Welcome dear ones, to our Full Moon blog. We are heading into a powerful Full Moon Lunar Eclipse tomorrow in the sign of Sagittarius and entering into eclipse season. We may have already been feeling how potent 2020 is astrologically and it's set to get even more intense as we work our way through planetary retrogrades and eclipses. This combination of eclipses and retrogrades combined with all the events taking place throughout the world is calling us to do the work! To do our own inner work and to show up to do the work needed for the collective. This year is all about bringing injustice, untruths and structures that need to be torn down to the surface. Eclipses are often referred to as times to do shadow work and we know that this is always a theme that comes up every full moon also. Ask yourself as you head into this full moon lunar eclipse, what shadow parts of myself are making themselves known at the moment? Where do I need to do the work? Are we turning away from what's going on right now in the world or are we turning to face it and our own shortcomings? Tomorrow, we have the sun in Gemini and the moon in Sagittarius, these two signs compliment each other really well as both are to do with the mind. Sagittarius is known as the Philosopher of the zodiac and can help balance out Gemini's constant quest for knowledge and information. This full moon helps us to see the balance between intelligence and wisdom. Do we spend too much time absorbing information but then not actually integrating it into our life? For example, maybe we have been reading about certain topics for a long time, like meditation, but don't actually put them in to practice. Intelligence comes from the gathering of knowledge whereas wisdom comes from putting that knowledge into action and gaining insight and experience from it. That's where doing the work comes in! WISDOM noun
Sometimes Gemini can be led by ego, wanting to acquire knowledge and information for their own gain. Sagittarius wants to learn, understand and gather knowledge for the greater good. We can ask ourselves if ego or love is the driving force behind our thirst for knowledge? How do we use the information we have gathered? Do we share it with others or do we keep it for ourself? Sagittarians want to learn from others, want to travel to other lands to gain insight into how other people think and experience life - not for their own sake but to help them connect better with others. Again, we can ask ourselves, how willing are we to learn from others? To be humble and to understand that ours isn't the only point of view. We love this Ted Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie about the danger of the single story: Sagittarius is a masculine fire sign, ruled by the planet Jupiter and the 9th house of Philosophy and long distance journeys. Jupiter is often referred to as the great benefactor, it is the largest of the planets and has the largest number of moons so has this beautiful expansive and abundant quality. Sagittarius moon is a wonderful time to focus on manifesting your dreams, cultivating gratitude and joy, and elevating your thoughts. Sagittarius themes: freedom, expansion, knowledge, abundance, joy, travel. philosophy, light, growth, limitless opportunities, adventure, curiosity, meaning, direction, focus. The image associated with Sagittarius is the Centaur holding a bow and arrow aimed at the sky and the constellation is the arrow. There are many messages we can take from this image, one of these is the message to look at the balance in our own life between our lower and upper chakras. Do we spend all our energy only on the lower chakras associated with this life and this life alone - our home, financial security, our sense of self and the day to day? How much time do we spend connecting with the higher chakras, looking to the stars? Asking questions about the universe and why we're here? Who are we underneath all the layers of daily life and responsibilities? Sagittarius is often referred to as the philosopher of the zodiac and they love to ask these kinds of questions. They have a childlike curiosity about everything and will always look beyond the ordinary much like Gemini. The symbol of the arrow can also remind us to check-in with our direction in life. Is the direction we are currently headed in in alignment with our true desires and our integrity? The other archetype associated with Sagittarius is the traveller or the explorer. This doesn't necessarily mean physical travel but can also mean travelling with our mind. As we still find ourselves in lockdown, a wonderful way to tune into this energy is to read. Expand your mind with books, podcasts, blogs and conversations. Use your journal to record the things you've been learning. Start or join a book or philosophy club. Enroll in new studies. The world is your oyster! Step outside into nature and carry that same Sagittarian curiosity with you. Marvel at all the seasonal changes taking place in your local area, look up when you'd usually be looking down, leave your phone at home or turn it onto flight mode! This fits in so well with our New Moon in Gemini theme of following our whimsy and wonder. Full Moon Journaling Questions- First off, have a look back at your journal from the New Moon in Gemini. Have you stayed connected to your intentions and have they served you? - Ask yourself if you have a balance between intelligence and wisdom? - Tuning into the expansive quality of Sagittarius, how could you expand your mind? What topics are you curious about but know nothing about? - We might not be able to go travelling physically at the moment but where would you like to travel in your mind? How will you do that? Will it be through stories? Reading? Connecting with others? - Do you have a balance between focusing on the tasks and responsibilities of everyday life and also zooming out and seeing the big picture? Are you able to see beyond the ordinary? - What are your triggers at the moment and how are you dealing with them? Are you taking the time to do the work or repressing these triggers? - A big part of developing wisdom is being humble. Using the light of the full moon to shine down on your heart and mind, who and what could we learn from at the moment? - A key theme for Sagittarius is elevating thought for the greater good. What can you do at the moment for the collective? How can you educate yourself on matters that will help you gain better knowledge and insight into other people's experiences? Sagittarius Self CareSagittarius rules the hips and thighs. On Sagittarius moon days it's important to look after these parts of the body. If we're spending more time at a desk or cooped up at home, it's important to stay mobile in the hips by doing lots of mobility work as well as stretching. A leg massage would be ideal - you'll have to do this yourself or using a foam roller for the thighs, IT band and back of legs to help release any tension.
ESSENTIAL OILS Due to the optimistic and joyful nature of this sign, uplifting Citrus oils such as Bergamot, Orange and Mandarin are lovely to use and these oils help to lift our mood and connect us to hope. Why not add some of these oils to a base oil and make yourself an uplifting leg massage oil :) We really hope you enjoyed our blog. Don't forget you can join us over on a Patreon page for monthly moon circles, visit: www.patreon.com/sistersofthemoon
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Dearest moonbeams, we are just about to complete another lunar cycle as we enter into the dark moon phase today. Tomorrow, we welcome in the New Moon in Gemini. Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac and we continue our journey of the self which we began with the New Moon in Aries. Last moonth with Taurus we began the investigation of the throat chakra and how we express ourselves - we continue that journey with Gemini which is very much to do with communication and in particular how we take our ideas out into the world. Gemini is the first of the air signs and it rules the realm of ideas, communication and consciousness. Combining Gemini's air element with it's placement in Spring/Summer is what gives it this delightful whimsical quality. Gemini's are curious and inquisitive and it can sometimes be a challenge getting them to focus on one thing at a time or getting them to complete tasks - often they're off on to the next thing before the previous thing is completed. Gemini rules the third house in astrology which is about teaching, learning and communication. It is ruled by Mercury - the planet of the mind and communication - Mercury is also referred to as the trickster of the zodiac. As we write this blog, we are still for the most part in a period of lockdown so we wanted to dedicate this blog post to all things to with the mind. If we can't travel outside physically, Gemini invites us to travel with our mind. For New Moon in Gemini we are awakening our inner Alchemist and Philosopher, our book nerd and our playful side! At a time where it feels like there is so much restriction this a great opportunity to expand our minds. key themes/words: adaptable, mercurial, intelligence, imagination, playful, communication, storytelling, whimsy, web-weaving, connection, community, contemplation, curiosity, meditation, mindfulness, daydreamering. The Air ElementAs we mentioned above, Gemini is an Air sign and with each New Moon it's always a lovely practice to connect to the element of that New Moon. Air is thought, ideas, communication, sound, expression, consciousness, creativity, spring, connection and the mind. Moon in Gemini is a time to deeply connect to the power of the mind. The mind is the creator of all our experiences and is the architect of our reality. Gemini invites us to harness the power of our mind by directing our energy to innovation, creativity and elevating our consciousness. The constellation of the twins can be seen to represent the left and right sides of the brain and we can ask ourselves if these two halves are in balance. Do we dwell more in the left brain - the analytical and methodical? Or do we dwell more in the right brain - the creative and artistic side? Too much right brain and we might be away with the fairies, too much left brain and we can close ourself off from wonder and imagination, analysing things until all the fun goes out of them. The symbol of the twins also helps us to tune into this transitional time, Gemini has one foot in Spring and one in Summer and we are definitely in a state of transition at the moment. We are currently shifting from maiden into mother, from spring to summer and from life pre-lockdown to life post-lockdown. We find ourselves in liminal space. We can utilise this time for transformation. Synchronizing with this new moon is Venus going retrograde as she is about to complete her 8 year cycle. There's a sense in the collective at the moment of transformation, alchemy, metamorphosis and more and more people are referencing butterflies and the powerful imagery of their transformation to help us make sense of this time. Reflect on where you were 8 years ago and try to get a sense of what is trying to shift, what old way of being needs to die in order for you to be re-born? How are you alchemising all the lessons and experiences of the last 8 years to create a new and improved version of yourself? The AlchemistThere are a fair few archetypes associated with Gemini- the fairy, the philosopher, the pan, the messenger etc. As we were doing our research for this blog we were really drawn to the archetype of the Alchemist and started to research female Alchemists which we've featured below. The definition of Alchemy is "a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination." Alchemists are fascinated with human being's relationship to the world around them whether it be through the elements, the natural world or the cosmos. We thought this idea of Alchemy worked really well tied in with the theme of metamorphosis. It also ties in to Gemini's love of innovating and creating. As we stand at the threshold of a new way of being - in the alchemy lab of your heart and mind what would you like to concoct? How would you like to innovate a new way of being for yourself? "Alchemy is defined as the process of taking something ordinary and turning it into something extraordinary, sometimes in a way that cannot be explained. An example of using alchemy is a person who takes a pile of scrap metal and turns it into beautiful art." - YOUR DICTIONARY We can take inspiration from this quote above and look at how we can transform the seemingly ordinary of every day into something extraordinary. We can even learn to transform difficult situations into gold, by valuing the lessons in them. As you look back on the last 8 years, what gold can you find in all the challenges you have faced? In your journal, make a list of your gold! FEMALE ALCHEMISTS OF HISTORY HYPATIA Hypatia was a philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician who lived in Alexandria, Egypt. She is the earliest recorded female mathematician and unfortunately her story doesn't end well. She lived at a time of great conflict between Christians, Jews, and Pagans and because of the nature of what she was teaching she was viewed as a Pagan. Hypatia was an incredibly popular teacher and had many followers and students which seemed to draw more and more hatred and anger from her enemies, in the end she was brutally murdered by a mob of Christians. But she remains a powerful female icon and representation of a sovereign woman dedicated to uncovering life's mysteries. You can watch the story of Hypatia in the film Agora featuring Rachel Weiss as Hypatia. MARY THE PROPHETESS Mary the Prophetess was an Alchemist and Inventor who lived in Egypt and is the first known/recorded Alchemist in history. She is famed for teaching on sacred union - the joining together of feminine and masculine and is quoted as saying: "Join the male and the female, and you will find what is sought." CLEOPATRA THE ALCHEMIST “An old alchemist gave the following consolation to one of his disciples: “No matter how isolated you are and how lonely you feel, if you do your work truly and conscientiously, unknown friends will come and seek you.” ― Carl Jung Gemini GoddessesPolik-mana - BUTTERFLY MAIDEN Polik Mana is a Hopi Spirit Goddess of the Amazon and each year at Spring she is celebrated for pollinating flowers with her dancing and bringing the rain. There is a beautiful section on The Butterfly Woman in the book Women Who Run with the Wolves: "Butterfly Woman mends the erroneous idea that transformation is only for the tortured, the saintly, or only for the fabulously strong. The Self need not carry mountains to transform. A little is enough. A little goes a long way. A little changes much. The fertilizing force replaces the moving of mountains." - Women Who Run with the Wolves ISIS Isis is an ancient Egyptian Goddess of magic, healing, wisdom and the after-life. She is a wonderful Goddess of transition as she is known to help the dead on their journey and journeyed to the after-life herself to resurrect her husband Osiris. Isis is a mother Goddess and was worshipped in Egypt for over 7,000 years. She helps us to step into our power, truth and magic. Sheherazade Sheherazade features in the story One Thousand and One Nights. In the story, Sheherazade had infused herself with knowledge and wisdom and was similar to a high level Bard - knowing hundreds of poems and stories by heart. She is married to a King who at this point is marrying women for one day and then having them beheaded and re-marrying the very next day. When Sheherazade marries the King, he has already killed 1001 women. The king's first wife betrayed him with another man and so this is his plan to avoid being betrayed again. On the night of their wedding, Sheherazade begins to tell the King a story, he is so enthralled by her story he delays her execution till the day after and then the day after that. This goes on for 1001 nights and in the end the King is so in love with Sheherazade that he cancels her execution and she becomes Queen. Sheherazade teaches us the power of stories, wisdom and the arts. Vila Vila is an Eastern European shape shifting Goddess and protectress of nature. The Vile are Slavic nymphs of the earth, sky and waters. They are known to be beautiful but also deadly when crossed. They are associated with nature, dance and healing. Sophia Sophia is the feminine personification of wisdom. The Ancient Greek word Sophia can roughly be translated to skillful, intelligent and wise and the word Philosophia is translated to a love of Wisdom. Sophia helps to awaken our spiritual potential and guides us towards the light. Just like the Gemini twins, her story teaches about uniting the lower self of the psyche with the higher spiritual self. PSYKHE Psykhe is the Greek Goddess of the Soul and Spirit. In the stories, Goddess Aphrodite sets Psykhe a series of almost impossible challenges one of which includes a journey to the underworld. Psykhe triumphs and becomes immortal. Her story, similar to so many stories featuring the underworld, teaches us that we must journey into the shadows in our psyches to purify our souls and attain enlightenment. She is often depicted with Butterfly wings. Follow your whimsyGemini Moon invites us to follow our Whimsy. We find ourselves in between the light and playful seasons of Spring and Summer - the time of the year for honouring joy, wonder and playfulness. As we mentioned earlier, Geminis are often wondering off on mental tangents and have this infectious childlike curiosity and wonder, what would it be like to give yourself permission to follow your whimsy? Think of channeling Alice and Wonderland. “Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland We have put together a playlist to help you connect to the spirit of Gemini and we particularly loved these lyrics by Aurora: "And we become night time dreamers And street walkers, small talkers When we should be daydreamers And moonwalkers and dream talkers" AURORA Here's our Spotify Playlist for New Moon in Gemini CLICK HERE Wondernoun
Gemini is the first of the Air signs and is also only the third sign in the Zodiac which is what gives it this inquisitive energy. Can we practice looking at the world through the eyes of a child? Look around at nature and marvel at the wonder all around you. We can receive so much wisdom and guidance from taking time to slow down and witness the divine in everything. You could set yourself a challenge to write down one thing each day that has filled you with wonder, better yet, share them in a our facebook group! "Wisdom begins in Wonder" - Socrates Communicating with natureGemini is ruled by the planet Mercury, the planet of communication and the mind. Mercury is also the messenger of the Gods, New Moon in Gemini is a wonderful time to check-in with our relationship to listening to our inner guidance and receiving messages from the Divine. Often, when we think about communication, we focus a lot on what we can/can't say. We ask ourselves if we're speaking our truth and being honest and open. But another key aspect of communication is listening. How good are we at listening? Do we listen to other people? Do we listen to ourself? Do we receive messages from our body, the world around us, and our intuition? We can use this period of life in the slow lane to fine tune our listening skills. One of the best ways to do this is to work with nature. There are so many messages, signs and teachings that nature can show us everyday if we just slow down to look and listen. RECOMMENDED READING Here are some books to help you connect to the natural world and be in communication with her: THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES REWILD YOURSELF THE GREEN WITCH THE ILLUSTRATED HERBIARY We LOVE this video and song by Aurora! Journaling Prompts- First of all, make a note of anything from this blog post that particularly spoke to you. - How would you like to connect to the AIR element over the next month? - Do you let yourself follow your whimsy? What would life look like if you let yourself do this? - Looking back on the last 8 years, what have you learned from all your challenges and experiences? - What within you right now is metamorphosing? Do you have a sense of the person you are changing in to? - How good are you at listening? Think about how much you listen to your own inner guidance and intuition. - Which side of the brain is more dominant for you, left or right? - Think of the story of Sheherazade, what knowledge, wisdom and stories would you love to fill yourself up with over the next month? What stories would you tell if you had to use them to save your life? Moon in Gemini intention setting ritualIf you can, collect some dandelion seeds for this ritual. Find a quiet and peaceful place in nature where you won't be disturbed (this can be your garden, or you can simply open a window) and hold your Dandelion seeds in your hands. Bring to mind your new moon intentions and then hold up your seeds to your mouth and whisper your intentions into your seeds. When you've finished and you feel you've imbued your seeds with your wishes, release them out into the air to be carried away by the nature spirits. Gemini Self CareGemini rules the lungs, shoulders, arms and hands so on days when the moon is in Gemini it's really lovely to connect to these parts of the body and take care of them. BREATHE Breathing practices are a wonderful way to connect to the element of Air but also a great way to bring calm and nourishment to our body. Our breath is our life force energy, it's our vitality, it's the very reason we are here! Just sitting for a few minutes and focusing your mind on the breath is incredibly effective for bringing the mind to peace, you can also tune into our theme of wonder and marvel at the mechanism of your body and how it breathes you. It breathes you all through the day and all through the night. Many Buddhist practitioners spend time each morning giving thanks that their breath has kept them alive through the night and they start the day with a deep sense of gratitude. As we focus on our breath in this way, we can also marvel at the connection between our breath and the breath of trees and plants. We draw in our life force energy from trees and they in turn draw theirs from us. We are interconnected! This is particularly comforting if we are in a time of isolation to remember that the world around you is sustaining you and you in turn are sustaining nature! MANTRA Reciting mantras out loud actually blesses the air in our environment as well as internally blessing our energy channels (nadis). Mantras are a wonderful way to practice devotion to a Deity or to make prayers and wishes for others. AROMATHERAPY Aromatherapy is another wonderful way to connect to the air element and infuse our home and environment with positivity and clarity. Essential oils that resonate really well with Gemini are the top notes such as Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Basil and Ravensara. You could use oils that resonate with the third eye and crown chakra such as lavender, sandalwood and frankincense. NOURISH YOUR MIND
Perhaps this month we could swap out time we normally spend watching netflix or scrolling on our phones and nourish our mind with books. Do you have a pile of books waiting to be explored? Why not join our online book club, we're just about to start a new book. For details click here. We really hope you've enjoyed our New Moon blog. We are gathering tomorrow night for our Gemini moon sister circle, if you'd like to join us please email [email protected] for more information. New Moon blessings to you all x Happy full moon dearest moonbeams! May's full moon goes by a few different names - the flower moon, the hare moon, the corn planting moon and the milk moon. We are connecting to it as the Hare Moon as we're still bathing in the energy of Beltane and the celebration of spring at it's fullest. The hare is a sacred symbol in celtic mythology with strong links to shapeshifting lunar goddesses and the Otherworld which is perfect for this Scorpio full moon. So, grab yourself a cuppa and snuggle up as we take you into the Wild Magic of this Super Full Moon. First of all, let's look at the astrology: Key words/themes associated with Scorpio are: transformation, passion, death, karma, emotions, intuition, magic, regeneration, rebirth, sovereignty, the witch, the dark goddess, the liminal. The sun is in the sign of Taurus and the moon is in it's opposite sign of Scorpio, as with every full moon, we use these seemingly opposing forces to help us shine the light of the full moon on our inner darkness and move forward with clarity and balance. Taurus is associated with the season of Beltane and Scorpio is associated with the season of Samhain - both of these times of year are associated with magic and the otherworld but they have very different energies. Beltane is about Spring, fertility, joy and celebration and Samhain is about death, journeying to the underworld and Autumn. Taurus as an earth sign invites us to be present, grounded and sensual, Scorpio as a water sign invites us to dive down into the shadows of our psyche and 'do the work'. Scorpios have an almost disdain for the mundane, the shallow and the ordinary and like to spend a lot of their time in quiet, deep contemplation on the how's and why's of the world and are also unafraid to confront topics such as death and dying. Scorpio has two ruling planets, Mars and Pluto. Mars brings the energies of sexuality, action and primal passions and Pluto has this connection to the underworld and therefore the cycles of death and rebirth and the parts of ourself that are unseen, hidden and secret. Scorpio is very much about making the unconscious, conscious. We have Scorpio, a water sign associated with the underworld and Taurus an earth sign associated with the earthly and material world. These signs appear to contradict each other but they actually invite us to establish balance between these two aspects of ourselves. We can check-in with where we dwell most often. Are we always off exploring the dark mysteries of the world, brooding, deep in thought but perhaps a little aloof? Or are we distracted by the trappings of the material world and do we shy away from thinking about the darker concepts of life? Balance between the Scorpio and Taurean energy would be this idea of being in the world but not of this world, the ability to stay connected to the truth of life - the cycles of life, death and rebirth whilst being grounded and present with our self and the people around us. There would be this peaceful, contented energy of enjoying the things of this life whilst having the ability to let them go when the time is right. "He who binds to himself a joy, Does the winged life destroy, But he who kisses the joy as it flies Lives in eternity's sun rise." - William Blake One of the best ways to harmonize these two energies is to look to nature! Being in constant communication with nature teaches us how to both enjoy the sensuality of flowers in full bloom whilst also not shy away from death and decay. Tuning into the cyclical nature of life teaches us to see the beauty in each moment. We absolutely love this short Botanical animation for capturing this beauty! (see above). Waking the WitchThe archetype of the Witch is often associated with the sign of Scorpio, Scorpio season takes place later in the year at Samhain (Halloween), a time of year for connecting to death, rebirth and magic! The archetype of the Witch still remains so misunderstood and misrepresented, so this Scorpio full moon, we invite you to explore this archetype in your own heart. Is your inner Witch waking up? Many people believe that the disconnection to nature's healing rhythms was severed with the persecution of the Witch. So much wisdom and common sense was lost when we lost the Witches of this world or forced them into hiding. The persecution of women as witches is a deep collective wound that we as sisters need to heal together. It's really important to unpack the word witch, it is often associated with the stereotypical image of a hag with warts who is bitter and throws curses on her enemies. Witches are often the bad guy in stories and in the time of the witch trials were to blame for failing crops, death and illnesses in the villages and even for things like bad dreams. When we delve into history and look beyond the patriarchal manipulation of this caricature we find that a witch would