lion-hearted moonday

I am so slow. Finally, after six months. Four pieces came together out of the pile I've been stitching for flying dreams, my magic diaries cloth. Well, really only two stitched pieces, but a lot of thought, too much, went into those blank linens on each side. Now I find myself wanting to hang it on the wall and just look for a while -- maybe stitch something totally different -- like some hearts.

Today is a waxing moonday in the fire sign of Leo, the lion. A Leo moon pulls us outward to be with people -- we are personable, generous, and energetically strong -- but not necessarily drawn toward a work mode. Think of the qualities of a lion, how its very presence is a force enough.

Leo rules the heart and circulation. Both low and high blood pressure fall into this realm and can often be lessened by mindful living in addition to necessary medication. With high blood pressure, that might mean avoiding situations that undoubtably bring stress, walking instead of driving, cooking with medicinal foods like garlic and dandelion greens, or drinking hawthorn berry tea. Hawthorn berries are all about heart health -- they strengthen and enhance heart function, lower blood pressure, and lessen heart palpitations, among other things. In fact, hawthorn works so well, medication may need to be adjusted to a lower dose. And I just read, I think it was Dr. Oz's column, that if there's a family history of heart disease, a daily glass of wine (5 oz.) as a heart tonic may still be a good idea.

Tomorrow is the full moon -- I'll be creating some Full Moon Art and hope you'll join in with your painting, stitching, drawing, photos, etc. We'll meet up here on Wednesday and share photos and links. Last moonth's are here.

Cheers!

the pile