friend. I support you following the beat of your own heart instead of living in the land of shoulds and should nots.
Bring to mind an expectation you or someone else is placing on you.
Do you actually want to meet this expectation or is it time to let it go?
In your art journal, draw, paint or collage an image that represents an expectation you or someone else is placing on you that you want to release or let go.
Tuesday
The moon is in the balsamic phase and it moves into the sign of Virgo. It is also having a happy relationship with Mars and Jupiter, an opposing relationship with Saturn and an intense relationship with Venus.
The balsamic or waning crescent phase of the moon, just before we plunge into the darkness of the New Moon, is a deeply spiritual time, ripe with opportunities for introspection and release.
Emotionally, the balsamic moon phase is like your spiritual guardian, whispering, “It’s okay to let go.” It’s not the time for launching new projects or making big decisions. Instead, it’s a time for tying up loose ends, letting go of what no longer serves you, and giving yourself permission to rest and recharge. The balsamic moon phase is a little like a detox for your soul.
Spiritually, this phase is your invitation to dive into your inner world and tend to what emotionally and spiritually needs tending to. It’s like a spiritual retreat, allowing you to explore your dreams, fears, and the stories you tell yourself. This energy encourages you to let go of old emotional baggage and release patterns that might be holding you back. It’s an opportunity to make peace with the past and create space for new beginnings.
Imagine you’re decluttering your emotional closet. What do you need to let go of? What emotional weight is dragging you down?
In your art journal, create a page that represents the things you’re ready to release. It could be a collage of images or words, or even an abstract representation of the emotional baggage you’re letting go of.
Wednesday
The balsamic moon is in the sign of Virgo.
During the waning crescent or balsamic phase of the moon, the energy invites us to wind down, reflect, and release. It’s a time for letting go and preparing for the new beginnings that the upcoming new moon will usher in. When this reflective moon phase is in the sign of Virgo, the focus shifts to the details of our lives. Virgo, an Earth sign, is all about precision, practicality, and service to others.
Emotionally, the Virgo-influenced waning crescent moon nudges us to review our daily routines, habits, and even the clutter in our lives. It’s a great time to ask yourself if your daily actions align with your larger life goals. Are there any habits that aren’t serving you? Are you spending your time in ways that nurture your well-being?
Spiritually, this moon phase in Virgo encourages introspection on how you can be of service, not just to others and your community but also to yourself. Virgo’s energy is all about purifying, refining, and improving. This is an opportune time to cleanse your mind, body, and spirit, releasing negative energies and thoughts that may have accumulated. It’s also a period to consider how you might better serve your own spiritual needs, ensuring you’re grounded and in touch with your inner self.
In essence, the waning crescent moon in Virgo offers a gentle reminder to tend to the details of your life, both emotionally and spiritually, ensuring that you are well-prepared and in harmony as you approach the upcoming new moon.
In your art journal, draw, paint or collage an image that represents releasing a daily habit that no longer serves you.
Thursday
The balsamic moon moves into the sign of Libra where it will be tomorrow for the new moon solar eclipse tomorrow. It is also in a happy relationship with Pluto and Uranus. It is also having an opposing relationship with Neptune.
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 the support you receive from your spirit allies over the last lunar cycle.
Friday
Today we greet the new moon solar eclipse in Libra.
Eclipses signal a time of major beginnings and major endings and they also signal a time when we are experiencing massive energetic and spiritual downloads.
This solar eclipse’s connection with the south node invites us to release old patterns and make space for new beginnings. With Venus’s influence we are being pushed to reflect on our relationships and self-care practices. And with Pluto squaring the nodes, be ready for profound insights into power dynamics and transformative growth in your life.
Libra is ruled by the planet Venus so the new moon is bringing a little of that planet’s energy as well.
Libra is about beauty, art, relationships, connection, collaboration, partnerships, marriage, pursuing the ideal, compromising, achieving balance and finding harmony. Libra brings energy that is soft, beautiful and artistic. It likes to help you be sociable and enjoy friendships, gatherings and groups. It also likes to keep things balanced and looks for equality in relationships. It brings an energy of acceptance and understanding but it can also be too outwardly focused or, in other words, have you focusing on other people’s needs at the expense of honoring your own feelings and needs.
Scroll back up to the introduction to read about the emotional and spiritual themes to consider as you work with the eclipse in your art journal.
To personalize this new moon, let’s get specific and see the area of YOUR life this new moon energy is focused on. Once you know the area of life the Libra new moon is in, you can consider how bringing balance to that area of your life with help you reach your goals.
To figure out what area of your life the Libra new moon wants you to focus on, you simply need to know your rising sign.
If you don’t know your rising sign (it’s different than your sun or moon sign), then you can read more about it here and you can calculate what it is here. I also show you how to calculate your birth chart using the whole sign house system here. When you create your birth chart in this way, you will see your rising sign is the zodiac sign that occupies the first house in your birth chart.
If your rising sign is Aries, the new moon is inviting you to explore eclipse themes when it comes to your close, intimate relationships or partnerships. Think about your marriage or partnership or best friend and consider what changes you can make in those relationships to experience more harmony, balance and empowerment.
If your rising sign is Taurus, the new moon is inviting you to explore eclipse themes when it comes to your routines, work, pets or wellness. Think about these areas of your life and consider what intentions you want to make during the new moon in order to bring more balance, harmony and empowerment to your healthy routines, your working life, your pets or your overall well-being.