have been the woman in the village who held the knowledge of the seasons and wisdom of the moon, her magic would have been the blending of herb and root to heal ailments, she would have been the midwife, the storyteller and the oracle and she would have held people's love and respect. Witches were feared because they were women that knew they had everything they needed within themselves to be well and to be happy, they could commune with the divine with no need of a medium and could help others to do the same, because of this they were a threat and one that needed to be dealt with. During the witch-hunts of early modern Europe, tens of thousands of people were put on trial, tortured and executed as witches, three quarters of whom were women. The word Witch carries pain, misunderstanding and fear and requires a lot of healing in the collective psyche of both men and women. Excitingly, we now find ourselves in a time of people reclaiming their wild magic! Men and women throughout the world are reclaiming their wildish natures and re-learning how to honour and live with the cycles of the seasons and the rhythms of the moon. The wild is rising! Here are a few of our favourite books for connecting to and reclaiming the Witch: THE FAMILIARS by STACEY HALLS THE GREEN WITCH by Arin Murphy-Hiscock THE RULES OF MAGIC by ALICE HOFFMAN THE WILD FOLK by SYLVIA V LINSTEADT WAKING THE WITCH by PAM GROSSMAN THE WITCH by RONALD HUTTON Blood MagicScorpio rules the sexual organs, urinary tract, hips, pelvis and sacrum and it's element is water. Scorpio moon is a wonderful time to reflect on your relationship to your cycle . If you're still bleeding some guiding questions to sit with are: How do you view your blood? Do you view it as primal magic? Or are you ashamed of it? Are you aware of your cycle or each month is it still something that takes you by surprise? Do you put expectations on yourself to be the same throughout the month or do you honour your internal rhythms with rest and self care? Perhaps you could start a cycle tracker journal. We absolutely love the work of Melanie Swan over at the sacred womb - she has a podcast dedicated to all things womb and has some wonderful free resources as well as running courses to help you reclaim your cycle and your magic. It's absolutely magical that the cycles of a woman's body so beautifully match the cycles of the moon and the seasons. There is so much we can learn from this constant flow of life, death and rebirth. Womb Breathing Womb breathing is such a simple and yet beautiful way to connect to yourself and to feel grounded and at peace. Find somewhere to sit where you can be comfortable and undisturbed. Place your hands either on your womb or you can take Yoni Mudra and rest your thumbs on your womb. Close your eyes and begin to focus on your breath. As you breathe, begin to take your breath all the way down to the bowl of your pelvis. You could even imagine your pelvis like a witch's cauldron as per Sally Lister's description above or focus on the vibrant orange colour of the sacral chakra. With every breath, feel a warmth and a spaciousness being created. Stay as long as you like with this practice. Scorpio GoddessesOne thing many of these Goddesses share in common is that they are misunderstood and misrepresented - their herstories have been changed and manipulated to perpetuate a Patriarchal narrative. You could associate most of these Goddesses with the archetype of the Enchantress which is the archetype between the Mother and the Crone that so often gets missed out - it's also associated with the Witch and the Medicine woman. The Enchantress phase in a woman's life is often referred to as her second maidenhood, it's a woman who is fully stepping into her power through the culmination of all her life experience after her time of being a mother (that might be a mother to actual children or a mother to her work, her projects etc) - and she is once again sovereign. It is the pre-menstruation part of our female cycle, that part where we are so deeply connected to our intuition and magic and it's so interesting to look at the narratives surrounding these parts of our both our life cycle and monthly cycle. What does society teach us about the enchantress? She's either a crazy witch who meddles in the happiness of others and is ruled by her bitterness and anger or she's not there at all and we skip from Mother straight to Crone. There are so many women in their Enchantress phase who are locked out of their power because they are viewing themselves as a crone before their time. Women during the premenstrual phase of their cycle and during Menopause are deeply shamed for their 'unstable' emotions and many women are taught to distrust their feelings during both of these times. Another way of looking at this is that the Dark Goddess is revealing all that is not true, all that needs to die, all that needs to be stripped away in order for the fullest most potent version of to step forward. Moon in Scorpio teaches us to embrace our Enchantress. The part of our self that uses our emotions as a tool for divination, the part of us that won't stand for falsehoods and mistruths and would rather be in the company of herself rather than the company of the fake. It's time to embrace your too much woman! It's time to tell a different story about these Goddesses and about our self! LILITH Is there a Goddess more Vilified than Lilith? - Adam's first wife who refused to submit to his will and was therefore cast out. Even to this day Lilith is depicted in many stories and TV shows as en evil temptress who brings nothing but destruction. Lilith helps us reclaim our wild and call back all the parts of ourselves that we have buried or hidden out of shame. She teaches us that NO is a complete sentence. "Like the screech owl for whom Lilith is named, Her screech cannot be silenced. She is all women who have been subjugated, humiliated, and cast out from male-defined society. Her rage is the rage of women who have realized that our natural women’s sexuality has been made dirty by men who fear the power of it and the power of free women." - Motherhouse of the Goddess HEKATE Hekate is an ancient Goddess associated with the Dark Moon, the liminal, witchcraft and magic and is often called The Queen of Witches. She guides Persephone on her journey through the underworld and so we can turn to her on our own journey of transformation. KALI Kali is the hindu goddess of death, karma and transformation. If you're having trouble breaking free from certain Karmic patterns and habits, want to move forward but keep clinging on to the past then Kali can help you with her powerful fire of transformation. She has a wrathful appearance showing that she helps us to conquer our inner demons and fears. Beware when calling upon Kali, she is the great mother and will give us what we need in order to transcend but it won't necessarily be what we want. CERIDWEN Ceridwen is another goddess of transformation, her name comes from the celtic word 'Cerru', meaning cauldron. She is a shapeshifting Welsh Goddess associated with creativity, power, the moon and magic. You can read the story of Ceridwen here. MORGAN LE FAYE What do we think of when we think of Morgan Le Faye? Dark witch who tried to kill King Arthur? Evil temptress? Bitter woman? Look closer and we once again find that her story was changed. Morgan Le Faye was a Druid Priestess, a healer and Medicine Woman who was more than likely protecting her people and her land. There are some wonderful books written about Morgan Le Faye in this different light such as The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradle. MARY MAGDALENE Again, one of the most misrepresented women in history! Mary Magdalene was a High Priestess and teacher who taught at the side of Jesus. Her story has been changed from a woman who was the most trusted of Jesus' disciples to being a prostitute who he took pity on. Many women today are drawn to Mary Magdalene's energy and discovering her truth for themselves. She teaches us the power of enduring love and being committed to your path no matter what other people think about you. Express YourselfScorpio Moon often brings secrets and truths to the surface to be dealt with, cleansed and released. Honesty and communication was also a theme we explored during the New Moon in Taurus. Ask yourself if you're being honest with yourself and those around you? Are there words you long to say but are holding back for some reason? Mantra can be a wonderful tool to help open up the throat chakra. With Scorpio ruling the Sacral Chakra and Taurus ruling the throat, it's also time to have a look at our creativity which is associated with both of these chakras. Again, ask yourself if you are holding yourself back in anyway? What are your creative dreams and wishes? Journal about them, create vision boards and fill yourself up with inspiration and encouragement. If you want to dance, dance if you want to paint, paint, whatever it is that your soul is calling you to do, can you get out of your own way and express yourself fully. Who would you be if you let yourself shine? Journaling Prompts- How can you continue to wake the witch within you? - Who would you be if you stepped into your power? - Do you feel yourself dimming your light in order to fit into society's patriarchal structure? - How can you regularly connect to the magic of nature? Do you work with the moon? Do you work with plants? Or tarot? - Which of the Scorpio Goddesses spoke to you? - What is your relationship to your own internal cycles? - What is your relationship to transformation? Do you enjoy reinventing yourself or do you resist and struggle against changes in your life? - What are you longing to express? - What is your magic? And how can you share this with the world? - Check back on your New Moon intentions and ask yourself how you could embody those intentions on this full moon. For example, if your intention was to allow yourself to experience more pleasure, what could you do on this full moon to experience pleasure? Remember that full moons are the time to birth our dreams and intentions. Scorpio AromatherapyAs mentioned above, the chakra associated with Scorpio is the Sacral Chakra. Aromatherapy can be a wonderful way to balance this chakra:
Sacral Chakra Aromatherapy Blend This warming, spicy and soothing blend would be lovely rubbed into the lower back and lower belly (not suitable in pregnancy or whilst breast feeding) Choose 25ml of base oil 1 drop Sweet Marjoram 1 drop Jasmine 2 drops Ginger 3 drops Mandarin 2 drops Ylang Ylang Scorpio Diffuser Blend Cypress, Pine and Sage pure essential oils. Cypress is associated with Pluto, PIne with Mars and Sage with Samhain. This combination of oils is a great energetic clearer, perfect before or after ritual or spell work! Scorpio Full Moon Bath Using salts to cleanse is especially important during Beltane season when the veil between worlds is at it's thinnest. Here is a cleansing full moon ritual bath recipe to help you cleanse your energy: Epsom salts Dead Sea Salts Dried Rosemary Dried rose petals 1 drop Juniper Essential oil 1 drop Rosemary essential oil 2 drops Orange essential We hope you have enjoyed this blog, remember that both the energies of Taurus season and this Scorpio Full Moon are guiding us to embrace our WIld selves, reclaim pleasure as our birth right and give less F***s! Full Moon blessings dear ones xx Dearest moonbeams, the Wheel of the Year is turning once again and this week we welcome in the festival of Beltain. Beltain, also called Beltane, Bealtaine and Beltine is one of the cross quarter festivals of the wheel of the year along with Imbolc, Lammas and Samhain. Beltain is celebrated on the eve of the 30th of April over into the following day, May 1st (May Day). It's one of the four fire festivals of the wheel of the year and is a celebration of spring at its fullest and also the beginning of summer. It's a time to celebrate the abundance of mother nature that is so apparent at this time of year and re-establish our connection to Gaia as we enter into these lighter, warmer days. This couldn't more relevant during times such as these when are being given a chance to slow down and re-forge our connection to nature. As the human world stays indoors, the Wild World is rising once again...can you feel it? Mother Earth is healing and we are remembering what it means to be in co-creation with her. Bel is also the name of the Sun God associated with this time of year and Beltain is a celebration of the union and sacred marriage of the Sun God Bel with the Mother Goddess Danu. This union is what makes this a fertility festival and a time to celebrate sex, love, abundance and the balance of the sacred masculine and sacred feminine. This union of masculine and feminine was represented by the May pole, red and white ribbon was tied around a pole as people danced around the May pole. It was a time of joy and merriment and it was traditionally a time for handfastings -pagan wedding ceremonies. It's a time of year where communities would have come together in celebration, this year however, we will have to find new ways to honour the spirit of this festival and we hope to share some of those with you here. What is blossoming in you?In terms of working with goals, ideas and dreams, now is the time to fertilise your intentions and joyfully go about bringing your dreams to fruition. Look back at the intentions you set at the start of this year and see if you can get a sense of what's blossoming right now? Is your hard work paying off? What needs extra attention and nurturing to help it bloom and grow? And maybe there are things that need to be released (see below for fire ritual). Beltain combined with the recent new moon in Taurus is a time to focus on abundance and working on blockages we might have in relation to our self worth. In your journal write down all the things that you can feel an abundance of at the moment, you might even like to do this as an illustration of blossoms and flowers in bloom with your words written inside. Allow this journaling practice to fill you with a deep sense of gratitude. If you find it hard to get going, look to nature first for she is putting on a show at the moment. Birdsong is at it's loudest at this time of year and