Tag: newmoongoals

Aquarius Goals: Organization & Planning for the year(s) ahead

24
Jan
2023

So the moon has entered the Aquarius constellation over the weekend (Saturday night for those within the Central time zone in the US), and I’m several days late with the post. This is the first new moon of the year, and I can hope that things will start to mellow over the next few months…I’m not going to hold my breath though (I gave that up as a child—it never got me what I wanted)…

Is 2023 going to be better than the past few years? One can hope, there are so many problems going on in the world—that the only thing we can control is our responses…and I am working on better control of my emotions (especially when in stressful situations).

Looking at “Moonology: Working with the Magic of Lunar Cycles” by Yasmin Boland, there are again several things that one can do during this period:

  1. Detach ourselves from things that are no longer serving us
  2. Be true to ourselves
  3. Be inventive
  4. Be charitable
  5. Be social

So, I’m still somewhat semi self-isolating. I leave the house only a few times a week—and that is to go visit my mother (who is still in a hospital). I do try to meet up with a friend once a month for lunch (but haven’t gotten around to that so far in January). Other than those few times—I’ll walk at Boomer Lake (but I try to avoid sharing the sidewalks if possible).

I’m still working on trying to detach myself from negative self-talk and stories, diet culture and mentality, and various other aspects of society that just really do a number on my mental health.

Being true to myself, also requires quite a bit of work—mainly on figuring out who I am…I’ve realized that I spent a large number of years, burying parts of myself to blend into the surroundings/background and not call attention to myself…so at times it is hard to be true to myself, when I’m not sure who I am.

Aspects I’m working at being ‘true’ to—my spiritual health (I’m more Wicca/pagan than following a monotheistic religion), my career direction (freelance writing), mental health (dealing daily with burnout, anxiety, depression, stress, and a dollop of PTSD), and personal/professional development path(s).

I’m trying to be ‘inventive’ in those areas—foraging my own paths (while asking for advice when needed from people I trust and respect).

How do you go about trying not detach yourself from things that no longer serve you? How do you ensure that you’re being true to yourself?

Then I turn to see what zone (or house) the moon is moving into in regards to everything. Remember there are basically three ways to determine which house/zone the moon is in for any new/full moon: your star sign, your rising sign, and your moon sign. I usually go with my rising sign, which is Scorpio; while my star sign is Virgo, and my moon sign is Pieces. 

So this means that the moon is entering into my fourth house, or the home and family zone. So this can also be a time when one can spend cleaning (getting rid of things), possibly moving, and spending more time with family. So there are several suggestions from “Moonology” on what one can do during this time:

  1. Have a garage sale
  2. Hug your parents
  3. Sort out your photo albums/digital photo files
  4. Invite friends over
  5. Renovate or redecorate so you’re more comfortable at home
  6. Sell your home and/or change locations, or even countries
  7. Ask your grandparents about your family’s history

So, there are several things from the above list for my fourth house that I probably won’t be doing this year:

Well, if I feel like hugging my parents—it is fairly easy to hug my father, but hugging my mom is another issue (she’s in the hospital in an ICU unit).

Inviting friends over—hello, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, and if I’m going to be meeting up with friends, I’d prefer a ‘neutral’ location that neither of us has to clean.

Both sets of grandparents are deceased, but we do have some family history from my father’s side (my grandfather started putting together a family tree), and I have a letter he wrote me back in the late 1990s that talked about life during the Depression, ‘Dirty Thirties’, and fighting in World War II.

I don’t think we’re going to be selling the house, and I currently don’t have plans for relocating anywhere (yet).

Things that might happen this year (not necessarily during the new moon):

Garage sale—there is a talk of doing a garage sale at some point this spring, to hopefully earn a little money back in terms of what we’re going to be having to put into the house to semi-remodel a bathroom (or two).

I’m in the process of rearranging my bedroom, and semi redecorating it—just need to finish organizing the desk area and closet.

I do need to sort through my digital pictures. I have way too many Gbs of pictures on my one external hard drive (and I haven’t downloaded the handful of pictures I’ve taken up at Boomer Lake this month).

I noticed that sorting digital pictures has been mentioned for a couple of years in a row—and I do sort through some and slowly get rid of them. My problem is that I take so many walks at Boomer Lake, I literally have probably four or five dozen folder of pictures from my walks up there and I have trouble deciding which pictures to keep and which ones to delete.

Since I’m a few days late in posting my goals for the Aquarius new moon, I’m going to keep the goal list fairly short:

  1. Continue working on my three-to-five/ten year vision/plan
  2. Continue going through my clothes and decide what I’m keeping and what can be either sold in a farage sale or donated
  3. Finish organizing the desk area of my room so that I can hopefully start working from said desk (at least two or three days a week).

Finding a new normal is one of the big goals for this year…but also remembering that it may be slow, winding, and at times possibly even backtracking slightly—but if I keep striving to making forward progress and focus on my strengths it will lead to this being a year of happiness and prosperity.

