I don’t know about you, but I love the opportunities that the New Moon in Pisces brings this Friday, March 4th. As astrologer Rebecca Brents says,

What the other signs call faith and intuition, Pisces calls knowledge … because it lives in a landscape of expanded reality where infinite possibilities are always available — pretty much for the asking.

Knowledge, knowing. How connected are you to the part of yourself that KNOWS? This is the time to access that part of yourself. If you started your new year’s collage under the New Moon in Capricorn, now is the time to revisit it. Are there any changes you would like to make? Any updates, after Winter’s dreaming? As for me, my collage remained on my studio desk – unfinished – for the last 2 months (ugh!) I finally rolled it up and put it away so I can complete it this Friday… in whatever form it wants to take. Rebecca Brents also says that Pisces understand that “endings are only beginnings in disguise.” Cleaning up my office, putting away of releasing unfinished projects has freed up space, not only on my desk tops, but in my mind, spirit and business. As the last sign in the Zodica (and the last new moon before we begin the cycle again with the new next Aries New Moon,) this is the time to complete the resting and dreaming cycle we have been engaged in for the last few months. Bring in the messages of the Big Dream by making art, paying attention to your dreams, relaxing, acknowledge what is, revitalizing yourself, and caring for your needs.

As for me, I am in the last week of my painting course, and have had some wonderful realizations about my artwork and the direction it wants to go. I have also had plenty of breakdowns and upsets and “wanting to give up.” And so the creative cycle continues on. If you want to read more about my process regarding the painting above, visit here. As for now, I am wondering what I want to do for my final project – whether it is to review a painting I have already worked on, or to do a new one. For now, I’m just happy to have a clean studio to work in. Have a great week!

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This week, the last in February, brings the Sun swimming into the realm of Pisces, inviting us to dive into the mystical and partner with Mystery, bringing Heaven down to Earth. We are in the last few weeks of winter, so I ask you again, what have you been dreaming about? Let me put in another way, if you went beyond your own fear, what seeds are you wanting/willing to sprout this springtime?

I just finished my third week of my five week painting class. Last week’s assignment was to choose specific colors to work with. I went through my old “design journal” (clippings of images, colors and artists that intrigue & inspire me) from my days as a website designer. Part of the reason I am taking a painting class is to push myself to figure out how I want to be painting and how I will merge my process-painting with my design/product-mind, to produce new work. This week, I chose chartreuse and deep blue as my colors and laid them down on the board. I had no idea what subject matter to paint, so I had to wait a few days for the info to arrive. When it did, I got excited. It is a bridging image for me, Heaven and Earth, Art & Magic, Process & Product. The image is both personal for me, since it’s roots are in my magic/shamanic practice, as well as evocative for me for me as a viewer…. where is she going? She seems to be diving into the Mystery, both ready and determined, fearless and willing. It makes me curious about this weeks “composition” painting. (Read more about my class here.)

This past weekend I visited the Oakland Center for Spiritual Living with a friend who attends services there. It was fun to be surrounded by people who are excited about life and feel that divinity comes from within. For me, I not only loved the music, but I appreciated that all the ministers were crones. It is such a pleasure to see crones in their full power, enjoying life and living it up. The Minister who gave the main talk shared a great zen story. A Zen Master stands in the middle of a room with  giant windows on every side. A bird flies in starts bouncing off the walls, banging into windows, frantically trying to get out. The Zen Master holds out his hand, offering love, rest and a gentle guide. What if we are that bird, bouncing off the walls, frantic to get out, exhausting ourselves, when all we have to do is stop, letting ourselves rest in the outstretched hands. This is what I mean when I talk about “laying it down on the altar” or placing yourself, those you are worried about or your big questions into the hands of the Goddess/God/Mystery/Universe. What if we stopped telling ourselves the lie that we must do it all ourselves, and instead embrace the interconnected nature of the universe. We are all dependent on one another to sustain our lives.

Meditation: Let your belly be loose… right now. Breath into your shoulders, let your forehead relax. Imagine placing that thing you have been spinning on, into the hands of the Divine Mystery, however that looks for you. Now silently ask yourself, what do I need to hear right now… and listen for a word, phrase or sense an image, symbol or color. Inhale that information as you release our worry into the loving hands of the Goddess. When you feel tightness return, just remind yourself – just for today, I let it go.

