November’s full moon whispers to our soul: Live slowly + keep listening

There is still magic in the air. We’re just a few days past Halloween/Samhain and the energy still feels mysterious and mystical to me.The ever-darkening days of October have plunged me deep into my soul. I slowed way down, soaking in the season like never before; and I feel like now I am to just sit here. And even as I turn the calendar page to November, I feel that that this full moon, at the beginning of the month, begs of me to keep sitting and to keep soaking.

For now… actually, from now until the winter solstice in December, it feels right to continue on that solitary, contemplative, and intentionally quiet path forward towards the end of the year. Amazingly, I have the luxury of not working this week since it is fall break (and I took 3 days off), so I can affirm that slow living is at its peak in my home. The days have been dark and stormy, I’ve been creative, nested a little, read books, napped, and taken it easy.

And, tonight/tomorrow, a full moon is rising, inspiring me to dig even deeper, focusing not only on myself and my vision for my life as I did in October; but to listen even more intently to the messages all around me and within me. The full moon begs of me to pause and to let it all flow, trusting that I will know what intentions to set for this month and for the rest of this year.

November is a dark month, literally and figuratively. The darkest one of the year. And, with that, there can come some anxiety and/or depression. Last year at this time, I was struggling. Big time. My dad had a very serious health scare, which had me traveling to the States to be with my parents for a few days, only to suddenly hop a plane back to Sweden after only 3 days because my love ended up in the hospital. And, just before that, two very important people in our life had passed away. My job was a mess and I was worn out. I tried to balance it all, and I did a fairly ok job. But, I had to take sick days, just to make sure I did not have a breakdown.

Needless to say, self-care has become a priority in my life in some pretty serious ways since then. No longer do I feel bad for living a slow life. No longer do I feel guilty for saying no or for setting aside the time that I crave, that I need, in order to sit in solitude and stillness. By slowing down + choosing to listen to my soul, I learned so much about the kind of life that I really want to live – and how to survive those unexpected, difficult moments that always creep up at one time or another.

You know, it’s not only my own personal experiences that speak to me + teach me when I reflect and listen. Coming off of the energy and vibes of Halloween and still basking in the All Saint’s Days celebrations, I am reminded to also listen to the voices of the past. My soul and my intuition encourage me to listen to my ancestors, both those that I knew before they died, and those that reach back hundreds and hundreds of years in colonial America, Scotland, England, and Scandinavia.

Perhaps this full moon + this month represent these voices from the past for me. The voices, that along with my own deep, inner voice, seek to care for me.

In thinking about that, I realize that this whole month is one in which I just might intend to focus on what it means to me to be part of a tribe, a community. A tribe and a community that are made up of people in my life today, but also the spirits of those who I call my guides.It is, actually, a season for gathering and communing as everyone begins flitting about preparing for the holidays. A time when we all begin focusing on celebrating community and family. It is a natural time to focus on the culture of community and of celebrating in our tribes.

For me, in slowing down, instead of speeding up this month, perhaps this is the perfect moment to focus on discovering + remembering what it means to be part of something, and what it is that I have to share with all of the communities in which I live: my family, my work, my city, my country, the greater world.

Throughout October, I learned to really listen to my soul. And this full moon in November is illuminating that power of listening even more. November’s full moon is whispering to me to stay here in the dark and silent place… and to listen even harder. To all that is around me. Shhhh…. The messages, the voices, the inklings, the feelings, the energy, the spirits… they are all speaking.  I have heard what is deep within me, and now I am preparing to hear what my spirit guides, what nature, what love, has to say to me too.

So that, in all I am + all I do, I bring a sense of calm, quiet, peace not only to my own life; but also to the lives of everyone I meet. This month I’ll not howl at the big, bright full moon. Instead, I’ll just stand in silence, bask in the dark night sky, gaze at her light, and listen to her whispers to my soul.

Full moon blessings, wild ones. xoxo. liz.