Full Flower Moon
BRIGHT BLESSINGS OF the FULL moon to you
MAY 12, 2025
An Onslaught of Beauty
The full moon in May is the Flower Moon. What could be more appropriate? We’re deep into spring, and nature is bursting forth. Two weeks ago, for the dark moon, we talked about holding the complexity of feeling fearful and worried along with acknowledging the real beauty that is present in our lives. And tonight we’re going to lean even more heavily into a practice of embracing beauty and seeing what it has to offer us.
What would it mean for us to pause and become fully present to the beauty that is before us? Our practice for this moon will be looking at the beauty in nature. But I encourage you to embrace this practice as a gateway into noticing, appreciating, and bowing to the other sources of beauty in your life: in yourself, in the people around you, in your work, your play, in what feels easy and also what feels hard.
So we’ll meditate on beauty and engage our senses by getting to know one single flower.
Gaze at a Flower
Get yourself a flower. This could be a flower you already have in your home or yard. You might go for a walk to visit with it, or you could purchase one at a store.
Sit with this flower for awhile. Give yourself time. If sitting still and quietly noticing is as difficult for you as it can be for me, I recommend setting a timer and then setting your phone away until the timer goes off. Do this for a minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes - whatever works for you, but be intentionally focused for the allotted time.
As you really look at it, what do you see? What details emerge? How many different shades of each color are present? How many layers of petals does it have? What variation do you notice in all its shapes?
Now start to engage your other senses. Touch it gently. Feel all its different textures. Smell it. I’m not going to tell you to taste it, but you’re an adult and can make your own decisions in that regard.
Do you know what kind of flower it is? You may choose to do some research - what’s her name? Where does she come from? What foods and weather does she like? Who are her friends?
Spend some time sketching, drawing, or painting this flower. Get to know it more intimately as you imperfectly try to capture its perfection. Do any new or deeper noticings emerge as you draw?
Reflect & Share
After engaging in this practice, spend some time reflecting on the experience. As always, I encourage you to not only reflect within yourself, but to take this opportunity to nurture your relationships by sharing with others.
What was this experience like for you, to set aside other activities and distractions and get to know a flower?
What beauty do you bring into the world?
Who is someone who brings beauty into your life? Are you willing to tell them that?
Is any other practice you want to try for the rest of this spring, to help foster more noticing and attentiveness to your environment?
Join me
Want to go deeper in your practice of noticing beauty and engaging with nature?
Join the Wild Maven community in-person on the Full Flower Moon, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Baltimore. We’ll do this practice together and share what we discover through the process.
Or work with me one-on-one. I offer virtual spiritual counseling sessions where you can process your spiritual or religious experiences, explore your beliefs, and/or discover new practices - which could include things like engaging with nature in new and different ways - or anything else you’re curious about!
Photo by Melih Türkmenoğlu on Pexels.