Moonboards

I've now been making moon dreamboards for almost 2 years, and they have become an important practice for me...

I began making them each full moon, but after a few months I realized the new moon has its own energy, and so I began making those too.

It's just wonderful to choose images that 'speak' to me, arrange them on the page, and stick them down. It's not a conscious thing at all, it's like a meditation...

~~~000~~~

First published on Able at Heart on 1 October 2013

I have been busy since Friday, when Susannah Conway interviewed Jamie Ridler.

I was really struck by her Full Moon Dreamboards... I've never made a dreamboard as I don't really subscribe to the whole manifestation philosophy.

But I've always been aware of the Moon and her phases. So I made this...

... and I've done this so far...

It's the New Moon on Friday/Saturday. My plan is to make the Full Moon spreads double-paged, so this is to just set the tone of the journal...

By the way, the lunar calendars on the inside cover are from We'Moon diaries, which I just adore. I cannibalize the poems, articles and artwork from them when I'm finished :)

Like Jamie suggested, I looked for white space in the pictures I chose, so I could write on the  images. But I need to find an all-surface pen, as I struggle to write in pencil, even though I have these coloured all-surface pencils, bought before the stroke.

Also, I've added a new badge to the sidebar which links to this month's prompts from Jamie for the Harvest Moon, if you wish to join in :)

I'm really looking forward to this new practice - it just seems 'right' for me.

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First published on Able at Heart on 18 October 2013

Feel free to click on the image to enlarge :)

Here's my first ever Full Moon Dreamboard!
(I share how I made the journal on the Libra New Moon here.)
I really had fun with this - gathering images from my stash box mindful of Jamie's question for the October Harvest Moon: What do I want an abundance of?

Starting from the top left:
Long awaited Autumn (a favourite season!), a cute typewriter (I want to write more), Inspiration (always want more of that!), handmade books *sigh*, and Sisterhood (image of some suffragettes for International Women's Day). Then, the words 'Growing confidence...' and 'Beauty and tranquillity combined', with a gorgeous image of a turn-of-the-century artist at her easel (I want to paint more), and an amazing quote:

Clear your mind, quiet your thoughts. You are a vessel.

What you need will come to you.

Christy Santaro (2006)

clipped from an old We'Moon diary. My 'word' for 2013 has been Be a Vessel :)

Then on the right: Jamie's prompt/focus, a card of a fabulous stained glass window where I've written October 2013 and Harvest Moon. Then the words: 'Exciting, watching, relaxing, haunted' clipped from a World of Interiors advert, the words 'Making Your Mark' and another gorgeous image of a Victorian writer/student/scholar.

Ending with another We'Moon page with these words:

Each Woman carries within her the medicine for her healing. Sometimes it is hard to see and feel the one who holds the medicine bag. She is there. We must never stop listening for her arrivals. Shhh... Silently she comes bringing what is now needed. Believe...

Shiloh Sophia McCloud (2007)

On which I've stuck a found, fallen leaf...

I've found making this dreamboard very healing... I knew I would, as soon as I saw Jamie's interview with Susannah Conway (I just took Susannah's Journal Your Life course), and she mentioned her Full Moon practice.

Now, each month, I will look for images for my own healing, for I know the Moon brings medicine and healing in all her phases...

Thank you, Jamie! I'm so happy I found you :)

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First published on Able at Heart on 17 November 2013

Feel free to click on the photo to enlarge :)

Under the Full Frost Moon, allow that fresh chill in the air to wake you up to your dreams. Let creating your dreamboard be a clarifying act, bringing into focus the dreams that are in your heart. As you create your board, hold gently a request for clarity. Notice what is revealed.

So writes Jamie on today's Full Moon post...

I made this, my second Dreamboard, yesterday evening, and like my first one last month, I held the questions Jamie posed on the New Moon, 'What is clear about your dreams? What further clarity do you seek?' in my heart as I chose the images.

I find it so interesting that while I affix images with no clear plan in mind, you can see the two distinct pages - the left page all blues and cold winter images, the right page much warmer earthier colours. This wasn't a conscious decision!

Again, I used several pages from old We'Moon diaries - clearly the artists and poets featured there speak to me! And images from mail order catalogues, including a clipped quote by Claudia Black, 'Trust in yourself. Your perceptions are often far more accurate than you are willing to believe.'

These images - again using two We'Moon pages - and the image I made of the hand holding the spring leaf, under the star/sun, seem to indicate a flowering...

As the poem 'At This Time' by Margot Henderson 2004, says:

At this time we stand

upon the earth as winter trees.

We are called on to release.

To strip our branches

and to shed our leaves...

Till we are left reaching

our bare branches to the sky

surrendering,

only then

can the emerging buds be seen

only then can we bring light

to our unfolding dream.

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December 2013

(Click on the photo to enlarge and see more detail)

Sadly Jamie Ridler isn't doing her Full Moon Dreamboards any more, so there was no prompt on the New Moon :-(

But I so enjoy doing this practice, I've decided to go it alone...

I discovered December's full moon in the Northern Hemisphere is called the Full Cold Moon. As we approach the longest night of the year, the Winter Solstice, on the 21st, the focus is on warmth, shelter and family, and I've chosen words and images that reflect that.

Starting top left corner, I found a full moon image from an old We'Moon calender (Drombeg Circle by Kathy Glover 2005), and stuck on top a small poem by Mary Anne Radmacher from her book Lean Forward Into Your Life. I found the book in a charity shop, and once read, I've torn it up to use in journals, etc. (I cannot believe how daring I'm becoming in my old age...!!)

It reads:

as the moon wraps the end

of our day

we sit with the consequences

of our intentions

and pour a warm cup of gratitude 

for our family, our friends,

with such grace 

we prepare for another day.

Below that is another We'Moon image - a painting called Mother and Child by Barb Levine 1999.

To the right of it as an image from Toast's Winter catalogue on which I've stuck the words 'The gift of hope' clipped from a fairtrade catalogue.

On the right-hand page, is a large frosted berries image from World of Interiors, on which I've stuck the words 'Made It' and added, 'through another 12 months' (yay!)

To the left of the berry photo are more words by Mary Anne Radmacher:

i lean forward

full of the

possibility, the

hope of color,

growth, warmed soil

and being loose of

the chill of this

garden's long winter.

And underneath is another page of hers: 'celebrate the holidays that make sense', which I interpret to mean ignore the world's definition of what we should be celebrating, and make your own sense of the holiday season. Hence, my focus on the Winter Solstice, the primal need for warmth, shelter and family, and the chance to gather with loved ones and celebrate their being in my life.

And finally, there's a small picture of a farmhouse on the hillside, lights blazing as the daylight fades and the fog rolls in...
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January 2014

Well, a new year and a new way of doing my dreamboards...

A lot has happened since December's Full Cold Moon...

I had a natal report done, where I discovered many things - not least that I was born under a full moon! Maybe a reason why I deeply connect with this practice! 
I'm not sure what I really think about astrology, but the descriptions of what heavenly bodies were in what houses at the time of my birth almost 50 years ago does make very interesting reading, and Sherry described many of my personal traits rather accurately!

Also, I bought an e-book from Amy Palko called Bloom by Moon, where she gathers four traditions of moon lore - Astrological, Celtic Tree, North American and Global Perspectives - and poses journal question for each. 
I have actually printed out the whole book, and gathered the pages into the respective lunar cycles, and put them in a ring-binder.  I've been working through some questions for this first lunar cycle of 2014 since the New Moon on New Year's Day.

I'm naturally drawn to Celtic Tree lore, which calls January's Full Moon a Birch Moon, where the focus is on new beginnings. Birch branches were used for brooms, so the journal questions Amy posed were: What am I making space for? What am I ushering in? What is dying to be born?

On the left-hand page are two photos from Country Living - one of a frosty field, the other of a bunch of sage (which for the American Indians is a cleansing, purifying herb). Below those are two images from old We'Moon diaries - one of the Goddess of the Wheel of the Year showing the 8 pagan festivals (copyright Sheila Brown 1991); the other, a stunning painting by Toni DeMello called Ascend (2005), which the editors used one year to represent the 'Stillpoint' of this lunar cycle.

Finally, there is an image from last year's A Woman's Diary by Susan Seddon Boulet of her painting Calling the Eagle (1986) with the quote:

Your own words are the bricks and mortar of the dreams you want to realize. Your words are the greatest power you have. The words you choose and their use establish the life you experience.

Sonia Croquette

And underneath are the words 'The closer we look, the more we discover' from a Aptamil  baby's milk advert(!)

The right-hand page shows Lady Birch - a favourite tree from the the end of the road where we used to live, the word FOCUS, a picture of woman meditating from a Harper's Bazaar holiday ad on which I've written the journal questions, the words 'Express the essence of you' and 'What better time than now?' both from different magazine adverts. Finally, a photo of a very Bloomsbury-style sitting room (I cannot remember from where I clipped it), and a photo of several stacks of books!

If I were to interpret these images, based on the journal questions, I'd say I'm clearing space to think and focus and meditate, because I'm trying to find the words to express my inner essence, which eventually I hope to publish in book form... 

I know this year is significant in so many different ways - I turn 50, we celebrate our Silver Wedding Anniversary, our son leaves school after completing his A levels, and our daughter takes her GCSEs. A dear friend is getting married in April, and another dear friend is visiting from the US in May...