For Gemini people like me, the new moon is inviting you explore eclipse themes when it comes to your children, hobbies, pleasure or your creativity. Think about these areas of your life and consider what intentions you want to make during the new moon in order to support bringing more harmony, balance and empowerment to your parenting life, a creative project that’s dear to your heart or those activities in your life that bring you joy.
If your rising sign is Cancer, the new moon is inviting you to explore eclipse themes when it comes to your parents, your ancestors, your childhood or your home and living situation. Think about these areas of your life and consider what intentions you can make to support bringing more harmony and balance to your relationship with your parents, your ancestors, your memories of your childhood. You can also consider how you can bring more harmony, balance and empowerment to your home or living situation.
For Leo people, the new moon is inviting you to explore eclipse themes when it comes to learning, communication, your siblings, the goddess or earth-based rituals. Which one of these topics feel most important for you to focus on during this new moon? Choose one of them and consider what intentions you want to make in order to support experiencing more balance, harmony and empowerment in that area of your life.
For Virgo people, the new moon is inviting you to explore eclipse themes when it comes to money, assets, income and your livelihood. Think about these areas of your life and consider what intentions you want to make during the new moon in order to support bringing more balance, harmony and empowerment to your possessions, finances or livelihood.
If your rising sign is Libra, the new moon is inviting you to explore eclipse themes when it comes to your identity, body, appearance or your spirit. Think about these areas of your life and consider what intentions you want to make during the new moon in order to support bringing more balance, harmony and empowerment to your health, personal expression, identity or your relationship with your body.
For Scorpio people, the new moon is inviting you to explore eclipse themes when it comes to your subconscious mind and those things you hide from others and most importantly those things you hide from yourself. During this new moon set intentions around the kind of shadow work or brain rewiring you’d like to do and the balanced, empowered and harmonious results you’d like to experience from that deep inner work.
For Sagittarius people, the new moon is inviting you to explore eclipse themes when it comes to friendships, community and your hopes and wishes. Think about these areas of your life and consider what intentions you want to make during the new moon in order to bring more harmony, empowerment and balance to your friendships or community or your hopes and wishes.
If your rising sign is Capricorn, the new moon is inviting to explore eclipse themes when it comes to your career, reputation or ideas of success. During this new moon set intentions around achieving more balance, empowerment and harmony in your career or visualize how you can achieve success or improve your reputation in a more harmonious and balanced way.
For Aquarius people, the new moon is inviting you to explore eclipse themes when it comes to your faith, spiritual practices, travel or future success. Think about these areas of your life and consider what intentions you want to make during the new moon in order to bring more harmony, empowerment and balance to your spirituality or your travel dreams or your goals for the future.
Finally, for Pisces people, the new moon is inviting you to explore eclipse themes when it comes to feelings and thoughts around death, taxes, your psyche or any debt you have accumulated. What intentions can you set to bring more balance, empowerment and harmony to your emotional or mental well-being? What kind of intentions can you set to bring more balance, empowerment and harmony to any energetic, emotional or physical debt you may be carrying (your own or your ancestors’)?
In your art journal, explore the eclipse themes so you’re ready to set your new moon intentions in a couple days.
Saturday
The new moon is in the sign of Libra. It is also having an intense relationship with Mercury.
When the moon is in the sign of Libra, the emotional atmosphere tends to center around harmony, balance, and relationships. Libra seeks equilibrium, often prompting us to evaluate and rebalance our personal and interpersonal dynamics. Emotionally, we might find ourselves craving connection, desiring peace in our relationships, or striving to find a middle ground in disagreements.
Spiritually, Libra’s influence might lead us to reflect on the deeper meaning of balance in our lives. This could mean exploring how we maintain inner peace, how we balance giving and receiving in relationships, or how we integrate our personal desires with the needs of others.
When the moon is in conjunction with the planet Mercury, communication comes into focus. Mercury is the planet of communication, thinking, and expressing. So, when the moon, which governs our emotions, meets Mercury in Libra, our feelings and thoughts might blend in ways that make us more articulate about our emotional needs. It’s a time when we might find it easier to voice our feelings, have important conversations, or gain clarity about things that have been emotionally confusing.
In essence, with the moon in Libra and in conjunction with Mercury, we’re invited to explore our emotional needs within our relationships, communicate with more clarity, and seek spiritual and emotional balance. It’s a time to speak from the heart, listen with intention, and find harmony both within ourselves and with those around us.
In your art journal, draw, paint or collage an image that represents an emotional need you have in one of your relationships.
Sunday
The new moon moves into the sign of Scorpio. It is also having a happy relationship with Venus and Saturn, a tense relationship with Pluto and an intense relationship with Mars.
Today’s moon carries with it a tinge of Mars, bringing that planet’s distinctive vibes to our emotional landscape.
Scorpio’s energy, while not always conducive to outward vulnerability, offers you a protective shell, a sanctuary where you can safely introspect and explore your deeper feelings. There’s no denying that Scorpio shields us, but this shielding is not just about hiding away. It’s about providing a safe space for healing, for facing those secret or repressed emotions that you might shy away from on any other day.
Scorpio energy urges us to dive deep into our emotional and spiritual realms, which are essential territories for healing and transformation. Art journaling becomes a powerful tool during this time, allowing us to visually and creatively express, process, and navigate our feelings.
In your art journal, draw, paint or create a collage of images that represents how you feel today.
Have fun with your art journal and the moon this week.
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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