Enough already

Salt on a car and my reflection.

Here ye, here ye! January is actually going to end at some point. Yay!! It has been a long month for me.

In Chinese astrology, the next new moon is also new year's day. These are the waning days of the Black Water Snake year. It figures that wriggling out of the old year would require some effort, but I don't have to like it -- and I haven't liked it. I feel I've shed many skins, what with H1N1. The weather has been like a sandblaster of frigid air, blowing off the old skins whether that's what I want or not. The weather has been cruel. They say it will continue until at least until the end of the month. Oh January, what is up with you?

On January 31st, according to the Chinese calendar, we enter the year of the Green Wood Horse. In order to gallop into the new year, it's a good thing to jettison any extra baggage. In my case I had to let go of a lot. I always have more stuff than I think I do - on every level. I let go physically, emotionally (to some old assumptions) and spiritually. January has done its job, scoured me clean as a whistle. Enough already is what I'm saying. Enough!

What I'm hoping is that the remainder of the month will be less strenuous than the first three weeks of 2014. I said repeatedly at new year's this year - may it be a gentle year. I said it over and over. I was knocking on wood, I guess. The first three weeks have been anything but gentle!

May Brother Wind go back to the North Pole.
May the rains come to California.
May I gather my wits now so as to be ready for the energetic new lunar cycle.

May it be so!