And I want to be in the best possible spiritual place to experience all this to the full, for these days will never come again!
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February 2014

Well, this month's Full Moon Dreamboard (FMD)has been very interesting... 
Jamie Ridler has a new venture producing a year's worth of FMD workshops, so I decided to try this first month's - sadly I won't be able to afford a year's worth, but I wanted to try at least one.

There's a video introduction, and an audio workshop, and a guided meditation and journal questions to print out and fill in. I'm done them all except the 'Go deeper' questions which I'll do tomorrow, when I've had time to ponder my board...

Jamie prefers the Native American names for the moon, and February's is the Snow Moon. I'm keeping with the Celtic names, and this month's moon is a Rowan Moon, so I have written both on my Dreamboard. And the main question Jamie asks is, What are my deepest dreams?

I completed Jamie's first 10 journal questions straight after the meditation, writing the first things that came into my head... Then I chose images from my stash, and the themes are quite clear...

I've been reading and enjoying Elen of the Ways by Elen Sentier this month, so it is no surprise there's a definite Celtic shaman theme, and a desire to connect with my ancestors, the wise women of my near and ancient past...

The shaman walks close to the edge of consciousness, and beyond the boundaries of reason, knowing 'The power of otherness'. S/he walks the path between heaven and earth. The image on the bottom right of this page is of Ancient Hands (Annie Ocean 2006) from an old We'Moon diary with the words

Now gold runs

in the veins

of the bone flower 

of her hands.

(excerpt Cora Greenhill 2007)

On which I've stuck a poem from another We'Moon diary

Awakening

Down, down

deep into the well

that is my own

true source,

deeper and deeper,

emerging

on the other side -

a woman, alive

with her hands

full of gold.

(e.g. wise 2012)

And to the left of the hands image is a small image of Moon Crone, Planning Her Next Endeavour by Kay Beyer 2008, and some love stamps salvaged from a letter. The tag on the far left, to which vintage lace is attached, is from a journal I own made by Nellie Wortman. I found the words Heaven' and 'Earth' in my stash and stuck them on the tag, on which Nellie had already stitched a felt heart with the word 'path'.

The right-hand page has more We'Moon images - top right is Sacred Hearts (Meinrad Craighead 1990) showing a shaman with the title BETWIXT, and bottom left is Between Two Worlds (Rachill 1999). Across the two images, I have stuck on a cut-up affirmation card, which reads 'I open myself to love', And the words 'hidden depths' and 'past & present' are from magazine adverts. 

The final piece is a journal card on which I have written these words from Susan Seddon Boulet's book Shaman: The Paintings of SSB, 1989:

If you want good dreams,

pray to the Grandmother Moon.

If you want to walk the good red 

road, then rise before dawn

and pray the sun up.

As an early riser, I connect deeply with these words - I always pray to the moon, and the sun, Mama Spirit, God giving thanks for the new day's dawning, and for seeing another day...

I so love this Full Moon practice (this is my 5th month so far), and these 'messages' which emerge are truly precious and magical to me!

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March 2014 missed through illness :(

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April 2014

I missed March's Dreamboard with a stinking cold, so I was most keen to make this month's! 

Also, it's the Willow Full Moon - under which I was born almost 50 years ago (in 1964, the Full Moon was towards the end of the month - I was born on Tuesday 28 April), so it feels extra significant!

Add to that, Pesach (Passover) starts today and it's Easter on Sunday!!

Following Amy Palko's Bloom by Moon e-book prompts, a Willow Moon invites safety and shelter and space... space to be... to be vulnerable... And I think the Dreamboard shows that with less colour, less busyness than other boards I've made.

On the left-hand page are several pages from old We'Moon diaries (my go-to resource in making these dreamboards!)

Top left is an untitled image by Deborah Koff-Chapin (1995) - I'm sure I subconsciously chose it for the large egg that's being held...
To the right is Creatrix by Rowan Wildash (2008) with the words Artistry/Alchemy, and below there is a wee print by Cathy Cullis, whose work I adore - I own several pieces!
Then there's a written piece 'How Art Can Heal Broken Places' by Lily Yeh from Moonrise: The Power of Women Leading from the Heart, Park Street Press, 2010.

This right-hand page is my favourite. A dreamy postcard by Micki Wilde - another fav. artist of whose work I own several pieces, a photo from Country Living magazine of a potter sketching out designs, with the words 'feels like nothing else' clipped from some advert! The main piece for me is a card I bought for just this dreamboard(!) from Holistic Creations (though her stock is very different at the moment). Inside the card was written:

You have huge common sense and are very bright,

Very intuitive, into other realms you have good insight.

You may keep your beliefs to yourself, being a spiritual seeker,

Which gives you an air of mystery, an imaginative dreamer.

You are articulate, artistic and very creative,

You're family orientated, of partners and children you are very protective.

This feels a very special, and important, dreamboard to me, and I sense I need to sit with it for a while and ponder its significance...

I'd appreciate any thoughts/comments/insights - I learn so much from your wise words :-) xx

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May 2014 missed through having too much fun with B on her first visit to the UK for over a decade :-D

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June 2014

Under this almost (98%) Full Strawberry Moon I made my June Dreamboard last night. I took the photo at 10pm - can't you tell we're approaching the longest day of the year??

So here's the Dreamboard spread...

Once again, I took my journal cues from Amy Palko's Bloom by Moon - choosing to focus on the Celtic calendar, according to which this is an Oak Moon...

I always learn so much reading Amy's ebook, for example - the Gaelic for Oak is duir which means 'door' - and this is a powerful Moon as we stand on the threshold of the height of the year, waiting to step into the second half and counting down to Midsummer, the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year.

So here, on the left-hand page, we have a Full Moon under which I've written:

Gaelic for oak is duir - door. Stepping into 2nd half of 2014...Powerful place to stand

under which is a beautifully carved oak door bearing the name of the month and a paper butterfly. Under this are two wee images I found in my stash of a keyhole and a set of keys...

Top right of the page is a B&W photo from Countrylife magazine of a castle ruin, on which I've stuck words from a vintage ad 'Gateways to the "Land of Enchantment"', a cut-out orange oak leaf, and a piece of cotton ribbon saying 'follow your dream'. 

Bottom right is a page from my quote-a-day 2014 calendar with these wise words:

It's not where you take things from - it's where you take them to.

Jean-Luc Godard

On the right-hand page there are two postcards of Greg Spalenka's artwork, which I bought several years ago - I love this man's work!!
On the left-hand one, I've stuck a wee Rumi quote: May you stay in your infinity.

And on the right-hand one, a piece of a magazine advert - Window on the new - if you enlarge the photo you can an art fairy/sprite (with palette wings!) painting a landscape through an arched window she's drawn on the blank wall...

Underneath are several small images - a flower and girl dancing under which is this quote:

Just to be is a blessing.

Just to live is holy.

Abraham Heschel

And a butterfly, the words 'Beautiful by nature' from a magazine advert, another page from my calendar declaring 'Believe in your Dreams', on which I've stuck more cotton ribbon with the words carpe diem stamped on it...

Phew!!

Actually, I found making this Dreamboard very energizing and very exciting...

I'm really looking forward to the second half of 2014. I do sense I'm on the threshold of something... I feel I hold the keys to open the heavy, oak door onto something new and exciting... if I'm brave enough to use them...

I'd love to hear what you think of this Full Oak Moon, the Summer Solstice, what you think the rest of 2014 may hold for you... 

xxx

PS I found this quote and just to share it - Molly-cat was definitely acting a tad crazy last night...

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July 2014

This was the first of three 'perigee' supermoons, as the Earth and the Moon are closer together - it certainly was very bright at its fullest on Saturday!

Due to my erratic internet connection, I haven't been able to post this month's dreamboard before now, so here it is

This is a Holly Moon, as the Celtic Holly King defeated the Oak King at the Summer Solstice and now reigns over the waning year...

Amy Palko's journal prompts suggested looking at the phrase 'coming back to the Source', and what it may mean. This was in my heart and mind as I made my dreamboard, and I notice there is quite a balance between words and images...

Left-hand page
Top right is a Man Ray image of Lee Miller on a blossom background with a quote by Ingrid Goff Maidoff

The world sparks and hums with radiance. Even when we fail to notice all still shimmers and shines.

Underneath are with words 'Emotions in Dreams' and a lovely image of a dreamcatcher girl under a full moon (I don't know who it's by), and an engraved image of a rustic study room.

Under that is a page from my quote-a-day calendar

Live your questions now, and perhaps even without knowing it, you will live along some distant day into your answers.

Rainer Maria Rilke

Then towards the spine of my dreamboard journal is a black & white image of a wooded lake, a small painting of a woman, and Greg Spalenka postcard on which I've stuck a Yogi tea tag with the words 'The beat of your heart is the rhythm of your soul', and the words 'Touch the deep knowing within you'. I also drew a spiral over the solar plexus of the image - that's wear I 'feel' my knowledge :-)

Right-hand page

Top right is a lovely Polaroid of a barn and a field of flowers (from an old desk calendar, I think) on which I've stuck this quote

You must return with the bliss and integrate it... The return is seeing the radiance everywhere.

Joseph Campbell

Looking at it now, I'm struck by how it reflects the quote on the left-hand page in the same spot!

