Ritual 10: Monday, March 5, 2007

Waning Moon

Full just two days ago, the moon has begun to recede into its waning cycle, though it still appears large and bright against the dark backdrop of the night.

Full moons are linked in folklore, myth and pop culture with increased crime and insanity (hence the lunar roots of the word lunacy). While statistical support of this connection is inconsistent and, therefore, unreliable, the full moon wields persistent power as a symbol for patriarchal fear of increased emotion and heightened intuition, two attributes of the mysteriously feminine moon. The intuitive and the emotional — and the women who embody these traits — have long been demonized by logos-centric Cartesian science.

Hysteria, with its Greek root hyster, meaning womb, was a psychological disturbance believed to be the exclusive domain of women. Misguided physicians of yore actually "treated" the hysterical condition by surgically removing the woman's uterus! The notion inspires me to outrage... and this is not moon-induced emotional sensitivity.

Maybe your emotions do run high on those nights when the moon's power peaks. Maybe your own psychic hotline is on speed-dial. To honor emotional sensitivity and increased psychic perception as gifts, not curses (do you remember when menses was called "the curse"?), tonight's ritual brings voice, power and a little madness to our Moonday.

You'll need a noisemaker. A pot and spoon are perfect kitchen companions for a liberating whirlwind of moon-ish mayhem.

Noisemakers at the ready, first ground yourself. Connect deeply with the earth. Feel yourself steady and strong. Set the intention that you will clear yourself and your space of any lingering internalized sexist judgments about emotions and intuition. Use the age-old tradition of making loud noises to scare away demons and bad spirits. Sexism — internalized or otherwise — is some seriously bad ju-ju, so let's get this going on! Bang your pot as you move through your space counterclockwise, the direction for banishing. If you've got a flair for the flamboyant, raise a ruckus evangelical style by shouting: "Demons begone!"

The air in your space will feel fresher and more alive once you're done. Seal your space with affirmations of your emotions and your intuition.

When Luna pulls and feelings swell,
I simply remember all is well.
Emotions follow a tidal rhythm
that is a part of women's wisdom.

When I sense more than logic knows,
I just accept that's how it goes.
To the moon, I say: It's no big thing,
Just one of the many gifts you bring.

If, after this ritual, your pendulum swings away from logic in favor of intuition, remember that the irrational has its rightful place next to the rational. They are the yin and yang of experience. One does not replace the other. When we acknowledge the presence of both aspects within us, we become whole. To our collective wholeness, I say: May it be so!

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