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Art Journal with the Moon September 12-18, 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
There are currently a lot of planets in retrograde. A planet in retrograde means that, to us here on earth it appears the planet is moving backwards. Planets don’t actually move backwards, of course, but it’s an optical illusion that ancient astrologers paid attention to because they noticed it affected events here on earth.
Retrograde periods can feel frustrating if they are making you go back to the beginning of something but going over things or reviewing is actually a helpful skill we tend to forget to make time or space for. If, however, you don’t make time to do it consciously, you might be forced by the cosmos to review an area of your life because of situations that crop up and disrupt your plans.
What I like about the moon and astrology is it invites you to walk a smoother path by taking the energy in the cosmos into consideration and choose to be proactive. I can’t prevent everything unpleasant or challenging from happening in my life but I can ease the journey which my highly sensitive body deeply appreciates.
The timing of so many planets in retrograde suits the season in my opinion. Virgo season is winding down. There has been all this great organizing, planning and prepping energy. We’ve been seeing what adjustments need to be made and what improvements we want. We can now deepen that journey with all these planets in retrograde by asking ourselves some important questions before we start heading towards the winter months in the northern hemisphere and our New Year intentions.
I naturally tend to spend the entire fall season in a period of review – especially in these later years of my life where I’ve fallen into deeper rhythm with the seasons and the moon. I’ll most likely be doing a review now inspired by all these planets in retrograde then I’ll set some new year intentions at Samhain then I’ll do another review closer to the winter solstice and set more intentions during my new year art ritual. At this time of year, I actually tend to do a lot of the intention setting art rituals in my yearly planner (I still use physical planners) instead of in my art journal so I better get on ordering my yearly planner for 2023.
Inspired by a couple astrologers I follow, Chani Nicholas and Empress Karen Rose, I created a list of retrograde review questions of my own. In case you’d also like to do a review inspired by the planets in retrograde, I thought I’d share my review questions with you.
Relationships
(Mercury retrograde in Libra)
What losses or heartbreaks did you experience this year?
List each of your closest, most important relationships. What do you think is missing or lacking from each of these relationships?
What can YOU do to bring more harmony and beauty into each of these relationships?
How much balance were you able to achieve between caring for yourself and caring for other people?
Moving Forward
(Uranus retrograde in Taurus)
Where are you holding yourself back?
What doesn’t feel aligned in your life?
Are you self-sabotaging your movement forward in some area of your life?
What shadow parts of yourself are not in alignment with your values or goals?
Money
(Mercury Retrograde in Libra)
Is there something you need to forgive yourself for in regard to money?
Is there something you need to forgive someone else for in regard to money?
How have you thought about money?
Is there something you want to change in regard to how you think about money?
Boundaries
(Chiron retrograde in Aries)
Where do you still have a hard time standing up for yourself?
Was there a time this year when you wanted to speak up but didn’t?
What area of your life do you want to act, speak out or show up more boldly?
What boundaries did you want to set in relationships this year? Did you set those boundaries? If you didn’t, why not?
Goals and Dreams
(Jupiter retrograde in Aries)
Are you setting goals in your life that reflect what you really want or are you making big life decisions based on what you think others expect you to do?
Where have you been doing what makes YOU feel alive?
What did you learn about what you are passionate about this year?
Intuition
(Neptune retrograde in Pisces)
When did you trust your intuition this year?
What felt heavy this year? How can you let it go as the year winds down?
What helped you to stay grounded and centered this year?
Responsibility
(Saturn retrograde in Aquarius)
What energy do you want to create more of in your life?
Did you take on too many responsibilities this year?
Looking over the year so far, what do you feel you were responsible for creating in your life? What do you like about what you created in your life? What do you dislike about what you created in your life?
What can you stop taking responsibility for in your life?
Psychic Cleanse
(Pluto retrograde in Capricorn)
In your relationships and in your life, what doesn’t feel good to you anymore?