Under this, there's a striking image of a weeping moon and a girl catching the tears in a bowl (again, I don't know where it's from). 

Next to it I've written out this quote on a journal card

Learn to get in touch with silence within yourself. And know that everything in this life has a purpose.

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

And underneath is a lovely printed journal card with the words 'Finding the Artist Within Me'.

To the edge of the page is another striking image of two figures opening a box of stars... It looks like the work of the same artist of the weeping moon image.

Under that is a wee sketch by a favourite artist, Cathy Cullis, and another page from my quote-a-day calendar which reads

Deep in their roots all flowers keep the light.

Theodore Roethke

I'm seeing some definite themes as I look at it now - deep dark and radiant light, silence and knowing, questions and answers...

It's all there - at the Source...

I'd love to know what you think as you see my Dreamboard, and was the Holly Moon extra-bright in your sky last Saturday?
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August 2014

Before I share this month's Dreamboard, I want to show this which I bought last month from Jane Samuelson. The 'poem' sits in the beautiful pouch and perfectly expresses why I love the moon so much... she never shouts like the sun, she always whispers...

                                                                              Click on image to enlarge

... and yes, I wore the necklace as I made the Dreamboard :-)

This month is a Hazel Full Moon - a very significant tree for the Celts connected with wisdom.
Amy Palko asked this question:

What veils are keeping you from seeing your Truth?

I'm afraid I can't remember where any of this images originally came from, but each time I make my Full Moon Dreamboard, I realize I've been collecting such beautifully evocative images for years now, without knowing why... And each month this is the perfect way to gather them together.

The two quotes are

Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.

Joseph Campbell

The question is not what you look at, but what you see.

Henry David Thoreau

I wasn't at all melancholy when I made this page, but melancholia is my natural default position... By this I don't mean sadness per se, but a sensitivity to the feelings of others, empathy, a certain delicacy of spirit.

This time, I made a wee tag which I've tied to the spiral spine. On the back is written another of Amy's journal prompts 

Hazel rods were traditionally used as divining rods for finding water. And under the image of the woman/goddess on the front of the tag, I put these stickers

Kindness is a very under-rated quality. It's that gentleness of spirit I think of whenever I remember the Dalai Lama quote: 'Kindness is my religion' and this from Mother Teresa

In the top right of the page is a postcard from Liz Lamoreux showing a soul mantra locket which says 'Open up and Live', under that is a picture of an open door with a raven/crow, and this quote from Emily Dickinson:

Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.

Then at the bottom of the page are two black and white images - a medieval-looking woman and a feather - on which I've written:

Thus am I a feather on the breath of God.

Hildegard von Bingen

Hildegard is one of my favourite mystics - such an incredibly talented, inspirational woman!!

So that's my August Dreamboard! Once again I'd really appreciate any thoughts, insights... Each month I gain so much from your wise comments, so thank you :-)
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September 2014

I wasn't able to see the moon last night - too many clouds... But I'm hoping they'll part enough tonight to let me see her at her fullest and ripest :-)

September's Moon is all about harvest, fullness, and the sweet ripeness of the Vine...

Starting on the right-hand page, which I made first for some reason

The background photo is of a Japanese maple from an old Country Living magazine - they have the best nature photographers...

The Empress is a card I pulled from an old tarot deck - she's all about the fullness of creation, the feminine archetype, the Big Mama of us all...

Then, there's a brilliant piece from an advert - no idea what it was for (a car, maybe?), but I just love those words:

One part imagination

One part inspiration

One part stimulation

One part intrigue

One part exhilaration

They perfectly describe 'The pleasure of creation' which is clipped from another magazine advert - at the top of the page. Underneath which is a piece called Flexibility with a quote by Caitlin Matthews

May we never be so straight that we cannot bend;

May we never be so unapproachable that children

Cannot climb up into our lower branches.

It's a piece I think a friend sent me - all about taking our inspiration from trees: 'Visualize what kind of tree you are. Check on how vital your root system is; assess the flexibility of your trunk, the reach of your branches...' Which is just perfect given the ROOT journal project in did for 30 days in August :-)

And finally there's a craft skeleton leaf I found in my stash.

On the left-hand page, which just didn't seem to go right... there's a piece from an old diary on the Harvest Moon (another name for this month's Full Moon), and another on Mabon (the Autumn Equinox which is 2 weeks today on September 22), which invites us to

Take note of the changing seasons and the leaves as they begin their colourful display. This is the season of Dionysus, lord of the vine. The grape harvest is in, and wines are being produced... 

With this idea of harvest in my mind, I attached a wee purse, which I picked up years ago in a charity shop, and in it I've put some Tim Holtz Adage Tickets - words I want more of:

Hope

Dream

Bliss

Story

Live

Trust

The page is finished with more Country Living photos - a crate of ripe tomatoes, and an artist's sketchbook in which is painted a tree, a dove and a leaf...

As I finish writing this post, I realize there's actually a lot in this Dreamboard... It didn't seem to flow as readily as I was making it last night (maybe because I couldn't see the moon behind the thick clouds?) But this morning, I can see more clearly the themes and the desires being expressed.

I'd love to know what you think - and if you make a Dreamboard, do share :-)

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October 2014

Ah, the Full Ivy Moon... it's all about releasing and letting go... something very close to my heart as our son left for university a couple of weeks ago!!

Left-hand page
Top left - I recently found some Halloween-themed backing papers in my stash, and this one of the full moon behind branches was just perfect!
To the right of that is a postcard of a Natasha Newton painting of a tree shedding its leaves, on which I've stuck 'Let Go'. I love her earthy palette and naive style, but can only afford postcards and stickers of her work...
Under the moon image is a postcard of a painting by Jess Purser. I don't know why this image leaped out at me, maybe I secretly want a crystal ball to see not only my future, but that of my kids, as they forge out on their life path...
I'm sure that was in my mind when I chose this 'Carve your own Path' image from my quote-a-day calender... And the typewriter wooden cut-out and the words 'Important' and 'Take Note' say it all... I am journalling each day through this 'letting go' process in preparation for this amazing e-course which starts on the New Moon on 23 October, the timing of which couldn't be better!

Right-hand page
Top left is a black and white photo from an old Toast catalogue, on which I'm written the Anais Nin quote: 

Life shrinks and expands in proportion to one's courage.

It was printed on the back of the Greg Spalenka Warrior postcard (top right). I love the androgynous figure, as I see it presenting both me and our son...
Below these two images are works by Gillian Lee Smith, whose work I just adore. The little doll figure was on an old business card of hers, and the painting is from her current exhibition 'We all Cast Shadows' at the Heart Gallery. I have stuck on the quote 'Love will find a way' - no prizes for guessing why!!
Finally, on the bottom left is a postcard of a tree collage by Anna Mackellar, on which I've stuck a wee image of the Leaf Goddess by Nadine C. Butterfield 2003 from an old We'Moon diary. And finally is a lovely pine-cone illustration from my stash (no idea where it came from).

So there it is, my 'Letting Go' Ivy Full Moon Dreamboard. I have found it especially therapeutic this month, and I now feel ready to prepare for the New Moon and my own A Year and a Day adventures...

I know I'll revisit it whenever I miss Sam, but I'm so thrilled he's begun his new life as a student, that any sense of loss is balanced by a real sense of excitement for him. The Ivy Full Moon is all about holding on and letting go - and knowing when is the right time for each...

I'd love to know what you think when you see my Dreamboard - do share in the comments :-)

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New Reed Moon (October '14)

I have thought about making a Dreamboard for the New Moon for several months now, and today I did just that :-)

It's a new scrapbook and this time it's A3, so a double spread is pretty darn BIG!!!

The extra impetus to start this new practice is the beginning of A Year and a Day - a wonderful course hosted by Angel Sullivan. Who knows what the next 366 days will hold, but I'm ready and I'm drawing on the New Reed Moon energies of harmony, clarity, and a deep sense of purpose and intention for the coming month.

Here's the full spread. I used lot of images from my tear-off quote-a-day calendar - there's a definite 'ready for action' vibe, I think :-)

Left-hand page
Top left: Work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed Vaclav Havel (Czech playwright)
Top right: You see things and you say Why? But I dream things that never were, and say Why not? George Bernard Shaw
I think you can read the other quotes (especially if you click on the image to enlarge).
I've added a wee feather and two fallen leaves - gifts on my doorstep this morning!

Right-hand page
Again, if you enlarge the image, you can read most things, but the wee heart sticker in the centre reads' 'Unlock your heart, unleash your potential'.
Below it I've written out a quote I found,

What life can compare to this? Sitting quietly by the window, I watch the leaves fall and the flowers bloom, as the seasons come and go.

Hsueh-Tou (982--1052)

And bottom left is a page from an old We'Moon diary, which really spoke to me...

Leap of Faith

Standing before a fork

in the road

there is not a right answer

or truth cast in stone, there are

choices, plans and desire,

there is the heart of fire and

twist of fate,

there is the unveiling

of who you are and who you

are becoming.

This I have found after

bargaining with my hopes

and my destiny. There is only

a still quiet voice within

that tells me trust what you

know and then surrender,

leap of you must, let your wings

unfurl, let your angels play catch.

We drink dreams from a

sliver of moon.