When doing long term planning–vision board, goal lists/to-do lists, or something else?

No Comments AstrologycareerLifestyle Challengesmoney saving challengesNew Moon GoalsPersonal Developmentprofessional developmentReflections

Virgo Season: Time to start planning the goals

28
Aug
2022

So, we’re going to be heading into another ‘new moon’ phase this weekend (and I’m probably going to be a day late in posting).

We’re entering Virgo season…I should be counting down the days until my birthday—but I’m not (and that’s another story for another day)…

So what are some of the things that one can do during the Virgo new moon?

  1. Take an inventory of your life. Figure out what is working and what isn’t and then figure out what needs to change for the things that aren’t working.
  2. Be of service—help out more at work (if able), do the little things that can help make someone else’s day a little more bearable.
  3. Be healthy—see what is and isn’t working in your health and fitness routines and then figure out what to fix—what new habits to start working on.
  4. Avoid nitpicking—this is where the motto “progress over perfection” really comes into play
  5. Get organized—pay bills, figure out the monthly schedule (workout, eating, so forth)—things that can make life a little more bearable going forward

While most would think that the new moon would be moving through my first house (since my star sign is Virgo), it actually moving through my 11th house (or friends’ zone), since I’ve been going with my rising sign (which is Scorpio).

Looking back at what I wrote over the past two years—my ‘new normal’ is still social distancing (with a some exceptions), wearing a mask, and really just being considerate of others…

Some of the things one can do in regards to their 11th house include:

  1. Sign up for an evening class in something you’ve always wanted to do
  2. Ask your friends to introduce to friends of theirs you’ve never met
  3. Wish on a star every night for a month
  4. Introduce a childhood pal to a friend from your life now
  5. Say ‘Hi’ to someone you see nearly every day but never talk to
  6. Thank your best friend for being there for you

Well, besides the fact that we’re still in the middle of a pandemic/epidemic—I’m not getting out that much still. Therefore, there are still several things that I probably won’t be doing in regards to my 11th house.

I’d say that there are probably only two things that I could do in regards to my 11th house: wish on a star every night for a month, or thank my best friend for being around still. I am starting to do more virtual ‘coffee/water’ chats as well.

I had lunch with a college classmate a few weeks ago, and may try to get together again sometime in September (but it depends on a whole slew of other things).

So, since I’m still in semi self-isolation, my goals for the Virgo New Moon period will include:

  1. Take inventory of various aspects of life (research/writing/editing, crafts/hobbies, fitness, and mental health/spirituality) and try to develop a working schedule that will allow me be both productive, but at the same time enjoying time outside as well.
  2. Continue with daily workouts (alternate between weight lifting and shadow-boxing).
  3. In combination with #1—organize the schedule, and block out periods of time (or set certain days to certain tasks) and see if that helps improve my productivity
  4. Work on the outlines/drafts for the following items:
    •  My LinkedIn oncology post series
    • The follow-up(s) to my LinkedIn molecular cloning series: Introduction to biofuels, Introduction to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), and Introduction to vaccine development
    • Digestion, absorption of nutrients, and the nucleic acid biosynthesis pathways
    • Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells: Similarities and Differences
    • Antibiotics and the rise of Antibiotic Resistant Microbes
  5. Continue with the evening meditations

Since the next few months are going to be extremely crazy (and that’s putting things nicely)…my motto is going to be ‘progress over perfection’…which means I need to spend a little time each week working on my other blog, doing research and starting to write on various topics (see fourth goal above).  I also am not going to let the opinions of others deter me from the path that I’m starting on, as I know it will be a windy and bumpy road.

How do you handle things when everything seems to be going to hell?

No Comments Astrologybullet journalcareerfinancesfitnessHealthLifestyle Challengesmoney saving challengesNew Moon Goalsno spend challengesPersonal Developmentprofessional development

Leo goals: organization, goal-setting, self-care, in addition to reading & writing

28
Jul
2022

Looking at past posts—I didn’t set any goals during the Leo new moon in 2020 (not surprising considering we were still in the beginning stages of the pandemic), and I did set some goals last year. The moon will be moving through the Leo constellation either tonight (or possibly last night-depending on where you are in the world), marking the seventh new moon. There are also only 156 days left in 2022…that means I really need to focus on certain goals…

But, what are some of things that one can do during the Leo New Moon? If we look to ‘Moonology: working with the magic of lunar cycles’ by Yasmin Boland—we’ll find suggestions such as:

  1. Show off–celebrate life.
  2. Flirt
  3. Be creative
  4. Love thyself–self-love, work on confidence, and leadership goals
  5. Spoil thyself

So there are two things I won’t be doing (mainly because we’re still within the pandemic, and I’m trying to figure out my life)—and those are showing off and flirting.

I will work on self-love, my confidence, and leadership skills while being creative and spoiling myself (within reason).

Working on my confidence may be as easy as publishing more on LinkedIn (posts/articles), or even trying to do a video introduction to the Facebook page for the blog/website or something like that.

