 The Full Flower Super Blood Moon (on a Wednesday) is the culmination of this science experiment and here we are, dear Adepts! The daily prompts thus far have been leading to this one, so lean in, will you?... The end game here (for me) has been to get some important themes in the forefront of my mind via day-resonant writing prompts: abundance, creativity, shadows (fears), shine, mystery, vigor culminating with a well-articulated communication from the heart to move through a challenge in my life. In essence, a heartfelt Prayer. The magic of today, of course, is optimal conditions to merge with the big flow of the “celestial court” and write down in as plain language as I possibly can the Prayer that wants to express itself through me. And then link that Prayer up with the full moon this month, which is also the auspicious lunar holiday to celebrate the Buddha’s birth, death and enlightenment. This is the basic idea anyway. And what is the nature of the experiment we have done here? Well, the incredibly simple and obvious hack of tuning in to the days of the week and associated celestial bodies has allowed us to work what is already in motion with an ongoing aspect of modern life that everyone on the planet (for the most part) has a sense of and is an active participation in : the seven day week. By virtue of lining up with this higher order we can actively link up to the “music of the spheres” which is the whirring and spinning and orbiting of the visible planets (plus the sun and moon) in the heavens. Ultimately though, I propose that this experiment serves as a boost in realizing our true nature as a creative, active, divine force in the world. Naturally, this science experiment can be extended, if you feel called, as a way to diversify your ongoing experience and harness yourself to the larger mystery of the celestial-scape. There are 52 weeks per year of course so find the next week that makes sense to you and have at it! Without further chatter, here’s the culminating writing prompt from our time together...
Despacho Instructions: A despacho hails from the Q'ero people in the Andes mountains as a means to create a prayer bundle that one offers to the elements by burning or burying. It's a way to harmonize and align the physical world with inner wisdom and a heartfelt prayer. To construct one, first you need a despacho base. I suggest you use a sheet of paper, folded into 9 squares. In this case I suggest writing the Prayer you develop on 5/26 on the base. (Use the other writing sheets as kindling if possible. Burn it all!)
Thanks for participating with me, Adepts! Over and out for now on this particular science experiment. Time for me to keep movin’. Who knows what will happen next? May it be so. 
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 Here goes! Below are the writing prompts for six of the seven days. I have a few things to say above and beyond what’s drafted here about each day when we meet for the Lives as well as the alchemy available to study within this framework. That said, in theory, this is the basic framework of prompts that I suggest in order to co-participate each day at 6:30am whether or not you meet on the internet or not. Again, the end game here for us (or for me, at least) is to “unstick” some specific areas of our lives and make room for transformation, for spaciousness and peace with a few areas that (for me) are causing anxiety and challenge. I hope that by systematically writing about areas that correspond to the days of the week and then making intentional plans to release and surrender a Prayer that I develop on the full moon might help. I mean why the f*ck not? This is where I trust and have faith in the processes that downloaded and take action to pursue and share with anyone who also wants to do a little self-inquiry.
Here are Six of the Seven days of the experiment:
 FRAMEWORK, WHAT TO EXPECT & CLARIFYING DETAILS
Thanks for the interest, friends! I’m thrilled to have companionship for this inner pilgrimage I'm starting tomorrow. (Read up on the premise.) Because that’s the nature of a pilgrimage, right? Only YOU can walk your pilgrimage and only I can walk mine. I’m merely volunteering to be our fearless Cruise Director for this particular pilgrimage/sadhana. Below is a clear outline of what to expect and what the guardrails are for our walk together. I think it's helpful to see what exactly the approach will be and how you and I can make best use of the time.
PLATFORMS:
HOW TO ACTIVELY (or passively) PARTICIPATE:
“See” you tomorrow morning (5/20) at 6:30am. You now know what to do. May it be so.  Context: If you know me well, you know I have amazing super powers in getting shit done and an uncanny ability to execute (and complete!) very large and complex ideas. Zero shame in my game. Indeed, the momentum and discipline I naturally carry boggles my own mind sometimes. And if you don’t know me well, just know that I’m a quintuple Scorpio born at Dawn on a Tuesday on a Full Moon (Need I say more?) Anyway, I’m super “stuck” in a very particular area of my life. Stuck in terms of being driven by (personally, to me) important powers of responsibility and obligation but also a finicky little tickle that I can’t (and won’t) settle for less. I want to use my superpowers of accountability and tenacity to dislodge this present “stuckness”. So: I hereby propose to myself a living, breathing science experiment. I’m somewhat educated in a number of metaphysical and yogic disciplines that could prove to be helpful here and I’m also a real deal scientist. (A degree'd chemist to be exact.) I’m curious what might happen if I pulled all the elements together in a big focused inhale and then released the pent up energy on the auspicious full moon next week? Why? Well, the timing feels right and besides, I’m motivated by this particular "stuck" area of my life. (I’d rather not say what area, exactly. To each Her own, mkay? You have your own stuck areas, surely.)
