Walking the Tracks

Being the art nerd I am, I spend a fair amount of time walking the railroad tracks that run through the woods behind my house, looking for interesting bits of trash to collect: shards of broken colored glass, tangled strands of rusted metal, odd railroad parts, metal industrial waste, doorknobs, and broken plastic. Yesterday David, Griffin and I trekked a few miles up the tracks, exhausted from extensive travel the day before and melting in the scorching summer heat, but drawn to the shade of a small watering hole about two miles from our house; one that’s home to fish, otters and beavers as well as offering some beautiful wild foliage along its banks. We again encountered a rabbit who fearlessly remained at arm’s length from us (thus reinforcing for me that the rabbit is still my current power animal, see my previous post) but the biggest joy of the day was discovering an enormous trail of pink and yellow hued smooth river stones that had fallen from a freight car in dribs and drabs over a fair distance. My inner rock nerd clasped hands with my inner art nerd and despite the physical discomfort of the afternoon (and the fact that I had accidentally spilled the bulk of my much-needed drinking water), it turned out to be a pretty sweet little journey.

Moons and Totems 6

Everybody knows their western astrological profile and most people also know their eastern, or Chinese, astrological sign as well, but few know their moon profile from the Native American culture and the totems for each moon. As with the two more mainstream belief systems, the moon totem profiles are not only a very accurate read of an individual's personality, but they also add a rich dimension to who we are and where our weaknesses and powers come from.

Planting Moon

April 11-May 10

People of the Planting Moon are very hard workers who excel at preparing for each task and the start of new projects, working out every detail in advance and knowing exactly where they are going every step of the way. They're methodical and reliable and put a great deal of effort and enthusiasm into anything they put their mind to. Planting Moon people are people of the light, of new ideas and fresh starts but they can be stymied by their own abilities. They often tend to become overwhelmed by the task at hand, and no matter how carefully they prepare for it, can become lost in the details and confused about their ultimate goal. They aren't lazy, but without clarity they'll prefer to simply do nothing rather than forge ahead.

The element for this moon is air and the animal totem is the beaver. Like the beaver, the people of this moon can keep themselves very busy all day long and often well into the night, yet somehow never seem to finish the job they've begun. They're great at beginning new projects and working long hours, but being able to bring it all to a conclusion on their own is not their forte. The Planting Moon's plant totem is the dandelion, a strong and easily adaptable plant that's used for both culinary and medicinal purposes and its mineral totem is citrine. Citrine is a powerful stone used to channel the willpower needed to achieve one's goals, as well as granting courage and confidence and eliminating self-destructive tendencies. The color for this moon, vividly orange- yellow like its plant and mineral, is saffron. Worn by holy men the world over, this is the color of the rising sun and of a fresh spring day.

Everyone is most compatible with those people born under the moon opposite to their own and the opposite moon of the Planting Moon is the Harvest Moon (October 11-November 10).

Photo courtesy of Dan Newcomb Photography.