Full Moon in Aries, 14th October, 2008

Hi everyone,

This moon feels very vivid to me – last night was just incredibly bright with it. Hope you are enjoying it!

Calling the circle
We summon the fresh breath of the spirits of the East, spirits of springtime, new beginnings, new starts. The promise of the sunrise, the strength and energy of youth – the cool air, blowing away doubt and stagnation. The power of life. We call the spirits of the East and ask them to join our circle.

We call now to the spirits of the South, spirits of summer – the power of the sun at midday as it creates passion, motivation, energy, movement. strength, power, warmth, clarity, motivation, energy, movement. The power of light, illuminating us. The fire that is our passion, burning deeply within is always. We call the spirits of the South and ask them to join our circle.

And we call to the spirits of the West. The power and truth of our deepest intuition – our love, our emotions. A sunset over a calm ocean, a still lake reflecting back the sky, the still waters that run deep, deep within. Element of water, emanating the power of love. We call to the spirits of the West and ask them to join our circle.

Now we call the spirits of the North. Spirits of midnight, dark moonless skies in winter, places where truths are told. Element of earth, grounding us. Power of law, karma, ancestral wisdom, we call to the spirits of the North and we ask them to join our circle.

And we call to those spirits above us, the moon in her many faces, angels, stars, heavens, light beings everywhere, those souls not yet incarnate. Children of our children. We call the spirits above and ask them to join us.

And we call to the spirits below us, to the earth that grounds us and keeps us steady, the green kingdom with its deep roots and to the lava beneath the crust that impassions us. We call the spirits below and ask them to join us.

Finally, we call to the spirits of the center, where all the directions meet and merge and where they meet and merge in each one of us. The central flame. The sacred spirit. This circle is closed, a safe and sacred circle where everyone is welcome and free to express themselves.

Where is the Moon?
The full moon is now in Aries, always a bold and truthful moon, but I’ve read that at its current degree it is also calling for us to lighten up, and to believe with the faith of a child in our dreams. I certainly could use a dose of that this month!

Talking stick
I often feel like writing about love at this time of year, since I love autumn, the moon is so bright and full, and the power of love is always highlighted as an attribute of the west. I wrote about love last year at this time: light love and dark love, things done in the name of love. This year I’m thinking more about simply being love for the people in my life.

More than any time in recent years, I am feeling the need to play more of a supporting role in the life of my husband and son and things feel less about me. This week Gary had some very tragic news, losing a friend of 25 years in a very sudden and violent way. This was only weeks after starting a brand new school/career direction, which I’ve written about before. Owen is navigating his social relationships in a more intense way than ever at school and has required a lot of attention and support these last few weeks. In the midst of these things we’ve been hosting a pair of exchange students, both of whom needed some mothering along the way. It has been lovely (the tragedy aside) to be able to give so much. I am coming from a good, strong place right now. But all of it has required effort: love, patience, kindness, and understanding which hopefully I would have been giving no matter what, but what makes this different is that it is also requiring that I take a step back and offer more of my time, my accommodation, limit my plans for the moment, keep myself available for the people that I love, and that has been an adjustment for me and the people around me. I was meant to have a full moon gathering here last night but when it came time I just couldn’t do it – I just don’t feel I could bring enough to it. I had to ask for some accommodation from the people I work with; to perhaps move a bit more slowly this week and next and to clear my schedule to be more present. I can’t be my usual whirlwind right now, I need to slow to a speed that keeps me in pace with those around me a bit more. Especially for Gary. Being a parent, it is easy to make sure that I carve my day around Owen, but right now Gary needs me more than that, and I love him so deeply and can hardly bear to see him in this kind of pain and even if all I can do is sit next to him, I want to be there to do it.

So, a light-hearted full moon comes along. I am not sure this one can be light-hearted under the circumstances, but I can be light-hearted for my family and try to ease their heavier hearts. I think this is a real giving month for me and I’ll be reaching out for the strength to be that. It’s the least I can do for all the love, support and happiness that these two provide for me. I will try to be love and bring that to everyone and everything I do this month.

Meditation
Imagine yourself lying beneath the magic of a sliver birch tree. It is a crisp autumn night, and as you look up, you can see the light of the full moon reaching between the branches, playing off of the silvery leaves and shining down until it is touching you, reaching right into your heart. With each breath, the moonlight feels as though it is reaching through you, deep into the earth, then upward into the sky again. As it moves through you and into the earth, you feel it spiraling deep below you, into something of a staircase. You stand up, and begin to wind your way down the staircase of moonlight, beginning on the thirteenth step, the step of transformation, then spiraling around to the twelfth and the eleventh, then around to the tenth, then spiraling down and around and inward to the ninth, then the eighth, and around and inward to the seventh, then the sixth. You pause for a moment on the sixth step, leaving anything behind that you don’t choose to take along with you. Then continuing to spiral down and around to the fifth step, then the fourth, then the third. And around and inward to the second, and then finally the first step. You step off the staircase onto firm ground and head out toward the west.

You step out into an autumn day in a meadow just before sunset. The light is low in the sky, the field peaceful and calm as you make your way across it. As you walk along you look out for any messages carried by the animals, insects, and plants along the way. You feel very receptive to those messages in this place. You can see now that the path is leading to a dwelling on the other side of the field – one that is familiar as it is ancient. You make your way to it, the house of your wise woman.

As you are about to knock, the door opens, and she greets you with a warm embrace as always. She brings you into the kitchen, where she is cooking for you, and you talk freely about whatever comes to mind, maybe asking questions, maybe just listening to her thoughts for you. When you are ready, she leads you down a hallway with many doors. You walk to the end of the hallway and when you are ready you open the door and enter the room.

You enter the room and find that there is an open fire in the centre of it. You go to the fire and sit or stand in front of it. You realize that the fire is alternately many things: hot, dangerous, warming, comforting. You decide what it is that you need from the fire. If you need purification, you are able to enter the fire, burning away all that you choose to release. If you require comfort, the warmth of the fire reaches deep into your heart, filling all the cold places. If you have any questions about how you might need the fire, your wise woman is there to answer. When you are finished, you prepare to leave the room but before you do, you see that the fire has produced something for you – a gift – something to take along with you to remind you of this particular experience. When you are ready, you leave, knowing that this is a place to which you can always return.

Your wise woman leads you back to the front of the house, back to the path that took you here. She gives you a big hug goodbye, and while in her embrace, she whispers one word or phrase that will help you to remember your intention for this moon, or just something that you need to hear. You thank her and then head back out into the meadow making your way across again, this time in full sunset. You see the doorway on the other side, and you make your way across, pausing for any messages along the way. When you reach the doorway, you step back through.

Stepping back up onto the first step, spiraling upward and outward to the second step and the third, and upward and outward to the third step and the fourth. Then spiraling around to the fifth and the sixth step, and pausing now on the sixth step, retrieving anything that you left behind before, or just leaving it behind in that perfect moment in infinity. Climbing now to the seventh and upward to the eighth, upward and outward to the ninth, then the tenth, and around to the eleventh and the twelfth and then finally to the thirteenth step, the step of transformation, then lying back down onto the earth where you began, under the beautiful autumn willow. And when you are ready you open your eyes.

Prayers for our circle
I would like to offer prayers for the family of Nita, Gary’s friend. That they somehow find comfort in this terrible time.

Also, prayers for my brother – that he find his way, preferably home.

Much love to all of you,

Tara