Wendy L. Brown, 2007

It was especially the last phrase which summed up why I wanted to make this New Moon Dreamboard... I have always connected with the Full Moon, but I am only just beginning to recognize all Mama Luna's phases, and tap into the hidden potential of the New Moon...

As always, I'd be thrilled to read any responses/insights you have when you see my Dreamboard, so do share x

PS Wow, I've just realized this is my 250th post!!

Another reason to celebrate the wonder of the New Moon ;-)

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Full Reed Moon (November '14)

Making this Dreamboard felt a tad different, as I made a New Moon Dreamboard for the first time a couple of weeks ago, so the themes of the Reed Moon were very present - harmony, clarity and purpose - when I sat down to start it...

But as I look at the completed Dreamboard, I realize Samhain was probably more on my subconscious than I realized...

Left-hand page
There are several pages from old We'Moon diaries with a clear focus on words, rather than images...
Top left:

Blanket of Miracles

I stand on a blanket of miracles.

I am strange stuff and dark magic:

broken bones and black feathers,

chants, fire, wood and

so many tears.

Tears like drops of moonlight

along an evergreen path.

I am soft kisses and slick touch,

heavy and round,

like my grandmother.

I arch,

reciting fever prayers

to old forest gods,

breathing the rhythm,

and giving birth to the world.

This is no spell.

I am deep memories and 

lies long forgiven.

With tongue and teeth,

skin and spirit,

I drum.

I stand on my blanket of miracles

and dance, singing

I am 

the blood of my mothers,

dangerous knowledge,

fire and water and

salted bread.

I come to this place

to remember my beginning.

I come to this place

to honour my end.

Then I curl up

on my blanket of miracles,

exhausted,

to dream my daughters

into being.

Katharine Saunders 2012

Wow, what a poem!!!

Top right:

I, Wonder, say to you truly

all that we are

is just one motion of breath and divinity

rushing together - to fill the great lungs of life.

Let me stir in your body, this mystical cauldron,

where matter and spirit meet for a  moment -

the one long moment - of your life.

excerpt, Renee Hummel 2006

And a lovely image of the practice of Arati by Margaret Forbes 1996

There are two gorgeous images by Beth Wildwood - the wee owl tag I've attached the spine, and a gorgeous owl goddess, with the words 'sense of serenity' which a clipped from a magazine advert.

Bottom right:

A Dead Language

My tongue forks

a dead language,

one of owl.

My fragments 

have hidden

feathers

in broom closets

in the face

of Academy,

The War,

still.

Old ball and cannon

what's allowed

into this canon,

the precious words

of women

before,

yanked from the stacks.

The dead language shall rise - womanspeak the canary of seasons,

a land folding in on itself, creatrix - repairing the split.

excerpt, Shae Savoy 2012

Image The Bird Girls Denise Kester 2012

Right-hand page
Top left is a piece about Setting a Cup for Shadow 'For times of heart and mind meetings, conflict transformations, mediations, visioning and accountability processes and so forth' by rain crowe 2012, but it's too long to write out here. 

Top right: I've included the whole page from this month's We'moon diary as it's just too perfect. The stunning image is called 'Forest Madonna' by Barb Levine 2008.

Bottom right: Mother-Child Song by Amy L. Alley 2009, which I thought was ideal as they are blowing through reeds!

Other images: 'Keeping Vigil' by Anny Eastwood 2005, Nicola Taylor's business card, and a wee penny farthing sticker :-)

*****

Phew! I think this is THE longest post I've ever written! Thank you if you persevered to the end - you are a star *grin*

As always, I'd love to know what you see/feel when you see the Dreamboard, and do let me know if you've made one too!

PS The weekend and this week have been very busy and stressful, so I didn't draw a new Word for the Week - I still need to sit with Peace...

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December missed through illness...

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New Rowan Moon (January 2015)

There are definite themes in this Rowan Moon - the first New Moon of 2015.

According to Amy Palko's Bloom by Moon 

Take these visions and ground them in practical action. Let them take root and gain strength from the energy that flows from deep within the Earth's core. Let them offer you their gifts of vision and protection.

And I've written this out on the right-hand page on a image on which I'm stuck a wee wooden house and a sticker with a heart kite withe word Fly

Another theme is 'the space between', which is written on the trees postcard - the space between the vision and the 'practical action', but also the space between mentioned in the poem 'Blessing' by Patrice Haan (2010) from an old We'moon diary at the bottom of the page

Grace meets you between two heartbeats,

In a blink, pulse, shift of breeze rippling cat's fur, all is changed,

All.

And the world, which leaned into its negative pole, glances,

fascinated by the positive, all

before breakfast, before the day's first tasks.

The great longing lifts

like a voice, like wings, and soars

effortlessly, splendidly, a thing of such joy

the bird stops singing and the animals 

come out to listen. All the people put down their masks and

tools and stand awash in the moment. What

will we tell the children? How remember the instant

we glimpsed grace and knew true peace like

stars at night, water in the desert, the first great

breath on surfacing.

I've also remembered St Brigid, whose feast day is in a couple of weeks, with the image She Tends the Flame by Megaera (2006) with words by Donna Henes (2003)

One by one, in tiny increments, candle by candle,

gesture by effort, wish by prayer, concern by care,

we feed the life-fires of the soul and light

the infinite universe, little by little from within.

The left-hand page is less busy and is pretty self-explanatory - with images from the Toast catalogue and various magazines...

As I sit with this completed dreamboard, I think of my visions, my seeds, my intentions for the New Year, for this New Moon...

Foremost is beginning the e-course Lunar Flow - the first part of Marissa's CMP course (there's a button on the sidebar)...

... I really can't wait to start and will be sharing as the weeks unfold. I've boldly written my intention for the CMP course in the course handbook:

To connect with my inner wisdom.

To learn to trust my gut using the moon, chakras, stones and tarot.

To build on what I've picked up on these things over the years and dive deep into my own real Knowing.

My Word for 2015 is DELVE and I intend to delve deeper and deeper through this course.

May it be so :) x
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Full Rowan Moon (February 2015)

What a morning! Flipping Google is making my online life a misery **ggrrrr**

But now I've finally been able to log into both Blogger and Picasa, and I can post my Rowan Full Moon Dreamboard, even if I can't get the image of the whole spread to upload... *sigh*

Left-hand page
Starting top-left is this year's We'moon Diary page for Imbolc which begins...

The NEW ONES are stirring. Feel the vibration of Nature in February. Every-thing in potential, teeming underground...

And underneath is an image from a card called 'Replenishing Her Spirit' by Laurel Porter-Gaylord, and I'm certainly feeling this deep in my belly as I make this Dreamboard...

Then, top-right is an image of a woman communing with a tree and the words 'A Walk on the Wild Side' from a magazine advert. Underneath is an image of a raven in the snow from a card and finally a gorgeous image of a winter goddess, her face illuminated by runes...

Right-hand page

At the top are pages from old We'Moon diaries showing a woman drumming a painting by Melissa Harris (2010) called 'With Soul', a wee image called 'Ancient Moonlight' by amara hollow bones (2009) and this powerful poem by Robin Rose Bennett (2011)

The Times We're Living In

It is not so easy to see what is birthing

Beneath the surface of the world, 

Getting ready to emerge

Like a newborn crowning.

As old ways of domination and violation

Fight to hold sway,

A great birthing has begun,

The birth of a new way

Of being in the world

A way of re-connection and shared power,

A way of cooperation and love.

We are flowering out of the mud

Of our darkest time of separation

Evolving from the time of me

To the time of we.

This time is difficult, yes,

But it is also juicy and joyous.

It is not easy to soar through mud

But mud is rich and fertile

And out of mud

The lotus blooms.

At the bottom of the page is another We'Moon image by Autumn Skye Morrison called 'A Keeper's Promise' (2007) and two quotes from last year's calendar, which just sum up this whole Dreamboard

There is nothing stronger in the world than gentleness.

Han Suyin

and

In the end, it's all about Love.

Before the end of this moon's cycle, we will encounter St Valentine's Day - not a day I've ever chosen to celebrate, for me Love is just so much MORE then romance, and flowers, and chocolates...

It is THE truly BIG concept, which covers every human interaction with the world in which we live - starting with the Love we have for ourselves... *eek* Probably one of the hardest loves to practise...

I don't see it as a coincidence that this is the 13th Full Moon Dreamboard I've made... It is the number of the goddess, of feminine spirit, and I can just feel the energy seeping out of it... Can you??
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New Ash Moon (February 2015)

.. on Ash Wednesday, no less :)

Another powerful board, which came together very easily...

Somehow, I knew this morning as this landed in my mailbox from the lovely folk at Panhala.net, this would be a GOOD Dreamboard. And yes, I read it aloud as an invocation as I prepared myself to make this New Moon Dreamboard

Invocation

Let us try what it is to be true to gravity,
to grace, to the given, faithful to our own voices,

to lines making the map of our furrowed tongue.
Turned toward the root of a single word, refusing

solemnity and slogans, let us honor what hides
and does not come easy to speech.  The pebbles

we hold in our mouths help us to practice song,
and we sing to the sea.  May the things of this world

be preserved to us, their beautiful secret
vocabularies.  We are dreaming it over and new,

the language of our tribe, music we hear
we can only acknowledge.  May the naming powers

be granted.  Our words are feathers that fly
on our breath.  Let them go in a holy direction.

