I just realized that yesterday (June 11) was the sixth-month anniversary of my arrival in Portland. Things didn't quite work out the way I had envisioned ... I thought I would take a month or so to "rest", then get busy creating my new life here. In actuality, the process has taken a lot longer than that, as I've blogged about here. The good news is, I've learned pretty solidly how to trust and allow the process of my life to unfold. And it is unfolding in some pretty amazing ways, that have a much greater depth and excitement to them than I could ever have planned.
Yesterday was also the day of the Gemini-Sagittarius Full Moon. In Native American traditions, this particular full moon is known as the "Strawberry Moon", because the short harvest season of the strawberry crops takes place during June. There is a wonderful spot near my house that has a great view of Mt. Hood, where I have been wanting for months to take a photo of the full moon rising over the mountains. I went out at 9:45 tonight to do so -- at these high latitudes, that's when the sun goes down, nearing the solstice -- but the sky was overcast. Although there was a nice sunset going on in the west, the moonrise was not visible in the east. That's for another time, I guess.
On my way home, I stopped at a local establishment that has great fresh strawberry milkshakes, made from local Oregon strawberries -- one thing Oregon has in common with Louisiana, although in the South, the strawberries ripen in April. However, they were out of strawberries (people celebrating the full moon, perhaps?), so I had to "settle" for a mocha milkshake.
In the Buddhist calendar, the June full moon (the first full moon after Wesak, which celebrates the enlightenment of the Buddha Gautama) coincides with the Festival of Goodwill.
One of my favorite websites said today, about the zeitgeist of this full moon,
Optimism in the face of a host of conflicting and confusingly problematic scenarios isn't exactly the point...but maintaining a simple, quiet calm IS. The issue isn't optimism vs. pessimism. It's much more about finding the center.
When I'm in the center, I don't need to plan or figure out. Things I've known for a long time are becoming crystal clear at deep levels of my being.
There is nothing to fear.
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