These are all good for being within the Leo constellation, but one should also look to see what house/zone the moon & Leo are progressing through as well. For me, that means that Leo is going through my 10th house, or my career zone. This is about my career & reputation (professional brand).

So what are some of the things that one can do during this time in regards to the career zone? They include:

  1. Speak to your boss about how you’re doing
  2. Help a colleague out of a rut
  3. Check that you’re not become status mad
  4. Start a new business as close to the new moon as you can
  5. Apply for new jobs with confidence
  6. When you’re earned it, take the credit
  7. Plan your next best career move

So, we get to focus on our career zone twice a year (whenever the moon moves through our tenth house—which it does twice—new and full moon). This is fitting that the Leo new moon is happening right now, though since I’ve been on a reboot/career break fro the past two years there is one thing that I really can’t do, and that is speaking to my boss about how I’m doing (unless I want to talk to myself), I can try to help ‘colleagues’ out of ruts—as anyone who is job-searching is truthfully a colleague.

Plot my best career move—I’m looking for remote positions within science/medical/health communications (writing or marketing), while also being open to remote data analyst positions (that don’t require a vast knowledge of coding).

New business—I’m working on updating the blog/website (will probably be changing the url within a few weeks) to showcase both my creative and analytical sides. Having a freelance business up and running full time—is my long-term goal.

Apply for jobs with confidence—I’m slowly getting there. I almost have my LinkedIn profile optimized for writing (or data analysis), and I’m working on that ever-dreaded resume. In addition, I’ve been slowly working on creating a portfolio—I have a decent chunk of the molecular cloning project written up, and have outlines for two other ‘basic’ science series almost fleshed up, in addition to working on an outline for several oncology topics.

The writing won’t be the only part of the ‘new business’; I’m also going to do some crafts, photography, and other things as well. The look and organization of the blog therefore change over the coming months.

So looking at these two lists, my goals for the Leo New Moon will include the following:

  1. Continue developing my self-care/self-love routine. This will include meditation time, time outdoors, journaling, stretching, and getting back into weight traning.
  2. Create an editorial calendar for the blog and possibly even LinkedIn to help streamline projects and have an idea of waht I’m talking about different platforms. Also should think of creating an editorial calendar for Instagram as well. In addition to finish editing some pages on the blog.
  3. Create my August BINGO card for goals
  4. Continue working on filling out the job search spreadsheet.

Above all else: progress over perfection, and remembering the following words: growth, creativity, and curiosity.

So what is one of your Leo goals?

Namaste.

No Comments Astrologybullet journalHealthNew Moon Goalsno spend challengesoracle cardsPersonal Developmentprofessional developmentReflectionsspirituality

Mind-mapping & creating board games: Pisces New Moon Goals

03
Mar
2022

The moon will be making its third new moon transition either tonight, or last night and will be moving through the Pisces constellation. One goal that I set was to be more productive, and post more consistently on the blog—well, that hasn’t happened so far this year (hopefully will be ‘breaking’ the non-consistent habit this month). Trying to get back into the habit of writing out a ‘to-be-accomplished’ list and doing monthly brain dumps.

One thing that I really need to get back into the habit of trying to do—unplug for the day/afternoon or night; I need to just turn off the computer at a certain time, hide the phone and either read, write things out by hand, or work on some crafts.

So turning back to the new moon, what are some things that one can do during the Pisces New Moon? They include:

  1. Dream
  2. Face your fears
  3. Following your hunches/intuition
  4. Heal–focus on working through emotional or spiritual issues
  5. “Surrender”–practice yoga, meditation–and open yourself to the possibilities of the universe

Lets see—with having to self-isolate for the past two years (and counting), I’ve realized that most of my ‘fears’ are more ‘anxiety’ issues. I mentioned last year, my ‘speaking’ anxiety/phobia, but it also a fact that I’m more of a ‘behind the scenes’, observe, and then maybe interact after contemplating my options. I also realized that other ‘problems’ include not speaking up when I get bored (on the job), not sticking up for myself (I really don’t care for confrontations), and so forth. I’m thinking that to ‘face’ the ‘speaking’ phobia/fear/anxiety issue—I may start my own podcast this summer. Or at least, start recording myself talking about different topics/issues, as a way of learning to ‘not hate how I sound/talk’.

I’m working on healing (focusing on mental/spiritual health) as well. I’m starting to try to delve deeper in the wiccan/pagan spirituality of things (conventional religion doesn’t work for me). I’ve been doing my evening oracle drawings and sometimes dreaming about what I wrote.

I’m trying to get better at meditation and should probably think of starting some light yoga again as well.

In addition, Pisces is also moving through my 5th house—or my fun zone. So this is the area that is triggered by creativity, children, and romance. Now I’m good with the creativity portion—I don’t have kids (and I’m not around them all that much), and truthfully right now I’m not in the market for romance (especially since I’m still trying to figure out my life and where I want to be working/living within the next year).