all of mother earth's energy is devoted to growth at this time, all of life is bursting with potential. Goddesses of BeltainDANU Danu is an ancient mother Goddess referred to as the Great Mother of Ireland. She is the mother of the Tuatha De Danann, a magical race of people that brought magic and wisdom to Ireland. She represents wisdom, abundance and life in flow as she is also guardian of the rivers and waters of Ireland. Danu is also associated with the archetype of the High Priestess and so invites us to step into our power and sovereignty and bloom like the Spring flowers. MAIA Maia is a Greek Goddess and gives her name to the month of May. She is one of the seven sisters of the Pleiades - the seven daughters of titan Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione. Maia is the eldest of the Nymph sisters, who were also companions to the goddess Artemis. Nymphs are nature spirits that look after the environments in which they dwell with their gentle and divine energy. The seven Nymph sisters were believed to have transcended into the sky, transforming in to the Pleiades star cluster. Step outside at night and look to the night sky, see if you can see the Pleiades and connect to the gentle and loving energy of Maia. FAUNA Fauna is a Goddess of Wild places, animals and sexuality. She represents the archetype of the Wild Woman - untamed and unapologetic. Call on Fauna's blessings to help you rewild yourself and reclaim your connection to your own wild feminine and sacred sexuality. FRIGG Frigg is a Norse Goddess of motherhood, fertility and the home. She is Odin's wife and her name translates to Beloved. Call on Frigg to bless your home and the seeds of your intentions. QUEEN MAEVE Queen Maeve is a sovereign Earth Goddess who represents sexual empowerment, independance, passion and power. She is a warrior Queen of Ireland with the reputation of being intoxicating, forceful and decisive. Do you need some of this Warrior Queen energy in your life at the moment? ELEN OF THE WAYS Elen of the Ways goes by many other names - The Green Lady, The Deer Goddess, The Horned Goddess and in her Crone aspect she is also called the Caillech. She is an ancient Celtic Goddess associated with Shamanism. It is said that she is a guide during times of change and also a guide during our dream space. If you are finding it hard to see the path laid out before you, call on Elen of the Ways to help you find your way. MOTHER MARY The month of May is sacred to Mother Mary and she is often referred to as the Queen of May. Mother Mary represents unconditional love and healing. She can soothe our sorrows and comfort our fears. The FaeSamhain marks the beginning of Winter, Beltain marks the beginning of Summer and just like with Samhain, this is another time of year when the veil between worlds is at it's thinnest. During Samhain, the thinning of the veil helps us to connect to the dead and our ancestors, at Beltain it's a chance to connect to the magic of the Fae and the elemental beings. Going back to our theme of rewilding and re-forging our connection and relationship to mother earth, this is a wonderful time of year to pledge ourselves as guardians of nature. In your journal, write down a list of the ways that you would like to be a guardian of nature. Maybe you'll make a promise to always pick up litter when you're out on your walk. Or to try harder to reduce, reuse and recycle. You might even like to make your pledges aloud, as if speaking to the Fae folk, they will be delighted with you! As with Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's dream, this is also a time of year for mischief and the Fae have been known to cause a fair bit of mischief on the eve of Beltain. Mischief in this way can help us to keep a sense of humour and not take ourselves quite so seriously. If you notice things are out of place or not going quite according to plan can you treat it as a message from the Fae that you might need to lighten up. Beltain RitualsFlower Maiden BathRemember, we are in Taurus season and this season is all about self love and sensuality. Give yourself a treat for the senses by making yourself a ritual flower bath. Fill your bath with flower petals and arrange crystals and candles around your bathroom. Citrine is beautiful for working with abundance and Rose quartz for tuning into love and sensuality. Then add in your flower maiden bath elixir: Add the following essential oils to a small dish of milk Geranium 2 drops Jasmine 1 drop Ylang Ylang 1 drop Rose 1 drop Patchouli 1 drop Mix in well with the option to also mix in honey and oats. Oats and honey are incredibly healing and soothing for the skin and the milk will help to bind the essential oils. Please don't add essential oils to the water without something to bind them with. Why not soak in the tub with a book on fairytales or folklore to connect even further to the magic of this time. Create a Beltain AltarTuning into the turning of the seasons by creating altars within the home is such a lovely practice. You can create a simple Beltain altar by gathering flowers and other objects that represent this time of year. You might like to use or make a flower crown to go in the centre of your altar and decorate with crystals, candles and ribbons. You might like to create an Altar in honour of one of the Beltain Goddesses using objects and images that are sacred to that Goddess. You could also decorate branches or twigs with ribbons to represent the blessed Oak Tree or World Tree that our ancestors would have gathered round. As you tie the ribbons onto the branches, make a wish, this is a lovely ritual to do with children. Beltain Fire RitualThe word 'Bel' means 'Bright one' and Beltain signifies the start of the light half of the year. In ancient times, the old fires were put out and new fires were lit to signify the start of this new bright time. Beacons were lit all along the country and bonfires were set on the eve of Beltain to be danced around all night till the following morning. The element of Fire along with the Sun himself were honoured and revered.
Fire is such a purifying force and as we are celebrating this shift in to the lighter half of the year now is a good time to leave behind all that no longer serves us, in particular, ways of thinking that prevent us from having an abundance mindset. Here's a simple Fire Ritual that you can do using a Candle or a small fire pit/wood burning stove depending on what you have access to. Write down a list of self limiting beliefs or scarcity mindset habits that you can identify within yourself. Ask yourself - do you find yourself often worrying about having enough? Do you get jealous/competitive with others? Are you generous of spirit and with your resources? These questions should help you to identify whether you're operating from a place of fear and lack. When you've created your list, burn it and with this act of burning, release all your old fears, old stories and self limiting beliefs. We really hope you enjoy our blog. We are just working on our Beltain edition of our online Zine where we can share even more ways to connect this magical time of year. You are also invited to sit in ceremony and celebration with us this Friday to honour Beltain. We are hosting a FREE online Beltain ceremony and Meditation via Zoom at 7:00pm(gmt) - if you would like to join us please email [email protected] and we'll send you the Zoom link. Blessings to you all xx Dear ones, happy new moon in Taurus! We are now arriving in the second sign of the Zodiac calendar. The first 6 signs of the Zodiac are all about the self and then the second half of the zodiac is all about our relationship to others and the world. Aries carries that energy of the new born child, curious and inquisitive about everything and fired up by passion. Taurus now helps us to ground that Aries energy by inviting us to slow down and connect to it's element of Earth. Aries initiated the season of Spring and now Taurus holds it. Taurus is a fixed sign, giving it it's notorious reputation for being stubborn but the flip side of that is they are incredibly loyal and reliable. Taurus is a very loving sign, ruled by the planet venus, with a deep connection to mother earth it gives us permission to enjoy the abundance of nature's gifts. Taking a look around at this time of year you can really tune into Taurus' theme of abundance, all of mother earth's energy right now is channeled into new growth. The world appears to be covered in blossoms of soft pink and pale yellows, a gust of wind rustles through the trees and we can watch the blossom dance on the wind and reveal branches now lit up with fresh green leaves. It feels like everyday in the garden there's something new that's appeared, a new bud, a new bloom or a new wildlife visitor. Butterflies begin to make an appearance and we can once again hear the delightful buzz of the bumblebee. With the festival of Beltaine just around the corner, now is the time to really re-awaken our connection to nature and all it's gifts. TAURUS THEMES Love, beauty, abundance, gratitude, sensuality, sexuality, re-wilding, grouding, pleasure, being present, blossoming, expression, creativity, truth, honesty, loyalty. Taurus rules the throat and neck and one of the struggles that Taureans face is either an overactive or underactive throat chakra. An overactive throat chakra can lead to that Bull in a china shop effect of speaking our truth in an overpowering and overbearing way, an underactive throat chakra can mean that we rarely ask for what we want or are honest about our needs and wishes. Lets relate this to our theme of love and ask ourselves, when my needs aren't being met - how good am I at asking for what I need? Being able to vocalise our needs and wants is such an empowering act of self love, it is saying to ourselves and the world that we deserve to be loved and respected. The way that we love ourselves teaches others how to love us. We can also spend some time thinking about the inner dialogue that we have with ourselves. What kind of conversations are we having with ourselves on a regular basis? If we were to read aloud the kinds of things we said to our self would we be shocked? If someone else were to speak these things to us how would it make us feel? Would we tolerate such words? The other interesting theme to look at during Taurus season is working out what your love language is and is this in harmony with those closest to you? For example, your love language might be physical affection but your partner's might be that they love you by doing practical things. Sometimes, when our love language is not being reciprocated in the same way we can feel unloved or unwanted when all we need to do is recognise the other person's way of expressing love. Learn to ask for what you need if your needs aren't being met. Communication, truth and honesty are key themes for New Moon in Taurus. How are we being present and honest in our relationships with others? We can check-in with our own stubborn tendencies and notice if they're getting in the way of harmony in our relationships. The combination of Taurus being a feminine earth sign and it being ruled by Venus which represents the Divine Feminine, we have an opportunity to look at our self love, self worth and learn to experience life through all our senses. We can ask ourselves in what ways do we deny ourselves the pleasures of this life? And what are the reasons for this? Do we feel undeserving? Do we feel shame in relation to pleasure? As we looked at during the full moon in Libra, we as women are so often shamed for seeking and experiencing pleasure. It is time we reclaimed pleasure as an expression of the Divine. "You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love." - Buddha Spend some time with your body. Perhaps lying down on the earth itself or in your room. Slow down your breathing and start to listen to your body. Has your body been speaking to you and you haven't been listening? Be present and listen. What messages does your body have for you? What does your body want to do? Does she want to sing? Does she want to paint? Does she want to dance? Does she want to sob? Does she want to stand barefoot on the earth and howl at the sky? Can you honour her wishes? What does it feel like when you act on these wild urges of your soul? What does it feel like when you supress them? “And then there are the cravings.. Oh, la! A woman may crave to be near water, or be belly down, her face in the earth, smelling the wild smell. She might have to drive into the wind. She may have to plant something, pull things out of the ground or put them into the ground. She may have to knead and bake, rapt in dough up to her elbows. She may have to trek into the hills, leaping from rock to rock trying out her voice against the mountain. She may need hours of starry nights where the stars are like face powder spilt on a black marble floor. She may feel she will die if she doesn’t dance naked in a thunderstorm, sit in perfect silence, return home ink-stained, paint-stained, tear-stained, moon-stained.” - Clarissa Pinkola Estés Re-WildingWe find ourselves in a situation where the hustle and bustle of busy modern life has gone, roads are quieter, shopping has changed from an act of pleasure to a practicality and societal structures of timetables and commuting to work are dissolving - we have an opportunity to turn our attention once again to the wild, the wild within us and the wild around us. When something feels precious we savour it, we cherish it and protect it. A walk that we may have taken a hundred times before, now feels sacred as it's that one precious bit of time each day where we can go out - perhaps we've already noticed how much more present we are on our walks now. Have we noticed things we've never noticed before? Do we savour each smile and friendly hello from strangers because it now too feels like a precious moment of connection and interaction whereas maybe previously we didn't even notice them? Too caught up in our thoughts, or maybe even on our phone? A lovely practice to integrate into this time is to create a nature journal, each time you go for a walk, even if it's the same walk, the same route each time, can you pay attention to the tiny details of each day? You'll start to notice that each day