Painting: Adventure Time (or my mother-title: Calgon Take Me Away) by Heather Bleasdell, Gouache on Board, 12″ x 12″, 2011

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This week the Moon waxes through Aries, Taurus and Gemini – start, build, communicate – as the Sun continues to shine through innovative Aquarius. In Northern CA we are experiencing wonderfully mild temperatures with bright Sun, so Addie and I have been wearing our flipflops for 2 days = heavenly. I’m in week two of my online painting class, Get Your Paint On, co-taught by a favorite artist/illustrator of mine Lisa Congdon. So far it has been fun, frustrating and confronting – no surprises there. Last week our assignment was to play with color and we were given the quilts of Gee’s Bend as inspiration. We are working with acrylics in this class, so the territory is completely new for me. It felt good to experiment and I did a lot of finger painting and playing with the paint before I really started to get the hang of it. <Sheez> My Aries Sun self wants it all right now as opposed to my Tuarus Moon who hates to be rushed. It was a struggle getting this painting out. Now it’s on to the next painting, as I repeat my mantra for the sessions….”release control, release control, release control.” As you already know (if you follow this blog) my theme for the year is RELAX – releasing tightness – so this class gives me ample opportunity to do just that. (You can read more about my creative process here.)

One common theme that seems to be running through my Intuitive Consulting Sessions lately has to do with the novel idea of telling the truth about ourselves by acknowledging our limitations and setting clear boundaries for ourselves about what we can and cannot (don’t want to) do. This is a major blow to the Ego which is highly invested in our IMAGE – whether that is how we see ourselves or want others to see us. And yet, for most, the images we (ego) have imagined for ourselves are often far away from what we actually value in the present tense… keeping us from truly experiencing our lives with joy and compassion. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – to myself and to you dear reader – YOU ARE NOT MEANT TO BE SUPERWOMAN OR MAN. You are human and you are supposed to be human. Enjoy mixing it up, making a few mistakes, trying something new, being a bad or akward painter… dancer, musician or anything else you are dying to try if you’d only give yourself permission. Learn to ask for help from the unseen forces and you will experience support as you have never known. Dare to release IMAGE in favor of creating a life based on what you value… and experience SATISFACTION on a daily basis.

I’ll leave you with a wonderful question my dear friend Mary posed to me (when I was freaking out about my overwhelm – aka need to control – this past weekend.) Take a moment to answer it for yourself, either in the comments or in your journal at home: What have you been afraid to admit to yourself, in regards to your own limitations?

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The winds of change are blowing. It feels like time to let go. I’ve been holding on quite tightly. To what? I’m not really sure. I’m happy that the creative tension of Scorpio is finding some release with the Archer’s bow of Sagittarius but really… I’m unclear about the target I am aiming for, so I feel like I am waiting. (Admittedly, this always makes Aries a little uncomfortable.)

Molly Hall writes – “The two big Moon events in December are in the wildcard signs of changing perception, Sagittarius and Gemini. On top of that, Uranus makes moves to electrify these mutable moments at the New Moon (the 5th) and the Full Moon (the 21st). It’s a time to stay as mentally alert as possible, so you can be open to unexpected realizations that change everything.”

On top of this, Mercury will begin retrograding in Capricorn – Friday, Dec. 10th through Dec. 30th. If Capricorn is prominent in your chart, you will be in for a very introspective journey (as I am experiencing now.) When the communication planet is retrograding, it’s a good time to reflect, revise, reorganize, meditate and focus on the inward jounrey. It’s best to remain non-judgmental in regards to communication mishaps, tardiness and technological breakdowns during this period. Finally, avoid acting on major decisions until Mercury returns to forward motion because there is an above average chance that your mind will change before it’s all said and done. For myself, I have come to love this period in all it’s quirkiness, because it’s a great opportunity to slow down, not make quick decisions and focus on clearing the clutter.

Sunday, Dec. 12th is the official day to celebrate my favorite goddess, Our Lady of Guadalupe. My dear friend Emily K. Grieves is writing about her in a 2 part blog post. (Read Part 1: Following Faith) Her second post is this Friday, Dec. 10th blog post. Come back to read it

This week the Sun continues to shine in Sagittarius as the New Moon begins to wax through Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Personally, I feel like I am missing my artist-self because I am not crafting this year. My focus has been on family, my daughter dropping her nap, and the wonderful work of my intuitive consulting business. I feel so privileged to have these things in my life AND I miss my running, painting and crafting. This inquiry… I will attach to the Sagittarius’ Archers bow and let it fly… how to include more of this wonderful life in my daily experience…I lay it down on my altar. Have a great week!