Here goes... Purpose: To spend the week leading up to the aptly named Super Flower Blood Moon (also the celebrated auspicious day of the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha) developing a heartfelt Prayer and intention that I will offer to the powerful forces of life. This will simultaneously be the most woo-woo-hoo-doo thing I do all week coupled with the most direct, clear, no-bullshit course of action, destined to manifest because I will have harnessed my intentional Prayer to the physical elements and to my own creative, blooming, embodied life force energy. (That, my Adept friends, is magic!) It might feel right for you to join me at this time. Please do! The roadmap is outlined below. See if it speaks to you, I would welcome a companion or two. I'm a bit lost at the moment, tbh. Approach: If you’re “in” we will have a “Zoom In / Zoom Out” approach that we perform together through a series of simple morning writing exercises culminating with a Day dedicated to embodying the Prayer: the Super Flower Blood Moon on Wednesday, May 26. Important note to interested Selves: full and rigorous live participation is requested for best results of this science experiment. Because make no mistake: this is a living, breathing science experiment where I bring many things that I have learned into an elongated experience where I can dive deeply into Realizing a fervent Prayer burning in my heart. Do you also have a fervent Prayer that needs some ignition? If so, again, you’re welcome to join me. I would love and welcome companions. Sadhana: This particular science experiment has its own unique sadhana, or set of rhythmic practices that help keep the Forces “on the rails”. As many are aware “off the rails” is a place where we sometimes can get with these things. And it’s easy to get “off the rails” - so, so easy. So easy to not meditate. To lose focus and get distracted. So easy. A proper sadhana keeps things “on the rails” in the general direction of the Prayer. Or Dream. Or in an arc of human evolution as demonstrated by the Great Teachers of all the world’s traditions. A disciplined sadhana seems to be key in all of these scenarios. How: for this particular science experiment, we’ll work with several moving parts, all of which will be outlined in detail over the course of a week:
May it be so. 
We live in a 100+ year old house with the auspicious house number of 108 and to describe it as 'charming' is the understatement of the century. (Literally!) We have lived in this home for over 20 years and feel like we know it intimately. This house trusts us. And yet we know it stood proud for 80+ years before we even knew it existed. These days, 108 shelters-us-in-place quite nicely, all 1,400 square feet of it. And once again, it's curious to imagine that people lived in these walls through the JFK assassination, which occurred right up the street from our house. And then sometime prior to World War II, there was the time the then-owner turned it into a duplex. Not to mention the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. This was a brand new home during that era!
As you may imagine, maintaining 108 can be challenging, incredibly imperfect and yet we are completely and totally in love with her - cracks, creaky floorboards and everything. We have such fond memories of music parties in our living room with friends and strangers alike, Full Moon Salons, birthday parties, swami talks, epic dinner parties with friends and family and the abiding sense of 'home' to our two children. Our son was even born right here at home over 19 years ago in the same bedroom we still sleep in. Pre-pandemic we would host our Meditation Group in our living room on Sunday mornings. And who can forget some of our house guests on the sleeper sofa over the years? "It's not often you get to sleep by an altar" my dear friend Julia once said about crashing on our living room couch for a few days. Sister Coronavirus has supported our efforts quite nicely to spruce up the place. We don't have a lot of money to spend on these small scale renovations so they end up being quite lackluster by some people's standards. Below is a video I made of our living room which recently underwent a deep clean and upgrade. We spent several days carefully cleaning, painting and wallpapering this space (ceiling too!) and are now enjoying the fruits of our labor. This is my favorite room of the house and makes me smile. It's always clean. It always welcomes me. It always shines. It's a 'hug' at the front door each and every time I come and go. A friend of ours even calls our living room 'The Burrow' (yes, just like the Weasley's). Anyway, enjoy this 'virtual tour' from my inner nine year old as a break from whatever you're doing online right now. Come inside. Stay a minute. Look at some of the cool sticks, stones, feathers and shells we've collected. I'd have you over for tea in a hot second if I could, you know.