is different, each plant has changed, the weather is different, you yourself are different. Gather things from your walk and stick them in your journal, or maybe even sketch or paint the things you've seen on your walk when you get home. Allow nature to move through you, to touch all the corners of your wild soul and awaken a part of you that has been dorment. Allow this connection to the wild to bathe you in a feeling of gratitude. “We’re not just losing the wild world. We’re forgetting it. We’re no longer noticing it. We’ve lost the habit of looking and seeing and listening and hearing. We’re beginning to think it’s not really our business. We’re beginning to act as if it’s not there any more.” - Simon Barnes, Rewild Yourself Journaling prompts- Write down the word SENSUAL in your journal and spend some time sitting with that word. How does it make you feel? Does it make you feel uncomfortable? Inspired? Alive? Create a word map around this word, trying not to overthink it. - After your word map, ask yourself, when do you feel sensual? What experiences in life are sensual? Could everything be sensual? Is there any shame around this word? If so, can you trace back where that shame has come from? - How could you be in your body more? - What is your relationship to your body? How could you begin to view your body as an expression of the divine feminine? - Do you ask yourself how does it look more often than you ask how does it feel? - What in you right now is longing to be expressed? - What truths are you holding back from speaking? - Write down the word WILD and like we did with the word Sensual - spend some time sitting with that word. How does it make you feel? Does it make you feel uncomfortable? Inspired? Alive? Create a word map around this word, trying not to overthink it. you might also like to create a vision board based around this word. Self Care Rituals for TaurusTaurus invites us to be fully in our bodies and awaken all our senses. It's an incredibly sensual and affectionate sign. How can you be in your body more? Dance, move, give yourself a massage, run an aromatherapy bath, go for a walk, place your bare feet on the ground and get present. Here is an Earth playlist for you if you just want to move and dance intuitively: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1oh7XDuUojwFl19xH7FIFt?si=xd3N2jFdSh-RTFfvf27VDw AROMATHERAPY FOR TAURUS With all that is going on right now and being bombarded with so much information it's so important to have time where we're moving from head to heart, where we can feel present and grounded and connected. Use this combination of essential oils either in a diffuser, a body oil or in the bath to help you come back into your body, drop into your heart and connect to mother earth: Sandalwood Cedarwood Ylang Ylang Jasmine Sweet orange INDULGE THE SENSES BODY OIL Taureans love to experience life to it's fullest, they love to stop and smell the roses. This body oil is a real indulgence of the senses. 25ml of base oil of your choice Jasmine 2 drops Ylang Ylang 3 drops Rose 1 drop Vanilla 2 drops Sandalwood 2 drops Add dried rose petals for extra magic BE CREATIVE
As we've mentioned, Taurus loves to experience life through the senses and is associated with the throat chakra which is all about creative expression. What creative projects could you do that are tactile or more embodied? Perhaps you could play with clay or salt dough, there are lots of great recipes online for creating your own modeling clay. Maybe your soul wants you to have your hands in the earth, planting seeds and creating a joyful garden. Maybe you'd like to learn chanting or drumming? There are so many people offering free events online at the moment like ecstatic dance or drumming circles. Now is the time to open yourself up to new experiences. We really hope you've enjoyed this blog post, wishing you a blessed New Moon in Taurus. Those of you joining us tonight for our online sister circle, we can't wait! Dear ones, we are heading into a powerful, super full moon in Libra this Wednesday. We have already had an intense few days over the weekend, with the Jupiter and Pluto conjunction on Saturday night, creating a powerful portal for change and the cleansing of certain Karmic patterns to do with oppression and fear. We find ourselves at the start of a new month and are officially welcoming in the season of Spring as we continue to see more and more signs of nature returning, green shoots and buds bursting forth signalling new beginnings and hope, days are lengthening and the sound of birdsong grows louder with each day. Yet, as per our previous blog, we continue to stay in lockdown as the Coronavirus continues to take hold of our planet. Now more than ever, is a time to come together as one, united by our experiences and hopes for a better future, and this is what this Full Moon is all about. For this full moon we will have the sun in the fire sign of Aries and the moon in the air sign of Libra. If Aries is all about our relationship to self, then Libra is all about balancing this by looking at our relationships with others. It's about balancing our own needs with the needs of others, and learning to give and receive in equal measure. Libras are always seeking for balance and harmony and are the peacekeepers of the Zodiac. This can sometimes be at personal cost as they often put their own needs and wishes at the bottom of the list and can get into the habit of denying themselves pleasure. This full moon teaches us how to balance the fierce, independent and self assured energy of Aries with Libra's wish for peace and harmony with others. It's an opportunity for us to see how much of our energy is spent people pleasing - you may need some more Aries devil may care attitude, or if you spend too much energy caught up in yourself - add in some of Libra's air qualities of connection, harmony and communication. Libra teaches us that we are all interconnected in a web of humanity, everything we do affects others and the actions of others also have an effect on us, this is being illuminated not just by the glow of the full moon but also by our current situation. Now more than ever we can see the impact that our actions have on the rest of the world, just by staying at home, we can protect people from getting sick and in some cases dying. Choosing to post positive things on social media might help someone take their first smile that day and feel a sense of comfort and relief whereby choosing to constantly post negativity might trigger someone to have an anxiety attack or to be living in a state of paranoia. Libra invites us to ask ourselves - how are my actions affecting others? During the New Moon in Aries, we looked at our Solar Plexus Chakra and the theme of empowerment - we asked ourselves whether we felt disempowered, empowered or whether we were being overpowering. How could we start to balance this solar plexus work with the heart chakra associated with Libra? How can we stay connected to our core truths and values whilst at the same time be open and loving? Can you notice any patterns whereby you might move away from your own values and beliefs in order to give to others? How does it feel when you do that? Does it leave you feeling energised or depleted? Likewise, can you notice any patterns of stubbornly holding onto our beliefs and values whilst moving away from the heart space? How does that feel? How does that affect our relationships? Again, what we are looking for here is balance. The ability to see things through the eyes of others whilst at the same time remaining true to ourselves. The ability to give love whilst having the self love and self respect to receive love when it's being offered. KEY THEMES FOR LIBRA: Love, Beauty, Fairness, Equality, Harmony, Peace, Partnerships, Communication Full Moon JournalingThe full moon is the peak of the cycle, think of it like the season of Summer and what comes after the full moon is the waning energy similar to Autumn, a time to release and let go. We teach working with the lunar cycle a little differently, we wait until the waning moon to do all our releasing and forgiving practices and instead use the full moon to embody your new moon intentions. It's a time to enjoy the fruits of your labour, much like in Summer and it's a time to use the full moon energy in a way that suits you. Most people are affected by the full moon by not being able to sleep, having excess or slightly agitated energy so it's nice to dance, shake it off, do yoga, write, create, paint or connect with friends. It's also a time to shine light on your experiences of the last two weeks and reflect on what you've learned, what needs to continue forward and what needs to change? It's also a time to shine lunar light on your shadows and work with the opposing signs to help you get clarity. Here are some journaling prompts to work with: - One of Libras key themes is BALANCE - do you feel in balance at the moment? What would make you feel more balanced? - Another key theme for Libra is HARMONY - this was also a theme for the Aries New Moon when we looked at our Solar Plexus. Do you feel in Harmony at the moment? Do you feel in harmony with yourself and do you feel in harmony with others? - What is your relationship to pleasure at the moment? Do you feel guilty about enjoying yourself? - Place your hands on your heart, take a few deep breaths and ask yourself how your heart feels today? Do you feel open or closed hearted? - What are your fears at the moment? Where in your body do you feel these fears? - Are your needs being met in regards to your relationships? - Write a list of things that bring you pleasure and joy? What makes your heart sing? Venus RisingLibra's ruling planet is Venus, the planet of Love, Beauty, Abundance and Pleasure. There is a lot of shame wrapped up in women experiencing pleasure and enjoyment. Do you always feel like you have to justify yourself when you do something that is just for the sheer joy of it? Do you find yourself saying things like "I've worked so hard this week I deserve this long soak in the tub."? When you finally have some time off, do you feel guilty and so instead of doing the things you actually want to do you end up doing things that feel useful or productive? These themes might be playing out even more in our current situation as we are being forced to slow down and stay in, we might long to sit and read for a few hours, or just sit and be in the garden but this little voice demanding that we be productive all the time is there gnawing away in the background. That constant need to be productive is a masculine quality and needs to be balanced out. In the book Rise Sister Rise by Rebecca Campbell, she talks about the shift she made from corporate life to working for herself and how before she knew it, she had got caught up in that masculine approach to working. She talks about the difference between working from a place of pressure or pleasure: "When you make pleasure your driving force, the doing is a joy and the outcome is irrelevant. When you make pressure your driving force, the doing is a stress and the outcome is always changing. It is irrelevant what you are doing, what is relevant is the undercurrent of emotion that is driving it. You can change your entire life, but if you don't update the system nothing will really change." - Rise Sister Rise Do you operate from a place of pressure or pleasure? Think deeply about the driving force behind your actions. Connecting to the Goddesses Venus and Aphrodite will help you to tune into these divine feminine energies of pleasure and the understanding that pleasure, joy and love are you birthright not just treats that are released after a certain amount of productivity. When we allow ourselves to let go and enjoy ourselves, we arrive in a place of happiness and contentment, we are then more open to loving others and receiving their love in turn. We live in a state of flow, ease and grace. When we deny ourselves love, happiness and pleasure it's then so easy to begrudge others who seem to be enjoying themselves, our mind can then be overtaken with jealousy and bitterness. This repression can then cause problems with our ability to create as our relationship to pleasure is linked to our Sacral Chakra and therefore our womb space. "The womb is not a place to store fear and pain. The womb is a place to create and give birth to life." - Rebecca Campbell Libra Self CareLibra rules the lower back, hips, kidneys and bladder so be gentle on these parts of the body as the moon journeys through Libra. Drink plenty of water and lay off the caffeine. Using springtime herbs such as nettle and Dandelion can help to gently cleanse the kidneys but its important you drink plenty of water at the same time. A yoga practice to help release the lower back and hips will not only aid in any muscular tension in these areas but will also help to release old emotions that have been stored here - perfect for the full moon when emotions are heightened and brought to the surface. You could also work with crystals to support and balance the Sacral chakra such as Carnelian and red jasper as well as working with crystals to support the heart chakra such as rose quartz, emerald and green aventurine. Tune into Libra's balancing and harmonizing energies with essential oils of Geranium - for balance, Bergamot - for harmony and Rose - for love. These are beautiful together and make a gorgeous bath recipe or body oil. Rose is often the symbol for both Venus and the Divine Feminine so why not treat yourself to a bunch of roses to decorate the home. Rose Moon WaterOn the night of the full moon grab a bowl or a glass to place your moon water in. Pour in some water (filtered if you can) and place in some rose quartz crystals and some rose petals and 1 drop of rose essential oil. Leave under the full moonlight overnight. In the morning, remove the crystals and rose petals and pour your moon infused water into a spray bottle and add a little bit of alcohol or rose toner to the bottle (this will just help to preserve it). Mist yourself with the your rose moon water whenever you need to re-connect to your heart. Store in a cool, dark environment. You could also add in flower essences to this mist also and any additional essential oils that you feel called to use.
