Snow Moon Insights

"The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination." Terry Guillemets

Cultivating Silence, Rest and Simplicity

January asked me for silence, and I yielded to its request. I wrote daily but most of the ideas, references and words didn't make it into the first 13 Moons book. I craved silence and simplicity and although searches and synchronicities yielded lots of ideas to pursue over future cycles, what I needed most for myself was quiet and reflection. So I rested.

I began February with a small celebration of Imbolc, the pre-Christian Celtic festival celebrating the midway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. - a time when the earth is beginning to emerge from winter. The festival honors the goddess Brigid, lighting lamps and bonfires in her honor. Celebrants invited Brigid to visit their homes and bless them. They created cloth dolls made from small bundles of wheat and oats and set them outside their doors in a basket. People also made small woven crosses to hang in their homes to invoke her blessings.

My ceremony helped me set my own intention and ask for goddess Brigid and St. Brigid's blessings to restore an abundant natural habitat for birds and pollinators on the seven-acre lot we own next door. Our area is primarily crop fields and my desire is to create an oasis here that can help inspire others to become part of a pollinator pathway across the country. There are groups like Wild Ones that are teaching people who are concerned about helping nature to transform part or all of their lawns into native plant havens for bird and pollinator populations. I am committed to doing what I can to take restorative action for the natural world.

The Susan Seddon Boulet print on the left is of a young woman gazing at the crescent moon from the branches of a tree. It has been with me in the same inexpensive frame since I was 28 years old. It has become quite faded over time, so I bought a new print of it recently, then found I prefer this aged and much-loved one. The cutting from an evergreen bough symbolizes rebirth and the continuation of life. The three small bowls and shells contain milk, water and honey, all traditionally offered to Brigid. Goddess Brigid as well as St. Brigid are both known for fertility and healing. On the right of my altar is a handmade porcelain candleholder, a treasured gift from a beloved friend of over 45 years who transitioned suddenly and unexpectedly on Thanksgiving Day..

As this lunar cycle unfolded over the past few weeks, I decided to free up a bit, to work on all kinds and sizes of paper, to fully abstract the arctic winds, snow, and contrasts I am seeing all around me outdoors - and most of all, just let go! I was trying so hard to record of my experiences and insights for this project that I forgot to just enjoy it.

"Inquiry requires that we remain playful and open, noticing our energy and following it wherever it leads."

As Pat Allen writes in her book, Art as a Spiritual Process, "A consumer society demands that a product be consistent. The Creative Source pulls back and lets us proceed but without the fire and light we had before. We have stepped out of a gift economy and into a commodity economy...

Inquiry requires that we reman playful and open, noticing our energy and following it wherever it leads."

A Shift in Attitude

So I still love the idea of making a book for each lunar cycle, but I am going to put things in this month's book more spontaneously. Less measuring or cutting or trying to be precise. I started ripping papers and making small sumi ink drawings with sticks and hake brushes and mono printing on a sheet of vellum, pressing tissues into that to create patterns and letting those dry - and suddenly I'm happy and motivated again and excited to be sharing this all with you.. Below are some of the samples I've been creating since the full moon, which feel quite in sync with the arctic-like wind gusts sweeping across our acreage.

sumi ink drawing of high winds

sumi ink drawing of windy landscape

sumi ink drawing of snow covered landscape

sumi ink drawing of dried plants

sumi ink drawing of windswept landscape

winter drawing with sumi ink

The past few days have brought snow and ice covered tree branches to our area, always a beautiful sight, even when the sun isn't shining. So let me share a few photos of those with you, trusting that following this bitter cold, snowy weather some warmer days are soon to follow.

Ice covered branches

ice covered dried blossoms

ice covered branches

I invite you to celebrate your own playfulness as the winter winds and snowfall move past and more signs of spring begin to arrive. May ease and joy accompany your creative practice.

And of course, here is your invitation to say the Metta Prayer with me each day. It is often the simplest acts that have the most powerful impact.

May I be peaceful. May all beings be peaceful.

May I be happy. May all beings be happy.

May I be safe. May all beings be safe.

May I awaken to the light of my true nature. May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature.

May I be free from suffering. May all beings be free from suffering.

So may it be. Namaste.

Peace and love,

Jeanne

New Snow Moon Arrives; First Lunar Cycle Ends

t

Snow began to fall and cover the drab earth on this grey but lovely morning in early January at the back section of our land.

As my first 13 Moons cycle winds down, I am feeling both reflective and appreciative. I had a strong intention to birth this new project for 2025, and an exciting idea for the basic structure:

I would make 13 books of daily research and observations, paying close attention to connecting my inner and outer worlds, responding to the land on which I live and expressing my appreciation to all living beings.

