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(links are at the end to lessen distractions.)
Dear scribbler + speaker,
Getting in tune with moon cycles could seriously change your life, personally + collectively. The movement of the moon affects the movement of water upon the earth. Like the tide, we ebb + flow.
With the sun and moon having such a huge impact on our health + hormones (circadian rhythms, infradian rhythms, vitamin d, adrenals...), there is an undeniable physiological connection (and beyond).
In our current output-driven, fast-paced culture, many have forgotten how our ancestors would have lived by the moon's rhythms, resting and releasing with a waning New Moon when the sky was dark and celebrating and harvesting with a waxing Full Moon when the illumination of the Full Moon lit up the sky.
It can sometimes be hard to remember that once upon a time, the moon would have guided so much of our lives.
For women, the earliest rituals have long been tied to women's rhythms and cycles: lunar + seasonal.
The moon's cycle is a mirror than can be very supportive to women in particular and our menstrual cycles. With a full lunar cycle completing after 29 days, and an average menstrual cycle landing somewhere around this too, we can see how they relate to one another. But this doesn't leave out women who no longer bleed—we too, can use the moon cycles to reflect our experience throughout the month.
We're currently in early springtime when rivers + streams begin to fully thaw. But water is not the only thing that starts to flow during this time—how's your inner thawing coming along as you emerge from winter?
There is increasing research that supports the idea that the moon may have some influence on menstrual and sleep cycles (remember, links are at the end). Before we go any further with the moon’s influence upon us, let’s be clear that beyond any research, we are the FIRST line of responders to notice + trust what our bodies are saying to us. Pause + ponder this powerful gift. No amount of scientific data/research can trump the body’s own way of revealing to us the many shifts taking place. But we miss our embodied queues when we doubt attunement with our bodies—this is not our fault—we’ve been conditioned by so much social propaganda rooted in sexism, ageism, misogyny, racism, cannabalistic capitalism (and more), which leads us to distrust + dislike ourselves. But I have good news! We get to Sankofa (reclaim) these holy bodies, these temples/tabernacles of mobile worship + communion. No matter what condition they’re in—they are good bodies (peridot!).
Here’s one last piece I want us to creatively embrace + embody before we dig deep into our moon meditation—lament. Lament is an essential ingredient in the work-play of Sankofa. It is our freedom fuel, we get to intuitively and intentionally notice, nurture, and embody it. Don’t resist personal + communal lament, rather, let it nourish and embolden the soul. Ironically, when we open ourselves up to the layers of lament in this liberating + rhythmic reclamation, we strut on a pathway of authentic joy that the world didn’t give and the world can’t take away! This is part of our holy birthright—to increasingly trust ourselves and our bodies, personally + collectively. Let the congregation say, “Amen!”
Moon Cycles
The moon is said to influence our emotions pretty heavily. So, let's get into a primer course on earth's celestial satellite—our God-sanctioned satellite—inner and outer lunar waxing + waning.
There are eight consecutive Moon phases, as it moves through its cycle each month, which includes a New Moon and a Full Moon. Each phase has a different effect on our emotions, and being aware of how each phase impacts us is an important tool to help us offer more compassion towards ourselves, better pre-empt our needs + sync a life that feels as though it is more effortlessly in flow.
New Moon
The New Moon is when the sun and the moon are on the same side of the Earth, and it's not hard to understand how this represents a fresh start. The New Moon is the darkest time of the sky, so it's our signal to move more into stillness and notice our bodies. Maybe you're not putting much energy into writing or speaking, embrace that and claim this as your time to pause from watering the garden of others and become the garden who gets watered.
However, a new start for many of us might signify a time to enjoy new experiences, make new connections and plant new seeds, figuratively + literally (I have a planting by the moon SOULution guide for you gardeners at the end). Whatever you do, it's actually an opportune time to reflect + release + set new intentions to take root as the month progresses.
Sis, let your waning bask in the nourishment you need. Reclaim the renewal + restoration of your energy + emotions however it best suits you.
Let's not settle for being so busy making a living that we forget to make space for a life worth living. And so a New Moon invites us to pause, ponder, and pursue our rhythmic ebb—our wonderful waning.
The New Moon is at its peak on the following days in 2022: 17 January, 16 February, 18 March, 16 April, 16 May, 14 June, 13 July, 12 August, 10 September, 9 October, 8 November, 8 December
Waxing Crescent
As the sun moves closer to the New Moon, it illuminates the moon and creates a crescent. This is the time when you are invited to plan + outline begin to develop desires for the month ahead, using the fears and obstacles as a way of helping us to align with the Spirit and what we really want and/or need.
Waxing Crescent is at its peak on the following days in 2022: 2 January, 1 February, 2 March, 1 April, 30 May, 30 June, 28 July, 28 August, 25 September, 25 October, 23 November, 23 December
Waxing Gibbous
Scientifically, the Waxing Gibbous is the phase leading up to the Full Moon. The moon is easily seen as a large portion is illuminated by the sun. During the Waxing Gibbous, we are invited to readjust, refine, and edit our intentions + goals.
