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THE GODDESS ALMANAC:
Gnostic Moon
 

image credit: Back to The Goddess   "Lilith’s garden was one of destructive transformation, decay, and death. It smelled of sulfur fire. It was where the dark feathers of carrion birds fell, and where magic, shadow, and twilight mingled into one. Hers was a garden of an eternal, moonless night." - from You Are Woman, You Are Divine by Renée Starr I love the night. So much so, that I once thought about changing my first name to Lilah (which means 'night' in Hebrew) so that I could honor dark, mysterious nighttime, and the goddess Lilith - who is one of my most treasured personifications of The Goddess. While writing her chapter in my book, I could not stop, and wondered if perhaps the whole book should be about Lilith. She finally stepped aside, however, and I was able to bring in the other 8 goddesses. Lilith is a 'dark goddess' of the night who reminds us of our deep - and often dormant primal, sexual, feminine, and magical woman-power. She is also one of the goddess-keepers of the Lunar Blood mysteries (you'll learn all about them when you sign up  here), and she is the teacher of the more esoteric and the most hidden of all the ancient, gnostic, Divine Feminine teachings. Lilith reminds us that within every woman is the magical witch, the dark goddess and the sacred priestess. In the heart of my heart, and the soul of my soul, I recognize these aspects within me...perhaps you do, too.   Lilith was the first wife, or mate of Adam in the Judeao-Christian story of creation. She fled from Eden after a terrible argument with Adam, and refused to return, even after God sent three powerful angels to bring her back. She turned herself into a screech owl and flew far away, to live alone in another garden, one of shadow and darkness, where she would spend the rest of her days grieving, healing, and receiving the teachings of women's mysteries from the serpent/wise woman who would also eventually tempt/initiate Eve into these teachings as well. Lilith calls to us still, and especially during this blood red moon. Obliterated and demonized by Western, patriarchal religions , the story of Lilith has all but  disappeared  from the world, and many of us do not know of her. I chose to speak of her now, in association with this powerful moon, because it, too is about to be 'obliterated' by the shadow of the earth as it moves in front of the sun during the total lunar eclipse this evening. When this alignment occurs, the moon can take on a reddish hue,  hence its name, 'Blood Moon'. This moon is also a Super Moon, which means that it will orbit very close to the earth, and appear very large in the night sky.  Like Lilith, the blood moon has been demonized and feared for centuries, most often thought of as the beginning of the end of days, but it is in no way demonic, nor is it anything to fear. It, is however, something to pay close attention to. The  Blood Moon is  a very potent, powerful, transformative and revealing time  for everyone, but most especially for women due to the sacredness of our menstrual blood, and our connection to lunar essence .  The blood of the womb is a special substance, a goddess elixir, and if treated with reverence, can reveal to you again and again, deeper and deeper and more and more who you are as a female - something that Lilith also often does, as well. Even while in menopause, your lunar blood is still flowing, teaching you and guiding you -  except  during this time its flow is being directed inward rather than outward. Like the blood of the womb, the essence of this moon comes from the deepest, most hidden parts of the Great Feminine Mystery, and it brings forth ancient knowledge, a clear understanding of your path here on earth, and almost instant clarity as it illuminates the path of  transformation that you have been on over the last several months - or perhaps several years .  