So there are several different things that one can do, that sums up the 5th house (or fun zone):

  1. Take up belly dancing
  2. Make a toy for a child
  3. Start to date
  4. Go on a trip with your significant other
  5. Do something creative (writing, painting, so forth)
  6. Do something that typifies your idea of fun

So there are few things on the list that I can basically scratch off as not doing—starting to date, going on a trip with your significant other, making a toy for a child, and throwing a party. These are only crossed off the list because 1) I’m again not looking for a relationship, 2) I’d rather meet up with people for lunch or an afternoon walk than throw a party, 3) I don’t have the accessories to make a toy for a child (as I would be leaning towards making stuff animals for children); and 4) we’re still in the middle of the pandemic and while everyone should be vaccinated—I’d still rather not risk catching the omicron variant (or whatever other variant comes next).

I’ve tried to belly dance in the past (had actually bought some workout DVDs), and I may actually try to find a free program to follow on-line. I found it fun and challenging (especially since I currently don’t have the coordination for it—not that I had the coordination in the past either).

So if I were to make goals for the next few weeks, they would be the following:

  1. Work on indulging in more creative work during the day
  2. Spend at least part of the weekend (or a couple of days throughout the week) mind-mapping different ideas (creative writing projects, plus expanding the writing portfolio)
  3. Create a intentional movement board game (include weight lifting, yoga, Pilates, cardio, dancing, walking and so forth)
  4. Continue with the evening meditation routine and also try to mediate in the morning

While remembering: Progress over Perfection

I’ll end my new moon goals with sending healing/happy/strong vibes/prayers to the citizens of Ukraine, whose strength and tenacity are awe-inspiring.

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Aquarius goals: fleshing out future goals & sorting digital files

02
Feb
2022

So the moon will be entered the Aquarius constellation either last night or Sunday night (depending on where you are in the world). This entrance into the Aquarius constellation marks the second new moon of 2022. We’ve made it through the first 32 days of 2022—and I’m not sure if 2022 is going to be a repeat of 2021, slightly better or slightly worse, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Looking at “Moonology: Working with the Magic of Lunar Cycles” by Yasmin Boland, there are again several things that one can do during this period:

  1. Detach ourselves from things that are no longer serving us.
  2. Be true to ourselves
  3. Be inventive
  4. Be charitable
  5. Be social

Well, I’m still self-isolating this spring–mainly due to the omicron variants of the virus (all of which seem to be even more contagious than the delta varaint), and the simple fact that I’d rather not catch the damn thing.

I’m also slowly working on detaching myself from things that no longer serve me–mainly the negative self-talk and stories, plus continuing to work on detaching myself frmo the diet mentality and all that associated baggage.

I’m also working on being true to myself–in terms of spiritual health, career direction, and other things. This also ties in with being ‘inventive’–as I’m trying to ‘invent’ my own career path.

Then I turn to see what zone (or house) the moon is moving into in regards to everything. Remember there are basically three ways to determine which house/zone the moon is in for any new/full moon: your star sign, your rising sign, and your moon sign. I usually go with my rising sign, which is Scorpio.

So this means that the moon is entering into my fourth house, or the home and family zone. So this can also be a time when one can spend cleaning (getting rid of things), possibly moving, and spending more time with family. So there are several suggestions from “Moonology” on what one can do during this time:

  1. Have a garage sale
  2. Hug your parents
  3. Sort out your photo albums/digital photo files
  4. Invite friends over
  5. Renovate or redecorate so you’re more comfortable at home
  6. Sell your home and/or change locations or even countries
  7. Ask your grandparents about your family’s history

So, there are several things from the above list for my fourth house that probably aren’t going to be happening this year:

  1. Hugging my parents–we’re not really the overly affectionate type of family. We hug–but since we see each other daily–hugs dont’ happen all that often
  2. Inviting friends over–hello, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic; if I’m going to be meeting up with friends, I’d prefer a ‘neutral’ location that neither of us has to clean
  3. Both sets of grandparents are deceased, but we do have some family history from my father’s side (my grandfather had started putting together a family tree), and I have a letter he wrote me back in the late 1990s that talked about life during the Depression, ‘Dirty Thirties’, and fighting in World War II.
  4. No garage sale–because, again we’re in the middle of a pandemic
  5. No selling or relocation–again pandemic, plus my parents own the house, and I’m still working on figuring out the whole freelance and/or remote working gig here

The two things I could focus on:

Sorting all my digital photos (since probably half the computer memory is going towards pictures) and semi-rearranging/redecorating my bedroom.

Therefore if I were to make a list of goals for the Aquarius new moon, they would include:

Sorting and editing the large amount of digital photos on the computer

Going through and sorting the large number of clothes and deciding what I want to keep and what I’m willing to part with

Setting up an area for reading oracle/tarot cards

Continuing to work on my three-to-five/ten year vision/plan

Continuing to develop my personal/professional brand

Finally remembering that no matter how slow I may need to go, this year will be a year of growth, creativity, and curiosity that will lead to happiness and prosperity.

