Opening to the Dark Moon

Good morning, everyone.  Well, it's the first day back in the New Year and the world is coming alive again.  Supposedly garbage pickup begins today, but only for those who have usual Monday pickup...so I guess I have to wait until Wednesday to have my rubbish removed.  That means my neighborhood will have gone 14 days without a pickup.  What a shame!!!

Well, the Dark Moon will soon be once again upon us.  Some people do Dark Moon work.  Others do not.  I believe that we have to look at both sides of our nature...the light and the dark, for without one, there cannot be the other.    

When the moon, after covering herself with
darkness as in sorrow, at last throws off the garments of her widowhood, she does not at once expose herself impudently to the public gaze; but for a time remains veiled in a transparent cloud, till she gradually acquires courage to endure the looks and admiration of beholders.--Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare, Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers, 1827

Our ancestors revered the Moon as a Goddess, and each of Her lunar phases - New Moon, Full Moon, and Dark Moon - was said to correspond to the three phases of a woman’s life: Maiden, Mother, and Crone. The Dark Moon,  associated with the Crone phase, is traditionally the last three days of the lunar cycle, immediately preceding the New Moon.  During the time the sky is without moonlight.  The Moon is still there, of course, but it cannot be seen with the human eye.  Often referred to as the “Dead Moon,” the dark moon doesn’t necessarily represent death. It is, however, a time for life-enriching endings and a prelude to new beginnings. 

In the beginning was the Tao.
All things issue from it;
all things return to it. 

To find the origin,
trace back the manifestations.
When you recognize the children
and find the mother,
you will be free of sorrow. 

If you close your mind in judgements
and traffic with desires,
your heart will be troubled.

If you keep your mind from judging
and aren't led by the senses,
your heart will find peace.

Seeing into darkness is clarity.
Knowing how to yield is strength. 

Use your own light
and return to the source of light.
This is called practicing eternity. 

Astrologically speaking, the Dark Moon represents the darker side of our nature--shame, guilt, envy-- our negative side,  hidden depths of self that we know exist, yet  prefer not to acknowledge....our shadow self.   It is the kind of thing that we intrinsically know we have to confront and deal with to progress unhindered, yet most often it is something we try to ignore. It is the deeper truth that we are forever in search of within ourselves, and probably the best use we can make of the Dark Moon is to spend some time in quiet and reflection, exploring  our hidden depths.

The waning moon marks the  phase of letting go, of peeling away the layers. The Moon reflects the powerful light of the Sun, and when the Dark Moon appears, it becomes easier for us to shed our emotional baggage and free ourselves of people and ideas that no longer serve us or add value to our life. It is a time to cleanse ourselves and create space so that what is new can enter. For others, the Dark Moon signifies is a time to rest, be introspective, and replenish their energy. Powerful, healing dreams have been known to take place during the Dark Moon, and you may find yourself driven to meditate, to explore your intuitive abilities, retrieve past life memories, or delve more deeply into your psyche.

One way to harness the energy of the dark moon is to perform a ritual where you light a black candle. Call forth and visualize the different parts of your life that you are ready to let go of. Through visualization, bind these parts together with light and imagine this bundle moving toward the candle. Watch these old parts being devoured by the flames, and let the candle burn out. Trust that what you’ve released has left you. You are now ready to welcome the new into your life.