The 13th Moon

I have been spinning my own yarn for over 27 years. I have been practicing various forms of weaving for much longer. One of my favorite techniques is random weave basketry (and jewelry making). I know that this seems a bit far afield from the 13th moon, but bear with me for a bit and this essay will come back around.

As a child, the first weaving technique I learned was a simple over and under weaving that I learned from a kit. Over and under, follow the rules. Follow the established pattern to get a consistent and durable pot holder, or bag, or whatever… This pattern holds for most basic weaving whether it is a place mat, a cloth, a basket, or a fence.

However, as we are learning to weave, we can either learn the rules, or learn the principles, or both. My first experience with weaving was simply learning the rules. Then random weave came into my life. Years ago, I took a basketry twining class. After the instructor got the class proficient enough at the twining technique, she spent her time creating a beautiful random weave basket. As I sat there twining my basket, I watched her basket come together. I was HOOKED. I spent the next several months teaching myself the random weave technique. In the process, I not only learned the rules of basketry, I learned the principles. I learned the skills, and I learned to listen to the natural materials that I was using. both the vine and I had a voice and a part to play in the story that we were telling together. Each story that we told was perfectly unique.

Random weave, more that any other weaving technique, is based on principles, not rules. Here are the principles that I create from:

Principle 1: Listen to the material. Each vine has its own tolerances, strengths, and weaknesses. Work within those frameworks to tease out the best of the material.

Principle 2: Keep the big picture in mind, but let the details adjust to the conditions and demands of the moment. It’s a balance between going with the flow and redirecting the flow towards the desired outcome.

Principle 3: Everything you do, every decision you make in the moment of creation, either makes the basket stronger and more stable, or weaker and wobbly.

Principle 4: It’s not going to turn out the same way every time. It’s not going to turn out exactly as you planned. Every random weave basket is a unique piece of art that will never be recreated.

On this 13th full moon of 2023, the random weave basket seems to be an apt metaphor. Each one of us is weaving our own basket full of a life from the bits and pieces that we find around us.. With each experience and resource that comes into each life, it is up to the individual what to do with what presents itself. Sometimes, you can live by the “rules” and get predictable results from your pattern. Sometimes, what shows up has a voice of its own that needs to be heard. Sometimes, life looks like a hot mess until you take a step out of the rules and into principles. So here are my “basketry” principles for life in 2024:

Principle 1: Everything that shows up has a lesson, or a message. I ask what is in each experience or resource that can contribute positively to my whole life.

Principle 2: See the big picture. How can I adjust or direct the energy of the flow that I find myself in towards the desired outcome? (After throwing a temper tantrum.)

Principle 3: Try to make every decision in every moment one that makes your life and your community stronger, more stable, and more resilient. Take what you have available to you and weave it into your life to create the greatest positive effect.

Principle 4: Things aren’t going to turn out exactly as you envisioned. Life is a wondrous journey. Even a difficult life is a work of art that has the potential to take you beyond your wildest desires.

As the 13th full moon of the year waxes and wanes, I am late as usual going into my retreat, and it will be shorter than normal this year. This is my time to dig into my heart and choose who I will become. I will do what is most important to build my big picture vision of sustainability for my life, my community, and my world. I will make plans for study and experimentation, and actions that have a good chance of serving that vision, knowing full well that they never work out the way I planned.

I will use these plans as the foundation and framework to start my next year anyway. At the same time, I smile at my scheming. I can’t seem to color within the lines, and neither does my life. No matter what happens, 2024 will be an interesting work of art. I look forward to exploring the journey with you.

May your next year be a beautiful work of art that moves you forward towards the vision that you define.