What are a few of your goals for this new moon?

No Comments AstrologyNew Moon Goalsno spend challengesPersonal Developmentprofessional developmentReflectionsspirituality

A New Year and Moon, but similar goals: Capricorn goal setting

03
Jan
2022

So the moon entered the Capricorn constellation over the weekend (either Saturday or Sunday night). In addition to being the first new moon of the year, it is also the first super new moon of the year.

I managed to set and post my goals for both the new and full moon each month last year (a couple were a day or so late—but they were posted), and I usually managed to accomplish at least two-fifths of each series of goals.

So, back to the first new moon of the year, which happened last night (and I’m a few hours late in posting—but still within the new moon phase). The moon is moving through the Capricorn constellation, and according to “Moonlogy: Working with the magic of lunar cycles” by Yasmin Boland, there are several things that one can do during this time:

  1. Plan for the next year
  2. Be ambitious with your plans for the next year (or few years)
  3. Be kind (to both yourself and others)
  4. Cede control (don’t micromanage or manipulate others)
  5. Establish traditions (also work on your reputation (both personal and professional)

What is nice about life under the Capricorn constellation—all items listed above can be accomplished without having to be in ‘crowds’ (since we’re probably going to be entering year three of the pandemic in a few months).

There is another aspect of the moon cycles—and that is the zone (which is associated with your signs [there are your star, rising, and moon signs]). I usually do all my predictions using my rising sign: Scorpio, though I could do it with my star sign (which is Virgo), or even my moon sign (which is Pisces). Just like the constellations, we pass through each zone twice each year (once for the new moon and once for the full moon).

So this new moon in Capricorn is entering my third house, or my communication zone. This is the time to concentrate on communication, and spending time with friends and siblings. So there are several things that one can do during this time (again I’m taking this from “Moonology”):

  1. Take a public speaking course
  2. Read the books you’ve got stacked up
  3. Take a short trip
  4. Hang out with your siblings
  5. Study a foreign language
  6. Really listen to others
  7. Write those letters you’ve been putting off

So looking at the above lists—since we’re still currently in the middle of a pandemic, there are a few things that won’t be happening:

  1. Hanging out with my siblings (though my younger brother does stop in quite often since he moved back to town)
  2. Taking a short trip. While I’m vaccinated (and will be getting my booster shot within the next few weeks), I’m not traveling becasue it isn’t essential for me to travel (and I currently don’t want to, since I don’t trust a good portion of the population)

So if I were to try to combine the two lists into a short goal list for the Capricorn New Moon, I would say that my goals will include:

  1. Working on developing my vision of where I would like to be in three-to-five years in regards to remote/contract/online freelance writing/blogging. In the same note, I also know that I will need to write out very specific goals/milestones that will help me achieve said vision.
  2. Read at least one non-fiction book from my 2022 non-fiction BINGO card
  3. Finish at least one module of a personal/professional development course from my 2022 e-course BINGO card
  4. Start refreshing my Spanish again using the app Mondly
  5. Continue developing my mindfulness/self-care routines to help me deal with my anxiety and other issues

While I have an idea of my future (remote/contract/online medical/science writing that will become a freelance medical/science writing business along with blogging), I will need to figure out the best schedule for showcasing my medical/science writing talents on the blog (in addition to finish reworking/rebranding the blog and various other social media sites).

The biggest hurdle is actually going to be the writing—researching various science topics is fairly easy (as long as I don’t fall down the rabbit hole of investigation), but its making sure that I’m writing for a general population and not the scientific community. Therefore, I’m hoping to have at least one ‘science’ blog post per month. I thought of going back to the science news cap pieces and I may do that as well (just picking two or three pieces to recap instead of five to ten).

We’re on a new year—which means new goals, new directions, and almost new everything—but it also means getting rid of what no longer works. For me that means letting go of the negative talk, the self-doubt, and starting to ‘tame’ the inner critic/imposter syndrome (‘Pam’).

I’m also going to be keeping the same words for guidance into and through 2022 as well: growth, creativity, curiosity, happiness, and prosperity.

What word (or words) have you chosen for 2022?

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Time to sit, plan, create bingo cards and workout

04
Dec
2021

So the moon will be entering the Sagittarius constellation today, and its last ‘new moon’ phase for 2021. That means there are 27 days left in December and 2021. While there are now vaccines available for dealing with the SARS-CoV2 pandemic—various countries are hoarding them, companies are ‘protecting trade secrets’ and therefore we’re still in the middle of the damn pandemic. I’m hoping that by the end of 2022, we’re seeing the pandemic coming under control and everyone is finding a ‘new normal’.

So what are some of the things that one can do during the time of Sagittarius new moon?

