Full Moon in Libra, 9th April, 2009

Hi everyone,

It’s been a bit crazy this week and I apologize for this getting out a bit late! It is a beautiful full moon though, and at least in the UK, definitely feeling more like spring every day!


Calling the circle
As we come to another full moon in Spring, we call to and honor the spirits of the East, spirits of this season, of 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 us 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 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 summon the the spirits of the North. Spirits of midnight, dark moonless skies in winter, places where truths are told, where laws are made. 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, and to the brightest of moons. 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 in Libra, a deep balancing moon, but also a peace maker. It calls us to know ourselves, honor ourselves, and speak our truth but with deep compassion and love.

Talking stick
I have been thinking about faith for the last day or so, because in the last year several close friends have gone through times when their faith felt far away. I know that feeling so well and it is the loneliest and saddest place to be. My biggest faith crisis occurred while living in LA. I was on the heels of so much tragedy: the death of my father, my brother and a close friend; the end of my first marriage; Lyme’s disease; and then, finally, life in LA. I struggled to connect to people, to find meaningful work, and was in such a devastated place really couldn’t see my way clear of it. I wanted to be writing screenplays more than anything, and I think I felt that I’d been through so much that now I deserved it all to go my way. The more it continued to not go my way the worse it got until finally one night I shouted to God/dess that I was done – I no longer was going to pray or believe in anything until my life changed. I woke at 4am or so to the biggest earthquake LA had experienced in about 20 years and clinging to my doorway while struggling to get some clothes on (if the house collapsed thought it would be unseemly to be pulled out on CNN like that) I railed at God/dess that while I was now once again on speaking terms, it wasn’t for me but just to pray for anyone who might be hurt and suffering.

And in fact my life did change after that, but my faith crisis was not entirely over yet. Not until I got to NY and in a state of complete financial ruin on top of all the other things that I had going on in my life I finally came to a place of surrender, where I realized that they way out wasn’t going to be easy, it was going to take hard work, but that it was time for me to stop, face where I was and not where I kept wanting to be and start finding a way to live in the moment of my life in a way that would make me feel happy and contented. In that moment of surrender, I remember it vividly – it is as if all the love, all the power, all the energy of all creation came rushing back into me. Nothing had changed but everything had changed because I was finally at peace.

For me, being in faith, in harmony with the God/dess energy of all things is more about surrender than anything else. Every time in my life that I’ve tried to dictate how something “should” go, it goes wrong. When I flow with what happens, it goes well. It doesn’t mean that hard things don’t happen, but those hard things are no more a test from God/dess then the good times are a gift. The energy is there, timeless, faceless, genderless (no matter how I choose to experience it), and the source of power, light, love – the fullness of God/dess – to deal with whatever comes along. I believe it flows through me and guides me and is what I am – all the time. We can choose to be tapped into it or not, but whether we are or aren’t it is there.

For this full moon, I want to remember that holding the reins too tightly and trying to steer everything where I would have it go is just as much folly in good times (which I feel these are for me right now) as it is in harder times. I want to be reminded to be in faith all the time, listening, believing, trusting that I am that divine – I am that light – I couldn’t be anything else if I tried. And neither could you.

Meditation
Imagine yourself lying in a thick forest, under a beautiful old willow tree – green with new leaves. You can hear rain falling gently above you, but it doesn’t quite reach you on the ground. It is a lush, comfortable warm evening. The wind stirs gently, moving the branches of the willow back and forth. As you look up, you can see the light of the full moon reaching between the branches, 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 onto a beach – a beautiful and calm sea with a long sandy shore. You are aware that you are the only person for miles – that it is a beach seemingly just for you. As you come to the water’s edge, you feel compelled to enter the water, and you swim out into the sea. The water feels perfectly warm, perfectly comfortable as you swim out, feeling your cares release into the water. You become aware that there is an island that you didn’t notice before, and you make your way toward it. When you reach the shore, you see a dwelling set back from the shore and you make your way to it. The dwelling is ancient and familiar, a home that you have been to many times before. You have reached the home of your wise woman.

As you are about to knock, the door swings open and your wise woman greets you, happy to see you as always. She brings you into the kitchen, where she is cooking for you – and you are able to talk with her about your life. When you are ready, she leads you down a hallway with many doors. You find the doorway that seems right to you and open the door. You step through into a place that offers you the most comfort possible – a place so much like home, so familiar, so full of warmth and love that any resistance that you have melts away. You might be alone in this place, or maybe there are others who complete this feeling of home for you. Whatever the place, you step in and let yourself really relax into its comfort. When you are ready, your wise woman leads you to a spring that has appeared into your environment – she leads you to the spring and asks what it is that you most need to make your life work right now. You tell her, and as you do, she draws you a glass of water from the spring. As you drink the water, you feel yourself filling with exactly what you need. When you have finished, she leads you back to the place that is home for you to relax and enjoy for as long as you need to. When you are ready, you leave this room, knowing that it is a place to which you can always return.

When you have stepped back through the doorway, you head back to the door of the house to say your goodbyes. While in her embrace, she whispers one word or phrase that will help you to remember what it was that you needed and what was fulfilled by the spring, and the place of rest. You thank her and then head back to the sea for the swim back. Feeling refreshed, you take your time, really enjoying the water, the sun, the air, the life all around you. When you reach the shore, you head back to the doorway where your journey began.

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. And when you are ready you open your eyes.

Prayers for our circle
I would like to ask for powerful prayers for a friend today who will be facing a very difficult situation. Please pray that the light will shine strongly for him, around him and through him – as it always does.

Much love to all of you as well – I hope to see some of you very soon!

Tara