The Wishing Moon Prayer . . .

Writing is a pleasure for me. Most of the time I have so much rolling around in my head that its hard to stay focused. Writing helps me focus.

I’m a very private person . . . and to me, my conversations with God are between me and my Creator. Since I began writing out my prayers . . . I have found that I can more easily express what my heart has to say . . . and I can remember the conversation.

But tonight . . . I’m sharing my wishing moon prayer . . . I don’t know why . . . but I have a strong feeling I’m suppose to.

October 13, 2012

Dear Lord ,

I thank you for this day and for helping for me accomplish all that I have done to release me from my old life, in preparation for my future.  Guided by your love, I know that what is ahead of me is far greater than that which I am leaving behind. Open my heart and guide me with your wisdom . . . so that I may share all that you’ve shown me of your creation and how deeply important all of it is to the happiness of all mankind. Help me to understand more fully my connection to our mother Earth . . . from which you formed each and every being that dwells upon it.  On this night, one of my wishes is that I will be able to touch the lives of others with your ancient wisdom  and their hearts will be open to the spiritual force you have imbued within every thing.  Help me also to remember this and understand more fully.  As new people enter my life, I wish for you to bless them with your love and guide me to do the same.  Open my heart to those who oppose me  . . . so that perhaps their hearts may open to your love.  Help me to respect the many different ways others come to you.  Bless too, my family. Watch over them and keep them safe from harm.  Bless them with an abundance of love, good health and good fortune.  Not knowing what the future will bring . . . I wish for your guidance in knowing what to do to sustain myself while living on mother earth . . . work that will have meaning, for myself and others.   I am so grateful for all that you’ve given me and for the wisdom you’ve shown me.  Thank you too for watching over me and keeping me safe from harm. May your love guide me all the days of my life.

Amen

Inspiration . . . .

Sometimes I miss them.

But tonight was the perfect night for lighting my little outdoor fire pit, and think about my future.  As I’m finishing packing for my move back home to North Carolina, tonight turned out to be a lovely opportunity to get inspired thinking of all the possibilities I have available for my new beginning.

As fate would have it, I was unable to photograph the event due to my camera lens locking up . . . a problem I did eventually find a solution for.  Not wanting to spoil the mood of my Gate of Inspiration meditation, my instincts told me to just enjoy the fire and think . . . and make a wish or two for the future.  Being able to talk with God . . . the Universe’s Life Force . . . can be a wondrous thing . . .

Along the way on my spiritual journey, I learned of a special time of  year  when the universe gives us a little window of time . . . an opening . . . a gate on which to meditate on what inspires us.  Found on Steve Nelson’s website Gaia Astrology ,  I’ve come to enjoy reading his moon magic section.  On the topic of the Gate of Inspiration . . . he has this to say:

Gate of Inspiration, Oct 12-13 (6:40 pm – 6:40 pm) – Dance and Be Free

“A Muse Gate opens every 40 days, 9 each year. The witch queen Cerridwen stirs her caldron for a year and day to brew the “greal” of  Inspiration. Nine maidens alternate their breaths to keep the magic fire burning, each maiden is a Muse. Whatever is blocking energy flow comes before the Gate to be let go. This is a time to release body tensions that hold old ways of thinking and feeling. Breathe deeply and move freely (dance!) to shed the old and open to the special magic of this new time.”

Also being the time of a wishing moon, it felt like the most perfect time to think of and wish for what’s possible ahead of me while asking for help in letting go of the many fears and self-doubts I have.

As I connect more and more to the energies of mother earth . . . the more strengthened I am . . . even though my once lovely garden is now overgrown with weeds . . . it welcomed me on this, one of my final evenings here at my home of the past 14 years.   The frogs . . . who have been silent now for many weeks . . . began croaking again . . . earlier, before sunset . . . several birds had gathered on the wire overlooking the garden . . . a lovely amber-colored butterfly  flew out of the flowers while some of the birds sang . . . yes, this would be a perfect night for expressing my appreciation for teaching me so much during the past three years while encouraging me to continue, at my new home.

Preparing my fire pit for an evening’s festivity is one of my favorite things to do.  I still have some small branches from last year’s Yule tree . . . I savor them during my fires at special times throughout the year. Many other dried herbs and flowers that I’ve saved go into it as special offerings of thanks for the beauty they brought into my life as well as to draw more positive or release negative energies of one variety or another.   I have an old stool without a seat, that I use to set the pit on while I load it with these garden treasures . . . and it is quite beautiful to me, even unlit.

It always amazes me how the wind responds to me in the garden.  I’ve had times when I thought surely it would be too windy for a fire . . . and then, the moment I step into  the circle . . . and light the fire, it calms.  Even more wondrous is when, after asking a question . . . a short gust will blow, as if answering my request.

Magical moments.  Spiritual moments.

While there is not much I will miss here in Florida . . . losing my garden is my greatest sorrow.  I’ve spent many magical moments there . . . and I want to carry those lovely memories with me to my next.

Having many very long branches from trees I pruned early in the spring, now dry enough to burn . . . I placed them around the pit . . . letting the tips burn . . . then pushing it into the fire to keep it going.  Just before coming in for the night . . . I took them out and let the tips cool. I’ll use them again tomorrow and will bring the ends with me for the fire I’ll prepare to dedicate the space for the new garden I will soon be working on . . .

Inspired by the hope of a brighter tomorrow . . . the fire blazed strong and clear.  A good sign.

Leaving behind the troubles of the past . . . and heading toward a new uncharted future is both exciting and terrifying.  On this night, however . . . I am comforted in knowing that this end, while not how I imagined it would be . . . was an answer to my many prayers.

I am grateful.