Traditionally associated with the dark moon, I found it very interesting to be sharing Lilith with you now, on the eve of this full moon, but she is a wonderful goddess to call upon whenever you are seeking knowledge about your womanness, shedding what no longer serves you, and whenever you are opening to receive that which does. She can also assist you with all of the emotions, loss, grief and letting go that is sometimes associated with full moons and their call to release.  This full moon is called the 'Harvest Moon' by native peoples of the North Americas, which is in reference to the time of year when the season of sowing has completed, and the season of reaping has begun. It is a time of celebration, ceremony and reverence for the gifts of the earth, and also a time when everything is coming to a close; the year, the seasonal wheel and your own personal transformation for your own personal cycle at this time. I like to call this a 'gnostic' or knowing moon, as it is best spent doing some deep soul diving, seeking for inner, deeper knowledge. Gnosis means: to know, and gnostic means:  of or relating to knowledge, especially esoteric and mystical knowledge.   Esoteric means:  private and secret.  The Gnostic Moon, with its super, blood essence and the goddess Lilith dancing in its light, offers us a rare opportunity to work with our esoteric shadow-self, and explore our most private, and secret thoughts and the desires we are most  hesitant , and afraid to manifest. This moon, and this goddess invite us to seek out the more mystical, esoteric and hidden places that reside within the deeper parts of our psyche, and to heal them, protect them, strengthen them and move them up and out.  Now is a time to seek life's deeper teachings, fill yourself with ancient, long ago wisdom and bring forth from deep inside of you, something quite magnificent.  This super blood moon has been building in momentum for a while now, as it is the last in a series of four that started in 2014. Alternating between Libra (balance and harmony) and Aries (initiation and action), we have been prepared for this time of powerful re-birthing, and (finally!) the realization and manifestation of our wildest dreams - all of which are culminating now.  As we have been experiencing these moons, we have been subject to such incredibly  powerful, transformational energy that it  may have felt like you have been going through a  death-birth-death-rebirth cycle over and over again...and quite honestly, you have been. This difficult, challenging and wrenching cycle is ending, right now, and so I encourage you to settle in for the last turbulent wave  of it, release all of  your resistance to it, flow with the deep, dark waters of it, look i nto the goddess Lilith's eyes  and just...let...go.  If you are able to, watch the skies at 1:07 AM Greenwich , or Universal Time (UT)  tonight, September 27th to witness the gnostic, super, blood moon. Calculate your time against UT time here , and refer to the chart below for watching the event, and for timing your lunar workings during this special eclipse. Please note that the penumbra is the outer edge of the shadow that the earth will cast upon the moon, and the umbra is its full shadow. Expect to experience going in and out of your own shadow-self as this occurs.

