• Buddhist Women Who Blog — Luminous Heart

  the promised list of 15 Great Women Buddhist Blogs – in no particular order…

  tags: women, buddhist, blog, luminous heart

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

I love this pic… Love it.
So I wanted to say Thanx a million to http://www.flickr.com/photos/raggle/3870506267/
for the Creative Commons use of it on my blog.

I had the pleasure of getting to hear Gretchen Rudin, of the Happiness Project, and Heloise of Hints from Heloise speak at the Mom 2.0 Summit this past week. One of the biggest take aways for me was in regards to clutter.

Gretchen shared that 2 very important contributors to happiness is getting enough sleep and getting rid of clutter. Heloise added to choose the top 3 most important parts of our home to keep clutter free and focus on those.

I am no stranger to top 3 rule. A very wise friend of mine talked down from the ledge in one my early mommy on the verge moments with the top 3 rule. I had taken my spiritual serenity and my emotional well being and tossed them out the window over what my child care was feeding my first born. I had this very rigid idea and a long list of do’s and don’t's when it came to what my kiddos were going to put in their bodies… let me tell ya… fruit loops and white bread where on the serious don’t list. My girlfriend (who had raised 4 boys mostly on her own) suggested I make a list of the top 10 most important things. Prioritize them… demand the first… ask for number 2 & 3… then let everything else go. My sanity and the peace of my soul were worth more than anguishing over what my kids eat.

So I liked Heloise’s hints for picking 3… as I made my bed this morning I took it to a deeper level. Yes, in the beginning simply going through the motions is the beginning to shifting the way we do things. However, I believe at certain point intention needs to factor in. I may make the bed… but what is it I intend to get out of making the bed. I choose to be present and in the moment… actually using all of my senses to be in the moment making the bed. What I want to get out of making the bed is a feeling of peace and sanctuary  when I come into my room. I ask The Universe to bring this into my life as I make the bed. Simple Abundance introduced me to the idea that any action in my life can be a prayer if I do in connection to Spirit.

I intentionally leave my closet messy sometimes… it’s a conscious choice – to allow my inner rebel something to say “NO! I won’t do it” about. I like the living room to be tidy, so when I walk in from work and the day… it says out there is chaos and whirling energy – in here is a space of calm. My cook books in the corner of my kitchen however are stacked, dog-eared, open, etc… seeing them in use  – inspires me to use them. But the mail always gets opened, sorted, and filed the moment it comes into the house. In this way I say to The Universe I am responsible and accountable around the money commitments I have made… when you give me more money I will treat it with the same honor and love. Call me nutty – but this has made a huge shift in the energy I have around money and money maintenance.

These are just a few of the areas in my life where I act to “de-clutter” or stay tidy… or not… depending on what it is. The biggest thing I would invite you to think about is if you are taking on the act of de-cluttering… think about what it is you want to get out of the act… rather than just completing the act alone.

Final Best of 2009 post. I am not sticking to the actual topic… instead writing a how to for the new year… December 31 Resolution you wish you’d stuck with. (You know, there’s always next year…)

A truly amazing, magical, wonderful, scientific phenomenon is happening today… and it won’t happen again until 2028!

Today, on the last day of the year 2009…
we will get to experience a Blue Moon.

Well that’s great you say… but what the heck is it and what do I do about it???

A blue moon is generally considered the second full moon in a month. It has historically been simply the 13th full moon in a year (there are usually only 12, but every 2 years or so, another gets to sneak in there.) It can also just be any moon that rises at a certain place and time on the planet where it has a blue hue. The second full moon in a month is also referred to the as The Goal Moon – and on this day, when A LOT of people are of putting pencil to paper with New Year’s resolutions a plenty… I am lost for how to explain how cool I think that is.

So that’s what it is… now here’s what you can do with it.

When the moon is waxing (growing bigger) it is the time to focus on calling new things into your life… and when the moon is full – it is the best time to draw, claim, manifest, call it what you will. For those new to the idea of using the cycles of the moon in some way in your life… the least woo-w00 way I can think to explain this is… the moon is a large body that has a considerable gravitation pull associated with it. When it is full, the moon pulls everything closest to it – closer still. Considering the moon’s powerful influence on the ocean and the fact that our bodies are, on average, 80% water or more – you can sure bet the moon has a powerful influence on you as well. So, the full moon has a gravitational, pulling, energy to it – and you can use this energy to pull things into your life.

OK, that’s wonderful you say… I am on board, now give me the logistics.

Here is the most simple, straight forward way to use this event I can think of…

1. Write down your “New Year’s Resolutions” – or goals – or what you want to manifest in the new year
2. Step outside and connect with the Moon.
   1. What’s connect??? Stand, sit, dance, pray, gaze a the Moon, what ever gets you to an open hearted/minded place.
3. Find a way that works for you to mark the beginning of  this event. Sit comfortably and take a deep breath -  or say a pray – or throw confetti – or make a toast to the new year… you would be surprised how well just lighting one simple candle will work.
4. Read each resolution one at a time, out loud will give it more energy, in your head is just fine too.
5. Pause and close your eyes and paint of picture in your mind of what this resolution will look like in your life when it comes true… try to feel what it will feel like to have this, be this, know this.
6. Continue down your list.
7. Call on the pulling energy of the moon to help you this year.
   1. Many Native Americans refer to the moon as Grandmother Moon. My grandmother was loving, fun, funny, and generous. Her house was always safe and she made me sticky honey bread. I know that if there were anything in the whole wide world I wanted and asked for her help… she would help me anyway she could. So, asking for Grandmother Moon to help me – works for me – and I offer up the same to you.
8. Say Thank You. Say it like it is already true. You asked for a raise… say thank you like you have the check in your hand.
9. Find an ending that works for you. Blow out the candle, or laugh, or eat chocolate, or clap, or… something big or small that marks an end.
10. Go about your life as if everything you claimed is already true

… and so it is.

Bright Blessings tonight and in The New Year.

May we all have Light, Love, Laughter, Peace, Joy and Beauty.

So Mote It Be.

Full Moon Links:

1. National Geographic: “Blue Moon” to Shine on New Year’s Eve
2. Blue Moon Picture Search on Google
3. Blue Moon on Wikipedia
4. Full Moon Rituals
5. Google Moon
6. iGoogle Moon Phase Gadget
7. We’Moon 2010 Calendar: Gaia Rhythms for Womyn
8. 13 Gandmothers Council