Image: And the Wind Blows by Amy Blackwell

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With the approaching New Moon in Scorpio this Friday, “energy abounds to help us access the stuck, stagnant places that keep us from living our dreams.” (Michele Lessaird.) Coming hot of the heals of Halloween, Samhain, Days of the Dead and All Saints Day, we continue to bask in the deep, dark Scorpionic waters with the upcoming New Moon, otherwise known as Lunar Samhain and/or the Witch’s New Year! Like the snake shedding her skin, or the Phoenix rising from the ashes, the question is: What deep thing are you ready to let go of that will serve as compost for the seeds you will be planting in Spring? WHAT!!!!! That’s right. The fixed signs of Scorpio and Taurus stand on opposite sides of the Astrological wheel and are inextricable linked in the dance of creation – like Beltane and Samhain – one is about building & creating while the other is about releasing & letting go.

Within the New Moon in Scorpio theme of releasing what is stagnant, I did an Insight Collage working with the statement “where do I want to be” in Spring/May /Taurus= what do I value. (Check out InSight Collage to read about the process.) Without judging too much, I pulled images from a stack of magazines. Once I had a few, I started cutting and gluing them down without thinking too much. The New Moon Journal talked about Gathering Seed Intentions, so I was curious about how this would come forward in my collage. What I saw…

What I value most? home, connection to the divine through family fun, playing with my daughter, adventure, vacation, beauty, pregnancy, costume parties, rest, nourishment, dancing with the Mystery & my husband, sunshine.

What is stagnant and ready for release out of the chimney? old ways of making art, restrictions around how things need to be done, letting go of torturing myself and beating myself up, keeping myself small, body image fears (this was huge for me in my first pregnancy), fears around being restricted/muzzled/”tied up”, lack of freedom, ugliness, worry.

It seems as if the seed intentions I am gathering are around allowing myself to enjoy my family and life in bigger ways. The intention for my Scorpio Moon ritual this Friday will be to release my fears of restriction & worrying, especially in the area of family.

What deep work will you be doing on the New Moon in Scorpio this Friday?

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Last week I recieved an email from a reader. Monica wrote:

I have been wondering about the things that come through me when I paint, and see it as a psychic ability, or way of communicating with the higher realms that language can’t really touch… I have looked at older paintings and understood messages that I had never realized at the time of painting them. This got me wondering if maybe paintings store vibrations, and if so, perhaps that is what viewers feel when they spend time with art – - the vibration that was stored there by the painter…. Anyway, I want to make art so the world can be a better place, and it seems like you do as well, so I thought I’d shoot you this message and see what your thoughts were on the matter.

That’s a great inquiry. I don’t know what the “official answer” is regarding communicating with the higher realms, but from my personal perspective – Magic happens when we invite the Mystery to play in our art. There is a Creative Flow of energy that is available to everyone. It runs through everything. You simply have to grab your paint brushes and paddle out – Catch the Wave! When we let go and allow our brushes to move, responding in the moment, the most amazing things can happen. For me, it’s not just about what is happening on the paper. It’s about what is happening on the inside as well. That’s the juiciest part for me. Art is interactive. It is a conversation. It needs you as much as you need it. Sometimes it’s a quick conversation, and sometimes it lasts a lifetime.

Every painting tells a story (a picture is worth a thousand words) but it is important to remember that the story is fluid, always changing, ebbing and flowing,  just like yourself. Never get stuck in the story that you tell about your painting, or yourself or your life. The next wave a creativity is at your finger tips, ready to take you on a new adventure.

With regards to vibrations being stored in paintings, everything is made of energy, so everything has a vibration. However, “how alive” it is has a lot ot do with the viewer. Again, it’s a conversation, a relationship, an energy exchange. Images hold power. They speak to the very deepest parts of our souls. Look around you right now. What images are you surrounded with? Are they present tense? Do they speak of who you are today and the future you are stepping into OR are they connected to the past and represent things that may not be in alignement with who you are today? Do you love the images that surround you or do you feel indifferent? Like I said, images hold power. It’s important to keep things fresh and alive in your space, to keep energy moving and the vibration high.

Finally, do I make art to make the world a better place? I think I make art to make MYSELF a better person. Honestly, I am happier person when I am painting. In fact, I am a ridiculously happier person (and proud of myself too.) That’s my definition of creating a happy person – doing the things you love that ALSO make you feel good about yourself. I feel that when I am happy, those around me are happier, and so on and so forth – achieving a happy person tipping point. And, if people also love my artwork… and it makes them feel happy when they look at it, that’s icing on the cake!

