Full Cold Moon + Winter Solstice – December 2013
COMPLETING THE DESCENT & REBIRTH OF THE LIGHT
The Dark Mother is very present right now on this Full Cold Moon approaching Winter Solstice here in the North. Can you feel Her?
She is Lilith, beautiful Goddess of feminine empowerment, liberation, and sexuality — greatly misunderstood and feared today by the collective consciousness of thousands of years of of patriarchal culture.
Legend tell us that Lilith was Adam’s first wife, made from the same Earth as his equal. When she absolutely refused to subordinate herself sexually and in all other ways to Adam, she was demonized. Mythologically represented as an irresistibly seductive she-demon with long hair, she has become the scapegoat for the fear of feminine power.
Lilith is linked to the Dark Moon in astrology, and describes our relationship to the absolute, to sacrifice, and shows us how to let go.
She is the Serpent, primordial creative energy and the ultimate symbol of healing and wisdom. The serpent was worshiped in the ancient world as a force of regeneration, metamorphic change, and rebirth. The essence of the spiritual power of the cosmos, She is recognized in Hindu culture as the Kundalini fire. The serpent is also greatly feared throughout patriarchal cultures…
The wild, sexual, transformative power of the Dark Goddess has gotten an extremely bad rap over the last few thousand years. She is fierce when she needs to be. She is not afraid to dive into the shadows and slay the true demons. She is powerful beyond measure.
She is Ereshkigal…
GODDESS OF THE TIME – ERESHKIGAL
It is difficult to find images of this Goddess Queen of the Underworld. She is so well linked with her younger sister Inanna, some choose the same early images of Diety to depict them.
While we relate to Inanna as the one who completes the Descent, it is important to note that it is truly her sister, Ereshkigal, who is the one to bring the medicine to her. The Dark Queen is well acquainted with it as she was the first to make the journey herself during the first separation of heaven and earth. Like Lucifer, Eve, Lillith and other Dark Gods and Goddesses – she is a bringer of knowledge by revealing that which hides in the dark. And like the Egyptian God Set and Goddess Nepthys, she can be cruel, jealous, selfish and possessive. Who wouldn’t be? The one whose fate it is to rule the Underworld? Even Ereshkigal loves. She married her consort Nergal who brought her consolation as they rule the land from which no one returns.
“As a dark moon Goddess, Ereshkigal represents the devouring of life and its subsequent renewal. She rules over the magickal arts, secret knowledge, and oracles. Her animals are those that live beneath the earth – dragons, serpents and snakes – and those that love the night – owls, ravens, crows, black dogs and black horses.” – http://dutchie.org/goddess-ershkigel/
Song of the Raven with Shaela Noella Rosalena
COMPLETING THE DESCENT
If you haven’t done these practices with HER, this is the time….
Invoking the Dark Mother – Letting Go
Choose a place to sit in front of a mirror. If it is a standing mirror build a small altar in front of it. Or place a freestanding mirror on a table or altar where you set your intentions with water, fire, crystals, and incense. Ask for Her help to release and surrender all that is hidden in the shadow… all that is blocking you from living as the powerful medicine woman that you are…
A FAMILY OF STONES
Tools to enhance your experience – working with Stone People – Crystal children
Peering into the Book of Stones by Robert Simmons and Naisha Ahsian, I opened to back to back helpers that seemed perfect for this time of year.
Into the Dark – GOETHITE
“So long as you haven’t experienced this – to die and so to grow –
You are only a troubled guest on the dark earth.”
…So said the poet Johan Wolfgang von Goethe who this stone was named after. Simmons’ research points to the ability of Goethite’s energy to connect us with the Earth – with our Mother – in away that open the first and second charkas enabling us to go deep into our process with past lives and in our ability to hear the Ancient Earth Mother’s Song.
It serves us by helping the transformation of underground emotion, trauma and grief and bringing us from repression to rebirth. It strikes a soft spot in me as it is notably found in both Colorado and Cornwall.
The Return of the King – GOLDEN LABRADORITE
the sun’s birthday
i who have died am alive again today
this is the sun’s birthday this is the birthday of life and love
and wings the gay great happening,
illimitably earth
— e.e. cummings
Welcome glowing fire radiance light heat warrior focus and purposefulness.
Welcome the Light
Welcome the Return of the King.
Golden Labradorite is a stone used to support the Solar Plexus. Normally, I would recommend Citrine as it helps anchor the presence of the Divine Masculine within through the Solar Plexus center. The energy of the Sun supports our ability to Manifest and the Citrine’s power to align us with the Divine Masculine – our Will with His Divine Will – ensures we are Manifesting what is in the Highest Good of All Beings. Labradorite, has another quality, which combined with this Solar influence, could make you almost unstoppable. I have used blue toned Labradorite for years to reinforce my energy field and help protect weakened areas, even temporarily plugging up ‘holes’. I have recommended this for all kinds of people who are in the midst of healing trauma, who feel intensely sensitive around other people, including those who are feeling as though they are susceptible to vampirism – which is essentially having a parasite draining your qi from your field and energy system. How can one Manifest what one is Visioning if the energy is being rerouted from the Solar Plexus out the weakened areas in the field and into others? This Golden stone may be a considerable aid to those seeking self-confidence, and the Will to follow one’s inner sense of knowing.