Looking at the book “Moonology: working with the magic of lunar cycles” by Yasmin Boland, you can:

  1. Get away–travel
  2. Study
  3. Search for meaning
  4. Laugh
  5. Be grateful

Well, since we’re still in the middle of the pandemic—I’m not traveling anytime soon. Yes, I’m vaccinated (though I still need to go get my booster shot, and I wear a mask) but I’m not going to risk catching it and possibly dealing with long-term COVID symptoms.

In terms of ‘searching for meaning’—I’m viewing that as figuring out what I want to be doing with my life and where I would like to be in say fifteen to twenty years.

I’m starting to ‘study’ again—I have numerous different e-courses that I need to be working through.

With the moon entering into Sagittarius, this is also my second house or the “cash, property, and values” zone. Hopefully people will be getting their kids (if they’re over the age of five) vaccinated and getting the booster shots for themselves before having large family gathering this month for the holidays. I’m still not really in the ‘holiday’ spirit (at least in terms of wanting numerous gifts), but that could be due to the how the world is going, and the fact that I’m trying to start going for a more minimalist feel—but still cozy. I’d like to say that I’m moving within a year—but that probably is more like two to five depending on the pandemic and how I mange to transition into a remote/contract/freelance writing positions.

As I’ve mentioned before in numerous posts—I’m still slowly working towards a minimalistic lifestyle. The clothes still need to be sorted through, DVDs sold back that I don’t watch, and another desk and bookcase bought for organization—I decided that I’m going to try to separate the ‘work station’ from the ‘craft station’. Anyway, back to the second house—the cash, property, and value zone.

So some of the things that you can do during this time include (again, according to “Moonology: working with the magic of the lunar cycles”):

  1. Start a savings account
  2. Pay your bills, taxes, debt, etc
  3. Hire an accountant, if it’s all too much
  4. Showcase your talents
  5. Get a neck and shoulder massage
  6. Invest in an expensive neck cream

I have a saving account (though it isn’t as large as I would really like), and I’m paying my bills and debt (taxes currently aren’t an issue since I haven’t had a job for two years). Hiring an accountant isn’t in the cards right now (mainly because there isn’t a reason for it). I’m also trying to ‘showcase’ my talents by reworking the blog/website and leaning in the direction of remote/contract medical/science writing and freelance writing (coving medical/science education/communication as well as health/fitness, and personal/professional development).

I’m slowly trying to get back into a daily gratitude practice (something that I let lapse during November), and realize that compared to where I felt I was at early in 2020—I’ve come a long way.

So if I were to make a small goal list for the Sagittarius new moon period, the goals would include:

  1. Develop a ‘fluid’ daily/weekly schedule for getting various things done
  2. Set up a goal list/bingo card for 2022
  3. Pick the e-courses that I want to be working through over the next few months
  4. Continue with a combination of Morning Meltdown 100 and walking
  5. Setting up a dedicated work station, craft station, and a semi-dedicated meditation area in the bedoroom

While heading into the last few weeks of December, I realize that my inner critic/imposter syndrome is going to be trying to derail me (as it managed to do during November), and that will meaning sitting down and having a ‘discussion’ with myself on why I’m working against myself.

But I will also remind myself: ‘Progress over Perfection’, you’re starting the next chapter of your life, and to remember not to but too much weight on the opinions of others.

2021 didn’t go the way I’d been hoping (though there are vaccines now for the virus), but that just means that hopefully 2022 will be a little more joyous and prosperous.

What are you hoping to achieve in 2022?

No Comments AstrologycareerCraftsfinancesfitnessHealthLifestyle ChallengesNew Moon GoalsPersonal Developmentprofessional developmentReflections

Libra New Moon: Focusing on the self-care

06
Oct
2021

So we’re going to be entering the next new moon phase this week—for those within the US, it will be today—Wednesday October 6th; for others it could on the 6th or it could be on the 7th. This means that there are only 87 days left in 2021. It seems that time is starting to ‘pick back up’ after ‘dragging’ last year.

With the moon moving through the Libra constellation over the next day or tow, there are various things that we can look at or work on over the next few weeks and they include:

Look at how you’re relating to other people (are you’re helping more than asking?)

Look into your partnerships (any issues that need addressing?)

Negotiate–try to bring things into balance if needed

Look gorgeous–work on improving your self-image, and self-love

Regain your identity–figure out how to resolve any unhealthy co-dependency issues if needed.

Looking at the above five items, I would have to say the following about each one (if I numbered them one-to-five):

  1. It is hard to tell how I’m relating to other people, especially since we’re still in the middle of the pandemic and I really haven’t been around anyone but family for the past eighteen to twenty months. I do try to add more value on-line (especially on LinkedIn)
  2. Well, I’m not in a relationship with anyone right now. In terms of family ‘partnerships’, I’d say that everything is about as ‘normal’ as they would be within the family.
  3. I can’t think of things with other people that need negotiating—I know that I probably need to negotiate quite a bit with myself.
  4. I’m slowly working on improving my self-care/self-love routines, plus how I see myself (self-image).
  5. I’m also slowly working on trying to regain my identity—mainly from the negative thought patterns surrounding body image and my writing ability.

