Cycles Of Earth

The Cycles of Earth

by Larry-Michael and Becky Lynn Hackenberg

Plan, Do, Finish, Rest.

Living in Harmony With Earth

A Weekly Almanac Guide

Weekend of August 28-29, 2010

In A Nutshell…

Just after noon on Wed. Sept. 1 the moon comes to its Last Quarter/ Finishing stage. It is a time very much conducive to completion, winding things up, getting to done. Nature is showing us this stage now. Trees, crops, gardens and roadsides are brimming with seasonal finishing. Farmers and gardeners are busy at the tasks of harvesting and completing. The boaters and cottage owners are not far behind with pulling docks and closing up soon to come.

Meanwhile teachers, administrators and students are busy with the tasks of beginning the new season, reminding us that every ending is a beginning.

Last Weekend

Aug. 21-22, 2010: Do

The rich, burnished end of Summer colors added beauty to any outdoor activity.

This Weekend

Aug. 28-29, 2010: Finish

Moon symbol from a watercolor by Larry-Michael
Sun symbol from photo by NASA

The coming Labor Day weekend finishes our Summer. It neatly marks the transition from Summer to Autumn and provides the announcement to clean up from one season and proceed to the next.

Finishing often gets rushed or delayed, especially if a project has gone over its time estimate or if the next “big thing” is exciting us and pulling us away. “Life” also can interrupt this process and the finishing is left for another time. In any case, projects can be left dangling and nagging at the mind for completion. Distraction is finishing’s worst enemy.

When the struggle for completion feels overwhelming, treat each stage as a small project in and of itself. Complete a portion of a project that seems too big and feel it whittling down to a manageable size you can deal with. This can give both a clear sense of making progress and motivation to proceed to the end. In fact, the end is often much closer than first perceived.

Use the Finishing Moon weekend to wrap up a project and take the Resting Labor Day weekend off.

Next Weekend

Sept. 4-5, 2010: Rest

The Labor Day weekend is a chance to rest from work and enjoy the last of Summer.

Musing

Where is the “man in the moon”? Actually, he was never really there--at least for me. Here is how that happened.

One night when I was a young boy, my Mom and I were looking at a full moon and she said, “See the man in the moon?” I looked and did not. I was looking for a man with arms and legs. Years later, I realized the three large craters were suppose to resembled eyes and mouth. Too much time had passed, however, and so I have never really seen a “man in the moon”.

About a year ago, I decided to do a set of watercolors of the moon to use in this column and as greeting cards. When it came time to paint the Full moon image, it was natural for me not to emphasize those eye/mouth craters. I was far more interested in the moon as a symbol of the divine feminine. Besides, why must males be in everything?

Father Sun? His symbol. The beautiful moon? Her symbol. For me, the moon is just that--for Her.