The Super Blood Moon will be passing through the fiery, intense and highly emotional sign of Aries during its spectacular show of events - which as you can guess, may cause much upheaval, conflict and upset. Waxing moons pass through the sign of Aries from October to April and waning moons visit Aries from April to October.
Our sun sign is how we experience our outer self  and our moon sign is how we experience our inner self (find your birth moon sign here).  My  sun sign is in  Aquarius and my birth  moon sign is in Aries. Aquarians can be emotionally 'cool', and are often reserved and contemplative, while Aries folk are highly emotional and very quick to react, so you can imagine  how terribly uncomfortable this combination can be!
All this week I have been experiencing an emotional meltdown, as this super charged, high powered Aries blood moon has been making its way towards my moon sign, stirring me up like crazy. Just like Lilith leaving the garden of Eden to be alone , I have also been deeply craving privacy, and inwardness, which is strange to experience during a full moon - but I keep reminding myself that a total eclipse can cause dark moon-like  tendencies and cause the dark goddesses to come forth, bringing with them a call to enter the 'cave' . Perhaps you, too have noticed that your emotions have been swinging like a pendulum from one side to the other, and that you want to curl up into a ball, and retreat deep inside of a cave. Take heart, eclipses also bring balance, alignment and calm as the moon, earth and sun form a perfect alignment. During an eclipse, The Divine Feminine (moon), The Divine Masculine (sun) and human soul (earth) come into perfect harmony for a short while.   
Because of this moon's intense, spectacular energy, we'll be departing from our usual almanac format to focus only on this moon for our lunar workings. Below are some inspirations for you to work with this super, blood, eclipsing moon in a special way. 
SABIAN SYMBOL MEDITATION
Sabian Astrology is an esoteric, mystical version of Western Astrology that utilizes obscure riddle-like descriptions of scenes or symbols to describe the essence of the degrees of the planets in your chart. It is a complex, difficult to understand system, and one that could take a lifetime to unravel. Many books have been written about it, however there is still very little explanation for the strange, cryptic descriptions.
If you are interested in the origin and history of the Sabian symbols, click here . If you'd like to calculate your astrological chart with the Sabian symbols, click here . And here is really wonderful Sabian Oracle that will intuitively answer your questions with the click of your mouse - it's incredibly accurate, and very mysterious at the same time.
When I researched the Sabian symbol for the moon in Aries (specifically 5 degrees Aries), I found that it is "a triangle with wings". I felt instantly inspired to create the image you see at the top of this post, which is designed to elevate and activate your feminine essence during this blood moon/lunar eclipse. I saw in my minds eye a moth for the deeper, darker hidden aspects of the blood moon's transformative qualities, and an inverted triangle, rather than the upwards triangle, to call upon the sacred yoni and the feminine, blood mysteries (read about the yoni  here ) . The image of the woman and the moon are to remind you of your innate, special connection to this lady of light, and that you move as she does through the world; cyclically.
Something you may find interesting, is that another goddess moonlogist , whom I enjoy following, created an image quite similar to mine, or perhaps I created one quite similar to hers...the cosmic essence of this symbol is so very powerful this does not at all surprise me, although it does delight me. 
Simply looking at the mystical image of the winged triangle will activate you, but I do suggest that you look at it several times a day as the full moon begins to wane and diminish, perhaps meditating after staring at it for a few minutes, and also looking at it just before you go to sleep. You may want to keep a journal nearby to record any insights or messages that you receive after meditating or dreaming. You can either print the image via this link, or view it digitally on your computer screen.
I'd love to hear from you about your experience with this, as it will help me when I create my Lunar Goddess cards...and because I just love hearing from you! 
MOTH TOTEM MEDICINE
The moth is cousin to the butterfly, which is a potent symbol for transformation, and the cycles of birth-death-rebirth, however it is also a solar/sun totem and so it's medicine is best used for the outer, more physical aspects of life.
The moth, which appears mostly at night and is known to fly in circles around and around, higher and higher, trying to reach the light of the moon, offers us her lunar/inner medicine of reaching higher, trusting the darkness to reveal the light, and using the darkness to travel deep into the unknown of your shadow-self. Moth is a shape-shifter being, just like the goddess Lilith when she turned into a screech owl, and I have witnessed moths changing into hummingbirds and woodland faeries right before my eyes. Shape shifting is useful when traveling between the realms, as moth does, and it can help you to explore the inner realm of your psyche more easily, for deep within the subconscious you can recreate yourself, rebirth yourself and revision yourself with ease.
If you are able to, stand outside on the night of the lunar eclipse and spread your arms out wide, at your side as if they were wings. Look up to the moon. Then close your eyes and imagine that you are flying high into the night, silent as a moth, with the night air ruffling the delicate fur of your wings. Imagine that you have large, jet black eyes that can see the night world as if it were a dreamscape, surreal and magical. Breathe deeply, relax and allow yourself to enter into a meditative, trance state. Shape-shift yourself into a moth, and fly to the moon and then back to down earth. Ask moth to fly with you, to guide you with her wisdom, and her lunar ways. You may even receive a special message from her, so  keep a journal nearby to record any insights or messages that you receive after flying with moth.
LUNAR WATER
Don't let the opportunity to make some lunar water during this spectacular super blood moon eclipse pass you by . You can use the lunar water after this moon has passed, savoring its essence for a while; two weeks for spring water if kept refrigerated, and about four weeks for distilled.    http://www.backtothegoddess.com/meet/ You Will Need:

• a clean bottle or jar filled with spring or distilled water

Leave the bottle or jar of water where the light of the moon can shine upon it, and let it stay there during the eclipse. You can sip from this water, sprinkle it in a bath, apply it as a facial toner or use it to anoint your crystals, ritual tools, altar, womb, yoni, breasts, third eye or heart chakra. 

GODDESS GIFTS
Sadly, I am not immune to the wily ways of mercury retrograde, and was unable to complete the anticipated sample page of the upcoming Lunar Dream Journal that I am working on, so I hope you will forgive me and hold space for it to arrive next month with the dark moon installment. 

October's Lunar Goddess Calendar, however is available to download using the button below.

Abrahamism

What is it all about? To get things done? No! 

Because you do them, and you undo them, and you do them, and you undo them, and you do them, and you undo them... 

What is the point in all of it? It is the thrill of the process along the way. 

Physical human minds keeps thinking, "We have to be going towards some end." 

And you kill each other by the millions trying to decide what is the appropriate end that you are all going toward. And we say: well, there's your flawed premise. 

Because there is no end that you're going toward. We are all on a perpetual cycle of joyous becoming. We will never get it done, ever, ever, ever, ever.

---Abraham

OneRedPaperClip ABC 20/20

Oh My Goddess

THE GODDESS ALMANAC:
Wishing Moon
 

image credit: unknown  

There is an art to making wishes.

I have found that whenever I am setting an intention, manifesting my heart’s desire, or casting a wish upon the wind, I must be entirely and fully aligned with it in every way or it will not ‘work’. If even just one obscure or deeply hidden thought does not believe in that which I am hoping to create, or if my mind has even the tiniest seed of doubt that it can happen—then the whole process will crumble to the ground without ever having a chance to succeed.

Once while listening to a Native American elder speak about his life as an activist and leader of his people, he mentioned that at one time he had quite a bit of doubt that he could do all that he was hoping to do with his life. He had the feeling that this was his life path and life’s work, and he desired to see it realized, but he just could not see it coming true. It was not until he had a very strong, inner vision of his dream that he was able to fully trust it, and believe in it with such surety that it was as if it had already happened. This deep visioning acted like a catalyst that set into alignment his thoughts, his feelings and his emotions so that the vision could come down from the above to be realized in the below.  

How often do we use the word realize, without ever really understanding its meaning? The word ‘realize’ means: ‘actually existing as a thing or occurring in fact; not imagined or supposed’. To real-ize, then, is to bring something intangible and non-existent from the realm of the imagination into the physical realm of being. How magical is that! 

While your thoughts are very, very powerful, they are also quite unstable, and fragile. Vibrating on an energetically subtle plane of existence, they need a very strong intention and ‘call to action’ to be made real, or they simply drift away like leaves falling onto a gently flowing stream. Thoughts have no tangible substance, and therefore cannot ‘do’ anything tangible, i.e. simply saying ‘I think I will swim across the English Channel will not cause you to suddenly appear in the frigid water, swimming hard against the current. But…once you ‘realize’ that thought, take action steps to see it come true, then you may just find yourself swimming towards England.

The art of wish making is to align your thoughts with your feelings and with your emotions. This alignment, by the way, works in both directions; both positively and negatively. Align your thoughts, feelings and emotions towards a negative outcome and you will manifest just that. But, oh, when you align them all in the direction of the positive—stand back because all kinds of unexpected and wonderful things can, and will happen.

The essence of the new moon, which is coming up on the 15th of this month, is a time of birthing, emerging and materializing. During the new moon we can birth ourselves anew and we can bring to earth that, which once existed only in the etheric realm. It is a time for turning fantasy into reality.

The new moon initiates the lunar time of waxing, or increasing and comes to us renewed from its time within the fertile, womb-like darkness and deep void of the dark moon, a place that is wild, mysterious, primordial, uncharted, and un-manifested. Like a newly born babe, the new moon carries the possibility of anything and everything…so don’t hold back with your wishing—wish big, bold, wild and powerfully.

While the dark moon guides us to be still, to wait, watch and to make ourselves ready…the new moon phase is like the horn blowing, the gate opening and the race starting—it practically shouts to us; ‘GO!’ It’s all about beginnings, fresh, new starts and about emerging from the dark of the unknown into the light of the known. The new moon is the best time to acknowledge beginnings, plant seeds (ideas) for the future, begin new ventures, make repairs (both physical and spiritual), to encourage growth and to make wishes.

This upcoming new moon, which will be visiting the sign of Libra, which is all about balance—offers us the perfect opportunity to balance and align our thoughts, feelings and emotions. The nature of Libra is to socialize, join in, be a part of and balance everything and everyone! The essence of the new moon is in alignment with this, and you may find yourself a bit more social the day before, the day of and the day after the new moon.