My hopes were: to pay more attention to cycles, seasons and the passage of time in photos, art and writing, to be more observant of the cycles and seasons of the natural world, to appreciate and wonder at their beauty and let this curiosity and observation lead my creative practice.

acrylic, charcoal pencil, conte crayon, white pastel on watercolor paper

acrylics, soft pastels on watercolor paper from images of the full moon.

charcoal, acrylic, white gesso on watercolor paper

Some of the Best Take Aways from this First Cycle

It seems almost every day has been filled with new ideas and growing trust in my intuitive prompts. I was tense the first few days, then became more relaxed and appreciative as days passed and my ideas and the content grew. 13 Moons was actually coming into being and I was enjoying every step of the exploration and decision making.

I started with lots of options and ideas for what to put in the book, which I gathered and recorded. By the fourth quarter I knew I didn't want to include all the notes and research I had done. I loved all I had collected and learned, but I craved quiet, simple pages with minimal text. The images and drawings wanted to tell their own stories quietly.

That choice to simplify showed me how much more I am listening to my own strong knowing, and to an inner voice that is far more nurturing and forgiving than its ever been. That may well be one of my big lessons this lifetime: to be as kind to myself as I am to others and trust that I know what's right for me. Those feelings strengthened through this cycle as well, and that felt downright magical. When I chose my word for this year, it was "transformation", because that is what I feel is happening to me through both 13 Moons and last years A Full Circle Around the Sun..

I had planned to use my photos strictly as reference images for creating abstracted landscapes, but I felt they are an important part of this cycle and need to be included in the book. They evoke good memories and smiles when I look at them : bundling up and going outside before dawn or in the middle of the night, appreciating the play of light and shadow on new fallen snow, the feeling of seeing empty bird feeders just hours after Bob filled them, the hide and seek of the January full moon appearing and disappearing as clouds drifted across its face . Even the photo editing process has been fulfilling, as I acknowledge my eye for detail and composition is getting sharper.

So cold full bird feeders emptied within hours

full moon rising in the east

full moon beginning to set in the west

dark shadows from the spruce trees on the snow as the full moon set in the west

Some of the Learning Curves for this First Cycle

It took me longer than I expected to select a first book format. I am just learning bookmaking, but knew I wanted the first book for 13 Moons to lay open flat and to work with a heavy watercolor paper that could stand up easily for display. So I found a tutorial on YouTube and did my best - it was a nervewracking process, but I made it through and the book I made looks good, so success! Glues have been a big challenge, particularly because I interspersed matte Mylar pages with the watercolor papers and a lot of my glues didn't work well with them. However, I will explore using mediums directly on Mylar in future cycles and see what possibilities that may offer.

I tried different tapes on the edges of the small works to create a border. The artist tapes pulled up the paper at times, the Scotch and Post-It repositionable tapes both allowed paint to leech under the edges(although the Scotch tape did better), A good friend suggested I try taping the borders again with artist tape with some freezer paper strips underneath all but the very edges for a better seal. This keeps her paper from getting damaged when she takes it off . I'll try that for this new cycle.

The beauty of this book is that it doesn't have a glued binding; the stitched signatures open easily and lay flat. The cover is Kraft-Tex paper fabric from C & T. It is quite sturdy. The interior pages are Fabriano watercolor paper. The weight of both helps the book stand up nicely.

Another decision I'm making for the Snow Moon cycle is to not bind the paper so I can work directly on the pages, then arrange and bind them together into the book form at the end. MUCH easier than gluing!

I am not wedded to any particular book format for the other 12 cycles, so I'll need to decide - quickly! - whether to remake this one for the Snow Moon or try something new. I'm also still deciding what medium I want to focus on for this cycle.

The work of creating the 13 Moons books is evolving as a tool to explore and create with more purpose and direction, all the while deepening my appreciation for all human and other-than-human beings.

With the book almost finished, now I need to learn how to set up a space and camera mount to create and edit a video so I can share this first cycle's finished book, but that will have to happen after this is posted, since it's a very new learning curve and I need a good sunny day to tackle it!

Thanks for reading, I appreciate your friendship and interest!

Peace and love,

Jeanne

Metta Prayer (the world needs all of this and it only takes a minute to still the mind and speak these words.)

May I be happy. May all beings be happy.

May I be peaceful. May all beings be peaceful.

May I be safe. May all beings be safe.

May I awaken to the light of my true nature. May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature.

May I be free from suffering. May all beings be free from suffering.