The Libra new moon is also moving through my 12th house—or my secret zone. This is the time/house when you really just want to retreat from the world and work things out for a while. In terms of self-care/self-love what are some of the things you could focus on during this time?

  1. Practice yoga
  2. Take a break from social media and/or numerous social obligations
  3. Start a dream journal
  4. Face one big fear
  5. Trust your intuition
  6. Buy a mediation CD & use it everyday for a month
  7. Write poetry from the heart
  8. Share one of your secrets

So once again, this new moon is urging me to focus on finding a balance (or harmony) between social obligations and self-care/self-love. Since I’m still self-isolation, this is fairly easy to do—I haven’ had a sit-down, face-to-face conversation with someone (who isn’t family) since last March. The one informational interview that I had this year was via Zoom (and with the chat feature). Looking back at last year’s entry—I’m getting better at mental calmness (not having weird ‘stories/conversations’ running through my head, spiking my anxiety for no reason).

I would have to say that I’m going to try to get back into yoga (possibly through various workout programs), and I’m slowly working on the writing.

So what are my goals going to be for the Libra new moon?

  1. Unplug at night. I’ve been slowly setting the boundary of not being on the computer after say eight pm. While I may ‘scroll’ through social media on the phone, it’s usually a very brief scrolling and then I’m back working on my cross-stitch project. I’m going to try to make it a habit of either shutting down the computer or putting it to sleep no later than eight pm every night, and possibly leaving it off all day Saturday and/or Sunday.
  2. Continue at working to regain my identity. I’m still slowly working at resolving/healing the unhealthy diet mindset that I’d developed over the past couple of decades. While I’ve done quite a bit of work over the last ten months or so (thanks to various groups), I know that I still have work to do in that area. I’m also working on ensuring that I don’t wrap myself up in a ‘professional’ identity, only to lose myself ‘personally’ again (as I’d also done over the past several decades).
  3. Facing a fear—figuring out how to launch a freelance/remote/contract business. This is something that I have in my ‘risk and die’ zones on my comfort diagram—I figured it is risky trying to set up a part-time business, and an anxiety inducing dilemma trying to set up a full-time business. I’m going to try—the worse that comes of it, I keep it part-time, the best that can come of it—I manage to double (if not triple) what I was earning in academia within the first year of doing freelance writing.

I am aiming for ‘progress over perfection’, I’m starting the next chapter of my life (since I’ve stopped reading the last one), I’m not going to fear failure—I’m only going to fear the regret of not trying and I will not allow the opinions of others to sway me from the path I’m setting out on—windy and bumpy roads can lead to beautiful destinations.

What is something you’ve always wanted to try to do, but haven’t done yet?

No Comments AstrologycareerCraftsfitnessHealthLifestyle ChallengesNew Moon Goalsno spend challengesReflections

Time to brainstorm, mindmap, and plan for the future

10
Jun
2021

So, it looks like I didn’t set any goals last June for the Gemini new moon. That isn’t surprising since I was in a rather foul mood (from about April through mid-June), due to the fact that the SARS-CoV2 virus was getting out of control and was close to being called a pandemic (which we’re still in a year later, though numbers are falling in some parts of the world). So the moon is transitioning through the Gemini constellation today, as it marks yet another new phase–it was also a solar eclipse (but it wasn’t visible from Oklahoma). We’re a third of the way through the month, and I’m truthfully ready for say November or December.

So what are some things that one can focus on during the Gemini new moon?

Think about how you communicate with others.

Meditate.

Socialize more.

See your siblings.

Read more.

Well, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic (and yes, I have gotten my vaccine–but I’m still playing it safe), so I won’t be socializing more (besides, I’m an introvert who prefers minimal socialization anyways). I do see my younger brother every so often (he now lives in town), but my older brother and his family live out in CA–so no visits for quite awhile. I’ve been getting better at meditation, and I always like to read (trying to get better at expanding the genera though).

I’m also looking to the house that Gemini new moon is transitioning through–and for me it is my eighth house, or the ‘sex and shared finances’ zone (also referred to as the money and relationship zone). So what are some of the things that one can do during this time in regards to the eighth house?

Pay off a loan (or take one out)

Open a savings account and make your first deposit

Cancel a credit card you know you can’t afford

Ask for a raise (but really only if you believe you might get it)

Refinance your mortgage

Talk dirty to your partner

Try a sexual position for the first time

Looking back at what I wrote two years ago (since I didn’t post anything for new moon last year), there isn’t much I’d change–other than noting we’re still in the middle of a pandemic and I still have no desire to enter the dating pool. I find it slightly amusing that two new moons in a row have aspects that deal with relationships–and I’m determined not to be in one currently. Basically to restate what I’ve said in previous posts (about relationships): I currently don’t have the time or energy to put into the dating scene and finding someone. In terms of relationships and being with someone–I’m one of the odd ones that doesn’t mind being alone and unattached.