Full moon blessings to you all dear sisters! Don't forget you can join us for our live Full Moon Circle via Zoom when you sign up to either our $10 or $20 a month Patreon tier. Full details: www.patreon.com/sistersofthemoon Happy New Moon in Aries moonbeams and also happy astrological new year. Aries kick starts a new zodiac cycle and we make the tricky transition from watery, feminine PIsces to fiery, masculine Aries. Pisces rules the feet and Aries rules the head so this sudden transition from feet to the head can leave us feeling ungrounded and hot headed. Add to that the fact that we now find ourselves in the middle of a global pandemic with many of us heading into weeks in lockdown, we may be feeling somewhat out of sorts. The good news is that Aries is an action driven, independant, resilient, curious and resourceful sign. They are often referred to as the fire starter of the zodiac, they are the initiator - officially welcoming in Spring and with it the archetype of the Maiden. Aries is ruled by the planet Mars, the planet of strength, passion and the archetype of the warrior. This New Moon we have the opportunity to look to Aries for help building resilience in the face of adversity and tune into our inner warrioress. This global crisis is forcing us all to dig deep, face our fears and do some real spiritual work - we can use this time to create deep transformation. Fire has both the power to create and destroy and we are in a situation where we can see these dualities playing out in both human nature and mother nature herself. As the old way of being begins to crumble around us, we have the chance to ask ourselves what new world we wish to create together, like the phoenix rising from the ashes. Aries are great at starting projects and they're happy to go their own way but they can have the tendency to have a short burning time. They can also be hot headed and attached to action rather than taking a step back to soften, intuit and listen. This is interesting to look at in relation to what's going on at the moment. Are you reacting immediately to every bit of news, every social media comment, every article being shared? Or are you having moments of time to just process everything? Do you feel like you need to have all the answers right now? It's so important that we make time to process our emotions in relation to the things that scare us, all around us we see people hustling to get everything online and ready to go so that things can carry on as normal - from business point of view this is completely understandable as people are worried about how to pay their bills etc. But, things are not normal, they are far from it and none of us know how long this situation will last. Balance the masculine energy of problem solving and productivity with the Divine feminine energy that allows some space to soften in between things, that little bit of space and time where we allow our self to feel and to check-in with our self and those around us. Instead being in a hurry to put a positive spin on something or to busy yourself with stuff, allow yourself time to feel all that you feel. Cry, be frustrated, journal about what scares you, allow it to flow through you with grace and non-judgement. Emotions are our best teachers, we can learn so much about our self by bearing witness to our feelings, it doens't mean we allow them to take over but we do let them come in and we listen to them. Chances are, once we've had a nice calm chat with them they probably won't feel as overwhelming and they won't be getting stored up in the body as repressed energy. Rather than wanting things to go back to normal, we have the opportunity to recognise that normal wasn't working, this fast paced, consumerist way of living is hurting both ourselves and mother earth. This is a chance to change, to build something new. Already we are seeing remarkable changes in the environment due to the reduction in human impact - air quality in China is improving and the smog is clearing, the water quality in Venice is improving and has welcomed back Dolphins and people are beginning to embrace a slower pace of living. Working with our shadowsThis New Moon is also conjunct with the planet Chiron, the Wounded Healer. Chiron is all about our wounds and our shadows and in every hero's story, part of the journey involves facing up to fears and healing past wounds and hurts. Whatever is being triggered in you right now is providing you with the opportunity to heal a part of yourself. Ask yourself, what is hurting? What does that wounded part of yourself need to feel safe, secure and loved? If we don't want our buttons to get pushed, we need to get rid of the buttons, only we can do that work. We are being called right now to go within, receive all the incredible downloads and come out the other side of this upgraded. If you keep finding yourself in similar situations with similar characters, it's likely we haven't learned what we are here to learn yet and we will remain in the Karmic loop until we can free ourselves from wounded patterning. Can you notice any patterns playing out in your life? What do you think you need to learn? Self LoveAries can sometimes get a bad rep for being selfish, and though this may be an aspect of Aries' shadow side it's actually a part of their archetype that can be really helpful to work with. Instead of viewing them as selfish, view them instead of just having the level of self love and self respect that means they take good care of themselves whilst at the same time taking care of others. A healthy solar plexus after all is neither disempowered -where we view ourselves as beneath others, nor is it over powering where we view others beneath us - it's EMPOWERED! This means there is equal respect, love and care for others and our self. Aries helps us to make time for our own needs and wishes which means we end up with more to offer the world around us. How is your relationship with yourself? Do listen to your needs? Do you feel nourished? Journaling prompts As we mentioned, Aries is the start of a new astrological cycle, look back on the last 12 months and reflect on your experiences. Have you changed? How have you changed? What do you want from the next 12 months? How have recent events changed what you want? Grab a cuppa and read through your journal entries from the last 12 months and reflect on your journey. - What needs to be burned away to make space for new things to grow? - What are you passionate about? What do you long to create? - How could you work with the fire element over the next month? - In relation to your Solar plexus - do you feel empowered or disempowered? What do you need to feel empowered? - Does your love and compassion include yourself? - What kind of fire burns within you? Fire that sustains, fire that is smothered or fire that consumes? How could you create a more balanced and long lasting fire? -Aries is a sign of action, where are you lacking action and motivation? Where are you delaying action and why? How could you move past this? - On the flip side, do you balance action with time for rest and reflection or are you permanently on the go? -Aries is also about our relationship with our self, how do you feel about spending time alone? Aries & AromatherapyThink happy, joyful and empowering essential oils for working with Aries such as Mandarin. Mandarin really resonates with our inner child and has the ability to be both uplifting and calming. This works really well with Chamomile for helping with stress and sleep or you can blend it with something more spiritual like Myrrh or Frankincense. SOLAR PLEXUS BLEND If you feel like your Solar Plexus Chakra is in need of balancing this is a lovely blend to use either in a diffuser or as a body oil: Mandarin 2 drops Bergamot 2 drops Frankincense 1 drop Lemon 1 drop GoddessesNow is a great time to call upon fire Goddesses and Goddesses of transformation such as Kali, Durga, Lilith, Brigid, Pele, Eos, Bast and the Morrigan. Set up an altar or a place on your altar for one or a few Goddesses, just seeing them there each day will help you to draw strength, guidance and power from them. You may even like to do a daily meditation with them or even a mantra practice. Durga's mantra is incredibly powerful for protection: OM DUM DURGAYEI NAMAHA
We really hope you have enjoyed this blog post and you've found it helpful. Don't forget, if you are a Patreon supported you can join us tonight for our live New Moon circle at 7:00pm. Not a Patreon supporter? You can join for as little as $2 a month and this gives you access to online events and downloadable resources. For more information please visit: https://www.patreon.com/sistersofthemoon New Moon blessings to you all dear ones xx Dear ones, this Friday the Wheel of the Year turns again with Ostara, Spring Equinox. Spring Equinox is the midpoint between Imbolc and Beltane, it's the second of the three Spring Festivals and is a balance point where we once again we have equal light and dark like we did at Autumn Equinox. This time of year is known as Ostara, Alban Eilir, Esotre and of course Easter which happens in a few weeks. From this point onwards we will see an increase in light and warmth, the days grow longer and flowers begin to spring up all around us. Ostara is usually a time for celebration, a time to welcome the chance to get outdoors, start socializing again after the winter months and begin to plan our activities for the Spring & Summer months. We book holidays, decide which music festivals to go to and start to think about taking our summer clothes out of storage. However, we are writing this blog during a worldwide Pandemic of COVID-19 and are, across the globe, being asked to stay at home and social distance. So, Spring Equinox this year feels a little different but there's one thing we've come to learn and that's connecting to nature, whether we can be outside interacting with it or not, is incredibly beneficial. One lesson we can really connect with at Equinox this year is the opportunity to pause, slow down and reflect. So often in life we are too busy to really look within and reflect on our life, who we are and where we're headed. We now have an unknown amount of time ahead of us to slow down and look at our lives on a personal and collective level and feel like when it's time to be back out in the world again, we will all have had an upgrade. Spring is all about new beginnings, fresh perspectives and community. These things are so relevant right now as we are working out new ways to live, new ways to stay connected and new ways to do our work. A key word associated with this time of year is RENEWAL, we can think about the fact that whilst so many countries are on lockdown and so much travel is being suspended that our precious mother earth is getting a chance to heal. At the moment we are being asked to social distance to give the medical system the best chance to cope, it feels like mother earth has done the same thing for herself - given herself a chance to heal and renew for a little while so that she too has the best chance of recovering from the virus of pollution and mass consumption. This time out will hopefully help us all reevaluate our priorities and the impact we are all having on the planet. We could emerge from this with renewed compassion, understanding and gratitude. Keywords associated with Spring Equinox: Balance, Blossoming, Renewal, Inspiration, Abundance, Expression, Change, Creativity, Fertility, Rebirth. “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.” ― Pablo Neruda In this blog post we will be sharing some Ostara recipes, rituals, self care practices and Spring Goddesses who will help to guide you through this difficult time. Celebrating Ostara in the homeA lovely part of celebrating the Wheel of the Year is that it opens up the possibilities of decorating the house at other times of the year, not just Christmas. A plain wreath base can be used over and over again for the changing seasons. People also have a tree that stays up all year round either indoors and outdoors that they decorate for each of the wheel of the year celebrations, fairy light trees can be particularly nice for this or bringing in large twigs, painting them and placing them in vases to hang decorations off. You can create an Ostara wreath using your recycled wreath base, or one that you've made from twigs that you've collected on your walks, and you can use real or artificial flowers to form your base as well as any embellishments that you represent Spring to you. Many wreaths contain eggs and images of hares but it's lovely to make it personal to you. Spring bunting is also a lovely way to brighten up your indoor space and lift the spirits. Try making your own bunting out of old clothes or scrap bits of fabric, you could applique spring images with felt and embroidery thread. Spring is associated with the AIR element so a really important time to open the windows and get some fresh air in, this couldn't be more important at a time where we are stuck inside. Get into the habit of regularly cleansing your space using either essential oils via a diffuser or herbs such as sage. Bring nature indoors as much as possible with the resources you have at your disposal. White or pastel coloured candles can be a lovely addition to bring into the home at this time. Journaling PromptsIn the book The Inner Beauty Bible the author talks about the Navajo Indian concept called the Beauty Way which is a philosophy of constantly connecting to the beauty within and around you. This is the Beauty Way blessing prayer: Shil hózhó - with me there is beauty Shii' hózhó - in me there is beauty Shaa hózhó - from me there is beauty In your journal write these sentences down with enough space underneath to write. With me there is beauty Sit and take a few deep breaths, feel grounded and present and then ask yourself, in this moment, right now, what is the beauty around you? In me there is beauty Again, sit and breathe with your eyes closed and ask yourself what right now is the beauty within you? Can you feel your heart, can you connect with your recent kind actions, how well you're coping with things right now. Right down the things that you are proud of at the moment. From me there is beauty Ask yourself what beauty you can share out into the world at this difficult time. Spring is a time for fresh perspective and we are being asked to see things in a different way, our routines are being turned upside down and things change on a daily basis. Thinking about the air element of Spring, ask yourself how you are being asked to change at the moment? Are you resisting this change? How would it feel to lean into this change? Equinox asks us to look at both the light and the dark. It invites us to look not just at what we want to welcome in and create, what light we want to shine but it also asks us to look at our shadows. During these uncertain times we are being forced to look at our shadows, our triggers, our fears and our old wounds. We might be in a hurry at the moment to push these down or move them to the side but this pause we experience at Equinox invites us to sit with our shadows. To be truly present with what makes us uncomfortable and to sit down and listen to this part of ourselves. Ask yourself, at the moment what are your fears? Are these fears something you have carried with you for some time? Where do these fears come from? Are they passed on to you from others? Are they from childhood or adulthood? Which of you wounds is seeking attention at the moment? Place your hands on your heart, take some deep breaths and ask your heart "Dear heart, what do you need?" write down the answers to this question What is blossoming in your life at the moment? Where do you feel your energy needs to be directed to at the moment in order to help the important things in your life grow? Where are you leaking energy right now? Goddesses of SpringAt times when we are dealing with a lot of fear, anxiety and uncertainty, it's a beautiful practice to connect with the divine via the Goddess. Goddesses of Spring are usually sovereign Maiden Goddesses and again this is a really relevant theme as we may well be spending a lot of time on our own over the next few weeks/months. Now's the time to embody your maiden energy. Here are some Goddesses of Spring that you can work with over the next few weeks. A fun project could be to choose a