by Roslyne Sophia Breillat

 For aeons we have gazed in awe at the golden radiance of her fullness reflected in the ocean. For aeons we have gazed in wonder at the delicate silver arc of her crescent-shaped sister shining gently amongst the stars.

MOON MYTHOLOGY

Representing depth, darkness and mystery, this lunar orb was awed and feared in early cultures as the celestial reflection of the feminine principle. Her capacity to fill the night with shining splendour or plunge it into deepest blackness was seen as mysterious and terrifying.

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Known as Queen of the Night Sky, she was worshipped for her glowing beauty and luminescent power.

Ancient myths portray her as the many-faced Mother of the Gods flying across the heavens in her moon boat or sky chariot. Shrouded in sacredness and superstition, she was honoured during her brightest phase as the beneficent giver of light and life to the earth.

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During her darkest phase she was perceived as a terrifying evil entity for now she was invisible as well as powerful. Having a natural affinity with female consciousness, her timeless presence profoundly affects the ocean’s tidal flow, underground streams, weather conditions, body fluids, menstruation, conception, pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and physical death.

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As the creative and destructive Goddess of Love, she is linked to the Hindu deity, Kali. Her prolific aspect lavishes generosity upon Mother Nature and her creatures. She germinates seeds, propagates plants and bestows the harvest with fertility and abundance.

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Her destructive aspect plays havoc with weather patterns, creating tumultuous floods and storms upon the earth. Throughout history, this wild facet of her nature has frequently devastated the bounteous plenitude she previously created. Her capacity for renewal has annihilated entire civilisations that long flourished beneath her lucid brilliance.

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Her spiralling lunar calendar of twenty eight to thirty moons each month and thirteen full moons each year was honoured by pagan women long before our linear solar calendar came into being.

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Priestesses, witches and prophetesses, the Lunar Goddess’s earthly sisters, were the early female guardians of her circular moon temples. Worshipping her healing power with serenity and dignity, they performed lunar rituals at peak phases of her celestial cycle.

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During her nights of fullest radiance and her evenings of darkest silence, these sacred rites filled secret grottoes and underground caverns hidden deep within the forest. Here, the cascading waters of crystal springs danced between the protective rocks of the Mother’s subterranean womb.

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Aligning with powerful planetary phases and lunar eclipses, these ceremonies evoked deep reverence, humility and gratitude for the creative feminine spirit of earth and moon. They included healing, cooking, herb gathering, astrology, rainmaking dances and sexual and fertility rites.

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When patriarchal rule began, these ancient lunar rituals were destroyed, fed by an irrational fear of woman’s creative power. The moon and her earthly devotees were perceived with dread and horror, fueling superstitions of madness and lunacy.

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The moon is the essence of woman and woman is the essence of the earth. It is impossible to damage any of these inseparable facets of the creative feminine spirit without harming all the others.

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MOON WISDOM

A woman’s rhythm is fluid and circular, profoundly influencing her inner and outer life from a fathomless wellspring of intuitive wisdom. From the dawning of her first menstruation she knows an intimate relationship with her body and psyche. Beyond all worldly concerns the feminine cycle harmonises with the mystery of the moon’s transforming phases.

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Dear woman, it requires openness, courage and sensitivity for you to live consciously and unashamedly in harmony with your inner lunar rhythm. Western civilisation’s projective linear lifestyle does not honour the wise truth of your female depths or the spiralling movement of your monthly ebb and flow. It is unnatural for you to be overly active in the world when pre-menstrual, menstrual, pregnant, birthing, breastfeeding or menopausal. These are powerful phases of deepening awareness and surrender to the vast realm of your feminine essence.

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During these transformations you need presence, nurturing and precious moments with the earth’s beauty. You need space for inner stillness without unnecessary distractions and activities. You and your body are sacred, as all of life is sacred. Follow the moon’s rhythm and know it as your own. Allow her to lead you home to the mystery of your love and the depth of your power.