Which health fears do you carry that are ready to be lovingly tended to or released?
Which financial fears do you carry that are ready to be lovingly tended to or released?
Monday
The moon is in the fire sign of Aries today. Aries is ruled by the fiery planet Mars so the moon is carrying a little bit of that planet’s energy today as well.
Aries is action, quick responses and impulses. It values action. When the moon is in the sign of Aries as it is today, it can bring abrupt energy that is blunt and harsh – maybe even sometimes aggressive but it also helps to light a spark in your spirit and connect you to your passion and enthusiasm.
Think about what makes you light up.
What makes you feel alive?
Have you been doing what makes you feel alive lately?
In your art journal, draw, paint or collage an image that represents what lights you up.
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 full moon phase and the energy of the moon in the sign of Aries as well as the tense relationship the moon is having with Pluto.
The other energy from the cosmos we’re going to use to help your subconscious mind tend to your lost or young parts is the energy of the sun having a happy relationship with Uranus today.
Tuesday
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.
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?
Take a moment to think about the last time you acknowledged one of your accomplishments.
In your art journal, create a certificate of achievement for something you’ve accomplished recently. It can be small. It can also be internal – like finally finding acceptance or forgiveness.
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 disseminating moon phase and in the sign of Taurus. There’s no other energy we need to tend to today.
Wednesday
The moon is in the fixed earth sign of Taurus today. Taurus is ruled by the planet Venus so the moon is carrying a little bit of that planet’s energy today as well.
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.
Allow the stable and secure energy of Taurus to sit in your body for a moment.
Think of someone or something that makes you feel safe.
It could be someone you know or even a place in nature that makes you feel held. Maybe its the feeling of being wrapped in the arms of someone you love.
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, draw, paint or collage an image that feels calm and grounding to you.
If you have joined the Moon Mapping Year and receive the MAP Your Mornings podcast, on Wednesday morning the moon is in the disseminating moon phase and in the sign of Taurus. We tend to that moon phase and sign energy as well as the happy relationships the moon is having with Venus, the intense relationship it is having with Uranus and the tense relationship it is having with Saturn.
Thursday
The moon moves into the sign of Gemini today. 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, draw, paint or collage a map that show Point A and Point B. Imagine Point A is where you are now in some area of your life (like relationship, career or finances) and Point B is where you eventually want to be in that area of your life. Then draw, paint or collage a symbolic mode of transportation that will carry you from Point A to Point B at the speed and in the amount of time you want to arrive there.
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 disseminating phase and the sign of Taurus.
We also tend to the energy of the moon being void of course for most of the morning and early afternoon in the mountain time zone. We then tend to the energy of the moon being in the sign of Gemini which it moves into later in the afternoon. We also tend to the happy relationship the moon is having with Pluto.
The other energy from the cosmos we use to tend to your inner parts with the MAP Method is the energy of Saturn having a tense relationship with Uranus.
Friday
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 also influences transportation, commerce, language, writing, speaking and education. It also represents the mind.
When it’s in a happy relationship with the moon 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 more likely to be harmonious and respectful of each other. You’re also more likely to trust your intuition or follow your creative impulses because the moon represents those realms and because the moon rules your emotions and dreams it’s also a day where you’re more likely to communicate how you feel and what you truly want in a way that others will respond to in a caring or helpful way.
In your art journal, explore what a harmonious relationship between your right and left brain looks and feels like to you.
If you have joined the Moon Mapping Year and receive the MAP Your Mornings podcast, on Friday morning, the moon is still in the disseminating phase and in the sign of Gemini. We tend to that moon phase and sign energy as well as the intense relationship it is having with Mars, the happy relationship it is having with Mercury and the tense relationship it is having with Venus.
The other energy in the cosmos we tend to is the tense relationship Saturn is having with Uranus, the opposing relationship the sun is having with Neptune and the tense relationship Venus 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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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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