Full Flower Moon Dreamboard

Full Flower Moon Dreamboard

It was the full moon last night, which means I made a new collage to act as a guide for this new lunar month.  I participate in two dreamboarding circles, Soulcraft at Flock and Full Moon Dreamboards at Jamie Ridler Studios.  I finished this last night, but didn’t have time to post here, so here I am bright and early this morning.

I started looking for images and such over the weekend, and things just really didn’t appeal. The idea for this one came yesterday morning while I was writing morning pages. I thought it was a little odd, so I tried other things, but kept coming back to this configuration, the image of the nest, the two flowers, and the quote on printed cardstock.

The quote had been running in my head since last week when Jennifer Louden posted it to her Twitter. It struck me as an apt image and description. I’m in the tangle of uncertainty, you see, and I really think making a cozy nest there is a better way to deal with it than what I’ve been doing (i.e. stressing, obsessing, and driving myself crazy).

As for the nest, it could stand for a lot of things: security, a living space of my own, a financial “nest egg”, nurturing, comfort, and more I’m sure. The egg could be any of a number of possibilities waiting to hatch.

The flowers are much the same, symbols that could be interpreted in a variety of ways, such as: innocence, vulnerability, openness, beauty.

Obviously, my intuitive side took over this time. I’m looking forward to seeing what manifests over the course of this lunar month.

Full Pink Moon Dreamboard

Full Pink Moon Dreamboard. April 18, 2011.

The moon became full in wee hours of this morning, which means today is the day for making dreamboards with the other lovelies in the dreamboarding circle hosted by Jamie Ridler Studios, and, by another name the same rose, Soulcraft with my fellow Flockettes.

This month, I still find myself craving spaciousness, along with relaxation and time outdoors.  The words are little reminders I found myself needing today and have a feeling I will need in the month to come.  It’s simple and clear, and I love it already.

What shape are your dreams taking this month?

Full Worm Moon Dreamboard

Full Worm Moon Dreamboard

1. yellow & blue, 2. hand-writing, 3. Clothesline, 4. spring

It’s the Full Moon, which means I sat down today to make a dreamboard alongside others in the dreamboarding circle hosted every month by Jamie Ridler at Jamie Ridler Studios.

When magazine clippings weren’t calling to me, I decided to use Mosaic Maker with Flickr.

It’s the Full Worm Moon, about which Jamie says:

“When I first heard the phrase ‘Full Worm Moon,’ I was less than enthusiastic, but as I discovered that this March moon is when the earth starts to soften and the burrowers of her soil find their way to the surface, I started to change my mind. What if we took our cue from spring and allowed ourselves to soften?”

I’ve been craving spaciousness, both internal and external, which is why I included the larger photo of the girl in the open field of flowers, arms outstretched.  Since external spaciousness, for me, would require a good spring cleaning, I included the image of the clothesline. Creating this spaciousness will require me to soften my grip on things that no longer serve me, to let go of the constant “need” to be busy, and to be gentle with myself during that process.

If I softened, words would find their way to the surface to be written, hence the image of the pen and notebook.

Finally, I can’t not celebrate the official start of Spring tomorrow, or notice that daffodils are blooming all over.   I can’t help softening into the season, with the return of warmth and color.

These are the things I am dreaming of for the lunar month ahead.  What about you?  What are you dreaming of?

Snow Moon (a.k.a. Quickening Moon) Dreamboard

Snow Moon (a.k.a. Quickening Moon) Dreamboard. Made Feb. 18-19, 2011. (Click to enlarge.)

Yesterday was the full moon, known as the Snow Moon and also as the Quickening Moon.   I started laying mine out, with intentions of finishing it and posting yesterday with everyone else in the dreamboarding circle (hosted by Jamie Ridler at her online home, Jamie Ridler Studios).  But, it just wasn’t ready.

I always get a particular feeling when I know my dreamboard is ready, and the way it was laid out last night, it wasn’t.  I was unsure about some of the images, and of the placement, so I decided to sleep on it and finished it this afternoon.

About the Snow Moon, Jamie says:

“It’s such a perfect time to connect to the tenderest of dreams, those that have been hiding underneath the mounds of winter’s snow.

“This month, may your dreamboard reveal the hopes and imaginings that lie deep within your heart.”

