New Moon 27th November, 2008

Hi everyone,

I realize I’ve missed this one by a day, but it was so busy leading up to thanksgiving I just didn’t get to it! I love that such a hopeful moon fell on such a wonderful holiday though!

Calling the circle
As we contemplate this new moon, we summon the spirits of the East, spirits of Springtime, new beginnings, new starts. Element of air, first breath, cool dawn. The power of life, springing forth. 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 strength, power, warmth, clarity, motivation, energy, movement. Element of fire, bright fires lit at midday. 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. Spirits of our season, nearly ending now, spirits of our deepest feelings, our strongest emotions, our truest love. 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, 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?
This is the darkest new moon of the year, and yet, somehow it always feels less dark to me than the Scorpio one, maybe because the return of the light is now nearing. Scorpio takes us to the places we must face and asks us to transform, Sagittarius wants to figure out how that transformation should take place, and gives it purpose and meaning. Perhaps even action.

There is always something of forgiveness in this moon too. Find those places within yourself that need forgiving, and maybe those people in your life that need forgiving too. It’s the perfect time to go deep and let go, with love.

Talking stick
I do finally feel more like myself again, and now it is like I am me, feeling sad from time to time instead of just being a sad version of me. I am almost ready to reach out and connect to the love and light that is my niece without feeling sad; where I can hopefully just feel connected to her as I hope I always did and always will – as I truly believe we are all connected in that way. Almost there, but for one big task. I still really need to put my altar back together.

This period of turmoil isn’t totally over yet and may not be for a little while. There is likely another funeral in my near future as an uncle of mine enters hospice, and a few other precarious situations with loved ones that require my attention. But none of that really can be blamed for why I haven’t worked on my altar yet. I needed to feel ready to face anything, open to the future, whatever it may be; good or bad, fearless in the face of real life – and I wasn’t quite there yet.

I am now. I am ready to rebuild, reshape, re-think. But more importantly, I feel ready now to open myself up to the universe and say (in not such a religious or pompous way), “thy will be done”. is And be open to what that might bring.

I heard a great podcast earlier this week about how you don’t choose your mission; your mission chooses you. Those things in your life that work well, that flow, that unfold naturally and gracefully help point the way to your mission. Those things that are continually constricting, difficult, unyielding, do not. And, it went on, you know it when you are not in tune with your mission. Because it will be like this drumbeat in your ears until you do listen and move in that direction. I don’t feel that I am not on track with my mission, whatever it is, but I do feel that sense of calling again out there. There is more. And I need to reach out for it.

For this new moon my goal is to rebuild my altar with my mission in mind. That my altar may reflect whatever it is that is my mission and that I feel completely at peace with my direction, even when I don’t know precisely where it is leading me.

And, a quick note on forgiveness. I had a real moment of irrationality this week over something small with Gary, and when I later apologized for it, I remembered how great it feels to be truly sorry and know that you are forgiven. I am going to look for any areas that need that healing at this moon as well.

Meditation
Imagine yourself lying on the ground beneath a beautiful fir tree, whose branches touch the ground all around you, so you are completely enclosed within the tree’s embrace. The ground feels perfectly comfortable, the air is cool but somehow it feels perfectly comfortable, and while the earth below you is now hardened for winter, it is softened by the pine needles that you lay upon. As you breathe in and out feel that you are breathing in time with the gentle breeze around you, moving the branches of the fir tree in time with your breath. Then allow yourself to imagine that you are getting smaller – smaller and smaller until you are so small that you can stand up and walk into the tree that you were lying underneath. Walking into the tree, looking up, note the vast branch system, how tall and high it is, looking down, note the vast root system, reaching down into the earth farther than you can see. Then, notice that one of the roots is larger than the others, and resembles a spiral staircase that you can walk down. Imagine then stepping onto the 13th step, the step of transformation, then spiraling down and around and inward to the 12th step, then down and around to the 11th and the 10th, spiraling down and around and inward to the 9th, then the 8th, then around and inward to the 7th and the 6th step. Then, pausing on the sixth step, note that as you look up you can no longer see the top, and looking down, that you can no longer see the bottom. You are standing in the middle of the spiral, in a moment of infinite perfection. If there is anything that you are carrying that you don’t want to take with you on your journey, you can leave it on this step. Continuing then to the 5th step and the 4th, spiraling around to the 3rd and the 2nd and then finally the 1st step, then stepping into a clearing with four doorways, each pointing in one of the four directions. Imagine yourself walking down the pathway that heads north.

You step out into a dark, starry evening. The sky is enormous, full of light. While moonless, your path is lit well enough by the starlight bouncing off of the stones and you begin to walk along the path. You are met by a guide, someone to walk with you, who covers you in a large, furry blanket. Grateful for the warmth, you walk on together, talking about anything that comes to mind. The path winds upward now, up and around a rather large wide hill. As you wind up the hill you notice that you are able to see more and more of the landscape around you, and that there are many paths that wind through it. You recognize those paths as ones you have walked here before, remembering anything about those journeys that you need to, reminding yourself of the many lessons that you’ve learned.

As you reach the top of the hill you notice that you have come once again to a dwelling, familiar as it is very ancient. You have reached the home of your wise woman.

As you are about to knock, the door swings open and you are greeted by your wise woman. She gives you a loving embrace and leads you to the kitchen where she is cooking for you. She offers you whatever it is that she has cooked for you, and you sit and eat or drink with her, asking any questions that you may have, or asking for any wisdom that she might wish to share with you.

When you are ready, she leads you away from the kitchen, down a hallway with many doors. You are drawn to a door at the end of the hall, and opening it, walk into a room with a bare altar in front of you, but all around you, lining every wall are objects: candles, incense, stones, statues, cloths, oils – a room complete with altar items. There is one wall in particular that you feel drawn to, and looking at it, you realize that each item that is on the wall is one that you are familiar with, and has been placed there especially for you. You are able to choose any item from any part of the room to build this altar in whatever way feels right to you. Your wise woman stays with you, offering any answers or guidance that you might need. When you are finished, you sit with your wise woman in front of the altar, quietly meditating and drawing peace and strength from this place of power that you have created. Your wise woman then hands you one more item for you altar; one that she is giving you as a gift. You take the item and put it where you think it needs to go, or perhaps you take the item with you, as reminder of this place. When you are ready, you leave this room, but knowing that it is here supporting you always, and that you can always return.

As you reach the door of the house you say your goodbyes, and while in her embrace, she whispers one word or phrase that will help you to remember your altar and your intentions for the new moon.

When you walk outside, your guide is waiting for you to walk you back. Looking at the paths in the landscape again, you are able to see even more clearly than before the many lessons learned upon those paths to carry back with you. The path winds down and around and back to the doorway to the North. You say goodbye to your guide here, offering thanks for the guidance and company, and walk through the doorway.

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 back into to the tree. Stepping out of the tree, you find your place beneath it, again enjoying the sweet breath of the breeze. Then feeling your consciousness return to the space you are in, and, when ready opening your eyes.

Prayers for our circle

I will hold you all in my thoughts on this new moon, as always. Much love to all of you!!

Tara