Thanks for the great email and for making the world a better place Monica. All any of us can do, is do our part. What makes YOU, dear reader, happy and can you do a little bit of that this week? Please share in the comments if you feel inspired.

More: Read about my art studio and philosophy at the Petaluma Art House.

Image: Resting Garden by Betsy Watson. I just bought it from her Etsy store and it’s making me very happy.

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First, I have to laugh. I painted this crazy image the other afternoon in my studio. My intention was simply to “move energy” because let’s face it, I am not painting as much as I’d like to be.  I started by taping 2 pieces of paper together and pinning it up to the wall. Than I picked up my “naughty brush”  - it’s big and sexy – dipped it into the color that most attracted me… and voila, I was painting. (I’ll introduce you to the naughty brush sometime in the future. Every brush has a story to tell!) In any case, it all starts by moving paint around the paper, right? The image went through many phases – and my mind loved getting attached to each one-  but I kept moving. The image above is as far as I got before my daughter woke up from her nap. So now, as I’m looking at it with fresh eyes, I am SEEING all to clearly. So let’s play the Seems Like game.

It seems like I have a lot of ideas flying out of my head. It seems like these ideas are are taking the form of eggs, which for me is a symbol of fertility. It seems like I have a fire burnin inside, cooking up one of my ideas/eggs. The best part to me, it seems like I am trying to squeeze the idea out of the egg – intently studying it – as if focus alone could “crack the code” of creativity and fertility. Now that means something to me! I’ve been “trying hard” lately, so from this tiny exercise, I’m taking a simple step. Perhaps it’s time to stop pushing and enjoy the eggs I got cooking.

So what does this have to do with Magic? Magic is when you invite the Mystery play in your art. Simple as that. What are you telling yourself as you let the Mystery into your work? What will you be inviting the Mystery to play in this week?

Leave a comment, if you feel inspired. I love hearing from you. If you want to find out more about painting with me, check out the Petaluma Art House.

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With the Fall Equinox and the Sun entering the sign of Libra, we find ourselves in Balancing-mode. Here we work with the themes of harmony, partnership, romance, teamwork, negotiating, pairings, give and take and of course, healing co-dependency. You may be experiencing some Re-View in your intimate relationships. It’s not only time to tell the truth, it’s safe to listen. It is here that we stand eye-to-eye with The Other & recognize everyone as a teacher. Loving someone for who they are in the present-tense, rather than who you thing they should be goes a long way in healing old wounds (for both parties!) Ruled by Venus, Goddess of Love & Beauty, we are called to come into relationship with what we love, to have a dialogue with it, to express ourselves as one important part of a greater Mystery.

Above is the InSight Collage I did working with the Themes of Libra. Obviously, I am not trying to express the themes themselves. My intention is to take a “snap shot” of the energy I am working with in relationship to those themes. It’s one way of gathering more information about what is going on in my life (from a symbolic viewpoint) and offers clues on next steps. The idea is to find new ways to read our own energy field and align ourselves with the energy available to us right now. As you will hear me ask over and over again – what wants to happen? You can inquiry further by asking, where is the flow? What needs a push or where do I need to take my foot off the gas? Is there anything (belief, habit, relationship) that wants/needs to be retired? Where I am in need and available for coaching?

Today as I look at my collage, I use the it seems like exercise to investigate. It seems like…. there is barely any movement, but lots of beauty. It seems like there is “watching” happening all over the collage. It seems like the words express the idea that there is still information being gathered – soon I will KnOw, but not now, or when I know it will be a KO – knock Out. The work uses artwork from 4 favorite artists of mine…. so it seems like I am acknowleding the artist in me, and considering letting myself be seen. It seems it is a fertile & diverse landscape filled with children, the Goddess, nature, animals (predetor & prey.) There are 6 ballons – Libra is an air sign, air is in the balloons and associated with the East, ideas, intellect, new beginnings – seems like I am about to release some ideas into the world, let me dreams fly! In astrology, the sixth house is the house of work. Six is also the Lover’s card in the Tarot  and is about relationships and working with groups of people. I think you get the picture. I will continue to “it seems like” until the new moon, when I will write down my new moon wishes on the back of the collage and set it on my altar – GO GODDESS GO! It’s always a good time to lay it down!

What are you wanting to come into relationship with on this New Moon in Libra?

