MOON TALK - Part 2

 

 

 

For many cultures, the Moon is the Great Goddess present through the waxing and waning of life in all its manifold forms, her shape-shifting but predictable cycle embracing the paradox of continuity within change

 

Each day, the very cells of our body are dying or being born, and the Moon reminds us of what remains: the Unknowable Mystery of Life. Indeed, in the 16th Century English mystery play called Mary Magdalen, the Moon is specifically described as the Mother of Jesus, the vessel ... in whom he rested before he ascended to the Sun.1

 

Weaver of light

 

The luminous thread we may imagine the Moon tracing around the Earth symbolizes the protection offered as we attune to her cycles. In our busy world, currently so wracked with strife, we may lose contact with the larger cosmos we inhabit, the cycle of seasons and indeed the very language of our bodies. However, whatever our location, spiritual beliefs or life-style, we can experience a profound dialogue with the Moon’s cycle, and in so doing facilitate our direct connection to the energy of the Cosmic Feminine.

 

Here are some practical suggestions:

 

At New Moon, the Sun and Moon are on the same side of the Earth, together in the same zodiac sign.

At Full Moon, the Earth is inbetween the Sun and Moon, which are in opposite zodiac signs. Take some time studying your own chart, and contemplating the relevant sign(s) of the Sun and Moon. Use the symbols, or these words, or both. Take your time, and also see the the Zodiac Gallery for some beautiful zodiac images.

 

Click here for a current list of dates/times.

 

 

 

CONTEMPLATING THE ZODIAC

 

Aries - Initiative

Taurus - Value

Gemini - Intelligence

Cancer - Feeling

Leo - Dignity

Virgo - Humility

Libra - Balance

Scorpio - Will

Sagittarius - Truth

Capricorn - Manifestation

Aquarius - Brotherhood

Pisces - Compassion

 

 

Meditations for the New and Full Moon

 

 

Using this information

These meditations are best done around the exact time of the New and Full Moon. If that is not possible, within 6 hours: before Full Moon is preferable, and after New Moon. Keep a journal handy; your experience may be clear at the time but is easily forgotten. You might like to create a special Moon Journal for the purpose. A minimum of 15 minutes is recommended, but allow as much time as you need, as it is important not to rush.

 

Preparation for both meditations

 

Create a beautiful, clean space without clutter or interruptions. Light a candle if you wish. Sit cross-legged on the floor, or in an upright chair with your feet touching the ground. Place your hands in your lap, fingers interlinked, with thumb-tips touching. Your arms make a Moon circle. Become aware of your breathing, and allow due time for yourself to settle into quietude. From your coccyx, your tailbone, stretches a beam of soft light, like a tail, which connects you to the very centre of the Earth. Feel yourself supported. Now sense the top of your head, where a beam of soft light connects you upward to the celestial realms. Rest in the grounded spaciousness and earthy clarity available from within your own unique heaven/earth connection. Know that you belong in Life, and are nourished.

 

New Moon meditation

 

Imagine the round space of the dark moon, covering the bowl of your pelvic girdle from below the navel up to your brow, with your heart in the centre.. Rest in the feeling of a warm inviting darkness, velvety, empty, peaceful and full of potential. Enjoy the sense of containment offered by the curving circle which encloses your body. Allow it to become a sphere. Reflect upon the last two weeks of your life, since the last Full Moon ... use your diary if your memory needs jogging. Bring your personal life into this sacred space, and allow some digesting time as you bless and release that which you are letting go of. As the space empties, contemplate the quality of the zodiac sign in which the Sun and Moon are currently placed, or simply enjoy the space. Invite and welcome the subtle sense of a new impulse arising. End with a dedication.

 

Full moon

 

Imagine the round space of the radiant moon, covering the bowl of your pelvic girdle from below the navel up to your brow, with your heart in the centre. Rest in the feeling of fullness, luminosity, fruition, creativity and radiance. You feel the Sun gently radiating on you, warming your whole body and suffusing it with light. You receive this inner light deeply and gently. Reflecting upon the last two weeks of your life, the time since the last New Moon, you bring your life into this sacred space, offering appreciation and gratitude for what has arisen. Contemplate the sign in which the Sun is placed, or simply enjoy the space. End with a dedication.

 

Dedication

 

Open and close each meditation with a dedication, in your own words.

 

Here are some examples to work from:


I dedicate this meditation to the Highest Good …
May I be nourished so I may nourish others …
May my gratitude for any healing benefit gained be expressed in service to others …
I offer this meditation in praise of the Great Unknown.

 

 

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Endnotes 

1. Marjorie Malvern, Venus in Sackcloth. Carbondale, Illinois: Southern Illinois University Press, 1975, p121,
as quoted in Barbara G. Walker The Woman’s Encyclopaedia of Myths and Secrets, New York: Harper & Row, 1983, p672.

 

Main picture artwork: Eclipse Full Moon Meditation  by Anna Mackenzie

Used with kind permission