Pam Bustin
creator, editor, story tender
Shake and Bake 67: Clear Sailing?
Shake and Bakes are my quarterly check-ins (CHICKENS!). They used to be weekly – but this year they are happening in line with the moon. I use these posts to … shake out the happenings of my work and my life in general in an attempt to Shake off the bad and Bake in the good. It’s about … gratitude, paying attention and now..living by the moon.
Last Quarter – Pike Moon
Time to…
- Pause and take a look back at our progress this moonth. See how it lined up with our Intentions for this moon and whether we need to make any adjustments.
- Think on what we would like to wrap up before the dark moon.
- Begin to turn our thoughts to possible intentions for the coming new moon cycle (March 1st).
I find myself focusing on my progress on the novel again today as I think about my “progress.”
I am flying solo for a few weeks now, as The Raggedy Man is off on a sailing adventure in the Virgins Islands (LUCKY buggah). And I’m really feeling a desire to HUNKER DOWN and work.
That said… let’s get at ‘er so I can get back to work.
~~o~~
Reviewing Intentions
Θ (theta) earth – home – touch
- The grounding/structural work on Sanctuary continues. I am still working with LogicMind in Aeon Timeline with flashes of light and insight from WildMind to illuminate my way through the story.
Φ (phi) air – relationships – scent
- The last few days, I have been tracing the journeys of a few “seemingly minor” characters through the book. Looking at their relationships to the “main” characters and the main storyline as well as… an emerging storyline. It’s fascinating.
- It is as though the Mundane (as in “of this earthly world as opposed to a heavenly/spiritual/magical world) storyline really is mostly in place but the thing that was driving me to despair is that there is something else trying to break through… the Small Magics of the deeper tale…
- These strange bits have been there since the beginning – but I thought they were just… WildMind ramblings that had naught to to do with Izzy’s story.
- Well… my subconscious once again proves to bring up the juiciest bits – despite my silly limiting ideas of what I THINK I am trying to say. Heh heh.
- This may sound confusing. Sorry. It’s hard to explain. Just know that it is a good good thing. I think.
Χ (chi) fire – work – vision
- The flashes from WildMind continue to light my way. I work with the Logic… patiently tracing the lines and then I get up to get a cup of tea, or I’m walking the dog and … suddenly I see it. I run back to the scribble book to capture the insight.
- This is very good. Very very good.
Ξ (ksi) water – health – taste
- I can feel the drop in the flow of energy since the full moon. I feel it in the body and in my psyche. But I continue to work. This is key… the continuing.
Ψ (psi) quintessence – spirit – hearing/listening
- My morning Sits continue to carry me through.
- I am still struggling to get to the cushion in the evening.
- I can’t decide whether I should KEEP ON TRYING each day to go and Sit in the evening… or if I should just… be happy with an hour in the morning.
Any thoughts on this from fellow meditators?
I’d love to hear how often you sit, for how long and what technique works best for you.
~~o~~
Things to Wrap Up before the DARK moon
I would love love LOVE to finish up with this timeline work by Friday and be heading into “real” revision work by the new moon.
I know this is “real” work too – but I can now see a heap of new scenes that need writing and I’m itching to get at them.
If a scene lands in my lap – I will totally take the time to write it. But, overall, I plan to stick with what I am doing with the timeline/journeys/relationships and see it through to the end. I am finding so much… I think it is worth it… even if it feels like “drudge work” some days.
I’ll let you know how it turns out.
~~o~~
I’ve an urge to play Drift Away again for you… but let us embrace the Random instead.
Tom Russell’s fabulous song for Edith Piaf is playing right now on my Folk Roots station….It’s called Chocolate Cigarettes and it just might crack yer heart open.
I send it from me… and the Raggedy One…
Enjoy.
Thanks for popping by.
No regrets…
Go easy ~p
5 Comments on “Shake and Bake 67: Clear Sailing?”
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Pam Bustin 
I really wish I could offer some as vice on what works well for my meditation. But the truth is, I’ve never sat quietly for more than 15 minutes, and never for more than a week in a row. And I haven’t even tried to meditate in over a year, more or less accepting that I’m just not capable of that type of quiet.
I’m very impressed that you are able to devote an entire of your morning to the practice.
Hey Andrea Thanks for this. It gives me so much encouragement to hear you say that an hour is a lot. It IS. Heh heh.
I really would like to give the 2hrs per day a shot… I think i will keep at it – but NOT beat myself up too much over it. That would defeat the purpose.
Hope you are having a good weekend. Very windy here today. Snow last night.
Dreaming of SPRING.
Hi Pam, I dont know if what I say will add to your vaccilation or to your steadfastness :D. There was a time in my life when I got up at 4 am and sat for a minimum of two hours and then again at night before bed. Then there was a time that I did not meditate at all. Both periods brought wonderful insights and ‘progress’ – such a paradox because actually we are really going nowhere. Sometimes the subconscious and the unconscious is revealed in the inner world and sometimes it is reflected back in such an amazing way in the outer world – methinks that it all works in cycles and that we should listen to the cycles – which you are doing in following the moon!!! sometimes our mind and body and soul wants to sit and sometimes it wants to sit less! i am currently just going with the flow – some days I sit for hours, somedays I walk on the beach and mostly i work in the studio and marvel at the paradox of it all, – we are having a very very hot summer!!
Thank you so much for this, Hettienne.
I am copying it into my “for the dark times” file – where I keep wonderful bits of wisdom found along the path.
I feel the truth of your words right down in my gut… and it hits right at the heart of what I desire MOST – to feel that flow, the cycles… to be… well hell.. to be at peace with what I am DOING and more importantly – BEING in the world.
So much of me is still focused on the DOING. I know this. And I also “know” that, as you say, this striving for “progress” is … an illusion. In so many ways. And yet… and yet… A paradox for sure.
Oh… I am so glad that we have met. So very very glad. You are a blessing to me.
Walk well through your amazing summer.
I will blow a handful of snow your way on my walk this afternoon. To cool you and make you smile.
go easy ~p
I am smiling 🙂