For as long as I can remember, I've loved watching the ebb and flow of the moon's phases. But it wasn't until my early 20's, living in Austin, TX, that I attended my first Moon Ceremony. This particular one was a Full Moon ceremony, but truly, it was a celebration of everything we were grateful for, the blessings in our lives.
There was a bounty of fresh fruits, neatly sliced veggies for dipping into mouth watering dips, chocolates, and cocktail meats and cheeses. There was tea, wine, and sometimes spirits, and we always made crystal infused moon waters. (It was much later that we bagan infusing moon milks into these lunar rituals.) Fresh flowers were brought to dress the table or gathering space, music filled the air - whether played live, or through the speakers, and for some reason there was always fire. The element of fire is powerful and in creating your own ceremony , you can decide on whether you'd prefer your flames in a fire pit, or through the gentle flicker of a candle.
From then on I was in love with the idea of using the moon to set intentions, celebrations, release and renewal. The more I discovered about the meaning of the moon phases, the more I realized, that the phrase "as above, so below" truly applied here. When the Moon is in its dark phase, it signifies a period of yin, introspection, creation and it is when the power of manifestation and intention setting is at its highest. This is the perfect time to set goals toward what you want to create or bring into your life through to the next new moon. During the Full Moon, the energy is high! It signifies a period of celebration, the halfway point of a lunation, and a time when you have the full power of the moon's light to shine on the things that are working for you and to give gratitude for those blessings. But it's also to shine that same light into the shadows, to release the things that aren't serving you in this endeavor. These can be things like limiting belief systems, habits that hinder you from your full potential, even toxic people!
I remember that night, so long ago in our friend's backyard, the Full Moon shining SO BRIGHT! Her fire pit had just been lit, and the Moon Ceremony attendants were starting to arrive. It was a crisp fall evening, and with my pashmina tight snuggled around my shoulders, the smell of hot cacao milk steaming in front of me, I wrote a letter. It was one of those sappy goodbye letters to an ex bf at the time. But in that moment it was so cathartic to write those words down, because later, during the "Releasing" part of the ceremony, that letter, along with so many other hindrances would be burned away in the flames.
This is also when I was first introduced to the mystical art of Tarot and oracle card reading. Reading cards is similar to any other form of divination. You can even do this with any book on your shelf. Simply go to the book shelf, and close your eyes. You can ask the Divine what message you most need to hear in this moment, and the energy will guide you to your answer. Choose a book from the shelf and with eyes still closed, open the book, run your fingers through the pages, until your intuition tells you to stop. Open your eyes and read the passage. The art of Tarot is definitely more specific, and absolutely deserves it's own blog post.
Moon Ceremonies can of course be done solo. However, having a group of your favorite people with you celebrating your successes during the Full Moon or supporting your creative side during the New Moon, sharing these powerful experiences makes the magic so much stronger. Have you been to a Moon Ceremony? During these times of social distancing, it can be difficult to come together as a group. Would you be interested in attending a Virtual Moon Ceremony?
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