~ Jeanne Lohmann ~ 

(Between Silence and Answer)

As always, I use Amy Palko's Bloom by Moon to learn about the Ash Moon...

The Ash has very deep roots to draw up the Earth's goodness. For the Celts it was the Tree of Life, for its roots went down so far into the Lower World, its branches reached so high into the Upper World, and its tall, straight trunk stood tall in the Middle World.

Left-hand page

Water and emotions are strong in this New Moon of Aquarius, but Amy also ties in the 'soft animal of your body' (from Mary Oliver's Wild Geese poem) as the outer expression of those emotions...

As the Ash tree connects the Worlds ('As above, so below'), can we in our animal bodies connect our deep, inner worlds and share them truthfully and honestly. Can we, as Mary Oliver says 

let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

I plan to ponder these things each day until my next Dreamboard on the Full Moon.

I'd love to know if you have any thoughts/insights...

And I just had to share this, taken this morning

Molly-cat knows her soft animal body loves to sleep in the warm sunlight (even though it's freezing outside!!)
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Full Ash Moon (March 2015)

As my Full Moon Dreamboard journal is A4 (as compared to the A3 New Moon one), each spread seems to fill up very quickly - a handful of images on each side, and we're done!

There are echoes of the words and images from the New Moon, and once again I repeated the 'Invocation' poem... I plan to type that out and mount it on card, so I can say it before I create each Dreamboard...

Left-hand page is pretty self-explanatory. 
The egg tag has the info on this Full Moon written on the back (date, main themes/thoughts). The stunning female torso wood carving is called 'Harmony' by Marsea H. Ilio (1989) image from old We'Moon diary. The 'Find Beauty in Rain' is from last year's 'quote-a-day' calendar and the Klimt tree of life is from a greetings card. The blue woman is called 'Prayer to Tara' by Molly Sullivan (2002) and links with Right-hand page

... where the words of the prayer are written

Self-Arising Tara

Ma

my source

creatrix of all

She's real

alive and

humming deep

in ancient space.

May we all

arise as Tara

May we all

be awakened

and free

like you Ma

like you Ma

please come

arise in me.

Other images include another page from the quote-a-day calendar 'Live Simply', a Papaya! Art postcard with  the Chinese proverb 'If you keep a green bough in your heart, then the singing bird will come.'

Below that is a card with the words 'Our ability to be compassionate and experience our humanness never leaves us' from my stash - I just love the yellow primroses being cradled in gentle hands...

Then an Art&Ghosts image of a typing rabbit (of course!) and finally another We'Moon image called 'Wisdom' by Meinrad Craighead (1983).

I have felt the power and the rhythm of this Ash Moon month, with the Celtic themes of 'As above, so below' - the sense of deep stirrings in the earth, in my belly, manifesting above ground in my body... And it will continue as this Full Moon shines brightly and then slowly wanes down to the next New Moon, which just so happens to coincide with the Spring Equinox (oh my!)

I suspect there will be even more of Nature's power to come...

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New Alder Moon (March 2015)

What a day!!!

Began recording the wonders of a full solar eclipse - probably the last one I'll see (next one expected 2090!!)

It was so eerie how the birds fell silent as the sky darkened... there was a heavy, reverent hush as the sun disappeared behind the moon...

My new journal method is writing with a dip pen - with sepia ink!

And of course, it's the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere (Autumn in the Southern) - all things converging in this one wonderful day...

There is a definite Spring-like enthusiasm about this Dreamboard :)

Left-hand page

There's the Spring Equinox page from this year's We'Moon diary praising the balance of day and night, the wonder of Girls, and bees, and birds...

So there's tag of a hive and a thrush proudly protecting her nest and a cute vintage playing card of a Slick Chick :)

Below these is the word Hope and this poem from a We'Moon diary

Harbinger

What's astounding is the five minutes worth

of trailing flocks of snow geese that pass overhead

weaving black and white lines

of distant honking

to the northeast.

I'm looking up for guidance, for reassurance,

they are following ancient patterns

they see through our map of upsets,

connecting to what is good,

what is right, what is natural and

they know what to do,

they are hauling spring in behind them.

(excerpt Mary Kate Protzman 2010)

with a gorgeous painting by amara bronwyn hollow bones (2009) behind it.

Then these a splendid African woman/goddess and a Papaya Art postcard with the words 'dwell in possibility...', the word Dream and a vintage illustration of Zulu Women.

And at the bottom of the page a Spring kitchen window, a wee bird singing in the Alder New Moon and a mandala with the words Balance, Light and Dark.

Wow, a very full page!!

Right-hand page

A string of hydrangeas edges the page, then a page from last year's quote-a-day calender declaring 'be happy' and a page from an old We'Moon diary about the Wild Child (March 20 - April 18). Below here are the words that came to me as I pondered the new Alder Moon:

maiden

fertility

growth

feminine power

feminine mystery

communing

cooperation

giving

generosity

sheltering grove

comfort

Apparently every part of the Alder is useful - the bark for tanning leather, the leaves for dyeing, and the wood is strong and waterproof and perfect for building bridges...

Next to my list is a wee flap page with the word Play on it where I've written Sap Rising and Time to Grow. It's a secret what's under the top flap...

And on the bottom row is a watercolour palette with pinks and greens, another wee bee, a painting of a sculpture of a woman's form and this poem by Renee Hummel (2006)

Don't Sit Still

Don't sit still!

Let your inner being pulse with the wings of a bird

rising and falling with the breath.

Let the wild thing inside you soar beyond its cage

unseen by the keepers of the classroom or the office

who would have you stay motionless

dying within your skin.

Don't sit still!

As though your teeming energy submitted to these chains.

Let the waters of your body roar,

churning oceans in a seashell.

Let the rhythmic snake inside climb the tree unseen.

Let the tips of your fingers open, curiously, each one

the eye of some wild creature.

Don't sit still!

Let your inner being venture out into the wildest terrain,

tasting the fruits that flourish there, tasting the fresh unsheltered sky.

Deftly seek the motion that you may find in stillness,

for there is a current of life inside you, strong enough to lift

your pinioned feathers into flight.

This is EXACTLY how I've been feeling these past few days... Having discovered I can write quite legibly with my new dip pens, I've been scribbling and feeling my spirits soar every time I dip the pen into the ink, leaning on my beloved writing slope...

Truly, I feel powerful and able to do anything, and go anywhere my words choose to take me... After almost 8 years inside the cage of disability, I feel REBORN... 

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Full Alder Moon (April 2015)

Our part of the UK has been under thick, grey cloud for a couple of days now, and it isn't forecast to disperse any time soon...

So I haven't seen the Alder moon waxing to its peak, but I've been feeling its effects :)

Not surprising, this Full Moon is often called an Egg Moon coinciding with Easter and messages of new life, growth and fertility.

Left-hand page
I had to start this page with a postcard of SeeQueen's beautiful meditation stone, looking both like an egg and a moon :) Followed by a page from a wee vintage poetry book and a print ATC by Dancing-Girl Art.
Underneath is a fun sticker of vintage pens and inks (very much to the forefront of my mind given my current obsession with dip pens and writing letters!) And next to that is a card showing the painting 'Arboretum' by Laurel Porter-Gaylord - a beautiful, blossom-laden tree.
At the bottom is an evocative image from Gillian Lee Smith's exhibition brochure We All Cast Shadows on which I've written 'there's always a story to be told'... and finally an image from an old We'Moon diary called Oshun: Goddess of Love by Sandra Stanton 1999.

Right-hand page
A very simple page - a sticker of vintage stamps to show my letter-writing exploits this month, and a classic Papaya Art! sticker. Then a wee hand on which I've drawn a spiral to show all the movement and life my left hand provides...
Then the words 'The Secret Coolness' from a magazine advert over another We'Moon image on which I've stuck a clockface.
Lastly, a postcard from a ceramic exhibition (I can't remember when or where) on which I've stuck a crafting leaf and three wee flower stickers.

And that's it. Today's Full Alder Moon evokes so much on this Easter Saturday - the day Christians remember Jesus' time in the tomb... a somber day in many ways, but also a day full of wonder, magic and mystery... a day of 'secret coolness' deep in the heart of the tomb where death turns into new life...
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New Willow Moon (April 2015)

A tad late as I was out all day yesterday...

Willow is my Celtic tree sign - I was born under a Full Willow Moon - so no wonder this Moon speaks to me so powerfully!

I think the images say it all, so I'll let them speak...

Left-hand page

Right-hand page

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Full Willow Moon (May 2015)

Fifty-one years ago I was born under a Full Willow Moon... A Moon associated with Beltane and the Maiden... A Moon of feminine power, earthy fertility, and in-between places - between land and water, air and fire, head and heart.

Left-hand page

I've actually taken pages from this year's We'Moon diary as they're so perfect. I begin with Full Moon Riot by Angela Gayan Galik (2013), a wonderful poem celebrating the sheer joy of spending time with Mama Luna.
To the right of the poem is Queen of Hearts - a nod to Princess Diana who's son and wife welcomed their second child yesterday, a wee princess. The image is called 'Foolish Heart' by Sophia Rosenberg (2008).