Goddess and research/read about her and then make either a vision board, a bujo spread, or a painting of her. EostreEostre is the anglo saxon Goddess of Spring and she is where we get the word Easter from! She is associated with the moon, women's menses, spring time and the Hare. She is a Maiden Goddess of fertility, renewal and rebirth and is a wonderful Goddess to work with if you're wanting to birth new creations and projects or are struggling with change and transition. EosEos is the Greek Goddess of the Dawn. In her Roman aspect she is called Aurora and she is sister to Helios, the Sun god and Selene the Moon Goddess. She is often depicted with wings and rosey fingertips, she is the bringer of the light of a new day and dispenses the morning dew. She represents hope and rejuvenation, the dawning of a new day. Call on for strength and hope in times of uncertainty and fear and she will come to your aid with her beams of dawn light. She is associated with Saffron and Roses. Queen of ElphameThe Queen of the Elphame is a Scottish shapeshifting Goddess and is Queen of the Fae. She is thought to be the maiden aspect of Nicnevin who is associated with the Autumn Equinox when she appears in her crone aspect. In her maiden aspect she is associated with Magic, healing and childbirth. FreyaFreya is a Norse Maiden Goddess associated with love, beauty, prosperity and fertility. She is also associated with War and cares for half of those who fall in battle, the other are cared for by Odin. She has a magical feathered cloak with healing properties, a lovely visualisation at the moment would be to imagine Freya wrapping you in her feathered cloak and receive her care and love. BlodeweddBlodewedd is a Welsh Spring Goddess who's name can be translated to mean either Flower Face or Owl. She represents the earth in full bloom and according to folklore she herself is made from the healing flowers of the Oak tree. She is a goddess of Spring, abundance and healing and is linked with Lunar mysteries as well as maiden initiations. She represents the untamed aspect of both nature and the wild feminine, as well as the transition between disempowered maiden to empowered queen - think Wild Woman Archetype. She is associated with Geranium and Meadowsweet. Soothing Spring time AromatherapyEssential oils can bring such comfort during times of emotional distress and not only do floral scents help us to connect with the season of spring but they also bring us in to our heart space. The ability to drop from head to heart is so needed right now. Some beautiful oils to use at the moment are Geranium, Lavender, Rose, Bergamot, Palmarosa, Jasmine and Ylang Ylang. Here are a few blends that you might find helpful, you could either add these to your diffuser or add to a few drops of base oil or into a bath: EMOTIONAL HEALING Bergamot, Ylang Ylang, Rose & Jasmine EMOTIONAL UPLIFTING Mandarin, Bergamot & Jasmine BALANCING Geranium & Bergamot DEEP BREATHS Frankincense and Rose SLEEP SUPPORT Lavender, Chamomile and Mandarin GENTLE DETOX Cypress and Lavender Ostara CraftsSpring is a time for creativity and with the prospect of having a lot of time stuck in doors it's a great time to try your hand at different crafts. Painting eggs at Ostara and Easter is a wonderful tradition and one that you can involve the whole family in. You can use either real eggs or make your own papier mache eggs. Here's a link for making your own papier mache: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-make-paper-mache Painting in general is really great for awakening your creativity but is also a great way to create calm and soothe anxiety. Painting classes are popping up all over the place with it's link to mindfulness and helping to beat stress. There are loads of free watercolour tutorials on youtube so why not set aside some time to play with paint and again it's a wonderful activity to do with kids. Creating a Spring AltarNow more than ever, it's so important to have a space in your home dedicated to peace. Somewhere you can come to each day, to sit and be still and connect to images of beauty and inspiration that help you to stay connected to the divine. An altar can be a wonderful addition to this space and the fun thing with altars is you can change them as often as you like. You can have altars for each new moon, for each season or even for a particular Goddess or you can join all of these things together.
To create a Spring altar in your home, gather things that represent nature, hope, rejuvenation and abundance. Pastel colours are often used at this time of year but it's best to be guided by your intuition and connect more with what this time of year means to you. It's a lovely practice to bring home things that you have found whilst out on walks in nature, like stones, feathers, flowers (that have fallen naturally to the ground) twigs, anything that speaks to you. For some inspiration, here's our Ostara pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/sistersofthemoononline/ostara/ Hello dear ones! We hope you have been doing ok during Mercury Retrograde in Pisces, we know it's been a rough ride for most. So, you'll be pleased to know that Mercury goes direct on Tuesday (phew) but do remember that a few days after Mercury goes direct we have a bit of a retrograde hangover so be prepared for there to be some lingering weird energy. We have a full moon on Monday 9th March in the beautiful grounded earth sign of Virgo and we can welcome in the Maiden energy of both Virgo and the beginning of spring (Spring Equinox is coming up on March 20th). It's also International Women's day on Sunday 8th of March so a wonderful time to celebrate the divine feminine! Virgo is actually ruled by Mercury, the planet of elevated thought, communication and travel and Virgo's symbol is the Maiden or Virgin and is often depicted as a maiden goddess carrying a sheaf of wheat (representing the harvest season but also the gathering of wisdom) - so again, we can turn our attention to thinking about the wisdom we have gathered over the wisdom and how to integrate that into the fresh energy of Spring. We can also use this gathering of wisdom in relation to our experiences during Mercury Retrograde, it's likely that over the last few weeks we have had difficult emotions and baggage churned up and old karmic patterns resurfacing. We could just breathe a sigh of relief that it's all over in a few days or we could spend some time sitting with the pain and discomfort of what's been illuminated. This is really what full moons are about, we use the light of each full moon to shine awareness on our inner darkness. We ask, what is hurting that needs to be healed? What do I need to let go of in order to move forward? What wisdom lies in my suffering? The Virgo energy invites us to see our pain as a teacher. As Buddha said 'Suffering has many good qualities' - it shows us what we have left to master. So for this upcoming full moon, we will have the sun in the water sign of Pisces (read our previous blog about Pisces if you missed it) and then the moon in Virgo. Pisces as we spoke about before is a deeply spiritual sign and enjoys spending time swimming in the depths of the unconscious - their shadow side can be favouring the spirit world over being grounded in reality and connecting to others, they are sometimes described as being aloof or unable to cope with the realities of day to day life. Virgo is also a spiritual sign but their Earth element gives them the ability to embody their spirituality here on earth whilst being present. This Virgo full moon can help us to balance these parts of ourselves - the ability to journey to our soul world but also the ability to embody what we've learned from our time in the soul world with our feet firmly on the ground. Virgo full moon asks us how can we balance the Spiritual with the practical? How are we showing up for our spiritual life? How can we integrate our connection with the divine into every day? In your journal, write a list of ways that you can create spiritual habits, simple ways that you can connect to the Divine every day. Do you have an altar space? If not, is this something you could set up? If you've felt a little bit dreamy or away with the fairies this Pisces season then use this full moon to arrive back in your body. Get a massage, have a bath, move, dance or so Yoga. Go outside and connect to nature, disconnect from technology for a little while and feel your feet on the earth. Virgo rules the gut and because of this they have very good instincts and are deeply guided by their intuition, this is also a big part of the Pisces energy. We looked at this during the New Moon in Pisces but we can continue to ask, how often do we allow ourselves to be guided by our intuition and gut feelings? Or do we allow our rational mind to take over? An interesting journaling practice is to ask yourself about two situations from your past, one where you followed your intuition and one where you ignored it. Where did these situations lead you? How did it feel in both instances? How did it feel to ignore your gut and how did it feel to follow your deep inner knowing? Intuition is a powerful aspect of the divine feminine - awakening, trusting and being guided by your intuition is a powerful way to awaken your Maiden sovereign energy. The archetype of the Virgin and the Maiden is very much to do with the idea of being sovereign - being self assured, self reliant and deeply connected to our wisdom and intuition. Do you trust yourself? Do your trust where you're being guided to go? Or are you resisting? Spring CleanVirgo is ruled by the 6th Astrological House of Healing & Health and with Spring just around the corner, now is a great to start thinking about gently cleansing and detoxifying the body after the winter months. Virgo rules the harvest - the picking and sorting of crops - it has an affinity with healing herbs and the archetype of the healer, so now is a wonderful time to go out foraging for herbs that can assist you with detoxing. Nettle and Dandelion are wonderful at this time of year. Ground Dandelion is a wonderful alternative to coffee and makes a lovely Latte. Nettle & Peppermint Tea Simply mix looseleaf dried peppermint and nettle leaves to boiling water and leave to steep for a few minutes, drink and enjoy. Nettle is a diuretic so just be sure to drink a lot of water alongside it. Virgo Tummy Oil Some essential oils associated with Virgo are Marjoram, Myrrh, Frankincense, Bergamot, Valerian and Thyme. Here's a recipe for a balancing tummy oil: 25ml base oil of your choice 5 drops Bergamot 2 drops Myrrh 2 drops Frankincense 3 drops Marjoram (not suitable for pregnancy, breastfeeding or if going out in the sun directly after using). Rub the oil on your tummy in circular motions, from right to left. Cleanse your space With all the weird energy in the air at the moment it's really important to regularly cleanse your space. You could do this by burning herbs such as Sage or Rosemary or you could create your own aromatherapy room mist using Sage, Juniper Berry and Lemon essential oil in water with a bit of alcohol. Like we did at Imbolc, light white candles in your home and call on the Goddess Brigid for protection and guidance. She is a wonderful Maiden Spring Goddess to work with. Re-charge and Cleanse your Crystals Sometimes our crystals get tired and lack lustre, even if we've been regularly bathing them in moon light and water. Sometimes, they just need a bit of timeout back in the earth. If you feel like your crystals are in need of a deep re-charge, bury them in the soil for 24 hours and then dig them back up and wash them in water. Then place them under the full moon to charge them up. Movement as Medicine This is a lovely time of year to start gently cleansing your body with movement. Yoga sequences that focus on gentle twists and flowing movements can be a really nice way to remove stale energy out of the body. There are also some simple Pranayama practices to help with gentle cleansing too such as alternate nostril breathing and Kapalabhati. Healthy HabitsAnother key theme associated with Virgo is healthy habits. With Virgo's love of being organised and healthy and winter beginning to recede, now is a great time to check-in with our daily habits and start to make tweaks to honour the change of the seasons. We can ask ourselves if our current daily habits are leading us where we want to go? Are we choosing things that make us feel good, well and balanced or are we relying on quick fixes and instant gratification? What would it feel like to add in new routines to our day now the days are getting brighter and longer? Perhaps a little bit of yoga first thing in the morning or a few minutes of meditation? Perhaps we could add in a new bedtime ritual of tv and phone free time and a calming practice like Yoga Nidra. How are we supporting our body at the moment? How are we caring for ourselves? Here are some suggestions for new daily habits: Start the day with Honey & Lemon Water During the winter months it's really easy to get into the habit of relying heavily on caffeine to get us going in the morning. This simple concoction of lemon and honey in hot water first thing in the morning is a lovely Ayurvedic way to start the day. Wake up Slow Porridge Another habit that's easy to fall into is not giving ourselves enough time to have a nourishing breakfast. A hearty and healthy breakfast can set us up really well for the day and help us to balance our blood sugar levels and not crave so much sugar and caffeine throughout the rest of day. As the weather is still a bit on the chilly side, a bowl of porridge can be a really comforting and grounding start to the day. Try adding spiced apples and toasted seeds. To do this: Slice a couple of apples and then fry them in a pan with a tablespoon of coconut oil, a tablespoon of maple syrup and sprinkle them with a teaspoon of cinnamon. Fry for a couple of minutes until they turn golden. Add in to your porridge and then add a mixture of seeds to your frying pan and toast them for a few minutes until they go golden brown. Drizzle some maple syrup and a sprinkling of chia seeds, sit down and eat mindfully :) Morning Stretch Do you find yourself continuously hitting the snooze button on your alarm and then leaping out of bed in a flurry to get ready and go? Take a moment to think about what animals do when they wake up from a nap, they spend some time stretching and moving their spine in lots of directions before the head off. Doing the same thing can work wonders for our body, our joints and in particular our fascia. Spend a few minutes before you get up rotating your wrists and ankles, hugging your knees into your chest and rocking from side to side and then when you do get out of bed, gently place your feet on the floor and take a full body stretch, reaching your arms up to the ceiling. Take some hip circles and a few rotations of your shoulders and then spend a moment connecting your feet to the earth beneath you. Take a few deep breaths and then go about your day :) Working with the Maiden energyWe will be calling in the energy of the Maiden further with the upcoming New Moon in Aries and Spring Equinox but for now start turning your mind to this Maiden energy. Think about the energy of Spring, all the energy of mother earth at the moment is being channeled into growth and nourishing seeds and new buds. It's a time for being curious about everything, of being open to wonder and new possibilities. Maiden energy is playful, creative, expressive and initiating. This full moon, pull out your journal and read about all the things you journalled about and moodboarded about over the winter months. The Maiden energy is all about bringing these goals and intentions out in to the world. It's about being seen. What can you put in place to begin manifesting your goals for the year? This could be another powerful time to moodboard - use the intuitive energy of both Pisces and Virgo to get a clear vision of where you're headed and how you're going to get there. Again, balance the ability of Pisces to dream and wonder with the organised and practical energy of Virgo...Virgos and Maidens know how to get shit done :) Make lists, create new pages and spreads in your bullet journal, create a plan of action! When Mercury goes direct, things can start moving forward again, what would you like that to look like?
