Every month, my women friends and I gather over tea and snacks to share our dreams and intentions with one another.
Last night I held a women’s circle at my house for the New Moon. We dedicate the new moon to setting intentions for the lunar cycle. We do what women do when we are in balance; we reach out, and support one another. We chat, share, sing and connect. We sit naturally in a circle and emote. The new moon and this gathering is one of my favorite times of the month. My soul feels nourished when I am surrounded by like-minded women who are living their lives authentically.
As a student of the moon and someone who has studied Anthropology, it seems perfectly normal and necessary to gather during the New Moon. Being raised in a lunar-centric Chinese home, It never occurred to me that my lifestyle, and these rituals might be seen as “different” or “strange.” l My male roommate asked, “what exactly do you women do at a women’s circle?” I replied playfully, “We bring out our cauldrons and howl into the night sky.” It seems there is something mysterious about women getting together, and though men wish we’d get together to conspire against them, this is far from the truth!
In the US, so much of the way we live our lives lies in accordance with the Gregorian calendar which is primarily centered around the phases of the sun. In today’s hectic state of life and frame of mind, there’s much to gain in adopting an awareness of living a lunar-centric life. The cycles of the moon affect everything on earth including our biorhythms, menses, the planting and harvesting food and the rise and fall of our emotions. Most people, while they do not see the impact of the lunar cycle on their own lives, recognize certain times they suffer from insomnia, or other times where people seem to go “crazy”. For instance, most can think of a time when they have experienced the full moon effect. Our bodies are largely made up of water, and the moons tidal influence does indeed have an impact. My friend’s father worked as a doctor in the ER and confirmed that the strangest cases appeared on those nights. “The crazies come out with the moon.”
‘Crazy’ women come out with the moon and we do our work in a more sophisticated and somewhat accepted manner. Our magic cauldron is the circle and instead of howling, we use the new moon as a time to share new goals and aspirations for the month. The new moon is the time to symbolically plant new seeds and start new projects. As each woman speaks her intentions from her heart, the rest of us sit and listen in support. We pour our collective dreams into our ‘cauldron’ and pray that our dreams manifest.
One of the ladies this past moon, in Gemini, came to circle with a lot of stress and anxiety. A recent graduate from Acupuncture school is in the process of setting up her practice. She shared the fear of knowing that she was six months away from starting a practice and still had none of the tangible details of where to set up her office and with whom. Her passionate desire to support women’s reproductive health came through her words and as she spoke about partnering up with a Naturopath, Osteopath or Midwife, her anxiety started to shift. As she shared her story, we passed around a bottle of essential oil and flower essences spray and misted it around each other. The scent of chocolate, cedar and rhododendron essential oils filled the air and the pink energy of rose flower essence enveloped our hearts.
With a deep breath and exhale, Lindsey smiled and said “I don’t know what just happened to me, I don’t know if it’s being around you lovely ladies, the Palo Santo we’ve been burning, or the flower essences that we just sprayed, but I feel completely calm. All the thoughts and the fears and anxieties have lifted. It’s as if my mind is completely clear. I am so glad to be reminded that I can feel this way about starting a practice.”
Sharing in a circle of women is nourishing for the soul. Conducting these circles around the moon gives us a necessary and invaluable roadmap to our lives. These gatherings often reflect the energies of the women attending, but leave ripples. The events are often remembered as beautiful nights dedicated to blossoming more into our true selves. A chance to align with our purpose by personally declaring it.
We look forward to meeting again on the Full Moon to share the results of the seeds we planted in the New Moon. Most importantly, beyond the meeting, is that the women who attend have done the important and challenging work of making the commitment and effort to engage in one of the most effective tools to getting what you want out of life and enjoying it in the process.
How to Create Your Own Lunar-centric Life
a) Join or create a Women’s Group
b) Add the elements of the divine feminine to your ritual (light a candle, spray flower essences and essential oils, annoit yourself with chocolate)
c) Set intentions on the New Moon.
Intention for this Lunar Cycle: ________________________________________
Actions that I will take to Manifest this Intention :_________________________
A Simple Guide to Surfing the Waves of the Moon.
New Moon | Sow your seeds and set your intention
Get on your surf board and Paddle out
Waxing Moon | Water your seeds – Take action to realize your goals
Continue paddling past the break; keeping your sites out for waves
The Full Moon | Receive – The peak where you reap the seeds. The big one is coming, YOUR wave is here, paddling with all of your might and feel the lift as you catch the wave
Waning Moon | Continue Receiving what you’ve earned in the cycle and Integrating what you’ve learned – ride the wave effortlessly and flow
New Moon | New Beginning – we arrive at shore and start afresh