Libra encourages us to balance our moods and emotions, which for many of us is a welcome relief from the upheaval, chaos and urgency that you may have been feeling the last several weeks leading up to the partial solar eclipse that we experienced today. You may have noticed a strange sense of calm, and inner peace coming over you, along with a profound sense of organization and flow as we approached this celestial event. This is due to the balancing and harmonizing effect of eclipses. Everything (literally) comes together during an eclipse as the sun/Divine Masculine, the moon/Divine Feminine and the earth/human soul are all in alignment.

What will you wish for on this new moon? What seeds will you plant this week and what will you allow to increase and grow in your life as the moon waxes brighter and brighter? This almanac post is themed around the new moon, and is designed to help you bring to earth your heart’s desire. It’s filled with lots of ways to do this, including an introduction to some of the goddess that can assist you. You can also visit my Pinterest board called ‘Goddess’ for further inspiration:  https://www.pinterest.com/tothegoddess/goddess/

YOUR GODDESS ALMANAC FOR AUGUST/SEPTEMBER:
All times shown in UTC time. Calculate your time zone  here.

Sep 11, 2015 01:55 PM	Moon enters Virgo: work with wholeness
Sep 14, 2015 02:41 AM	Moon enters Libra: work with balance
Sep 16, 2015 03:42 PM	Moon enters Scorpio: work with passion
Sep 19, 2015 03:31 AM	Moon enters Sagittarius: work with awareness
Sep 21, 2015 12:32 PM	Moon enters Capricorn: work with order
Sep 23, 2015 05:51 PM	Moon enters Aquarius: work with magic
Sep 25, 2015 07:43 PM	Moon enters Pisces: work with emotions
Sep 27, 2015 07:28 PM	Moon enters Aries: work with energy

 

Sep, 12, 2015 Dark Moon	a time of calm
Sep, 15, 2015 New Moon	a time of initiation
Sep, 20, 2015 1st Quarter Moon	a time of harmony
Sep, 24, 2015 Waxing Gibbous	a time of provision
Sep, 27, 2015 Full Moon	a time of liberation

 

LUNAR ASPECTS As the moon’s light increases, so does its power—upon you and upon the zodiac sign that it visits with. This means that during the Libra new moon you may begin to feel extraordinarily drawn towards balance and order, a feeling that will increase as the moon continues to grow brighter and for as long as it is in this sign (until the 16th), then it will increase the power of each of the signs it visits with. You can use the chart above to guide you. When you prepare to make your Libra new moon wish, do so in a very balanced, thoughtful way (Libra is an air sign, which governs the intellect); take time to make your wish, do not rush or panic and most of all, trust.

LUNAR GODDESS The new moon symbolizes the Goddess’ Maiden nature, and the waxing phase, from new to full mirrors the time of a woman’s life when she is both experiencing and leaving her girlhood, towards becoming a woman. The idea of becoming is very powerful during the new moon and so we call upon these goddesses to assist us: Athena for wisdom and understanding ourselves more deeply, Artemis for the initiation into the lunar mysteries, Diana for the re-birthing of our inner, goddess-self, Persephone for learning about the sacred magic and mysticism of being female, Ostara for all of our new beginnings, Maia for the growth and progression of our soul, and Hebe for connecting to the maiden/youthful aspect of The Goddess.

LUNAR MAGIC The most traditional wishing magic is to write your wish on a piece of paper, burn it in the flame of a candle and then scatter the ashes upon the wind. I like this version of the tradition: determine your birth moon sign (here). Use your birth moon’s element to release your wish. Here is a list to help you: 

• For the element of water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces), scatter your ashes into the waves of the ocean, a pond, lake or stream. 
• For the element of air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius), scatter your ashes upon the wind, or blow them away with your breath.
• For the element of earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), scatter your ashes deep within the soil, or sand if you are near a beach.
• For the element of fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), scatter your ashes into the flames of a campfire, candle or fireplace.

