As we journey through life, the rhythms of nature are echoed in our emotions, energy levels, dreams and aspirations. In the Spring, we feel ourselves awakening with new found joy & vitality, while in the Fall, we savor the fruit of our labor, appreciating our abundant harvests as we turn inward after an active summer.
By weaving a web of connection between the four directions, the seasons, times of day, phases of the moon, and stages of creation, we are able to align our bodies with the rhythms of the earth and cosmos and thus transmit magic into the mundane. Nature becomes our teacher, and our experience of life expands as we float in her great current. To learn more about the energy present in the changing seasons, you can refer to my January post.
In this piece, we’ll explore how to harness the Moon’s energy and apply it in our lives at any time.
The Cycle of Life
As children, we marveled at the bright moon in the sky. There was comfort and delight in finding her night after night. Regardless of how much attention we have or have not paid her, not a single night has passed in our lives that we have not been affected by her currents and phases. As women, our menstrual cycle of 28 days echos the 28 day cycle of the moon, and the inner ocean that is our womb ebbs and flows like the great oceans on our beloved Mother Earth. Many women bleed with the new moon, a time of darkness and a time for rest. When we do, it is easy to track our fertility as we then ovulate on the full moon, a time of shining our essence and basking in our luminous fullness.
Regardless of whether you inhabit a female or male body, the Moon is ever present and available to be one of our greatest allies as we progress through the spiral of life. She waxes and wanes, pulls oceans to shores, calls forth the shedding of our wombs, swells with our tears, darkens our nights and she moves in her timeless rhythm, gently yet profoundly.
When we call her into our hearts, bodies and rites, we can harness the power of her phase that is mirrored within us. The whales and dolphins swim with the tides of the ocean. Rather than resist, we too can flow with her, and plan our sacred rituals, practices, medicine making, study, self care and meditations around her.
Night School
Over the course of many years in our relationship, the moon has taught me much about when to conserve my energy and when to shine bright. There are times when I am more connected to her flow and I naturally echo her without much effort or thought; other times I need to look to her in the night sky for guidance and remembering.
On multiple occasions, I have charged forward with ideas or plans as if it were the waxing moon coming into expansion and fullness – only to find myself feeling like Atlas holding the world on my shoulders. In those times, I look up at the night sky in exasperation and the thin sliver of her silver winks at me knowingly and lovingly, reminding me that now is the time for inquiry rather than action. And so, I have learned, to check in with her.
Here are a few ways to bring her energy into your body and life:
Find her Each Night – If you do only one thing to connect you with her wisdom, look up at her each night before going to bed and breathe her in.
Sleep in Moonlight- If you don’t live around city lights, there is no greater way to sync your body with nature than to sleep by a window without a curtain. As night falls and you fall asleep, moonlight pours over you at different times of the night, reflecting her cycle and the time year. As the sun begins to rise, your body prepares to be born again into a new day.
Moon Bathing – Go out naked (preferably, though not necessarily) and lay under the moonlight on the earth or by some water. Gaze at the moon, breathe in her light, play with your moon shadow.
Create a Ritual for the New and Full Moon – Mark these phases as sacred and use the energies available at that time to set aside time for inspired reflection, communion, journaling, celebration, etc.
Make Moon Water – Place spring water under the moonlight and drink it, anoint yourself with it, wash your body (or your lover’s body), or bless your home with it.
Use a Moon Calendar – If you live in a city where it is hard to see the moon at night, this is a really helpful practice. Use the calendar to plan your activities at the optimal times, and create a key of symbols to track how you are feeling – you’ll soon begin to see a pattern of how the moon pulls you. Using a moon calendar to track your menstrual cycle is also a powerful practice. WeMoon is a great agenda calendar that I enjoy – I also created a moon calendar for my students. It’s hand dyed with medicinal herbs, and now available at florasagrada.com
Next time, in Part II, we’ll explore how we can call up the energies present in the Moon’s phases to support our intentions, rituals, spiritual practices, emotions and life.
New Moon Blessings,
Marysia
A multilingual and multicultural devotee of Pachamama, Marysia has traveled extensively studying earth wisdom and ancient healing practices from different cultures around the world. She is the director of the California branch of The Gaia School of Healing and Earth Education and teaches workshops on herbal medicine, plant shamanism and earth magic. You can follow Marysia on instagram @thegaiaschoolofhealingca and on facebook by liking The Gaia School of Healing and Earth Education California Branch. For more information on the Fall 2015 apprenticeships please visit www.thegreenwoman.com
