Practice as Love: New Moon in Virgo
cultivating devotion and reviewing what I've been practicing
I am not sure who said it first but in the lineage of somatics I walk in, we hold that we are always practicing something. It does feel true to me that regardless of my intentions, I am always in the practice of some way of being. Indeed, sometimes I practice being exasperated. At other times I practice doom scrolling. Historically, along with some more lovely and palatable practices, I have practiced urgency and hypervigilance and dissociation. True to the nature of practice, my practice has made me quite good at these ways. And yet as I grow my awareness around the practices that don’t align with who I am to be in this world and what actually matters to me, I am actively practicing new ways – not perfectly but with intention and with devotion.
Practice is devotion made manifest. Little by little, practice moves us along our path in the direction of either our intentions or our un-intentions. One step at a time, we move towards, and even become, what we practice. Through practice, we change and over the course of many changes we transform. I have the great pleasure of parenting a young violinist and while she’s not always enthusiastic, I am consistently awed to witness such a very young person devote themselves to practice and through it master complexities that my eyes and brain and fingers cannot fathom. Practice is transformational and like the monthly renewal of the new moon, practice offers us a chance to do new things (and hard things), to change, to transform, and to be in different ways.
Today’s new moon is taking place at 9:40PM ET in the part of the sky that western astrology calls Virgo. In its most elegant expression, Virgo is devotion. And on this new moon, we are being invited into a renewal of vows. To what are we devoted and around what are we in practice? As I ask myself these questions, I am reminded of the potent definition of love offered to us by our ancestor bell hooks. She defined love as "the will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth."
How then am I extending myself for the purpose of nurturing my own and others’ growth? Well, practice. Practice being the extension of myself towards my own nurturance and growth and then towards others…Practice as love. Within hooks’ definition of love, love requires us to show up — to show up on behalf of ourselves, our beloveds, our community. Love then, is the commitment that we make with ourselves and others to practice ways of being that nurture our collective well-being.
I love new moons. I feel at home inside the quiet of this phase of the lunar cycle, like I am able to connect most clearly with the felt-sense of what is real and true to me. Here I can more easily feel what I need and what I want, what I love, what I know, and where I want to go. As I feel for the energy of this new moon, I am drawn to the archetype of the Hermit. Ruled by Virgo, the Hermit is singularly devoted to their path, which is illuminated just enough for safe passage by their own guiding light. The steps they take are their own. Similarly, I’d offer that our practices must be our own.
Yes, the internet is full of really useful accounts of the various practices that have served the needs of their authors (and yes, perhaps this post is one of those). It is a beautiful and necessary thing to share what is working for us. It is important, I think, to celebrate what is grounding us into our lives and in our celebration, inspire others. And yet it is all too tempting to simply adopt practices that belong to another in an attempt to achieve what they have achieved with them. However, I’m not sure that practice always works this way, particularly not with those personal practices that have as their aim, love.
Instead, I will make the case that these practices arise out of our attunement with our own embodied knowing — from how we are able to feel ourselves and others. The practices that nourish one, may not nourish another. Likewise, for many of us, devotion to practice is only really possible if and when we feel that they have been initiated from and support who we truly are. Like the Hermit, our slow and steady practice is illuminated by the felt sense of our own authenticity. For me, somatic practice has opened this portal by bringing me back again and again into my own body and into the wisdom of my own felt sense.
At the cusp of this new moon in Virgo, I am sensing an invitation to review my practices…
How am I satisfied by my practices?
How are they extending me towards what I love and long for?
Are they supporting me in the practical ways I need them to?
Is there anything that I would like to adjust, anything new I’d like to try?
Are there practices that no longer feel supportive, aligned, or necessary?
What am I practicing unconsciously that undermines my ability to love myself and others?
Care to join me?
In addition to these questions, I might spend some time journaling and reflecting on these ones too…
What are my current practices?
Are there any new or set-aside practices that are calling to me now?
If so, how will I sense whether this practice is a true yes vs. a “should”?
How will I get started?
And after I get started, how will I cultivate devotion?
In case you’re curious…here’s some of what I’m practicing right now: morning pages, leisurely making my way through Julia Cameron’s books, standing somatic practices in the mornings (centering, rowing, and gratitude), pulling cards from my decks and taking a moment to reflect on what they’re offering as the medicine of the day, checking in with my kiddos, taking time throughout the day to center and ground to feel my feet on the floor, writing for at least 15 minutes a day, moving my body at least a little every day, visiting with and harvesting from my garden, pole dancing, twerking, clear and honest communication with my love.
Wishing you an easeful new moon. Rest well. Dream in new ways of being and then offer them your attention. I’d love to hear how this lunation feels to you. Post a comment below, send me an email or schedule some time to to chat + learn more about my work.