Author: SP

On Saturday, April 30 at 4:28pm the moon was new again.

Last month I spoke of the sweetness and simple joy found in Harmony. The idea that “the best of times can be found in the simplest things” carried on through the month. The day after I had posted that focus I left for a five day trip to Pittsburgh to honor the life and path of Fred Rogers. The path that he had manifested so clearly and consistently was one of Kindness, and this informed my focus choice for this cycle. This ethos is also reflected in one of my favorite quotes from Doctor Who – “always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind”.

It is not easy to consistently exhibit Kindness though.… More...

At 2:24am last Friday, April 1, the moon was new again.

The focus during the last cycle was Comfort – something that was much needed in light of my contracting Covid and the trials that the prior cycle’s focus on Resilience had brought. Finding Comfort has often been challenging for me, as the most Comfort I usually feel is when I retreat into my own worlds. While that can feel comfortable – I would hesitate to say it brings actual Comfort.

Places that have historically brought me Comfort have been times I’d been playing with a band, and the moments that really bring me the most joy have been singing in Harmony. Thirty years ago when my musical journey began, I could never find harmonies in songs on my own – I felt it was some odd alchemy that vocalists could just find a 3rd or a 5th in a scale and weave counter-melodies and harmonies.… More...

This new lunar cycle began with a New Moon at 12:35pm on Wednesday, March 2nd and earlier today she became Full. So far, this has not been the easiest cycle to work through, It was very early on that I thought that I’d know what the focus for this month would be – but things changed quickly when I tested positive for Covid-19. Suddenly looking at things from a distance cause them to start to lose their meaning, and we reach for what really matters.

The focus for the last cycle was Resilience – I had thought I’d had a handle on that, but a series of dominos fell that showed me that sometimes when we are faced with challenges, no amount of being present in the moment can seem to stop our history from reacting to them.… More...

At 12:46am this morning, as the moon turned new, I was just packing up my gear from the first band practice of the new year. We’d made plans to rehearse, and we have gigs coming up – but the universe occasionally conspires to divert us from our planned course.

That was one of the tangents from last cycle’s theme of Intuition. How we can get so mired in the planning that we lose sight of the simple joys in spontaneity. Last month I wrote that “I’ve learned, more and more over the past 3 years, that better things happen when I can “be” and live in my moments, to follow the whims and whimsy of the muses.”

The past three years have been a steady progression toward a me I had thought I’d lost a long time ago.… More...

Last Sunday at 1:35pm the moon was New again. When the cycle shifted, I already knew what the new focus would be – but I didn’t have the words. This was odd, since the focus last month, in a tribute to Nez, was Lyrics.

In that post I suggested that we go back to favorite songs or artists and listen to the words they chose – looking to understand meaning and intent. I did follow my own advice, and turned my attention to a few songs I hadn’t embraced for a while. It was good to sit and get to know those old friends again – perhaps even with an ear toward introducing them to the band.

But as I struggled to figure out how to write these words tonight, I began to be more aware that there are other pieces to the puzzle.… More...

On December 4th at 2:43am the moon was New.

Last cycle’s focus was on Living. In it I wondered at the thought of “focusing on abandon rather than abandonment”. We spend so much of our lives compromising and conforming – rather than letting go of the reins that had been handed to us and actually Living our own lives. The past few years have seen me make bolder steps in that direction – the trip to Australia in 2019 to see Mike and Micky – and again this year to LA. Music has always been the motivator for me – from the first time I heard Michael Nesmith say “if you love music, you can play music”. (See the first comment for the link and you’ll understand).… More...

A little over two weeks ago the moon was new, and this morning she was full – I’m late again, but not really. I’ve been Living my intention, regardless of not having written about it.

Last month’s focus was on Safety, and in it I spoke about how my life is “walking me down roads filled with choice and intention, and through these processes I’m beginning to understand that the more I am able to live my life in a deliberate state of choice, the safer I feel both physically and emotionally.”

This life of choice and intention is a bit of a double-edged sword as I lean into it. The overthinking and anxiety bring the wondering of whether the choices or intentions are the right ones.… More...

Last Wednesday at 7:05am the moon was new again. I’m happy to be feeling better than I was last month and to show signs of having these posts back on track again. Last month’s focus was on a much needed Remedy. In some ways, it was a bit of a placeholder focus – but at the same time it was a much needed one – and it helped deliver the insight to “not lose sight of what may be right in front of you”.

Before I chose Remedy last month – or before it chose me – I had been experimenting with different ideas for focus. I had even thought I had chosen one. As I contemplated what this month may suggest, I drilled down to an even tighter focus.… More...

On September 6 at 8:52pm, the moon was new. Monday night at 7:55pm the Harvest Moon was full.

The focus last month was Authenticity, and I spoke about trying to “surround yourself, and nurture relationships, with people who trust and value you for who you are and want to build space where there is relative safety.”  I didn’t realize how interwoven Authenticity and Safety would become during that cycle. The end of August saw one of my most disorienting panic episodes in years, followed that same week by some deeply triggering aftershocks. I did manage some healing time over that weekend and started to find my footing again. It was all about honoring how I was feeling above and beyond how I felt I was expected to feel.… More...

Two weeks ago, on August 8th at 9:50am, the moon was new again. This morning, at 8:02am, the moon was full again. Yet here we are – only now posting the intention I’ve been living with for two weeks.

Last month’s focus was Identity, and in that post I reasoned that “I’ve spent much of my life putting on masks and being someone else – to the point that it feels like very, very few people truly have a sense of the real me.”

This constant need to please, or not offend, has been draining. Several years ago when working through David Richo’s “Shadow Dance” I learned more about what drives that aspect of my personality, and how to temper it.… More...