New Beginnings – Clarity & 20-20-20
February 3rd, 2020
A New Year & A New Blog (Finally)
May this New Year 2020 bring the blessings of your true and highest self to the world. Let your beauty, creativity, truth and love bring your healing power to this world.
New Blog
This is the first blog of 2020. I’m very happy to be sending out blogs again.
It has been over six months since my last blog post. I so missed sharing creativity through this internet connection.. The blog format I was using before this one was “broken”. My website also was old and “broken”. Fortunately some very creative web designers helped bring this new blog and website online just a few weeks ago. Here are the website and blog links.
Here is my first 2020 mandala, inspired by the poem below. This is part of a longer beautiful poem titled “From Blossoms” by Li-Young Lee
(First mandala of 2020 – Inspired by this poem)
Love Mandala
I was asked to create a mandala for the February cover of The Healthy Planet, the monthly newspaper/magazine I write gardening columns for.
This recently created mandala for February speaks for what our world needs right now. We need love to grow strong and fierce. We need love to plant its seeds in others and our world. We are gardeners of this love.
(February 2020 Heart Mandala)
This year, 2020, is still “new”. We are in Lunar New Year time. It started on the first new moon of the new year- January 25th, and ends on the first full moon – Feb. 8th.
I recently visited my daughter-in-law’s sweetest kindergarten and first grade class. Here are some of their dragon puppet drawings for this year’s Lunar New Year.
(Dragon Puppet Drawings by 5 and 6 year olds)
These drawings remind me of the very large dragon at the entrance to the Missouri Botanical Garden. In 2012 and 2015 the garden was filled with magical lanterns that glowed with light at night. These lanterns are most often part of Lunar New Year celebrations.
New Year
Lunar New Year, along with January 1st, and Imbolc are all times of celebrating the beginning of possibility and much more. Next Saturday, February 8th, is the full moon and the final celebration of honoring this year’s first moon cycle, new moon to full moon.
(Full Moon Mandala – Silver Watercolor on Black Paper)
Listen & Clarity
These new times are times to go within to listen to the urges, wishes and longings of our deepest passions, truths and gifts. Really listen to their callings, and bring them forth into the world. There are many ways to listen deeply to find inner passions. Sitting quietly, meditating and journaling are a few.
There are different ways to honor these callings of our hearts. Some choose one word, or a short phrase, to inspire. The word that came to me was “CLARITY”. Of course 20-20 is clear sight. But this clarity goes beyond physical seeing. It is a call to see into the depths of who we want to be and who we are.
(Crystal is a symbol of clarity.
This one is one of several in my windows,
casting their rainbows throughout the house)
Feng Shui Bagua
I wanted to create a gathering of these passions, wishes and truths. I looked to inspirations from years past. How to make sure all parts of life were considered? The Feng Shui Bagua is a map of wholeness. It is divided into nine sections that recognize all aspects of a person’s life. These parts that make up a whole are: life journey, relationships/partner, heritage/elders, abundance, health & stability, helpful people, creativity/offspring, inner wisdom and recognition.
(Last year’s bagua)
Ephemera
I also gathered collections of ephemera (old photos, mementos, art work, poems, keepsakes). Each holds a meaning and memory. I will use these to honor each part of life represented by these feng shui nine squares.
Journal
I needed a place to gather all the thoughts and images. I found a journal I made last summer in a wonderful workshop by Santa Fe artist Edi Klinger. The journal never seemed to be a travel journal as it was going to be. It is now this year’s holder of 2020 dreams.
(Journal made of art papers and watercolors)
A few pages had some art already. They were perfect for this new year.
20-20-20
How can these wishes and passions come into being? I need more than just writing them down. I need Attention, Intention and Time. This is a recipe.
The list of what I want to manifest is long. My time (like everyone else’s) is short. I am dedicating 20 minutes to activities I am longing, and sometimes not longing, to do. 20 minutes to meditate, 20 minutes for journaling, 20 minutes to make art, 20 minutes for yoga, 20 minutes for strength workout, 20 minutes to walk, etc. etc. Of course, I can’t do them all in one day, unless it is a very good day with lots of time. But I can do 20 minutes here and there. I am as guilty as most people of losing way more than 20 minutes online, hooked on internet eye candy. Twenty minutes keeps focus. It’s not too long, but long enough. Twenty minutes can be a first step, or a completion.
20-20 Mandala
This is my 20-20 mandala (notice the # of white dots). It is a reminder of what I want and need to do, and how I can make these things happen.
May your 2020 year be filled with creativity, passion and your truths.
ENJOY & CREATE.
PS – I will be sharing the amazing creativity of my fellow mandala makers in upcoming blogs. If you have a mandala to share please contact me.
