Shake and Bake 50 – The Rambling Backroads Episode

Spent some time last night gazing up at the moon. She was drifting in and out of the clouds. Peeking through the trees.  Lovely.

Spent some time yesterday dreaming up tiny rituals…. things I could add to my days that wouldn’t be heavy or hard, but would help me mark the passing of days, weeks, moons.

There’s this, of course.  And it serves well.  Though sometimes it feels as though I forget about it as soon as I hit “publish”…. forget what my “intention” is for the coming week.  I’m working on… grounding that… holding on to the weekly intention with a daily paper chicken. Very quick.

• A morning jot that includes a few worldly “to dos”  and a restatement of my intention for the week/day…
• and a few lines in the evening.

Especially promising:

A bit of gratitude:

I am grateful for _____
I enjoyed ____
I felt satisfied when I ____

Harder to fill in but also promising:

My quote for the day – which can come from anywhere – preferably just from…. life…from an interaction with someone in the day (as opposed to a “famous” quote)

I’m on my third… rethink of these paper chickens.  I try them out 28 at a time – to give each incarnation a fair shake.  The newest one seems quite do-able as long as I keep it right beside the bed and do it first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

I’ve kept up the taking of the MOONY pictures of the studio – though I’ve missed some dates.  I like looking at them.  A still point with the world turning round it.

And here we are almost to the Autumn Equinox again.  Mabon – when things begin to go sleep.  When the dark begins to take over the light.

I find that I am drawn to… things beginning in the dark… instead of the light.

When I – oh so rarely – think of casting a circle, or even thinking of the elements…. I always begin in the North with Earth…. not in the East with air.  I begin in the dark and move towards sunrise.

North East South West. Earth Air Fire Water.

I suppose it makes sense to recognize that my “year” has always begun anew in the fall.  I thought it was connected to school and to my love of school – new books, new pencils, a fresh new start…. Now I begin to see that it might be even more than that.  Interesting, isn’t it – how long it takes me to figure things out.

I’m gearing up already for the turning of the wheel on Samhain (Oct 31st).  With thoughts of what the next year will hold.

I haven’t been QUITE conscious of it… but I see it reflected here. Take these chickens… I began last October… we are almost at 52… surprise surprise.

I hear from friends that they are on a cleaning spree this month, or they are filled with some high sense of… PURPOSE.

As for me…I find myself filled with the need to … plan, to create some sort of … year long project of some sort… and to begin it in the dark night of Halloween.

I’m not sure yet exactly what form it will take.  It is tied in with an urge to MAKE something.  Something beyond the writings.  Maybe an Art Journal… that I will fill with moon tracings and tiny rituals.  Maybe 52… somethings.  More chickens and Shake and Bakes?  Probably.  Maybe a new form for them.

Who knows.

I wonder what you are thinking on, feeling FILLED with this month.  Hmmm?

But… I blather a bit.

Let us SHAKE N BAKE!

Last Week’s Playful INTENTION…

…to dance more…

Took the form of funny little dances though out the days. Felt grand.

The Quick Chicken (The Doings that help me with the Being):

• Scribble: 7/7
• Walk: 4/7
• Yoga: 1/7
• Meditation:  2/7

…and…

• Writing Hours: 4/7  The Writing Hours this week were focused round the stories from the world of the Fifth.  I’ve been working longhand letting characters flit in and out and seeking different ways in to the Post Apocalyptic world.  A few starts. No decision made as to which start it will be… but a character has LANDED.  I like her.  I imagine we will spend next week working out her story.

THE GNARBLE:

same ole same ole – time rushing by me – low energy – blah blah blah…

THE SWEET N TASTY:

• Hands in the dirt as I put the garden to sleep.
• A new character roaming around the backroads of my mind.
• New tales from my 3day Cohorts to warm my nights.
• Happy Hour on the beach with the Raggedy Man
• A lovely dinner with new friends across the water

The Thing That Needs Baking In MOST (What WORKED):

Walking it out. A notepad in my pocket. Letting the story run.  Stopping to make notes. Coming home and getting right into it.

Next Week’s Playful INTENTION…

Keep walking and getting to know this new woman as she walks…. Gentle on my mind…

~~~~

Okay… Time to go and watch the Raggedy Man take what may well be the last “dip” of the year in the ever welcoming Kebsqasheshing.

Wishing you …a week of roaming wise.

go easy ~p

In homage to Havi’s Friday Chickens over on the The Fluent Self — This is the place I review my week – in an attempt to track some things – like progress on my novel and… living intentionally. I shake out my week and lay it out. Let the hard burn off and the good sink in. Call it an experiment in paying attention.

Comments are cherished here. Discussion is adored. If you’d rather talk in private – drop me a line.

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