I also find it fitting that they also both mention finances as well–something that I’m going to be focusing on a little more as the year progresses.

So in terms of things that one can do for the eighth house:

I currently have a savings account (with money in it), which I’m going to be working on trying to increase the balance

I only have two credit cards that have ‘high’ balances, but both should be paid down/off within a few months

I don’t own a house–so no need to try to refinance something

I don’t have any loans (and currently not thinking about taking one out)

No pay raise–as I’ve been on my ‘reboot break’ for over a year now (unless I either find the ‘dream job’ and/or I get my own business up and running)

And finally, I’m still not in a relationship, so the last two items aren’t even on my radar.

So my goals for the Gemini new moon will include:

The creation of a financial plan (coming back onto the list). I have ideas bouncing around about how to start earning money–I just need to get them on paper, and broken down into monthly/weekly/daily goals. Plus, I’m not getting younger and therefore should really be trying to ‘plan’ for the second half of my life.

Continue with my daily intentional movements, improving my relationship with food, and nightly meditations/sitting quietly moments.

Continue with my personal/professional development board game, work on writing up some things, and as always reading

Through quite a bit of self-reflection over the past year and a half, I’ve realized that I have the tendency to ‘sacrifice’ my mental health in pursuit of other things (such as my career), therefore I’m going to be focusing a little more each month on maintaining and improving my mental health (through daily meditation, intentional movement, journaling and so forth). Financial health is back on the list–mainly because I’ve slipped (for several months) back into the habit of being an impulsive e-book/e-course buyer.

Being repetitive in goal setting until they become habit is a good thing (as long as you’re making some type of progress on the goal). That is why most of my goals (that are repetitive) focus on personal and professional development–my progress is slow (even microscopic at times), but it is there. Others might not see it, but then I also don’t share everything all the time.

Curious to know–what goals are you repetitive with?

No Comments careerfinancesHealthmoney saving challengesNew Moon Goalsno spend challengesPersonal Developmentprofessional developmentReflections

Aquarius New Moon Goals. Brainstorming ideas, setting goals, and drafting the plans to achieve them

12
Feb
2021

So the moon entered the Aquarius constellation either last night or tonight (depending on where you are in the world). I think the new moon was last night for me–though we’ve been so cloudy and cold, I haven’t seen any stars for the past couple of nights. The enterance into the Aquarius constellation marks the second new moon of 2021. We’ve made it through teh first 42 days of 2021, and some have been chaotic, some calm, but the rest have been somewhere in between.

Looking at ‘Moonology: Working with the magic of lunar cycles’ by Yasmin Boland, there are several things that one can do during this period:

Detach ourselves from things that no longer serve us

Be true to ourselves

Be inventive

Be charitable

Be social

Looking at the above list–it is difficult to try to be social as we’re still in the middle of a pandemic. I’m working on being true to myself (starting with physical and spiritual health), and slowly detaching myself from things that no longer serve me (mainly the diet mentality and the baggage associated with it).

Then there is the aspect of what zone (or house) the moon is moving into with regards to everything. There are three different ways that you can go about figuring out the house/zone: by your star sign, your rising sign, or your moon sign. I usually go with my rising sign which is Scorpio, though I could do my star (Virgo) or moon (Pisces).

By using Scorpio, this means that the moon is entering my fourth house, or the home and family zone. This then means it is a time to spend cleaning, possibly moving, or spending more time with family. Again, there are several suggestions from ‘Moonology’ on what one can do during this time (for the fourth house):

Have a garage sale

Hug your parents

Sort through your photo albums/digital photo files

Invite friends over

Renovate or redecorate so you’re more comfortable at home

Sell your home and/or change locations, or even countries

Ask your grandparents about your family’s history.

Looking at that list, there are some things that aren’t happening (or don’t happen that often)–hugging my parents (we’re not the overly affectionate type of family), having friends over (everyone is busy, plus we’re still in the middle of a pandemic). Since both sets of grandparents are deceased, I can’t really inquire about family history. Though my grandfather did write me a letter about growing up in the Depression and serving in WWII–one of these days I may share the transcribed letter.

I also won’t be having a garage sale (again–pandemic, and too much work to only get ride of a little bit of stuff), renovate (my parents own the house not me). Though I may redocrate my room a little. As much as I would like to move/change locations–again, pandemic and I currently don’t have a steady income (which would be necessary for said move or change in location).

Therefore if I were to make a list of goals for the Aquarius new moon to cover both areas (things for the new moon plus the family/friends zone) they would be:

Sorting through the large amount of digital photos on the computer

Sorting through the clothes in the closet and figuring out what fits and what doesn’t (box up the second and possibly donate)

Set up my wiccan/pagan altar

Continue working on my evolving vision of my future–try to project it say two to four years forward.

Finally remembering that no matter how slowly I need to go, this year will be a year of growth, creativity, and curiosity, which will lead to happiness and prosperity.

No Comments AstrologyNew Moon GoalsPersonal Developmentprofessional developmentReflectionsspirituality