We really hope you've enjoyed this blog post. We will be back soon for more lunar self care. Take care moonbeams x Dear ones, over the next few days we journey through the dark moon phase on our way to our next new moon, the New Moon in Pisces. The New moon occurs this Sunday (23rd Feb) in the final sign of the Zodiac calendar, we start a new zodiac cycle with the New Moon in Aries next month. New Moon in Pisces feels like the Crone of Winter handing over her final bits of wisdom to the Maiden of Spring who arrives with the Spring Equinox and the New Moon in Aries. It's lovely to sit with this transitional energy between the Crone and the Maiden, the Winter and the Spring. How can you infuse your transition into Spring with all the wisdom that you've gathered during the cold dark months of Winter? Once the maiden energy of Spring gets going it's hard to get her to stop and slow down so working out how to stay connected to some of the slow energy of winter as we journey through the rest of the year is key if we want to avoid burnout and overdoing it. Remember the seasonal and feminine archetypes are contained within the moon cycles so use the dark moon each month to spend time with your inner Crone - rest and reflect on the wisdom you've gathered since the last new moon. Pisces is an often misunderstood sign so we wanted to dedicate a little more time putting this blog together to share with you the many archetypes of Pisces. Pisces is the last water sign of the zodiac and therefore carries with it a depth and maturity and, if we want, an opportunity to swim down into the waters of our unconscious and retrieve soul treasures. Pisces is represented by the two fish swimming in opposite directions, this represents it's mutable energy - one foot in winter and one foot in Spring but also signifies it's archetypal energy of the balance between the conscious and unconscious mind and how well we balance our spiritual life with our worldly life. Pisces is a deep and magical sign, ruled by the 12th House of Self-Knowing and the unconscious and the planets Neptune and Jupiter. Jupiter is the planet of expansion and Neptune is the planet of Universal Love and elevated consciousness. These influences mean that Pisces is always asking the big questions...Who am I? Where do we come from? What's the real meaning of human life? How can we be a conduit for the divine here on earth? Pisces is the Mystic of the Zodiac and provides us with a wonderful opportunity to tend to our spiritual life. "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience." - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin “There is a voice that doesn't use words. Listen.”- Rumi THEMES Emotions, dreams, spirituality, mermaids, selkies, sea witches, creativity, connection to the Divine, Soul Dreams, Sacred Contracts, The Divine Feminine, Intuition, Mysticism, Healing, Mermaids, Selkies & Sea WitchesDue to Pisces' otherworldly nature and with it being a water element, it naturally lends itself to being associated with folklore creatures such as mermaids, selkies and sea witches. Here we explore these and their archetypes. THE SELKIE The Selkie, or seal folk in folklore are shapeshifters, in the water they take the form of the seal and they shed their sealskin to be able to walk and dance on land. If their sealskin is stolen they are unable to return to their home of the sea. This is a beautiful podcast talking about the folklore to do with selkies. https://player.fm/series/series-2458719/the-selkie-in-scottish-folklore RETRIEVING THE SOULSKIN In the book Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes she tells the story of the Selkie, called 'Sealskin, Soulskin' - it's a hauntingly beautiful story about a Selkie woman who has her sealskin stolen by a lonely man. If you haven't read this book yet, please do, if you read it some time ago please read this story. After she tells the story, Dr Estes goes on to talk about the importance of retrieving the soulskin. We've pulled out some quotes from this section: "The seal is one of the most beautiful of all symbols for the wild soul. Like the instinctual nature of women, seals are peculiar creatures who have evolved and adapted over eons." “Over and over we lose this sense of feeling we are wholly in our skins by means already named as well as through extended duress. Those who toil too long without respite are also at risk. The soulskin vanishes when we are not paying attention to what we are really doing and particularly the cost to us." "We lose the soulskin by becoming too involved with ego, by being too exacting, perfectionistic, or unnecessarily martyred, or driven by a blind ambition, or by being dissatisfied - about self, family, community, culture, world - and not saying or doing anything about it, or by pretending we are an ending source for others, or by not doing all we can to help ourselves. Oh, there are as many ways to lose the soul skin as there are women in the world." "The only way to hold on to this sensual soulskin is to retain an exquisitely pristine consciousness about its value and uses.” THE MERMAID Another archetype that resonates with the duality of Pisces is the mermaid who again can live between two worlds - the deep depths of the ocean and then all the way up to the surface to breathe the air of the human realm. The mermaid represents that aspect of the feminine that needs time away from the world, just like when the moon doesn't appear in the sky and all of nature's happenings take place underground in winter, we need time away from everything to tend to our soul life. Time to dream, to vision, to create and swim in the waters of the Divine. Over on Motherhouse of the Goddess there's a fantastic course called Mermaid Magick where you can spend 30 days journeying through folklore and magic: http://themotherhouseofthegoddess.com/2019/03/28/mermaid-magick-30-days-of-working-with-water-spirits/ THE SEA WITCH When you think of a Sea Witch, the rather scary image of Ursula from the Little Mermaid may well come to mind. Just as the image of a Witch depicted only as a hag with green skin and warts is old fashioned (and somewhat patriarchal we might add), the same can be said for this image of the sea witch. The witch as an archetype is always complicated as we try to untangle folklore and legend from oppressive ways of retelling empowering female characters as scary women who wish to cause harm. So, let us approach the Sea Witch in another way. How does it feel when we view her instead as a Moon Goddess? Someone who is intune with the cycles and tides of life? How does it feel when we view her as a guide through the underworld, caring for us as we journey through our very own dark night of the soul? The sea witch teaches us the power of the Divine Feminine, the power of owning our wildish, cyclic nature and the power of trusting the gift of our intuition. The power that we can wield as women when we learn to be guided by our emotions instead of feel ashamed of them is vast. GODDESSES ASSOCIATED WITH PISCES Mother Mary Morgana Le Fay Yemeya Oshun Mami Wata Danu Hathor Boan The waters of emotionOne of the reasons that people tend to have an aversion to the moon moving through the sign of Pisces is that it tends to be an incredibly emotional time. Type in #pisces on Instagram and you're often met with a lot of memes about crying for days on end during Pisces season. It's important to pause during this time and ask ourselves whether we allow our emotions to flow? How well do we manage our emotional life? Is allowing feelings to rise to the surface something we try to avoid? When was the last time we had a good cry? How often do we let ourselves be vulnerable? There is a fantastic free summit over on Motherhouse of the Goddess called Feast of the Sacred Waters if you want to dive deep into this theme deeper: http://themotherhouseofthegoddess.com/2017/09/02/feast-of-the-sacred-waters-telesummit-starts-97/ Mermaid BathThe combination of the New Moon in Pisces and Mercury Retrograde means that self care is key over the next few days. Use the water element in the form of a healing bath to help soothe frazzled emotions: Dead Sea Salt Bladderwrack seaweed if you can get hold of some Frankincense essential oil 1 drop Rose essential oil 1 drop Geranium essential oil 1 drop Bergamot essential oil 1 drop Handful of dried or fresh rose petals Mermaid Moon MilkThe mermaidy blue colour of this latte comes from Butterfly Pea Flower Powder which as well as being a divine colour helps alleviate stress and anxiety. 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 tbs of coconut oil 1 tsp of maple syrup 1/4 tsp Ashwaghanda powder 1/2 tsp Butterfly Pea Flower Powder Oat milk A dash of Vanilla extract Heat the Oat milk on the stove (don’t bring to the boil). Stir in the Ashwaghanda and pea flower powder. Once you’ve gotten the milk up to the temperature that you want either pour directly in to your mug or if you want to make it frothy pop it in a blender/milk frother for a few seconds. Stir in the tsp of maple syrup and enjoy! Journaling promptsGrab your moon journal, light some candles and pour yourself some mermaid moon milk. Get cosy and make sure you can be undisturbed for a little while. If you like, we've created a Pisces playlist on spotify that you can listen to here
- What are your soul dreams? What do you long for? Do you allow time for dreaming, visioning and manifesting? - How can you bring the Divine into the everyday? - Do you make time for journeying to your soul world? - Do you have faith in something beyond the ordinary? Do you trust the flow of life? - How do you honour the balance between the Maiden and the Crone within you? Is one more dominant than the other? -What is hurting in your life? What needs healing? - Do you pay attention to your dreams? If not, perhaps set the intention to keep a dream journal. - Have you lost your soulskin or has it been stolen? Have you spent too long on land and how can you get back in the waters of your soul? - Reflect on all that has taken place since the New Moon in Aries last year. What have you learnt? What are you grateful for? What would you like to release? -Lastly, dedicate a page in your journal for your New Moon intentions. What do you want to welcome in this next moonth? Wishing you a blessed New Moon dear ones xx |
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