Waxing Gibbous is at its peak on the following days in 2022: 12 January, 11 February, 12 March, 11 April, 10 May, 9 June, 8 July, 7 August, 5 September, 5 October, 3 November, 3 December
Full Moon
A Full Moon occurs when the sun and the moon are on opposite sides of the Earth, which subsequently means the sun is completely illuminating the moon.
During the Full Moon the sky is illuminated. For me, it's a time to welcome and embrace what's manifesting + expanding in and around me. It's about going outdoors to spend time with the family under the Full Moon's torch. It's a reminder for us to shine a light where transition + transformation are being revealed for the next cycle.
April's Full Moon, also called the Paschal Moon, ushered us into Resurrection Sunday/Easter. For many, it was a celebration of the bodily rising of Yeshua, and we're now in the rhythm of counting the Omer to Pentecost/Shavuot—when we will celebrate the birth of the Church, the universal Body of the Messiah.
I was also celebrating my birthday—I turned fifty April 2nd (I was actually born on Resurrection Sunday in 1972). And for my fiftieth, my family sent me to visit my momma in Albuquerque, NM. But before I flew to Albuquerque to spend Resurrection Sunday and the Paschal Moon weekend with my momma and family, Keith and I took our two youngest, Sapphire and Emerald, to the park to play under the waxing Full Moon and stars. Oh, the bliss!
It's not that we don't live cyclical lives—we all do—circadian (solar) and infradian (lunar). However, we don't often mindfully align with or extend hospitality to the rhythmic cycles of life.
What would it look like for you to rest in the celebration of your waxing flow and the waxing of the next Full Moon?
The Full Moon is at its peak on the following days in 2022: 17 January, 16 February, 18 March, 16 April, 16 May, 14 June, 13 July, 12 August, 10 September, 9 October, 8 November, 8 December
Waning Gibbous
Shortly after the Full Moon, the moon starts to become less illuminated again. This is a good time to absorb new revelations brought forth from previous weeks in order to release any weariness or doubts that might come up.
Waning Gibbous is at its peak on the following days in 2022: 19 January, 18 February, 19 March, 18 April, 17 May, 16 June, 15 July, 14 August, 12 September, 12 October, 10 November, 10 December
Waning Crescent
As the final illuminated fraction of the moon slowly begins to wane/disappear, notice how your energy + emotions may reflect this. Don't be surprised or resist. Make peace with your ebb and begin clearing, it comes before clarity.
We might want to detox + declutter physically–so clearing out our guts + wardrobes–also, energy detoxification + decluttering is key to clearing, it's integral to the space you need to nurture + notice + embody your ebb. There's no one right way to do this. Simply be true to what the Spirit/Ruach leads you into.
Be tender with yourself—stay healthily hydrated, take some naps + daydream + move your body in grace, not grind. It's just fine to feel more inclined to focus inward rather than on socializing or project-focused pursuits. You become the muse.
Waning Crescent is at its peak on the following days in 2022: 27 January, 26 February, 27 March, 27 April, 25 May, 24 June, 23 July, 22 August, 20 September, 20 October, 19 November, 18 December
Journaling Benediction
First, a blessing of metamorphosis:
Like the caterpillar who first disintegrates in her cocoon, before you transform into the fluttering butterfly, you may need to descend into a deep period of reflection. This is not an outward transformation—at first. It is deeply internal + demands you create sacred space to dismantle your old identity and welcome a new self who is more reflective of who (and where) you are now.
Are you in a time of transition in your life?
Do you find yourself taking stock of where you’ve come in your life thus far: am I where I envisioned myself to be, how do I want to proceed from here?
Are you feeling a pull inward, a withdrawal from outward expression in the world and a desire to get quiet and dig deeper?
Are you yearning for clarity + discernment in the purpose and meaning in your work-play in the world?
Are you claiming your sensual power as a woman + reimagining how you express your sensual self—rhythmically, cyclically?
Complete the statement: “I am choosing to notice my body on the next _________ moon cycle.
Once you choose the moon cycle, set a reminder or appointment for yourself. Feel free to use the downloadable Sabbathing Rhythms Moon Meditation Toolkit + audio invitation I’ve created for us.
To download it, click or tap the below image to follow the link to my Patreon. Once there, the free PDF and another gift is at the bottom of the page.
LOVE IT? SHARE IT! Text, email, carrier pigeon—share this toolkit with friends however you like! Feel free to snag the below graphic to share (tap it or click it).
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Also, feel free to screenshot/click/tap the “Planting By The Moon” image below.
A poem of blessing for sabbathing scribblers + speakers syncing with the moon
You Are A Moon Mirror The moon praises the beauty of the Creator. The Creator uses the ocean to hold up a mirror to the moon to reflect back to it its beauty. Likewise, your blessed femininity is a moon mirror.
Until next time,
Scribble. Speak. From your soul.
Links for further discovery Subscribe & Listen to my Soul Care Podcasts
Free download of the Sabbathing Rhythms PDF
Counting the Omer to Pentecost/Shavuot
Moon Cycle influence on menstrual and sleep cycles
LEAVE A COMMENT: I enjoy listening to your heart.
