Dana’s Moon Page for the Full Moon January 2021

This January 2021 full moon journal page was created to remind you what you can hold onto even in the midst of chaos.

Reflect

I began this moon page as I begin all of my journal pages, with a blank piece of paper. I did not know what I was going to draw on it. I did not know what wanted to be created. I faced the unknown.

The unknown can cause a lot of uncertainty and these days, we face more uncertainty than most of us are comfortable with. Certainty brings with it a dose of comfort and safety – even when what’s coming is unpleasant there’s something comforting about knowing what lies ahead. I do not know what lies ahead for humanity right now. Most of us don’t. It feels like what I imagine floating blind on a river might feel like (can you tell I watched the series “See” recently?).

Living in the realm of uncertainty can be unsettling and fear inducing, which of course, can lead to anxiety. I work with highly sensitive people and empaths who are very gifted at absorbing the energy and emotional information floating around them but who also lived through trauma and difficult childhood experiences that no one helped them process or move through emotionally. This last year has been extremely challenging because the unsettled feelings are bringing up a lot of familiar fears – will I survive? Will the people I love survive? Will I be okay? What is tomorrow going to look like? Will I be safe tomorrow? Will tomorrow be better or worse than today? What kind of horrors will I see tomorrow?

One of the problems with the unknown is it gives the imagination a lot of room to play. This is great when you’re making art but it can be far too disruptive when you’re facing an uncertain future. Your imagination can get away on you. It can lead you down paths you will never actually have to walk down. It can cause your nervous system to think you are in danger when in that moment you actually are not.

I grew up on the farm in the Alberta prairies. My Dad always took care of animals. Sometimes it was horses and cows and other times it was deer and buffalo. I compare deer to my nervous system before I learned the MAP Method and treated my trauma. They are skittish, constantly on edge, on guard and easy to frighten. They run away easily and jump around without thinking when they are afraid. They see most everything as a threat and never really feel solid or grounded.

Cows, on the other hand, do not spook easily. At least it seemed that way to me. In fact, they seemed to not worry about too much. They were slow and steady and would look you in the eye while nonchalantly chewing their food. They seemed immovable and unconcerned. There’s something reassuring about that.

I like to think the cow on this moon page is looking me in the eyes and his Spirit is saying, “Yes, I see there is a lot going on but let’s just be still here together for a moment. Let’s not rush to conclusions. Let’s not run away just yet. Let’s just take in everything there is to take in right now…slowly. Let’s just be here wherever you are right now.”

If you are not on my email list and haven’t received this month’s moon page, visit my homepage and sign up. You’ll receive a link where you can download the hand-drawn page I created for this particular moon. Print it, grab a tea and a cozy blanket, get comfortable then follow the instructions below.

Create

If moon rituals are familiar to you, prepare your sacred space and invite Spirit to join you in whatever way works best for you.

If, however, you are new to moon rituals, I’ve included a quick guide to the steps I follow to prepare for my moon rituals in a past blog post. Take a look at it before moving forward.

Print out the January full moon journal page and gather your pencil crayons or paint.

Start by noticing what the emotional and spiritual journey has been like for you since the pandemic. What has been challenging for you? Has your fear or trauma response been triggered? Are you comfortable with uncertainty or does it cause anxiety? If it causes anxiety, do you have someone to show your true feelings to? Is the anxiety building and if it is are you finding ways to support yourself through that?

There is a lot we do not know about the future and a lot we have to be concerned about but for this full moon let’s focus on what we can hold onto. What do you know in your heart will never change? What does your Spirit hold dear? What can you rely on even as you face the unknown?

Personally, I know I can rely on the ever present force of Love that permeates all things. I know its not going anywhere. I know no matter what the future looks like, Love will be there too. I know there will be goodness and compassion and courage. I know the sun will rise and the full moon will shine its beams on the forest floor. I know my imagination will create worlds for me to explore and the joy I feel when I think of my son will always be there to light up my heart.

Where can the constant and steady be found in your life? It’s there. I promise you there are things you can rely on. There are things you can hold onto – they just might not be the things you thought you could but they are there.

In the moon above the cow’s horns, write or draw as many constant things you can hold onto this year then place the image somewhere you can see it throughout the year to remind you that even in chaos there are some things that endure.

Enjoy!

If you end up completing this moon page, I’d love to see what you created. You can even post the finished piece on Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #danasartrituals or email me at support@danadaponte.com and share with me how it went for you. It’s fun for me to know there are others out there enjoying the moon with me.

with love,

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