Week 9 Mindfulness Focus – Waxing Moon

The Waxing Moon

Noticing the waxing moon (1) in its journey toward wholeness… that is my mindfulness focus for the week. The moon was new on Friday evening, but already it  has become a crescent in the sky.   Paying attention to the increase is this week’s practice.

I like weaving back and forth between very specific practices  and more challenging ones.  And this focusing on the moon seems a good counterbalance to last week’s focus on courage.  I’m committing to being outside each evening (or early morning) to observe the waxing moon as it moves toward fullness.(2)  Taking time to find the moon in the sky, cultivating a sense of wonder, and practicing being present is a great mindfulness practice.  It could be enough for the week.

The Moon’s Symbolism

However, I also want to work with the symbolism of the waxing moon, which is one of increase and growth. I grew up reading The Old Farmer’s Almanac which notes the waxing moon as a time to plant above ground crops like kale, beans, and basil.  It is also a time to create herbal tinctures so they increase in strength.  As a gardener, I’ve often followed those directions, but apparently no one has been able to prove conclusively that it makes a difference.  Still I think I will keep up the practice because if nothing else, it attunes me to the changes on the planet.  It is too early to plant anything in Denver, but I do have new herbal tinctures brewing on my kitchen table.

The increasing moon is also a time to begin new ventures, experiment with new ideas, and get rid of the old, according to the  Oracles and Archtypes website.   Once again, science doesn’t seem to back up this practice, but it makes sense as a beautiful analogy.  As the moon gets larger and the light increases we can put energy into the things we want to increase in our lives. And as the moon continues its journey into darkness we can be more introspective.  Whether scientific or not, this practice creates a wonderful intentional rhythm.

So in addition to heading outdoors to connect with the moon each evening, I plan to pay attention to the things that I want to wax (grow and increase) in my life.  What energy and intention can I give to that process?  That’s the focus for the week.

If you are interested in participating in the weekly mindfulness focus click here for more information. 

(2) Because the moon rises and sets and different times each day, if you are participating in this activity, check out the moonrise/moonset calendars here. There are some days when the moon is only available for a short time in the evening.