My Destiny: a full moon's hodgepodge of epiphanies
Last month, in the midst of a fantastical Maui vacation, I awoke in the wee hours to find our beachside studio bathed in light. A light so bright, it beckoned me out to the lanai where I discovered a hypnotizing full moon alighting the waters silver and gleaming over the entire Napili Bay area. I marveled at how it seemed daytime-bright in an otherworldly way, and I could not stop myself from grinning ear-to-ear.
This was Mother Moon…in paradise…in full glory. She easily persuaded me to stay until her final curtain call as she yielded to the new day. This magic happens all the time and by no means occurred for my benefit alone... but benefit I did. I do not typically remove myself from a comfortable bed at 4:30 a.m., but following that compulsion got me a front row seat for a performance of natural splendor. The divine beauty conveyed an impression of miracles to my mind and embossed that ear-to-ear grin onto my heart.
Later that morning, while journaling about events from the previous day’s frolics, the seeds of the following spilled onto the page:
Goddess Moon in the ache of pre-dawn tugs me from sleep
A vivid landscape painted silver by her resplendent glow
She calls out to twinkling stars and listeners, Be Only True!The sea calms in reverence and, for an instant, the world rests pristine
As the sleepers awaken anew, she lingers bold and brash
Never spilling her secrets, yet assuring and affirming meAs she bows beneath the distant horizon, I proclaim:
"Mother may I take the magic from your mid-night sky
Remembering to smile and play within the mystery of my day."
The smile from my heart rebloomed upon my face. My vacation brain didn’t fully understand what to "do" with this experience, but I felt a shift as wisdom long-lingering at my fringes gained access, waking me in a brand new way. I thought of the simple expression about life choices: evolve or revolve.
I have recently reframed the divergent good versus bad option of this expression into two possible positives. The ultimate goal, of course, is to evolve, but taking into account that we are engaged in this HUMAN experience, I had to stop looking at the revolve option as the loser's side of the spectrum. By it's very definition, "revolve" represents movement and promises another chance.
This new perspective has been freeing for me. I've hypothesized that during a "next time" occurrence of learning or personal growth opportunity, I might be in a position to experience the growth in a gentler way...or a more productive way...or on a more powerful level. And before me, in the afterglow (pardon the pun) of this magical encounter, rested the quiet invitation to evolve, to heed Mother Moon's call to "be only true".
Before we left for our Hawaii trip, I had written the following quote on the first page of a notebook I'd be using to journal.
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."
-- Henry David Thoreau
These words have historically stirred hope and aspiration but also evoked frustration over the perceived concealment of my path and anxieties surrounding my inability to decipher and articulate my desires. [Picture self-inflicted torment featuring a lack of trust and me crawling -- in struggle -- toward what's in my heart. Not pretty.]
Now, after what feels like renewal or recalibration from the moon inspirations, I am finally grasping Thoreau's sentiment in an applied sense. I am choosing to spend gobs of quality time with myself on spiritual pursuits, education opportunities I'm drawn to, grounding activities, meditation, journaling, playing, writing…connecting. From the space this creates in me, I am following nudges, inklings and urges from my heart, taking small actions when I'm led and then awaiting further inspiration and direction.
Living in the mystery is fun! I'm "doing" when led to do and "being" when inspired to simply be. The conduit between my larger Self and I is strengthening and my knowings are becoming clearer. I have become aware of and accepted additional opportunities to shift (evolve). These shifts have placed me solidly on my path and in delighted concert with my destiny. A bigger gift, I can not imagine.
As I contemplated whether I was painting a clear picture with these words or babbling indecipherably, a woman I greatly admire posted the following on facebook.
"It’s not about figuring out what Big Thing you are here to do. It’s about recognizing what is life-giving & turning your face in that direction. It’s about letting yourself be drawn by that which feeds your heart & soul, about being present enough to turn away from that which has no life for you to turn toward that which makes you open & open & open- like a blossom reaching toward the sun, rooted in the earth."
Ahhh…yes. Moving from a mindset of "struggling to discover my larger purpose" into an existence of "trusting that my destiny calls me forward in each smaller moment of my own bliss". The only prerequisites: show-up, tune-in and follow directions. It's both simple and profound... Perfection.
As I settle into a gratifying pace upon My Path, I offer an intention for you: may the many blessings of inspiration befall you often, finding you always open-for-business and willing to act.
Loving me,