May it be so.
 What if the violence and clashing we're witnessing is really about an unmet desire for physical connection? What if the psychology of 'the bully' archetype so rampant in certain communities is really about a deep fear of being unacceptable? I wonder what would a proactive intervention, simply as a thought experiment, with a bully look like?
Here are my working thoughts on this topic. Or, perhaps this is how I'm trying to cope, who knows.
I ruminate these things as an ongoing, personal thought experiment. For example, I wonder what might happen if the peace that passes all understanding were to unveil gracefully in the hearts of those who participated in the Capitol Riots? Oooo, or better yet, Donald J. Trump himself? What if we were to collectively launch a thought experiment where we envisioned forgiveness, regrouping and consistency with a prayer for peace? Just like ball players do before a big game. They imagine specific drills and shots so that when the time comes, they are at-the-ready. What if we got "at-the-ready" for transformed hearts? What amazing heroism could be revealed for humanity? As a platform to move forward with minimal resentment. To recalibrate. To ultimately heal. It doesn't mean accountability isn't called for or necessary. In fact, quite the contrary. All I'm suggesting is that these steps (for me) allow a path to move forward without poisoning my own heart. May it be so.  Both the kids are out of the house and in college. They both have their own struggles and successes with this new and challenging semester. (How Paul and I are doing is a whole other story!) While my boy is four hours away and just starting his college experience, my girl has been on her own for a few years now. Covid and all things tumultuous have really shaken her world and after a few weeks of living with us between semesters, I finally captured all the knowledge I have been trying to impart in words and in my own example: the importance of sleeping well and waking clearly and having a rhythm with the day, especially when times are trying. Here goes... Maybe it's useful for others as well. Purpose: to offer my daughter, who is equal parts a disciplined Warrior Spirit and receptive Sensitive Creature, a basic practice to help with sleeping, studying and living the best possible life “during these times” or anytime, really. What is a sadhana? Quite simply, a sadhana is the daily (spiritual) practice that informs and enhances your life to one of purpose and detachment. A sadhana requires real discipline and the ability to “show up” for yourself day after day, week in and week out. The one outlined in this document has no religious or overtly "spiritual" aspects to it. Please know that my personal sadhana is much more robust. This is merely a trustworthy and firm foundation full of practicality and “mom-sense” to help you wake a little clearer and sleep a little deeper. Upon waking:
May it be so.  I've been performing a quiet, personal science experiment for the last couple of years that entails wearing certain colors on certain days. (Longer time readers and friends know I love a good science experiment.) It goes like this: the names associated with the days of the week are in alignment with certain planetary bodies. Meaning, when we say in English "Sunday" we are referring to the Sun. "Monday" is referring to the Moon. "Tuesday" is pointing to Mars, although the Latin based version of things, as in Martes, which is Spanish for Mars Day. And so on. If you consider it for a moment, we collectively align over and over in conversations, receipts, emails, court documents, news articles, so on and so forth in reference to the day. In fact, you probably see or hear the day of the week you're living on that day hundreds of times, reinforced over and over and over in multiple dimensions, like a mantra. As I've mentioned, each day of the week aligns with a celestial body but also a certain set of attributes and colors. I stumbled across the concept ages ago during one of my yogic-ayurvedic-study adventures and then a couple of years ago decided to give it a try for myself. What does it mean to align with the "energy" of a particular day of the week? Does it make a difference? What happens if I don't wear as much grey, black and brown? What happens if I wear the "wrong" color on a particular day? Do I even own all the colors in my clothing? Where do I even start with this science experiment? Are there other changes that I notice as I wear the colors, particularly as they pertain to the chakras? What if I charted my progress in a spreadsheet? Hm... I made myself a little chart based on my various research adventures:  (Please note - these are my personal notes captured in chart form based on an amalgamation of LOTS of this stuff floating around in various reference materials. It's my personal version of things and the data set I'm using for my personal science experiment.)
