Hello Good Friends,
It’s late summer and I can feel the seasonal shift. Here in the northern states the Earth is darkening earlier and staying dark later, its cooler too. The humidity has dropped and the insects have grown quieter in my central ohio village. The tomatoes, peaches, corn, and zucchini are in abundance, the pawpaws are ripening and chicken-of-the-woods are blazing orange on fallen logs. We even found some huitlacoche!
What seasonal shifts are happening where you are?
What are you harvesting?
Part of what I appreciate about the hellenistic and modern astrological systems is that they are tuned into these subtle seasonal shifts that happen monthly. As they track the apparent movement of the Sun as seen from Earth.
As earth-dwellers our lives are dependent on the Sun, and as the Sun appears to move through the sky—changing its range throughout the year (at least for those of us who live at a distance from the equator). We feel it, the plants and animals feel it. Even as our modern lives tick-on—we experience the seasons in quite significant ways.
The change from summer to late summer is one I have always felt the strongest. The long days, hot sun, increased opportunities for connection, travel and creative expression which in the heart of summer feel like they will never end (oh the magical thinking, generosity and wonders of fixed fire, leo). Finally give way to the grace of the setting sun, lingering shadows, ripening fruits and dryer days of late summer, with its back-to-school reminders (that I feel even though its been almost twenty years since I personally followed the academic rhythms).
I find my inner hermit tugging at the heart—inviting me to conserve, prioritize, remember what is essential. Though the light of the sun is falling lower on the horizon, the light of the heart is awake. This is the time of year assigned to virgo, mutable earth, the virgin, the hermit, the cultivator, the servant, the healer, the practical witch.
A body exposed to the golden wind! —Zen Teacher Yunmen.
Do you feel the seasons shift in your body too?
My local sangha, Mud Lotus, invited virgo season in with a vocal toning practice this past Friday on the new moon. Vocal toning is a practice of letting voice, body, breath and awareness join together with the soundscape of other voices, bodies and breath.
Folks who participated shared about the seeming magic of releasing their bodies and minds to sound and were surprised at the soundscapes that emerged with rich and layered emotional textures, as our bodies released, opened, shuttered and at times felt stuck. Others noted how their thoughts asked: how does my voice fit here? before releasing into the collective breath where each tone, each voice, each body, each block has a place.
The practice of toning has always been a part of my spiritual practice, and it feels good to be continuing that practice with local community here.
Our Monday night online sangha is continuing with the Summer Read of The Hidden Lamp, as we move into this late summer time.
This week as the dark moon started to reveal her growing crescent light. We read Nyozen’s Pale Moon of Dawn.
The nun Nyozen of Tokeiji used to meditate on the enlightenment poem of Chiyono as her theme for realization:
With this and that I tried to keep the bucket together,
And then the bottom fell out.
Where water does not collect
The moon does not dwell.
Later, Nyozen grasped the essence of Zen, and she presented this poem to her teacher:
The bottom fell out of the bucket
Of that woman of humble birth
The pale moon of dawn
Is caught in the rain puddles.
While the full moon in Zen is an image of our true nature. We asked, what about the dark moon? Which often represents—endings and new beginnings—the unknown, the mystery of death and birth.
How do we stay connected to the moon when we can not see them?
How do we stay connected to the path of awakening when it seems to be happening in the dark of our unconscious, when it seems like we aren’t making any progress, when we don’t know what is going on?
The poems are written by two women who have never met. Nyozen meditated on Chiyono’s poem as a koan. This is part of the mystery of transmission in the Zen tradition. We hear the words and stories of our ancestors, and at times we feel invited, called to spend time with a line, a story, a poem—and as we do—the line, story or poem begins working on us.
We internalize it. We start to embody it as a living question, a living teaching. Much of this work happens in the dark. We seem to forget about it. We lose some of the words. But slowly over time or sometimes all at once—something is revealed. We know something about who we are, what is reliable, what is present even as the seasons pass and we get older.
Crescent Moon Transmission
Crescent Moon hanging low
On the horizon
An ancient horn
Playing through our bodies
For a moment
Join your voice with
The moon’s song
And hear each being sing you awake!
Listen to the dharma talk recording for a more in-depth exploration of Nyozen’s Pale Moon of Dawn. And join us on Monday Night for the next case in the Hidden Lamp, Case 34: The Zen Mirror of Tokeiji with commentary from Zenju Earthlyn Manuel.
I invite you to spend some time with the moon or one of these poems. Feel free to share your own Moon Transmissions or reflections here.
I’m Amy Kisei. I am a Zen Buddhist Teacher, Spiritual Counselor, Astrologer and Artist. I offer 1:1 Spiritual Counseling sessions using IFS and Hakomi (somatic mindfulness). I also offer astrology readings. Check out my website to learn more. I currently live in Columbus, OH and am a supporting teacher for the Mud Lotus Sangha.
Interested in an astrology reading for eclipse season? or for the rest of the year? I have openings for Sept and into the Fall.
Weekly Online Meditation Event
Monday Night Dharma — 6P PT / 9P ET Join weekly for drop-in meditation and dharma talk. This is where the Summer Read is happening if you want to join the discussion and practice live. Schedule here.
This coming week we will be exploring case 25 & case 33 (Nyozen’s Pale Moon of Dawn and Bodhidharma’s flesh)
Feel free to join anytime. Event lasts about 1.5 hours. ZOOM LINK
In-Person in Columbus, Ohio through Mud Lotus Sangha
Weekly Meditations on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Retreats, Meditation instruction and other events can be found on our website.
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