Towards the bottom of the page is a page from last year's quote-a-day calendar which reads 'Daydream believer', with flowers, and leaves and butterflies...

Right-hand page

Two more pages from this year's diary - a wonderful piece about Beltane by Carolyn Myers (2014) with a lovely image 'Upon a Bed of Roses' by Cori Caputo  (2005). Below that is a beautiful poem by Cathy Casper called In the Middle of a Hug (2007)
Then there's two elegant ladies enjoying afternoon tea in the garden, an image called 'Dancing with the Sun' by Mara Zareen Friedman (1994), and two art stamps called 'Beginnings' and 'Dreamaker'.

As I write this, the sun finally makes an appearance after a cold, cold morning of wind and rain... Finally, the day feels like a May day rather than a revisit of November! 
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New Hawthorn Moon (May 2015)

I confess I found doing this dreamboard rather confusing and difficult, and I felt there was no clear message coming through...

From the very beginning of my practice of making these dreamboards (I started back in October 2013), I've used Amy Palko's Bloom by Moon, but I've had a sense for a while that something wasn't 'adding up'... not least, because Amy only has 12 lunar cycles, and there's usually 13 in a year.

Turns out, she doesn't have a Hawthorn  Moon, and had this cycle as the Oak Moon. Hence I was getting doorway/threshold images/messages mixed up with bloom/blossom images/messages, as I 'chose' images for this dreamboard. And that's why I wrote it was a new Oak moon, and I now need to amend that!

NOW the images make sense!! And the overriding message of 

Trust yourself - you know more than you think you do

is put into sharp relief! I knew something was off when I made the board. I knew the door images just weren't quite right. I knew the message of Blossoming Power was important, even though I wrote it small and at the bottom of the page. I've been 'sensing' (seeing/hearing/reading/imagining) these words for several months now...

But as I struggle with both the word and the concept of Power on sooooo many levels, I ignored my inner voice and trusted Amy's printed word instead...

Hence, as I now look at the board in detail, I see the messages were there, I just wasn't hearing them and trusting them...

Well, that's a powerful lesson!!

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Full Hawthorn Moon (June 2015)

This came readily and easily... the mix of male and female imagery, the sense of abundance blossoming, and the call to water what feeds my soul and to make and write and create...

I doubt I'll see the Full Moon tonight - thick grey cloud, wind and rain *sigh* But I can still feel its energy, and I trust Summer will eventually arrive :)

Left-hand page

Right-hand page

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New Oak Moon (June 2015)

The Mighty Oak is the king of the forest standing strong year upon year. It is rooted below the Earth as wide as its branches spread above it.

image from The Goddess Tree

In ways I'm coming to almost expect, this week's theme in The Artist's Way just so happens to be 'Recovering a Sense of Strength', being strong in a time of loss and disappointment. The Mighty Oak is the perfect image for this.

Here's my New Oak Moon dreamboard

The Celtic word for oak was duir which may be the root of 'door' and even 'druid', and the Oak Moon phase sits at the threshold between light and dark, includes the longest day (Summer Solstice) and is when the Oak King reigns supreme! Very soon, though, the Holly King will defeat him and reign over the waning year...

But right now, daylight and the Oak rule!!

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Full Oak Moon (July 2015)

On what is the hottest day of the year in the UK, I certainly feel like the Oak King is reaching the peak of his powers!!

As I re-read this, one phrase stood out: 

The Oak tree's essence helps boost energy levels and the ability to manifest our goals.

Recovering from a summer cold in plus-30C temperatures, I need any energy boost I can get (I'm not a fan of 'law of attraction' and 'manifestation' techniques), so imagine my surprise when I found the phrase 'Add a BOOST' in my stash of papers and knew it had to be on my dreamboard.

I feel there's something of a story unfolding on these pages...

Left-hand page

I see the two men as the Oak King and the Holly King each fighting to reign over the year and win the hand of the Summer Queen...

The Greg Spalenka card (top left) had these words on the back:

By the moone we sport and play,

With the night begins our day.

Thomas Ravenscroft

(These Elizabethan musician's lyrics I've written in the wee quill card on the right-hand page.)

To me, this image represents the fiery Oak King giving the last blaze of Summer light, before the somber Holly King takes over the waning year. I always see the darker winter months as a time of reflection, hence his receding, mirrored image.

And the Rumi quote tops a postcard showing the Queen and King dancing the Dance of the Forest:

Come out of the circle of time,

and into the circle of love.

Right-hand page

This page feels like a commentary on the story on the left, with the quill card and the famous Picasso quote, my found 'Add a BOOST' clipping, and a couple of enigmatic cards by two favourite artists Cathy Cullis (bottom left) and Francesca Burras (centre right). 

The page is completed by a wee English church and this quote:

Joy is prayer;

Joy is strength,

joy is love...

A joyful heart is the

inevitable result of a

heart burning with love.

Mother Teresa

Despite the heat and recovering from a cold, I've enjoyed making this. It feels like the perfect coda to my month-long collage making in June.

Happy July everyone!

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New Holly Moon (July 2015)

Now we enter the reign of the Holly King ruling over the second part the year, the months of the waning light in the northern hemisphere.

But he reigns brightly at first, with the intense summer sun, ripening the crops, and providing humans with much-needed food to feed us through the dark winter months.

Hence, my New Holly Moon dreamboard is quite bright with just hints of darkness...

Left-hand page

Top left is a page from an old We'Moon diary showing Mother Natura (art and words by Denise Kester 2010):

She listens intently to the cycles of the natural world. 

She holds the lotus of creation and leans into the tree of life. 

She sees with soul eyes and hears the pulse of life in the in-between places. Here is where the quiet of life is always present...

I want to emulate her... I want to be her.

Next to her is a William Blake painting (a favourite artist from childhood...) Then a page from last year's quote-a-day calendar:

Sing your song, Dance your dance, Tell your tale.

Frank McCourt

Below that is a Barbara Hepworth sculpture and words I associate with the Holly Moon:

Fire, Strength, Just, Inner and Outer, Root, Reflection, Action, Brave, Protect, Renew

Then another page from last year's calendar - 'Climb a tree today' - how I wish I could!! But I have plenty of memories of climbing trees, so I climb in my imagination...

And lastly a postcard which could be Belle and Boo, but I'm not sure... Anyway, I dream of walking into a forest with a big mama bear to protect me...

Right-hand page

Another calendar page:

Don't go through life,

Grow through life.

Love it! 

And a favourite Papaya Art image saved from a desk planner years ago saying:

It's up to you to illuminate the world.

Philippe Venier

Below those are a leaf pattern postcard over which I've stuck the words 'Let it Glow' from a magazine ad; a postcard depicting the tarot card 'Strength' by Arnell Ando; and a black and white illustration of men pulling a huge log through the snow (there's holly in the foreground and it foreshadows the dark days to come...)

And a beautiful embossed art card... I honestly can't remember where it came from, but I just love its richness!

And on the bottom, two pages from an old Susan Seddon Boulet calendar:

Bottom left reads:

The fullness of life is in the hazards of life.

Edith Hamilton

with the image of Hel (1992); and bottom right reads:

Adventure can be an end in itself. Self-discovery is the secret ingredient that fuels daring.

Grace Lichtenstein

with the beautiful image 'The Wizard's Daughter' (1976).

I don't know why, but I sense the second half of 2015 is going to be quite a daring adventure... There's a stirring deep in my bones... :D x

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Blue Full Holly Moon (July 2015)

Wow, what a special time! Today is a Blue Moon - the second Full Moon in the same calendar month. No surprise there's a fair bit of blue in today's dreamboard! I gathered these images late last night under the bright gaze of an almost-full moon, but could not stay up long enough for her to reach her peak...

So I came back early this morning to stick down the pictures and write this post, now Mama Luna is truly at her fullest :D

The Holly Moon's theme has been 'coming back to Source'... asking myself 'What IS important?' 'What is essential?' These big questions were in my mind as I 'chose' the images...

Left-hand page

Top right is a favourite We'Moon image I've been saving - 'Moon Goddess' by Marion Cloaninger (2002), next to her a lovely Toast model. Below her is another We'Moon page entitled ROOTS corresponding to this moon (July 15 - August 14) with the amazing 'Rainbow Blesser' by Cher Lyn (2000). Finally this wonderful rewording of the Our Father by Jennifer Webster (2003) - The wee image is 'Altar I' by Ulla Anobile (1998):

Our Mother, who art all around us,

blessed be thy children

Thy blessings won, thy work is done

on earth and in the heavens

Give us this day, the strength and trust

to confront our fears

As we challenge those who would use our fear against us

Guide us in the struggle

with love and peace

to create a new world

of justice, joy and harmony

For thine is the beauty

and the love of creation

In the circle forever,

Blessed be.

WOW! 

Right-hand page

Top left is a page from last year's quote-a-day calendar: I thrive best hermit style

Most definitely true as 95% of ME is submerged, hidden, unexplored...

Then a vintage Vogue photo from the 1960s, I think, with the words Learn, Live, Dream clipped from a magazine ad - a mantra for me :)

Bottom right is a stunning We'Moon image called 'Rooted in Reverence, Seated in Spirit' by Mara Berendt Friedman (2006) which speaks deeply to me on oh so many levels...

