Full Moon I Ching Wisdom {June 2017}

Full moons are always a potent time, ripe for bringing about great personal growth and transformation. They're also known for stirring up difficult emotions (as a way to help you see and release any blocks or non-serving patterns). And they're an especially powerful time to go deep within and gain insight to help propel yourself towards the creation of your deepest desires.

 My favorite tool to tap into the specific full moon energy each month is an oracle system called the I Ching. So here's what the I Ching has to say about how best to use this month's Full Moon energy to create the change you crave in your life!

After setting up my sacred space and grounding, I asked the I Ching,

"How can we use this potent Full Moon energy, to step more fully into our power, align more powerfully with our true-selves, and create our deepest soul desires and dreams that are ready to be manifest in this world now?".

(fyi: the I Ching speaks in a language called hexagrams)

And it answered us with Hexagram, #8 "JOINING".

As an introvert and sensitive, I have a huge tendency to isolate myself cozily in my home, especially when I feel stuck or when I'm experiencing the mental and emotional heaviness that can come along with growth. And I know a lot of you share these same tendencies!

The I Ching wants to remind us that while alone time is extremely powerful and necessary, so is leaving the cave and joining with others in community.

This is an especially powerful time to achieve your own transformation and dream manifestation, through the act of JOINING with others.

“Without joining two pieces of wood we would have neither furniture or houses. Without joining with others, it is impossible to build any great endeavor.”

— Deng Ming-Dao, The Living I Ching

So what exactly does "JOINING" mean for you? Well it's going to look differently for everyone. For me right now, it means saying "yes" more when my girlfriends invite me out (even when my introvert instincts react with excuses to go home and relax on the couch, lol). It means I push out of my shy shell to teach more, and I host more moon rituals to bring women together in spiritual community. And it also means I reach out more to connect with fellow female leaders, and I actively seek out opportunities to be interviewed by peers (I did a couple last month and they were fun!!).

"JOINING" for you may look very different depending on what you're working to heal or manifest right now in your life.

The key is to go within to uncover where you need to embody more of this "JOINING" energy in your own life now. For some of you, "JOINING" might simply be getting a cup of tea with a friend once a week, instead of isolating yourself at home because you're in a funk. Or it might be choosing to read or do work out of a coffee shop instead of from your home. For others, this could mean partnering up with someone on a project or enlisting other community leaders to help you get your work or gifts out in a bigger way. Or it could mean hiring a mentor or coach to help you reach some of your life or health goals.

FULL MOON REFLECTION PRACTICE:

Here's a simple reflection practice to help you uncover how the power of "JOINING" can help you step more fully into your power, align more powerfully with your true-self, and start to create your deepest soul desires during this full moon cycle.

1. Take a moment to ground yourself with some mindful breaths.
2. Think of somewhere you feel stuck in your life right now. Or you can think of something you deeply crave, but have had trouble manifesting.
3. Grab a journal if you'd like to write down what comes up for you. (I recommend this since writing can help you tap into that more intuitive, creative part of yourself).
4. Ask yourself "How can I invoke the power of JOINING now, to spark more flow with (insert stuck situation or desire)?" 
5. And then just allow whatever comes up to surface. Don't sensor or judge yourself. Simply allow everything to flow with curiosity. And have fun with it!

“Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”

— Helen Keller

Full Moon I Ching Wisdom {July}

Full moons are always an energetically potent time, ripe for bringing about great transformation. They're also known for stirring up emotions, to help shine a light on your blocks, so you can release them and create more flow and alignment in your life.

To assist us in utilizing this month's full moon energy to our advantage, I asked my favorite oracle and spiritual tool, the I Ching, what energies are most potent now, and how we can best use them to create growth and change in our lives. (fyi: the I Ching speaks in a language called hexagrams)

The answer it gave us is Hexagram #16, "Delight" or "Enthusiasm".

A big part of what I teach is that obstacles and struggles are your greatest opportunities to find your way back to your true-self, your purpose, and your deepest fulfillment. But I'll be the first to admit that, while extremely powerful, using your obstacles and shadow parts for growth isn't often easy. And sometimes it starts to feel so heavy that you get burnt out doing the work.

This hexagram reminds us that there are other, lighter ways to evolve and grow into your best self (when you need a break from the heavy stuff).

Following your "Delight" or enthusiasm is another path towards your purpose, truth, and happiness.

“Proper enthusiasm opens every door.”

— I Ching (translation by Brian Browne Walker)

Simply start noticing what what lights you up. What delights you? What brings you joy? And then follow that path!

There's a small caveat to this method. The I Ching points out that there is a difference between "proper enthusiasm" and "improper enthusiasm".

Proper enthusiasm is cultivated from your soul, while improper enthusiasm is cultivated from your ego.

So the key to using your "Delight" to guide you back to your true-self, is through learning how to differentiate between your ego's enthusiasm and desires, and those of your soul. Ego delights will provide temporary feel good, while soul delights will bring deep and long-lasting fulfillment and happiness.

Separating guidance from the ego and soul isn't always easy. The ego is tricky and likes to disguise its messages as soul messages. But there is a way to learn how to tell the difference.

The best way to easily begin to differentiate between the ego's and soul's delights is through a regular meditation practice. 

When I'm meditating regularly, I feel more directly connected to my inner wise-woman who isn't fooled by the ego. She sees right through that bs! And when I neglect my practice, ego guidance starts to slip through and lead me astray.

Take Action: Play with letting your delight guide you this month. Notice when ego delight leads you off path, and when soul delight guides you back. And notice what helps you differentiate the two easier, so you can do more of that.

And if you've been wanting to start or become more consistent with your meditation practice, I invite you to participate in the new 12 Day Meditation Challenge. It's Free and it's happening right here in my "Meditate with Ease" Facebook community, starting July 21st!