​I know you are reading this and there would be some of you out there saying how the hell is the moon a foundation. Not only is it huge but it totally is a love as well... let's talk about this. 

I love astrology but I am a complete utter novice and I wish to be a superstar on this subject, do courses, talk to experts and read a tonne of books but until I get to that I will have to love what I know. 

As a soldier during field exercises I would love when it was a big fat full moon because I have shit night vision and I could not see and the bigger the moon was the better I could move around at night.  I know I have ended up in other peoples sleeping areas honestly because I got lost but this is not why I love the moon so much as a soldier. 

I don't think I even need to talk about when I was a sailor and the magic of standing on the deck and seeing a moon. It felt like being under a spell. 

Nowadays when it comes to following the moon for me I know each phase means something different is happening for me, it helps me understand what I am feeling and thinking. We all know the full moon and celebration but what about new moon and resetting. I love to know where she is and what phase she is in. I make sense of what is going on for me and how I can work with her by looking at the phase so I know whether to reset or breathe or take action.

 I have some wonderful artistic cards from Moonlogy that I place on my desk and it is that little visual reminder of the phases just like if you were looking at a calender to remind you what day it is. 

With the full moon I light a fire and I write down everything that has bothered me, no one gets to see if but I rip it up and I put it in the fire, I farewell it, it is gone and I don’t have to hold onto it any longer nor carry it around this is the most freeing thing that I have started to practice because I honestly feel if things go wrong for me to come full moon that shit is going to burn. After my fire, I take the ashes and I sprinkle them around my garden, my yard is so grounding and I feel like whatever the concerns were have disappeared and we are all being grounded together – clean slate-style feeling good and centred.  I know the Full moon is a celebration and you don't need to be a moon lover to do this, many places have full moon parties during this phase. My animals are always a little crazy and honestly, so are we - lunar (lunatic). 

Come new moon this is similar in my full moon where I  go into manifesting basically I am asking the new moon as it is new beginnings for all the things that I desire and want to create in this next phase. It is writing out and visualising having those things and this is wonderful for me as I get a fresh manifest list each month. Even if I think about something during the moon cycle I know new moon time I can just ask for it. I have managed to manifest some amazing things into my life just from this practice alone 

Now I know that new and full moon are not a daily foundation but it is knowing where the moon is at and what are good days and bad days – I guess I am talking about the energy that it is creating and from that I can plan out my months, when to have that meeting, when to have a rest day and I work with the moon to carve out my diary and work with it instead of against it. I seek help from professionals whilst having a learner plate on. One of my favourites is Soulshine Astrology. I really connect with all that is put out by her and I do get a lot of my information from her as well. 

This being my most enjoyable foundation I even hosted a dream dinner under a full moon this year for my circle. It was amazing. So worth celebrating. 

​It is a day of total ‘go mode’ and it feels rushed with so many things on and trying to get them all done – it feels too busy and you would much rather be productive than this crazy mode. It is a day that I skipped meditation as I needed to get a jump on the day and start my tasks early. In my head, I am justifying missing this as I am in such a good place and I don’t need to stress about missing a practice.  When I start the day I feel like I have got this and I am ok juggling all these ‘to-do’ tasks.  The day moves forward and task after task, I have forgotten to use the bathroom or even drink water as I have been fast-paced all day and then it hits me. SLOW THE FUCK DOWN! Nothing is so important that you need to forget looking after you. 

There have been stages where I need to do shit and get it done but that has been when I have been deployed overseas or on a major Army Exercise and required to work 10-12 hour days, I can get shit done when I need to. My every day is not that time and I have to step away from the conditioning of this. I have done this 'go mode' so many times and week after week, until Friday hits and well I am lying on the lounge with 2-3 wine bottles drunk and the wheel of camembert gone and I can’t cook dinner because I am emotionally exhausted as I have given all of me all week.  

Some of you might be thinking, that is what the weekend is for – how Friday is wine o'clock and how that is the unwind time. It is not for me, I am seeking vitality in every day, joy in every day that is my goal, I am forever working on it. 

For me when I recognised that I was being busy the magic was acknowledging and slowing down.  Wow, this is a lesson, not to jump into that mode but to step back and have a look at it from every angle then with ease and grace focus on one task, like when I'm typing now I feel the keys under my fingers watching the letters appear on the screen and I am enjoying just being creative. I am mindful at the moment, I guess it is like a bit of a bubble. This is slowing down for me and I realised that this was something that I needed in my every day, it is a practice I wanted to work on and ensure that I kept. I was getting more work done if I was more mindful in my tasks. I also needed to be mindful in my breaks as well. This magic made me feel restful, more vitality and enjoying all the smaller things just like typing now. I created my list and I could focus on one thing at a time. I became calmer. 

I met this lady called Lisa Wescott who is another friend in my circle and she introduced me to tea! I am a coffee drinker and was not keen on tea at all, as coffee is all about to go go go! My only introduction to tea was a Lipton bag in a mug with milk (yuck) - give me coffee any day. When I met Lisa I was mesmerised in her tea telling stories, the world stopped as she explained about what the tea reminded her off ( a memory from her past) where the leaves came from, what they felt like, how to seep and prepare each different type of tea. I would love how she could recommend food to pair with particular teas (she also loves to bake). It felt like meditation in itself. I was so so lost in that story with her and her tea was exceptional. 

For me making a pot of tea took time, we all know how to do things quickly but do we know how to slow it down? To make coffee it is one press of my machine and bam it's instantly done for me! That is this day and age. But choosing a tea, using a teapot, selecting a beautiful teacup, seeping, waiting, pouring and then sitting and enjoying the tea was this magical mindful act. Is this meditation in itself? 

I had previously worn my ‘busy’ badge like it was a medal that I wear on my Army uniform. I realise how crazy this is as I cringe when I hear the words “I am so busy”. I want to hear how people are making time for themselves, the no crashing on Friday evening but the enjoyment of life. 

This practice has become one of my foundations, being mindful is an art form and something to practice every day. I find from tea making and focusing on one thing at a time when someone comes to talk to me they have my full attention when my daughter needs a hug then I get lost in that moment and when David captures me for a kiss in the kitchen I kiss just that bit longer. Being mindful and practising with tea has helped me slow everything down. 

Who is up for a cup of tea?