Namaste

The First 13 Moons Lunar Cycle at Full Moon

Today is the Wolf Full Moon. Yesterday I captured a few photos of it rising in the east just as the day faded. There is something quiet and mysterious about the edge of nightfall and moonlight reflecting on the snow. Nothing ever holds still, but for a moment it seems I want it to stay this way longer, the liminal space filling with quiet magic.

First 13 Moons Official Full Moon Cycle

I have made an executive decision. This is now the first lunar full moon creative cycle in my 13 Moons project, mainly because December was a wild ride of holiday preparations and fun events. Maybe we'll call it the Introduction or Prologue. The little creative time I did have focused more on planning and research than implementing ideas. January is a much quieter time to create.

My first task of this Wolf Moon cycle has been to create a handmade journal to serve as a container for this cycle's treasures, like: excerpts from my daily journals, quotations, resources, photographic images and drawing/painting/collage samples. I am choosing to make a new book for each lunar cycle - it can be the same or a different style; trying some different types of paper and cover materials could be a good learning experience.

From the New Moon on December 30 to this Full Moon on January 13th, I have felt a settling in and a lot of pleasure in the doing that is deeply affirming. I am more aware and more at ease with whatever may happen next. My senses feel heightened and I am becoming more observant.

Daily Recording of Moments

What calls to me this month is to practice recording random, ordinary moments from each day. No matter how mundane, simple, or deep, my job will be to pay attention and record them. Ideas are flowing and I love the safety net of knowing each lunar cycle can build on the one before or shift totally . I am free to try new ideas and jettison ones I feel aren't working for me.

For example, I have been making samples - ten so far, mostly 6" x 6" and also several 12" x 12" pieces using Derwent Inktense pencils and pastels (both Pan Pastels and soft pastels). I'm drawn to the winter landscape and to the moon, so I'm taking photos, manipulating them and then using them as references, not to duplicate the scene but to help me make some basic compositional choices about values, shapes and relationships. When my imagination takes over, I listen to what it suggests. like: ways to attach the samples, make notes about their process, materials, what I like or dislike, what I'd like to do next. I act and then reflect, contemplate and act again, all the while saving bits and pieces of details, hoping they will form a map that charts my trail through a given place and period of time in a particular season of the year.

Each cycle a timeline and entries might be linear, even include dates, starting with the New Moon and charting the progression through the four quarters until the moon is totally hidden again. I might divide another cycle into topics and keep track of those separately somehow. I feel open, no requirement I have to stick with any particular structure if I am inspired to try something different. That total permission to follow my instincts feels very special. I am not just creating a journal, a project, etc., I am constructing an illustrated map of my life and experiences each day. Soon it will be evident where and how they repeat and where they might connect to form patterns and meaning.

Each day is bringing so many thoughts and questions about what to do next. What do I wish to choose to document and record as this lunar cycle continues into its third and fourth quarters? The small, everyday details seem powerful - the delight of watching a black-capped chickadee pecking at the seed snowman hanging next to the feeder, flying away and then returning over and over - or the stunning downy and red-billed woodpeckers pecking at the suet cakes (one at a time of course, they don't seem to like to share).

Other moments I might include: the exploration of a new recipe. Last night I made a mustard glazed salmon over oven-roasted red quinoa and French green lentils (it was delicious). Maybe include a photo and recipe? Or the samples I made using Derwent pencils and then worked back into with water and a brush (once you wet them, when they dry again they become permanent).

Or the notes I made about materials and what I discovered in using them that worked - and didn't.

Condensing it All Down

The practice. The discoveries. A variety of drawing and markmaking tools and my growing comfort with all of them. Almost daily insights. The ability to laugh at my own childlike delight at a new (to me) discovery. Embracing happy accidents. Smiling. Observing. Gathering. Recording. Open. Vulnerable. Wild. Sturdy. Grounded.

Yes, it is the Wolf Full Moon and I appreciate the progress I've made in bringing my ideas to fruition - and I look forward to the waning moon as a time for completion. I will keep debating the small choices - do I print or write in the book, do I print out typed sections, or freely combine them? There will be countless options and choices to make - perhaps each lunar cycle I'll explore a different medium, like diluted sumi ink and brushes, or gel plate prints - whatever calls to me.

I hope this first month of the New Year is starting to bring into your life what your heart is beckoning - and that you will listen to your inner guidance when it whispers inside you. I wish you wonderful adventures ahead.

I didn't include the Metta prayer last time, but in the wake of the LA fires, here it is again and I hope you will join me in saying it aloud each day.

Metta Prayer

May I be peaceful. May all beings be peaceful.

May I be happy. May all beings be happy.

May I be safe. May all beings be safe.

May I awaken to the light of my true nature. May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature.

May I be free from suffering. May all beings be free from suffering.

Namasté,

Jeanne