MOONSPIRED: Water World

Usually, July’s new moon occurs in Cancer, the crab, a water sign ruled by the moon. If you are feeling crabby, now you know why, no worries! Every zodiac sign relates to a celestial body. Tonight’s new moon is in the sign that aligns with the moon, so we may all be feeling the extra intensity. The Tropic of Cancer’s pull on Earth, from both the sun and moon at this exact time, is further heightened now by its own Cancerian lunar nature. The moon affects the ocean tides, and our blood matches the sea water’s salinity. The moon also affects the weather and the ebbs and flows of human behavior. “We are the night ocean filled with glints of light. We are the space between the fish and the moon, while we sit here together.”—Rumi

Going with the flow is what the new moon represents in this cycle. It’s not a good idea to try to swim against the current right now. We must learn to tread water so that we can bide our time if needed. Whether it’s rough or calm seas in our personal life and/or the global scenario, it will do us good to become buoyant enough to float through this period with compassionate acceptance. And if we are feeling drained, it’s ok to rest until our strength returns. Take a pool, beach, river, or lake break. Cool off.

The summer season gives many of us time off to do just that. It’s actually a very good time for a retreat. Whether retreat means going on vacation or backing off from a situation, do it; for now. Neptune is the Roman god of water, and the planet Neptune is in retrograde now through early December of this year. This annual extended reverse force of nature is asking us to explore the interior of our own ocean of emotion. We can rest and reconnect with our deep wells of hope to refresh our internal reservoirs with a more spacious and objective perspective. Feelings are fluid.

In the dark of the new moon, we can dive deep in order to see ourselves clearly. If something triggers us, we can often look back at our life to find the origin point. Most of the time, when someone else is doing something we don’t like, that very thing is also within ourselves or in our own exposure to something similar. The original experience may explain why we have a particular emotional reaction to that particular situation. How our needs are met or not shapes us. So, go back; to childhood, to parents, teachers, and even past generations. Sometimes, just recognizing how it all began is enough to neutralize negativity around an issue effectively. Seeing our past with the wisdom of our present perspective, especially around traumatic events, often brings up those miraculous “aha” moments. The goal from this point forward is harnessing a flow that is healing.

“The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.”—Buddha. However, in its entirety of cosmic space, the sky works in conjunction with us as we experience natural cycles. Tuning into the symphony of universal energies can only help us harmonize ourselves with our surroundings. We are created from and still a part of the elements; the water, the wind, the earth, the sky, the sun, the moon, the forest, the fire, the sands, the stars… We are the matter and the energy. “We are stardust, we are golden, and we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.”—Joni Mitchell/CSNY). We are each an emanation of the whole; we’re players of an orchestral nature. Even with our varied explorations of this world, we are all, quite possibly, one stream of consciousness.

And, yes, what we seek is also, always, in our heart. We know if “it” is good for us by how it feels. Heartfelt! In a big moment, we can easily notice our heartbeat and the blood it pumps through our veins. Like when we are excited, scared, or exercising, etc. Yet, our heart keeps on ticking, even when we’re not aware of it. It’s the motor keeping time, so we are properly functioning. It’s an essential working electrical system charged with moving our vital fluids throughout our body. When our heart is beating fast, can we consciously slow it back down?! We can, with relaxed focus and control of our breath. We need to know how to stop looking outside ourselves to calm the heart and mind, and body. Water is life. We are love.

An interesting juxtaposition in tonight’s water-themed moon is that it occurs in northern California’s driest time of year. The rainy season here is winter, although it did rain almost all of last spring. We have had some reprieve from the drought conditions. California’s aquifers and rivers are fuller now than they have been in more than a decade. But at the same time, our gardens are filled with fruits and flowers, and so they are thirstier. Water is essential on a farm for plants and animals. In this season, we must monitor our water usage.

We have an artesian well with a drip system and above-ground water tanks for storage. We do rainwater catchment as well off the roofs of our buildings. We hand water the cannabis and veggies extra on the hottest days. We increased our target production of our crops this year, knowing there is more water in the well. One of the downfalls of being high in the mountains is less groundwater, but managing it properly is part of our standard operating procedures. By contrast, a positive of our Rangeland zoned forest property is that its quality is above and beyond what typical agricultural land that has been traditionally farmed can offer. We know that our pristine conditions and pastoral location actually provide cleaner air, soil, and water. In turn, we’re cultivating cleaner crops. We are a Sun+Earth certified farm, which is like saying beyond organic.

Benchmarks are high! Licensed California cannabis is strictly tested, so we know it’s truly some of the cleanest in the world. All cannabis farms in California are governed by multiple agencies, from the State-run Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) to the Mendocino Cannabis Department (MCD) as well as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), California Department of Farm and Agriculture (CDFA), CalFire, CalOsha, State Water Board and more. Recently, we received a State equity grant disbursed by Mendocino County to complete our Lake and Streambed agreement (LSA) with CDFW. What this means is we have culverts and road work to do to upgrade the flow of waterways on our property to remain in compliance with all of the above agencies. And it’s a relief that this very expensive project has been grant funded.

At the center of your being, you have the answer; you know who you are, and you know what you want.”—Lao Tzu. The answer to all questions is to begin by going within. Stay in touch with your heart-centered place. Find ways to nurture yourself regularly, body, mind, and soul. Hydration is vitally important. At this new moon, swimming, soaking, drinking, and blessing water will enhance our connection to the elemental elixir, without which we would not have life on Earth.

Melt into this moment. Wading into the abyss, we can ask ourselves anything and count on the abilities of our true nature, our highest self, to guide us, for we are sentient beings made of water, spirit, and matter. There in the stillness of the depths where the answers never lie. We can douse ourselves with splashes of sparkling magic until we are crystal clear. As Dorie says in Finding Nemo, “Just keep swimming.”

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