Then the Liberation card from Arnell Ando's tarot with the words 'All we're ever looking for is an open door', and finally a favourite quote I typed out:

In life, as in art, the beautiful moves in curves.

Edward Bulwer-Lytton

I just love this moonboard - the images came easily, the lay-out even easier - everything just FIT, slotted into place...

I feel stuff shifting... deep below the surface of my Being...

May we all be richly blessed by this beautiful Blue Moon - what a gift!
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New Hazel Moon (August 2015)

There is a definite autumnal feel in the air, and some of the trees' leaves are turning... I can sense the Presence of my favourite season and it's appearing on my dreamboard as we welcome the deep wisdom of the New Hazel Moon :)

Left-hand page

Two old Papaya Art planner pages set the scene, plus the words 'Recovering a Sense of Abundance'. Then a page from an old Susan Seddon Boulet diary with the image 'Northern Lights' (1990) and this quote from a favourite lady: 

Adventure is worthwhile in itself.

Amelia Earhart

And two magazine images and the words 'Trust your intuition', 'Inner Wisdom', 'Tree of Knowledge' - messages from the Hazel tree.

Right-hand page

A favourite We'Moon diary page, I've been saving for a rainy day (like today!), with a wonderful poem by Caitlin Chero (2009), and the image Ocean Sanctuary by Susan Lirakis (2008):

Dusty cobblestones glow in the darkness

I walk out thinking the moon is illuminating them

but the sky is only pinkness

A city engulfed in its own smog and light

Red sky prophesies say this is the end of days

A lone frog singing says the days will last

Outside I am overcome

Inside I am too big for my own cage

Shining intensity at my own smog

It glows too brightly

to see the moon

or stars beyond

I wait for a shift

For things to end

Or for a miracle

that will come

and clean everything

Like the rain

the frog is calling.

A lovely autumnal image from an old Toast catalogue and a postcard I designed and had printed for an art challenge a few years ago which reads:

With every step

I take inside,

Truth comes closer.

A gorgeous image of a wooden stile from County Living and the words Choose with no regret, two wee stickers - one saying 'sanctuary', the other, 'believe', a pensive Toast model and finally the wonderful words The Journey Begins.

I've always seen September as the month of possibilities, the beginning of a new school year, and with this New Hazel Moon, I sense the beginnings of an adventure, a fluttering of anticipation, which I think is permeating this dreamboard...

I'd love to know what you see/feel when you look at it :)
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Super Hazel Moon (August 2015)

Sadly, I wasn't able to see any Moon - Super or otherwise - thanks to thick cloud cover both last night and this morning :(

But I can certainly feel the energy...

A LOT has gone on in this wisdom-soaked Hazel month, on lots of levels, and I think that's reflected in this image-laden dreamboard...

Left-hand page

Starting with an evocative Greg Spalenka postcard, on the back of which were these words:

Desire, ask, believe, receive

And I have been doing this a lot this month! A few weeks ago I read this book and one of the things I journalled about was the desire to be useful, interested and interesting, and to feel once again the sheer joy of learning I had experienced at university...

And what d'ya know, since starting Vanessa's training course I have not stopped learning and experiencing new things - many of them in vivid dreams... I've been a reindeer and a rabbit and a butterfly so far! A whole area of my life has been opened up to me...

The other images are pretty self-explanatory but if you can't quite see them, the wee stickers say 'Nurture' and 'Legacy'...

Right-hand page

I don't know where the blue postcard came from originally, but the beautiful Elen of the Ways card is from here. Below Elen are two wee stickers with the words Learn and Discover, and more found words Celebrate Your Sacred Flame.

On the bottom is a page from an old Susan Seddon Boulet diary with the image of Guinevere (no date) and this quote:

No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life our made. Destiny is made known silently.

Agnes de Mille

A wee business card for this favourite artist and an image from an old We'Moon diary called 'Traveller on the Threshold' by Cathy McClelland (2002). I certainly feel I'm a traveller on the threshold of a land of dreams and experiences I could never have imagined even a month ago... 

Who knows what the remaining months of 2015 will bring??

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New Vine Moon (September 2015)

I began this last night in the deep darkness, with a stiff Autumn wind blowing outside... But all was calm and candle-lit inside...

Left-hand page

Two pages from a very old Toast catalogue dominate this page with the words

Resonant to the Touch, Sieving the Wind

and

Listen to the Wind

Then I added this question from Amy Palko's Bloom by Moon 

What seed-dreams do you whisper to the wind?

Yep, there's a theme to this page :)

The pops of orange convey that this isn't passive listening... This wind is definitely energizing!

And the wee stickers on the bottom right picture read 'Observe' and 'Tiny Pleasures'.

Right-hand page

Not the best photo, I'm afraid, with shadows of the mullioned window cast over the images...

Two pages from an old Papaya Art diary dominate this page - the image top right bears the word 'Wonder' and underneath is this quote by Howard Thurman:

A dream is the bearer of a new possibility, 

the enlarged horizon, the great hope.

Then there's a postcard with this Andrew Wyeth quote:

I dream a lot. I do more painting when I'm not painting.

I believe the wee picture underneath is by Wyeth - a gorgeous study of light through a window. And another pop of colour with jars of gorgeous preserved fruits - yum!

Then at the top left is a page from a more recent Toast catalogue with a wonderful extract from A Land (1951) by Jacquetta Hawkes:

Walking between the high, crumbling cliffs and the sea, one is exposed to the assault of time. The great depths of soft, grey-blue soil suggest memory itself, To abandon oneself to them is like moving in that smoky world which is reached by moving among the images of the past stored in one's own brain. And there embedded in them are the perfect spirals of the ammonites, the slender cones of belemnites...

A writer I knew nothing about, but what an exceptional woman?! I've ordered the book, and I cannot wait to read it.

And I cannot wait to see how the rest of September (a favourite month!) unfolds... Possibilities are bubbling :) 

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Super Full Vine Moon (September 2015)

I was worried I wouldn't get this board done in time, as I've been ill all weekend (sore throat, pounding head, raised temperature...) And I feared I wouldn't get to see this Super Moon at all (I certainly missed the whole eclipse :( )

But look who greeted me this morning at 6am... 

Thankfully, I caught her just before she dipped behind the trees!

Creating the board, I took everything slowly and carefully, taking breaks throughout the day, and the words and images fair leapt onto the pages :)

Left-hand page

Starting at the top right is the Fall Equinox page from this year's We'Moon diary - I just love the words by Caroline Myers (2014):

The MATRONS are in charge.

The newness, brilliance and potential of those wyld blossoms, the Little Girls of Spring Equinox, now come to fruition as competency, self-confidence, and leadership in the Matrons of Fall Equinox...

And the 'Blue Corn Maiden' by Cher Lyn (2002) is just gorgeous!

Then are two similar paintings of groups of women (I'm afraid I don't know who they're by or from where they come originally), and I've added these words from this year's We'Moon diary by marna (2012):

women in circle

form a collective being,

a third eye through which

the earth oracles.

At the bottom of the page is an old business card of a local shop which sadly closed several years ago (truly, I throw NOTHING away!) And on it I've written these words from Sage/Priestess course by Vanessa Sage which arrived in my email box this morning:

Vine represents the abundance of the Season,

but also turning within...

There are more words from Vanessa on the opposite page - sometimes THE perfect words show up at THE perfect time :)

Right-hand page

The image of the stone staircase is from an Antropologie flier which came in the mail a few weeks ago, and I've attached a Yogi Tea label to the handrail which reads:

To learn, read.

To know, write.

To master, teach.

The stairs, to me, represent Demeter and Persephone as they descend into Hades, only to ascend in the Spring...

Then, there's a postcard of a child turning into a crow, and I've affixed these wise words from Rosemary Wyman (2010), clipped from this year's We'Moon diary:

Change

If things are hard

it's temporary.

If things get easier

also temporary.

In the bottom right is a gorgeous Mark Hearld card I got for my birthday, and a beautiful painting called 'Red Head' by Irina Velkova, above which I've written Vanessa's words about the Season:

With expansion comes reflection.

With harvest comes sacrifice.

Words to ponder as the days shorten and the nights lengthen...

And I must close by showing my lovely Full Moon necklace which my dear, dear friend Tina made (it came in the post on Saturday). It's hard to show the silvery, bluey, textured surface... and can you see the wee moonstone bead??

And on the back...

Aren't I blessed???

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New Ivy Moon (October 2015)

I've been moving very slowly today (I had a hypo in the night...), but I was determined to get today's dreamboard made. I started making New Moon boards last October, so I SO didn't want to miss my anniversary :)

Left-hand page

It's a pretty stark page, but I love how the reindeer antlers mirror the bare branches...

And I wrote out these words from this week's We'Moon diary:

I boldly take up

the shadows,

wear them

like midnight silk,

honour them

for their part

in me.

Nell Aurelia (2013)

Right-hand page

And here on this page are two more images from We-Moon - Encountering Shadow, with a powerful painting called 'A Friend of Nancy's' by Sophia Rosenberg (2013) and this wonderful poem by Holly Wilkinson (2013) with a lovely image called 'Willomaiaa' by Dorrie Joy (2008):

The Shadow Seamstress

Three doors down,

easily passed by

in the light of day, the shadow seamstress

stitches webs of the world.

