Moon time on Lihou
We’ve just had an amazing time on Lihou island with a mix of family and friends. It wasn’t planned to be this way, we were just lucky with the dates, and the extra night offered to us due to a cancellation, which found us able to watch sun set and then turn around and see the moon literally rise the other way, our first night, and then another sun set and moon rise, a little later, the next night.
The weather was sublime, a much welcomed north easterly wind keeping things cooler than they might otherwise have been, and lots of walking the land, swimming in the sea and the Venus Pool (what a treat to have this all to ourselves) and opportunity to connect with the island and its magic at night too.
Needless to say after two nights of slowing down and connecting with nature on this deep level, following the ebb and flow of the tides, the movement of the sun and the moon in the sky, the chatter of the birds, the rush of the wind and the general back to basics experience with children able to be free, wild and feral, returning to Guernsey was its usual challenging self, and I’m pretty sure others would have also like to stay for longer, but alas Lihou is a popular place to holiday.
I was back here in time for the full moon itself, an Aquarius super full moon, the last super moon of the year and it was stunning, a bright orange glow as it rose, but I have to admit to being too tired to stay up too late with it this month, albeit I did manage a moonlit walk, always good for reducing pitta in the body, so a bonus in the middle of a heat wave when our pitta is especially challenged!
The full moon brought clarity with it about the direction that life might now flow, of where there has been imbalance and how one might balance that out. It’s all about the balance though, isn’t it, I was talking to a friend about that yesterday, how we find our way, how our hormones and menstrual cycle can help us to become more aware of imbalance in our lives and do something about it if necessary.
I have found it really fascinating observing the changes in my menstrual cycle this last 11 months since Marie died and my life took on an unravelling, with copious changes, some rather significant ones too, since then, and how the premenstrual symptoms have eased as my life has taken on greater authenticity and alignment to my truth - how those symptoms were merely highlighting my frustration at life being so misaligned in the first place.
It’s on an ongoing awareness. and while life has taken on a more gentle flow, of a settling into this new way of being, of a lifestyle that supports our eldest’s need for home education, while earning money to support a growing family, and a longest son who has manic energy levels at times, and an attempt at consciously uncoupling whilst co-habiting and co-parenting, well it’s as moment by moment experience and one that might find me in moments of despair seeking solace on my mat and at other times marvelling at the wonder of all of this and how we have the capacity to find this way, differently and lovingly, reminding me that there is always a way and until we know that way, we just have to hang on in there and keep listening.
What has become apparent is the relentless nature of the summer holidays and especially with the weather being so amazing that every day brings with it beach and sea swimming adventures, and the most challenging aspect of that, is the constant taking on and off the blasted wetsuits! An amazing investment fo our boys this year as they delight in the sea but my gosh, I am looking forward to a break from the putting on and off of these tricky things! Still, high tides at Fort Grey or dawn at Vazon have just been utterly amazing and I am eternally grateful to live on Guernsey, even if it does feel so stupidly busy at times.
I’m slowing things right down (she says) these next few weeks the summer. We’re off to Jersey anyway and hopefully have more opportunities for back to basics land experience, looking forward to that, and more memories made while this glorious weather lasts, before the turning of the wheel and another cycle begins, but for now I am contented to just flow with things. The blackberries are already here and we really could do with a big dollop of rain, the land is dry, dry, dry and all my plants are dying back already, but this too reminds us to take better care, and the rain will come, so let us rejoice in the sun for now. On that note, it’s time for a high tide swim!
Happy summer holidays!
Love Emma