Moon Lists

AUGUST

01 Palette

August has been crimson, like burning coals or the stains of summer fruits. I’ve walked with caution through most of the month, but haven’t escaped affliction. There’s been a sense of urgency to reorient and although it’s stimulating growth for me, sometimes I’ve been left with dying embers and ash.

02 Scent

The smell of my own sweat is one I’ve come to know well. I put camphor oil on in the mornings to subdue it’s odor, but moreover created an intermingling scent of salt and menthol that I now consider a personal attribute. I peel my work clothes from my body and change into old undershirts that carry this smell until the end of the day.

03 Taste

Raw kefir, coffee, chewing gum.

04 Alone Time

I’ve been working in silence more often, which pushes me further into isolation. At first my ears would start to ring, or my own thoughts would get too tumultuous, and I would have to pause. Indirectly though, taking the time to sit with whatever I’m feeling in those moments also does some much-needed self-reflection.

05 Aha

Reading the Psalms as poetry. Eugene Peterson spoke in an interview about understanding the Bible through artistic interpretation. I haven’t delved into it yet, but he nuanced all sacred texts for me, and gave me a new approach to learning them.

06 Object

A silver pair of stitch scissors, the size of my palm. On a whim, I pocketed them at work, then used them later to cut my hair over the sink.

07 Throes

Wriggling out of dissociative states. When my emotions get overwhelming, I implant into my imagination. I keep ritual and routines to organize my physical world, but recently the rhythm of these structures have allowed me to drift further than usual.
I bought clubmoss from the farmers market a few weeks ago. The dry climate we have here doesn’t seem to be stimulating growth, so I have it in my bathroom to see if that helps.

08 Culture List

On Being with Krista Tippett, The Paris Review Podcast, NPR, The Diary of Anaïs Nin.

Odds and ends