- Image: “Midnight Flower” by Gary Rosenberg
Embracing ‘Don’t Know Mind’
By
Sarah Varcas
Since October 2014 New Moons have been occurring in the first degree of their zodiac sign, within hours of the Sun arriving there for its month long stay. This month’s New Moon in Aquarius (1:15 pm GMT) is the final one in this pattern for the time being. New Moons which occur in this degree carry strong energies of initiation and new beginnings. They anchor the Sun’s energy in the new sign quickly and efficiently enabling us to create more readily and imbue our creations with the essence of new birth and long-term endurance all at once. Today’s New Moon reminds us of the lasting nature of our creations and the importance of ensuring that they are born of wisdom and awareness, not reactivity and heedless becoming.
In Aquarius this Moon is ruled by Uranus who is currently conjunct the Moon’s South Node, reminding us that we each have a unique contribution to make in life and that it is in embracing our own hallmark that we can begin to live both more simply and fully, without the twists and turns, inveiglements and obfuscations necessary when we are trying to conceal or avoid who we are in favour of a better ‘version’ of ourselves that we would prefer to market to the outside world! Against this backdrop, the New Moon offers the opportunity to drop something that is misaligned with our true nature in order to plant the seeds of something which is. In Aquarius it is most likely a thought or belief which needs to be let go, and a space opened up in the mind which can accommodate some fresh air and new perspectives. In creating this space we can invite in what may be best described as the ‘don’t know’ mind: that state of awareness which is happy to be clueless, not seeking answers or certainty but simply content to see what happens next and take things from there.
It’s not a mind state which is given a great deal of respect in our day and age. No one gets awards for not knowing! Knowledge is power and in a world where the exercise of power is the be all and end all of so much, who on earth would choose to simply not know and leave it at that?! And yet it is from this state of apparent ignorance that something truly fresh and new can emerge, for we are no longer unwittingly creating from old scripts and templates but instead allowing the very essence of the present moment shape its own future through us. We are creating from a place of wisdom – not our personal knowing but the wisdom of the cosmos inherent in the unified energy field which animates all things. All knowledge, all wisdom, all presence abides within this energy. Just as the position of the planets held in place by this very energy, contains codified information applicable to human life, so the flow of this energy through our bodies, minds, hearts and spirits can be interpreted into wise action born of patient reflection, trust in the heart and recognition of the greater force at work in our lives. When aligned with, this force creates in such a way that those very creations become an on-going source of life and energy.
This is the type of creation this New Moon wants to seed: not rigid intransigent structures formed of anxiety or fear, concern for an imaginary future or regret over a now gone past, but a moment of fresh possibility in which we can see ourselves differently, drop the burdens we have carried this far and face a fresh canvas the likes of which we’ve not gazed upon before. This is the ‘don’t know mind’. The space which arises when we are willing to be completely ignorant of what could or should happen next, completely free of expectation or desire, and simply present in the moment awaiting wisdom to arise in whatever form it must. If we can enter into just this kind of space at this New Moon the cosmos will support our courage and innovation with insights not readily available in the midst of a busy and questioning mind.
So how do we still the mind to allow this space to arise? There are many ways and different things work for different people. Some use meditation to enter a quietened state. Some find music helps reduce the tendency to chase the mind’s creations. Others find a walk in nature enables a shift to occur. For some loud noise and activity can do it: a nightclub may not seem like the most contemplative place, but guaranteed there will be some people on the dance floor in a state of ‘don’t know mind’, totally in the moment and alert to its nuances. We each have our own path to this state of grace in which life itself can paint the next canvas free of our opinion on which colours and shapes should be applied. Whatever brings us home to ourselves, settled in the now and free of longing for this moment to be different, doing more of it is never a bad thing! At this New Moon especially, we are encouraged to make it our top priority, even if just for a few minutes. It doesn’t have to be at the exact time of the New Moon for her energies are with us a day or so either side of her darkness. But the more of us who can honour this Moon with an embodiment of ‘don’t know’ rather than ‘got to know it all’ mind, the greater the pause in collective ‘mind control’ (that is, being controlled by the mind!) and the fresher and more creative the space which arises in the unified field of consciousness.
The seeds we plant at this New Moon are important ones, for they augur the beginning of something long lasting and powerful. That’s why we need to make sure we plant the right ones and tend them well, not allowing old habits to shape future paths but instead let go into the unknown and welcome whatever we discover there.
Sarah Varcas