LUNAR HERBS & OILS Essential oils associated with new, fresh starts are fresh, refreshingly scented oils, such as orange, lemon, lime, fir and basil. Anoint your wishing paper with some oil, then your heart just before you scatter the ashes. You can also anoint your candle.

LUNAR BUSINESS  I love making wishes for business, for me they are so much fun—I just love watching something manifest from ‘nothing’. When we think of business, we often think of this as income, but try wishing for other aspects of your business, such as wonderful clients, a better schedule, having more fun while working and so on. This is also a wonderful time for new business ventures, new projects and new sources of livelihood.

LUNAR BEAUTY I used to wish for straight hair, having had a very ethnic, super curly, wild mop on my head all of my life—until, over time it turned completely white and the texture changed. Now I have straighter hair, and I long for the curls to return! This is a lesson in wishing; wish hard enough on something, align your thoughts, emotions and feelings and you will manifest it. Try this deep conditioning treatment for your hair, be it curly straight or otherwise. It always helps me to love and appreciate my hair whenever I use it. 

• 1 part organic unrefined coconut oil
• 1 part raw organic honey
• 10 drops of organic rose essential oil (you can also use lavender essential oil)
• Mix well, saturate dry hair with the mixture, leave on 1 hour, shampoo and rinse. No need for an additional conditioner.
• You may experience dripping, as your skin will warm the honey and oil; use a plastic shower cap while the mixture is on your hair.
• You can also use this as a full body treatment just before a bath or shower.

LUNAR LOVE The new moon is a great time to wish for love, including self-love. Use this moon to allow new feelings, fresh ideas, innovative perspectives and different viewpoints about romance, relationships and love to emerge, blossom and grow. Wish for love in ways you never thought possible.

LUNAR CREATIVITY It never fails: I cannot bring forth anything creative until the moon begins to wax. I have given up trying, and now primarily work on all of my creative projects during this cycle whenever possible. Use the new and waxing moons to start, begin, initiate and carry out any creative project. You can also make wishes for your projects to be successful, fruitful, effective and prosperous—or whatever else you need them to be.

LUNAR ABUNDANCE The new moon was made for abundance wishes. It is the perfect time to get into the flow, align with Universe and plant seeds/ideas in the garden of your dreams. Make wishes for things of increase (better health, more money, more business, more clients, more joy, more fun, etc) on the new moon, and water those seeds daily with affirmations, rituals and positive thoughts, feelings and emotions until the full moon. Then let go, and let Goddess.

LUNAR DREAMING As the dark moon ends and the new moon emerges, expect your dreams to be very internally focused, contemplative and highly intuitive—your subconscious is waking up, emerging and moving to the surface of your awareness. Keep a dream journal nearby as you may want to record your dreams first thing after waking up.

LUNAR AFFIRMATION  I awaken, and emerge into the essence and light of my goddess-self. Each day is a new opportunity for me to open my heart to love, to seek my bliss, to bring in more and more abundance and to connect to my feminine wisdom. I am a goddess on earth.

YOUR GODDESS MOON is the moon under which you were born. If you were born under a new moon, you may enjoy and seek spontaneity, new projects, starting things—lots of things! For you, life a magnificent adventure filled with many possibilities. You may prefer to live in the moment, letting the past fall away as insignificant. Being born so close to the dark moon, you may have learned to respond to life with your instincts and to rely almost solely upon your intuition. If this is your Goddess Moon (you can order your Goddess Moon forecast  here), know that this is your time of power. All that you are doing during this phase is amplified and accentuated.

UPCOMING EVENTS & CLASSES

I am excited to remind you that a sample page of the upcoming Lunar Dream Journal will arrive in the next Goddess Almanac post, which is on the full moon: September 27th.

9 MOONS PRIESTESS SCHOOL  

N IGHT OF THE BLUE LOTUS

As always, I am wishing you Goddess blessings and lunar light!  

Moonologist Renée Starr spends most of her time researching, writing and teaching ancient Goddess and lunar wisdom. Read her full bio  here.