Over the last two and a half years I have been wearing colors that correspond to the days of the week. And yes, over time I have noticed some shifts. If forced to articulate them, here they are:
May it be so.  Image above and below are geometric demonstrations of the five petaled Rose of Venus from one of my reference books. Sometimes you feel it in your bones when it's time. Like, it's time. Heck, between Sister Coronavirus, the widespread and long overdue civil and social disruption coupled with deep, deep self-inquiry at the individual and community level about systemic racism, 2020 has been a helluva year so far. And it's only June, folks. Good thing there's always a higher cosmological order to choose to align with. Venus (the planet) makes a fascinating and beautiful geometric Rose in the Sky over time alternating as the Morning Star and Evening Star, captivating star gazers around the world for centuries. If this is new to you, please know it's a measurable, scientific, fascinating and indisputable phenomenon with zero woo-woo factor. It works like this: from the perspective of astronomers who measure these things from Earth, the planet Venus makes a beautiful geometric rose shape shown above over the course of several years. The image you see here is a 32 years time lapse representation and the basic eight-year rose is similar, just less intricate. The astronomical numerology shakes out with five conjunctions of Earth and Venus (to create the the five petals) occurring every eight orbits of the Earth (to make one rose) around the Sun for every thirteen orbits of Venus. Now it's worth noting that these numbers and Sky Roses have been inter-generationally tracked across almost every culture for centuries and centuries. Furthermore the "energy" of this mysterious geometric Rose in the Sky has been associated with feminine divinity in the an indisputable cross-cultural way through the personification as Venus, Aphrodite, Innana, Ishtar, Mary and Mary Magdalene just to name a few. In addition, these energies are associated with the actual rose flower here on Earth because it mirrors the floral imprint in the heavens. Fascinating, right? But it makes sense too. And buyer beware: this is a whole rabbit hole you can go down if you wish. Search also carefully and with a discerning eye but know I am totally not making this up. To break this down a bit more, this geometric pattern of the five petals of the Rose of Venus are also reflected in phyllotaxis, or the arrangement of plant leaves on a stem, in the most mind-bending way. Phyllotaxis structures are based on the endlessly fascinating and ubiquitous Fibonacci sequence: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21... The series works by adding the two previous numbers to build the sequence. 1+1=2; 2+1=3; 3+2=5; 5+3=8; 8+5=13 and so on. The sequence shows up in everything from honeybees to pineapples and pinecones and the human body - life itself and is an almost-identical cousin to the math of the Golden Mean. The most common number in the sequence in flowering plants? Pentagonal forms or five petals. If the Rose in the Sky as the path of Venus is "as above" then the "so below" would be the rose itself, which manifests the Fibonacci series in its growth patterns. And, as stated, the five conjunctions of Earth and Venus (to create the the five petals) occur every eight orbits of the Earth (to make one rose) around the Sun for every thirteen orbits of Venus. 5, 8 and 13. Here's where the timing comes in - new Rose starts this very month. A New Rose, friends! All this said and examined, I'm choosing to start another science experiment for myself. What does it feel like and look like for me to line up with that higher celestial order at this time in human history? I feel inspired to re-order my creative projects as Aurah to land here in a fresh orientation that lines up with the transcendent order. A place where inspired projects and writing can rest in their completion phase as I (as Aurah) complete them. (And as I figure out what they are!) I have a ton of creativity running in my blood and several projects underway in various stages of process. (It's kind of like that phenomenon of having five or six books on the bedside table at one time.) I see that it's Time for a new Home for everything. Time to integrate and own myself as myself. Time to evolve. Time to use my gifts in service to whatever feels right and good to serve or speak about. And truth be told, I just flat out like to blog and so that will live on this website too as a reincarnated Field Notes blog. After all I've done this blogging exercise in various forms for literally decades. (For close friends, remember my old 2008-2012 Refresh Button blog?) So what should one expect here on the new Field Notes blog? Similar content to the Dispatches blog, I suppose. Time will tell. I remain open-minded because I don't know what I don't know about the next eight years as a new Rose unfurls in the Sky. Do you? In the end, I just know in my bones that it's Time. Like I said, it's Time for a lot of things. Time for me to chronicle, to document, to unpack, to explain, to share and to evolve. I do this for myself and anyone else interested in following along. I figure there's no better way to confidently stride forward in style for the next eight years as another Rose unfolds in the heavens. And hey, if we obliterate ourselves as a species, I'm weirdly comforted that the infinitely unfolding Rose will be just as Beautiful, with or without us. It's Nature's nature to Heal Herself. May it be so.  |
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