For a few sous, she will

re-shape your woes, worries

and night wanderings.

Come she calls,

when gloom envelopes you.

Come when your heart is laden

with piles of soiled dreams

and tarnished plans.

She will warm a cup of tea

while you wait,

take a tuck here

loosen a tightness there,

turning your fears into lace.
[I LOVE that line!!]

No, she cannot cut you free from darknesses you carry.

A lover of shapes and shadows, she simply desires we embrace

our intricate wholeness.

And the page is finished off with a page from last year's quote-a-day calendar:

All good things are Wild & Free

Henry David Thoreau

and a beautifully pensive model from this season's Toast catalogue.

I am definitely moving into hibernation mode... the desire to sit in the shadows, exploring my own shadows...

Bring on the Darkness :)

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Full Ivy Moon (October 2015)

What a busy week... 

October is ending with quite a flourish - TWO guest blog posts (last Friday and Saturday), learning Tarot (will post tomorrow), Hallowmas/Samhain festivities this coming Saturday and on Sunday I begin NaNoWriMo!

All illuminated by a beautifully bright Full Hunter's Moon (which, once again, I cannot see - SO much low cloud/mist here... ho hum :/) Thankfully I don't have to see it to feel it!

Left-hand page

Top left is a great scrapbooking paper from my stash, on which I've stuck some smaller elements.

The words are clipped from this year's We'Moon diary:

May you say yes

to the adventures

that scare you 

and emerge

from the darkness

transformed.

(excerpt Caitlin Chero 2010)

Just perfect for me as I prepare to write a novel in the month of November!

Next to this is a wee Papaya Art image and the Temperance Tarot card. She fair leaped out of the drawer - clearly I need to balance excitement and fear, light and dark, rest and work!

At the bottom of the page are two pieces from an old We'Moon diary, where the words and image are just perfect:

Unfolding

How long will it take 

to become snow    the lattice

of water frozen into flower?

How long to become rock

solid    unnoticed support

for the feet?    How long

to be tree    rooted

swaying for centuries?

To simply breathe and see

a snare for the tangle it is

at the moment    To not

constantly wind back

what has lost its way

but to sit with

pain   gardenia    a handful

of pebbles scattered

each stone unturned    its own

universe   shifted by wind

or water   The moon as

simply   a moon   each

fist unfolds to 

finally   hold

emptiness.

(Words by Claire Blotter 2007, image 'Inner Voices' Barb Levine 1994)

Evening

My friends had gathered,

and though their wild creaturely tongues

were unknown to me, I listened and nodded

in what I hoped were the right places.

Dark leaves against soft pearly sky,

hummingbird on her evening twig,

masked tricksters,

trees on the mountain

seemed all to be speaking a common language.

For a moment, I thought I understood,

as we sat together there in the stillness

dreaming we knew each other's names.

They have gone now,

following their secret trails in the dark,

I have remained here,

in their grace, unfolding like light.

(Sherri Rose-Walker 2008)

Right-hand page

At the top is a photo from an old Country Living magazine, below that a gorgeous painting of Hecate from an old We'Moon diary by Catherine Larsen (2005) symbolizing Hallowmas/Samhain. Below that is a powerful painting of a black panther/jaguar called 'Out of the Dark' by Jayne Dee (2010) with these words:

Speak to Me

Bring it on,

you shadowy

dark thing.

Give it to me. Right here.

Right now.

Spread your

black wings

and give me

the truth.

Whatever it is

I can handle it.

I can handle you,

the shadowy ugly moth

fluttering in the cage of my chest.

You have been fluttering there for years.

Banging against the bars of my heart.

Come here - let me have a look see

at your beady naked eye.

Ah, so you are scared too.

excerpt Heidi Hewett (2010)

And a gorgeous, albeit pretty old, Jessica Galbreth card finishes the board.

As I look over this Moonboard, I can definitely see themes of the turning year, the dark months approaching (in the northern hemisphere), and the veils between worlds thinning... 'Tis a magickal time, indeed!

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New Reed Moon (November 2015)

As I'm beavering away to hit the halfway mark this weekend with the Novel, I don't have time to compose a proper blog post, I'm afraid :/

So here's pics of my dreamboard - I was surprised by a few of the images - especially the two Magicians - but as I'm trying to create a whole world from simple words scribbled on paper pages, maybe I'm not surprised really...

Enjoy!!

Left-hand page

The image top left is from my Rima Staines calendar and is called 'The Wing Giver' (I adore her work!), and the piece of text to the right of it reads:

You will always find

Another place to go

You will always find

Another womb to grow

To grow a new home

I've no idea where I clipped it from...

Right-hand page

It's not a great photo, I'm afraid - the words 'Silent Witness' appear on the image top-left, clipped from a magazine, and I've written under the date 'feel the magic...'

Can you feel it??

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Full Reed Moon missed due to illness :(

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New Elder Moon (December 2015)

Ahhh, the darkest time of the year... The time for drawing in and drawing down... For enjoying the double-edged gifts of Winter - solitude and community, darkness and light, fasting and feasting... 

And for seeking the deep, deep wisdom of the Elder Moon

I'll start with the right side, as this came together quickly and easily...

Right-hand page

Almost all the images are from old Toast catalogues with words clipped from magazines... I love the image top left 'and all was calm' - she's holding two halves of a pomegranate in her hands, and I've stuck these words on her dress:

midwintering

by

candlelight

silver light

crystal light

moonlight

snow light

dancing light

feasting light

firelight

And top right are words and an image from an old We'Moon diary:

Calling Wild

I call to the North, to the

darkness that corrupts and

buries, poisoning the daylight.

I call to the South, to the

fires that lick and burn, guiltless 

and harsh.

I call to the East, to madness

that masquerades as truth

without apology.

I call to the West, to storms

that torment and roil, ravaging

everything in their path.

Left-hand page

This page took longer to come together as there are more elements - including the sprig of rosemary I received the other day, and a wee grey feather that clung to my shoe...

Top left is an image from a magazine ad on which I've stuck this from another old We'Moon diary:

A Prayer for Guidance Through the Darkness

Wild Woman, push us into the cauldron, swirling us into the darkest depths of the earth. Let us emerge with mud in our hair, snails on our feet, and lichen on our arms. Let owls, ravens, and starlings fly in our wake - wolves, cats, and snakes follow our footsteps. Let our spines become as thick and strong as the redwood.

Our power is endless. Our strength is staggering. Our creativity has no boundaries. Our possibilities are limitless.

(excerpt Yancy Lael, 2009)

AMEN!

Next to this is an image from a card by Wendy Andrew called 'Grandmother Crone', then a black and white Toast image on which I've stuck these words from another We'Moon diary:

quiet mind, i am divine

in this body of earth

i carry the wild inside me.

(excerpt Marina Evans 2010) 

Then there is yet another We'Moon page(!) with a prayer to Hecate, and finally a postcard from my stash with this Ursula LeGuin poem on it:

I see her walking

on a path through a pathless forest

or a maze, a labyrinth.

As she walks, she spins

and the fine threads fall behind her

following her way,

telling

where she is going,

telling

where she she has gone.

Telling the story.

The line, the thread of voice,

the sentence saying the way.

I am sensing that 2016 will be a year of words... words I spin... to tell where I am going and where I have gone...

This is the last New Moon of 2015, and already I sense the year is fading into memory as the bright New Year begins to form...

How exciting!!
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Full Elder Moon (December 2015)

Mama Luna was ultra-bright this morning, shining through the trees...

Under her silvery light, I made this... 

Left-hand page

Right-hand page

I put some wee treasures in the envelope (top left) to enjoy sometime in the future...

With warmest Yuletide Blessings xxx

PS Here's my Card for the Day - what a Beauty from The Raven's Prophecy Tarot! Sheer joy :)

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New Birch Moon (January 2016)

I love beginnings - the surge of energy, the planning, the potential - so the first New Moon of a new year is always a favourite time :)

It's all change with my dreamboards - I am now combining New and Full Moons in my New Moon A3 journal having filled my trusty Full Moon journal to bursting...

So each dreamboard will be on one A3 page. I already like it as there's no curly spine to interrupt the flow of images :)

Top left is a page from last year's wall calendar from Rima Staines 'Queen of Winter' (2014) on which I've written words that Birch (Beith) inspires:

beginnings, renewal, inception, purity, healing, feminine energy, slender but hardy, graceful, silvery white, birch broom, clear, cleanse

Underneath is actually the front cover to the calendar - a gorgeous linoprint of a star-clad angel/goddess measuring out time with a compass over the Wheel of the Year...

Top right is an image of Holda (a favourite goddess!!) leading the lost children through the snow...

The rest of the page is full of images from an old, falling apart book (I'm afraid I can't remember what it was called). On the cup of coffee painting in the centre I've placed a sticker saying, 'Do What You Love' and a puff sticker on the cup itself that reads 'moments'.

I love all these images and how the page moves from dark at the bottom to light at the top... January's days are lengthening, but it's a v-e-r-y slow process...

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