I particularly love that in the Book of Stones, they recommend pairing the Golden Labradorite with Moon Stone. What a glorious combination of shimmering masculine and feminine qualities – Solar and Lunar.
CELEBRATING THE WINTER SOLSTICE
The Winter Solstice marks the darkest night of the year and the most subtle, yet powerful experiences of the strengthening of the emerging light. When we have been in the darkness – including in depression – there is a moment which marks the turn around. Sometimes we don’t even notice right away. But there it is. The point at which we have gone completely and whole heartedly in the surrender to the unknown. The point at which we have surrendered to the Mystery, given up on trying to control the Goddess and give ourselves over in humility to Her will – to Divine Will. Our fears tell us we are about to be obliterated. And in some respects – that’s true. Our former sense of self is about to be obliterated and what will come out of the cauldron of transformational fire will be a new you. Cleaned, dross burned away, ego in check, insecurities quieted, reason suspended, experience forefront.
The Return of the King is a celebration throughout the world on so many esoteric levels it could take each one of us years to fully integrate this level of understanding. The simple story of a boy born in a stable to poor parents who were of intense faith. That the angels were so excited about the birth of this boy they sent word of his arrival and the stars even elected to guide holy men to his side to make offerings. This story is reflected in the simplicity of the Winter Solstice itself only a few day earlier… – the birth of Horus – Son of Isis and Osiris… the birth of Jesus, embodiment of the Christ on Earth – Son of Mary and the Divine Eternal Father… the re-birth of the Sun after the Darkest Night of the Year.
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FULL MOON MEDITATION
Choose a place to sit in front of a mirror. If it is a standing mirror build a small altar in front of it. Or place a freestanding mirror on a table or altar where you set your intentions with water, fire, crystals, and incense.
Grounding Meditation
Close your eyes. Imagine your grounding cord moving down deep into the Earth. Raise your awareness to the celestial realms. Breathe. Invite the Full Moon Light and the Stars to shine upon you. Invite the energy of the Diamond Ray to wash down over you and all the Earth. Gently open the crown chakra and allow this Ray of celestial light to wash down through your crown into your light body, into the Ka. Allow this cooling, soothing irrridescence to descend through your central column of light through your root and into your grounding cord. Imagine your root system traveling in branches down through Mother Earth and see the light of the celestial realms travel through you feeding the Mother herself. Know that this light is nourishing the Mother. Know that it is deepening your connection in service to Her. Know this light is now available to Her and to all Beings. Slowly, open your eyes.
This Full Moon in Gemini before the Winter Solstice is about connecting Heaven and Earth. It follows a through line of energy we have been experiencing this year of North Node/ South Node movements. Here we are connecting the root of Gemini and the Milky Way with the crown of the Pleiadies, the Seven Sisters. Read more…
In this way we are linking our ability to experience and understand a variety of viewpoints, even those that seem diametrically opposed (Gemini), the essence of light and dark, with the higher mind (Sagittarius) which simultaneously allows us to experience the whole.
“When we know the truth of our relationship to the cosmos (Sagittarius), we are led to the experiences we need to shape and understand (Gemini) our life. When we choose what vision to believe in, we choose what kind of world we live in.” – Astrologer Cathy Pagano
We are given this opportunity to explore human experience and the duality of our experience on earth while conscious of our union beyond all things. We may be increasing our capacity for accepting and even reveling in our heightened awareness as light body continuously returning to source while the corporal body receives light of the Divine infusing it with the sacred responsibility of housing your spirit for this time. In this way, all duality, all conflict, all resistance to accepting these ‘dark’ parts of ourselves is washed away in the perfect expression of union with above and below. Heaven and Earth. Higher Self and Lower Self. We welcome wholeness. We welcome breath. Inhale and exhale. Inhale and exhale. Inhale and exhale.
Be Still & Listen Deeply – Dayna Seraye
Silent Meditation
Take 8 slow breaths. Count 8 seconds to inhale, 8 seconds to exhale, 8 seconds to remain empty. Inhale again. Notice the feeling in the out breath and the emptiness which follows. Feel your body in contact with the Earth below. Allow your consciousness to travel down into Her. Travel into the soil. What do you smell? Is it dry as desert or damp and moist? Do you see rocks, worms, crystal specks. Gaze into the mirror. Who do you see? What is complete?
Write in your Journal
Take a moment to pause here and reflect. Take out your pen and journal. What is true for you? What has ended? What Visions do you see?
…and now…
