
Tonight marks November’s full moon within the Gemini constellation…it’s also known as the Beaver Full Moon…it’s the last full moon of the fall season. With this moon—there are only thirty-four days left in 2023 (three days left in November, and then December).
Hopefully things will chill out in West Asia…I’m hopeful, but at the same time totally realistic in knowing that we’re a hair-trigger away from WWIII…
I’m mentioned last year with the Gemini full moon (which occurred in early December) that I’d hope that 2023 would go better than how the last five months of 2022 had gone…well I didn’t get that wish…maybe need to make the wish on the moon (and not on a star)…
There are several questions that one can reflect on during each full moon period that one can find in “Moonology: working with the magic of lunar cycles” by Yasmin Boland; and those five questions are:
Have I been gossipy, superficial, or flighty this month?
Have I been glossing over other people’s feelings?
Have I been too quick to change my mind, or too restless?
Have I been too much of a silver-tongued hustler?
Have I done enough reading to keep expanding my mind?
If I were to number the above questions 1-5, my answers would be as follow:
- Let’s see…I’m still more or less self-isolating…my conversations (in person) are limited to a very small group of people, and the rest of my conversations are on-line. I don’t think I’ve been gossipy or superficial this past month. ‘Flighty’…well when there is the potential for WWIII to be breaking out at any moment, still trying to heal/deal with the trauma of the family medical issue that ‘resolved’ itself back in May….yeah, I’ve probably been a little flighty.
- The only feelings that I might be glossing over—are those who think that Israel hasn’t done anything wrong over the past six plus weeks. If someone thinks genocide is okay…I don’t give a damn if I offend their feelings or not in response. #istandwithgaza #istandwithpalestine #endtheoccupation #endthegenocide #istandwithhumanity
- Change my mind??? The only thing I’ve possibly changed my mind on is moving forward with potential remote positions…I know with having taken a pro-Palestinian/pro-humanity stand over the past six plus weeks, there are possibly numerous companies that won’t hire/work with me due to that stance…and I’m fine with that. Personal/Professional views are just two different sides of the same coin. I’m not going to change my morals just to ensure that I have a job…have I been too restless?? Maybe…I mean we are closer to WWIII breaking out than we’ve been in years (and that’s saying something considering the last two Republican administrations this country has had)…so yeah, I’ve probably been a little restless
- Nope.
- I’ve added to my non-fiction/historical fiction reading list over the past two months. I’ve bought books on the history of the Palestinian conflict (I have about five or six books), books on how the western world has screwed up Africa (I have about four books), plus books on various events that have happened within the past 150 years within American history (but weren’t covered in textbooks)—such as the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, the 1898 Wilmington massacre, and the Osage tribe murders. I know that majority of the problems in the world can come down to the meddling of western powers (specifically the US and several European countries), and it is up to each of us to realize that we may still have a #colonialmindset (wether we mean to or not), and it is up to each of us to get rid of that mindset and relearn global/regional histories that may have been left out of textbooks (or had only one side presented).
So I’m also going to see what house the moon will be transition through during this time. Using my rising sign (which is Scorpio), the Gemini constellation is moving through my eighth house—the focus of this house on “death and rebirth, reinvention and transformation”.
Since January 2020…I’ve been doing a large amount of self-reflection and figuring out the direction I wanted to pivot in regarding my career…
The direction—freelance science/health/medical communications and education. The why—to help improve overall science/health/medical literacy within the global community. At the same time, I’m also going to be adding in social sciences/history—in regards to helping to improve understanding within those areas…plus work on what I’m calling my #decolonizingmindset
What I mean by that—realizing the fact that there are numerous aspects of history (global, country, and state) that have either been left out of textbooks (such as the 1948 Nakba, the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre) or written about from a single perspective. It’s time to realize that we need to search for information on these topics (plus probably thousands of others) and learn about them. Learning about them will allow us to become better global citizens…and maybe not fall for the first hysterical news brief that has the potential to spark the next huge global conflict.
I’m also brainstorming ideas of how to get the creative/hobby/reflective side of things up and going as a business as well. I’m enjoying doing crafts at night—as it’s my way of unplugging and staying away from the news for at least an hour or so…and I’m brainstorming ideas of how to turn all of that into a business as well.
So…I’ll probably be spending a bit of this full moon brainstorming (and hopefully fleshing out slightly) the big and ambitious goals for 2024.
The goals for the Beaver Full Moon will include:
- Setting up for December 2023…and writing out the four big goals for 2024.
- Continue reading the various non-fiction books I’ve started over the past six weeks (hopefully get at least one if not two finished for December 2023).
- Brain dumps, mind-maps, notes/ideas…a.k.a getting a list made for content ideas for 2024 and beyond…
Three goals…two can be considered finished/not finished…while the third is more fluid. I know I will always have ideas that I may or may not get down on paper…so if I can get at least a fraction of all the ideas on to paper…that will be a good start for a productive and transformative 2024.
Progress…that is what I’m striving for during these last thirty-odd days of 2023. Silencing the inner critic/imposter syndrome/perfectionist and remind myself—I’m capable of learning what ever I want…and I’m capable of being whoever I want…and I want to be the advocate for change, progress, education, and working towards healing the global wounds left by western colonial powers…
So here’s to the last few weeks of fall, and then welcoming the winter…when it will become time to really think about, flesh out, and have plans ready for the new year. What is one of your Gemini (Beaver) Full Moon goals?