Ritual 3: Monday, January 15, 2007

Waning Moon

Today is Martin Luther King Day. A visionary, an activist, a leader, Dr. King left the legacy of non-violent social change. On this night, as the moon shines just a sliver in the sky, invoke Dr. King's spirit of love and compassion to your own personal (or global) revolutions.

Gather some ingredients for a night of soft reflection — a bowl of salt water, a flower that symbolizes love to you, a piece of paper, and a pen. Settle into a comfortable place in your home. When the moon wanes, our energies become slower and deeper. Let your breathing echo that rhythm, slow and deep.

Write on a strip of paper a dispute or troublesome situation or relationship in your life. Maybe you're arguing with your mechanic over the cost of a repair. Maybe your best friend made a comment you're still mad about. Perhaps you got passed over for a raise you deserved. Political or social concerns may be on your mind. Whatever your conflict or grief, write it down. The purpose is not to complain, just describe the situation. Take as much time as you need to meditate on this. Choose up to three concerns that you're ready to transform.

Invite a moon goddess to join you. No need to fuss. It's as simple as ringing up a friend on the phone. Call on the Celtic goddess Rhiannon to offer the gift of forgiveness. Or ask Kwan-Yin, the Chinese goddess of compassion and mercy, to share her presence with you. A request spoken aloud with respect is all it takes to invite a goddess to your ritual.

Place your strip(s) of paper into the bowl of salt water. Submerge them completely. Water is the quintessential cleansing fluid. Salt is the ultimate purifier. Salt water is a magical mainstay for releasing rituals. Our tears are salt water — we have our own built-in purification mechanism. Remember that whenever your tears well up. Your body is very wise!

Float the flower on top of the water, and hold the bowl between your hands. Ask aloud that these disputes, concerns, or conflicts be resolved in the most compassionate and loving way. That's it. Don't try to project the outcome. For the moment, forget about being right.

For now, just breathe. Breathe in peace. Breathe out grace. If that concept's too obscure, then just repeat like a chant or mantra: "I invite a loving solution, a compassionate revolution."

Whenever you feel complete, thank the goddess who joined you, and give her a parting gesture — blow a kiss, clap your hands, say farewell. She gets to home at the end of the evening, just as any friend would!

Let the bowl sit on your altar for the next four days until the new moon. If you don't have an altar, just place the bowl someplace where it won't be disturbed. On the new moon, discard the bowl's contents. I like to bury any physical remnants in the earth.

Allow the magic of transformation to flow gently and compassionately into your life. Water magic can be very deep and surprising. Open yourself to miracles, and you will be amazed.

After the ritual, share your experience in our community section.