Lovely and true sentiments.  However, we have had a rough winter here this time around, and I’m so sick of snow I could scream.  Thankfully, it seems spring has come early (nearly sending me into a full-blown Hallelujah Chorus).  This is why I prefer to call this moon the Quickening Moon.

In the piece I found on the Quickening Moon, it said:

“This is a month when new life is beginning, but still lies dormant. Pregnant animals, due in the spring, begin to feel the quickening of their unborn young. The earth itself is quickening, as seeds and bulbs far beneath the soil begin their journey towards the light. We know these things are coming — and we know also that this is a good month to make plans for the future. We can dream and hope, and set goals for ourselves. Accept responsibility for mistakes you’ve made in the past, and move on.” – Patti Wigington, About.com: Paganism/Wicca

This nails what I’m feeling these days, the quickening, the sprouting of roots, the speeding out of Winter and toward Spring.

In making my dreamboard, I chose my images intuitively.  That’s why it took longer to finish, why I let it lie, blocked out but not glued down, overnight and reworked sections today.  Some I had in last night were there because they worked with the color scheme or for logical reasons, but that just didn’t feel right.  I think with this one, yes, there is a lot that’s evident from the surface, but there’s a lot that lies under the surface, too, in symbol.

For instance, now that it’s all put together, I’ve looked up what the animals symbolize.  Butterflies are a symbol of transformation (duh), hummingbirds symbolize joy (among other things), woodpeckers symbolize awakening, and pelicans (the white bird with its beak in the water) symbolize charity, redemption, and open-heartedness, depending on the culture.  All four elements–earth, air, water, and fire–are represented, but air and water most prominently, suggesting I’ll be dealing a lot with intellect and consciousness (air), and emotion and the subconscious (water).

On the surface, I see nature, “smooth sailing,” direction, magic, spirit, and whimsy.  I love the open window, with its curtains blowing in the breeze.  In addition to the animal symbols, I notice right away the girl floating above her bed toward her window (whimsy), the reflecting pond in the center at the top (magic), that there are water people emerging from the lake in picture with the little boy and his Dad (magic!), and the compass in the center (direction).  I’m sure I’ll notice more as the month goes along, but these are my first impressions.

Looks like it’s going to be a good month ahead!

What are your hopes and dreams for the coming month, dear reader?  Whatever they are, I hope they come to you.

Sacred Life Sunday: Full Frost Moon Dreamboard

Full Frost/Fog Moon Dreamboard. November 21, 2010.

It’s the Full Moon, which means it’s time for Full Moon Dreamboards at Jamie Ridler Studios and time for this month’s Soulcraft at Flock.

A moment of being truthful, I wasn’t going to make a new one this month.  I was just going to carry last month’s over another month.  I still feel like it’s relevant.   I feel like I’m just now settling into bringing it to life.

Then the idea hit for this one this evening, when I remembered I had the printed card stock that forms the background/board.  I taped two sheets together and started looking through some images and quotes and words I’ve pulled over time, ones that hadn’t made it into previous dreamboards.   I set out to make a sort of addendum to the other, but sitting here looking at it, I feel like it stands on its own.

It is simple, soothing, serene, and it reminds me of what I want in the coming month.  Plus, it has a similar feel to the parts of last month’s that I most want to keep and focus on.

It also fits with the themes of this moon, the Full Frost Moon which is also known as the Full Fog Moon or Mourning Moon:

“This is a time of washing away the baggage of the past and letting it go. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to focus on the joys of the future. During the Mourning Moon phase, say goodbye to bad habits and toxic relationships, and get a fresh start for the new year. Work on developing and strengthening your connection with Deity. ” – Patti Wigington, About.com: Paganism / Wicca

It’s no coincidence that the background I chose is reminiscent of water.  These days, I am all about “washing away the baggage of the past,” and water is cleansing and tied to emotion, which is the sort of baggage I want to wash away.

This full moon falls in the sign of Taurus, which is an earth sign.  When I think of earth, in terms of the elements and spiritual characteristics, I think of groundedness, which I think shows up here, too.  The top center quote also relates to earth, earth in its seasonal cycles, which quote reads:

“Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.” – Henry David Thoreau

Other quotes and sentiments that show up:

“Let your light shine.”

“Happiness depends upon ourselves.” – Aristotle

“be self and spirit.”

Yes, I think it stands well alone, and looks and feels like a beautiful way to spend the next month.  *contented sigh*

May whichever positive dreams your dream and wishes you make under this full moon come true, dear reader.