Meditation Wednesday is a monthly series, where we’ll write a meditation piece for you to practice on your own. It will focus on writing, creating and imagining whatever theme we’re tackling for the month. 

It’s a new moon. A new moon in Scorpio. The sign that embodies darkness and deepness and those pesky feelings we’ve dug deep on our own. To have a new moon in this sign is to reveal to the world, and most importantly to ourselves, our most deepest and innermost desires. To have the courage to describe that. Give it meaning through our words and thinking. With a new moon in this sign, the goal is to fully go after what we want. The short-story awards. The finished play. The finished novel. The story competition. The writing groups. Define it all. Is that Mercury, which is currently in Sagittarius, helping you see the big picture? Good.

CHECK IT: USING MERCURY RETROGRADE TO WRITE

So what does it mean to be grateful for all we have and are, and how can we apply that to our writing? If you’re anything like me, often times you find yourself writing lists of things you’re grateful for, because that’s what most wellness guru or coach told us works best; what will lead us to everlasting joy and happiness. You’ll be healthier, they say. You can even become a rich bitch, they say. And to some extent, they’re right. Research does show there are tons of benefits to writing out gratitude lists.

But writing out, especially for writers, needs to have a little more reasoning behind it.  Writers aren’t the type to just write for the sake of writing. Even our crappiest of work has some emotional relationship to what we’re putting down. But mindless gratitude writing, to write for the sake of listing a few items, could get boring and frustrating fast.

This is where this meditation comes in.

NOW THIS: 3 WAYS TO FLIP THE SCRIPT ON YOUR NEGATIVE THINKING

It’s important to give yourself the time and space to get to that grateful area. Also, give yourself the art of simplicity. Because quite honestly, there will be days when it’s going to take a lot of effort to land it.

Before writing our your lists, it’s best to get in the mindset of gratitude. What are the things that make you smile and bring you true joy? Your children, your writing, heck – even a meme works.

I take deep breaths.
I inhale and exhale.
Listen intently to the sound
Of my breath
Inhale
Exhale
Inhale
Exhale
Inhale
Exhale
I am grateful. Thank you.
For this inhale
Thank you
For my exhale
Thank you
For this space.
To breathe
I take deep breaths
Thank you

The Astrology Behind the Meditation

Also, Venus is going direct in a few days with Mercury going retrograde right at the heels of it. Mercury will dip into Scorpio towards the end of the retrograde period for a few days, while Venus will follow quickly after. The two will be on opposite end of the sign for a few days, before Mercury goes back direct. They’ll meet again in Sagittarius towards the end of December.

When Venus and Mercury come together, it’s an opportunity for us to really think about and materialize, in a sense, the beauty that makes our days. To put words and emphasis and magic to our existence and art.

So be grateful. Write your daily lists. And when you don’t quite feel like it, repeat this mantra to remind yourself of the simple act your body is already doing. Simple, but very big and important.