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As you may already know, I have a two-year-old (almost three-year-old) daughter, who is the apple of my eye, as my dad liked to say about us. She was born shortly after the first anniversary of my father’s death. At that time, having a breast-feeding fiend for a newborn (see pic below), grieving my dad and living in a remote cabin in the woods made me feel very isolated… as beautifully heart-opening & important as those things were. Eventually, there was movement and things changed. I moved into town and my baby stopped her Marathon-nursing sessions. As for the grief, it’s a curtain that slowly lifts over time. There are periods in everyone’s life that are filled with HUGE changes, and those changes can be challenging to digest. Now, almost 4 years after my dad’s death I am starting to feel light again, more like myself, only different. Grief, like having a baby, throws you into the DEEP END of the pool. You are forced to either learn to float or learn to swim, but thrashing about simple isn’t sustainable. In my case, I floated for a while. Then, eventually, I took a few strokes. Now I feel ready to swim again or even race! Or perhaps I may even step out of the pool I’ve created for myself, to discover something new. Who knows! The main thing I have become aware of is this – I am ready to work more. I am ready to expand my experience.

So what does that mean for a mommy? You guessed it, I need more childcare – UGH. Taking time away from my daughter (even if I want to and know I need too) brings up a lot of shit. Just the thought of more childcare floods me with guilt & self-judgment  = “It’s selfish to want to work - a good mother would choose to spend every moment with her child!” It’s silly, I know. If I could think away that lie, I would. But I have to do the magical work. I have to ask for help from the Invisible Forces by laying that lie down on my altar. As I express what I am ready for (expansion) I am instantly confronted with what is interferring with my growth (the lie) and in that, I find the work = redefining what a “Good Mother” is for me and releasing the old, mostly-unconsious rules that I have discovered in the process of being a mother.

As I once said to my husband -“Everyone talks about raising the bar… but what I need to do most, is lower it.” He looked shocked and slightly alarmed, but the gist of it was – I’m too hard on myself. We all are.

So this week, we started something new – two fullish days at school. Addie got to “take her nap at school and continue to play with her friends in the afternoon” because she is not only ready, she is a Big Girl now. As I’m sure you can imagine, she had a great day at school and barely acknowledged me when I picked her up because she was “busy making lunch” in the sandbox. As for Mommy? Besides worrying & being sad about her daughter growing up too fast, MOMMY got to work all day and go to the store alone, without rushing – whoa. I think it is safe to say that there are now two “Big Girls” living in the Bleasdell home.

In what area are you ready to EXPAND? What rules, beliefs or lies arise when you think of expanding in the area? Would you be willing to take a risk, even a safe one, just to “test the waters”? If you are ready, dive into the deep end and leave a comment.

Photos: (top) Except from Art & Magic Journal (bottom) Addie, my “marathon-nurser” @ 3 months – yes, she was a giant baby, photo by Debbie Baxter

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The Full Harvest Moon in Aries was a biggy. My husband and I spent yesterday moving forward on a project that has been dogging me for two years – painting the living room.

When I was a renter, I always painted before moving in. I also repainted whenever I got bored of the color palette I was inhabiting. But since we are lucky enough to own our own home now, I want everything to be “just right” because I will be living here “forever”. Therefore I have to think about my choices for a very long time. The more I wait, the more helpless and stuck I become. Does that sound familiar? Anyone else addicted to the ugly habit of over-thinking? The Aries Full Moon asks – will you be bold and take a chance, initiate that change, and if you have to… light a fire under your ass to finally make a move?

I’m trying to employ the things I learned in Creative Thursday‘s Committing to Your Creativity class… namely, the willingness to start. An Aries moon offers this in spades – a burst of energy to get something started. It reminds me of something I tell my clients all the time – just do “that thing” that you’ve been thinking about and it will lead you to the next step. You can’t think your way through life, you have to live it! Creating movement in one area, will naturally free up other parts of your life. Painting the living room filled me with renewed energy and excitement for all sorts of other house projects I was stalled on. Now, I can’t wait to decorate!

So, as I sat with my husband under the full moon light, I released into the bonfire my self-doubt and need-to-know before I start AND affirmed that I am ready to experience success on a whole new level, in every area. Now, the key will be to keep breathing as I expand my container. The mantra:

It feels good to stretch.

In what area are YOU ready to stir the pot, create some movement, take a risk? Please leave a comment if you feel inspired.

Photo: Full Moon in Aries InSight Collage by Heather Bleasdell 2010

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