Women Circles + Full Moons
“The woman’s womb is moon-shaped; her vagina, moon-crested; her menses, moon-blood; her juices, moon-nectar; her tears, pearl drops of moonlight; her hair is moon-mane; her eyes are the light and dark moons.”
Why Should Women Circle under Full Moons?
BDC is committed to holding space every month in 2022 to gather women under the Full Moon, because women’s magic is irretrievably linked to the cycles of the moon.
As practitioners of Earth Wisdom, we look to nature as a vehicle to self awareness, and connection to our inner voice. Nature acts as a mirror to help us see ourselves more clearly and become attuned with the rhythms and cycles moving around us all the time. According to Dr. Siva Mohan, Dr of Ayurveda, public health educator and women’s activist, “The sun and moon are the most influential planetary bodies for us, and therefore have the greatest [affect on us].” Our seasonal ceremonies mark the cycles of the Sun in it’s high, low and balanced points. Now with our moon gatherings we share in the opportunity to connect with the power and influence of the Moon and reset our own internal rhythms on a monthly basis.
In many old traditions, the sun and the moon (yin/yang, Ha/tha, shiva/shakti) represent the dual masculine and feminine forces that bring balance and unity to our physical plain. Our hope is that our offerings can reflect this balancing force of nature.
What We Did On Our First Full Moon Ritual of the Year
BDC was honored to host our long-time mentor and Earth Wisdom teacher Paula Coyne. A multigenerational circle gathered on the evening of the full moon to remember our own feminine wildness. Paula shared with us some astrological perspectives from her teacher Virginia Rosenberg, as well as from her depth of wisdom as a psychologist, yoga teacher, reiki master and mindfulness expert.
Here are some of the key learnings that we took from our extraordinary time together:
These are transformative times. Whether we look into the personal or the political, we see that old structures that no longer serve are falling away, making space for something new. The time right now is about composting the past.
Full Moons teach us about completing cycles. In this way, as we approach the energy of a full Moon, we remember that it is about the completion of a cycle. We have the opportunity to look at what came to fruition in this month or cycle, and what we are ready to release that no longer serves us.
Winter Moons are times for deep digestion. When we gather in winter time, it is important for us to remember that we are still digesting everything that we have experienced through previous cycles. Winter moons are great times to do personal inventories of all that came into being in the last cycle, to feel them deeply, and release their energy back to the earth. Our past experiences are valuable because they have energy in the emotional, spiritual, physical and energetic realms. When left undigested, this can create feelings of discomfort, tension, or longing. All of this can be amplified by the light of the full moon.
Full Moons Ask Us, What are we digesting? When feelings begin to surface, it is important to take time and ask ourselves what are we composting? It could be old assumptions, beliefs, patterns or old lives or versions of ourselves that really don’t fit anymore. The more we do our work, the more that we can recognize who we are now, and who we are growing into in the cycles to come.
Our biggest ally in healing/composting is the Earth. The Earth's rhythms are slow, deep, and vast. Winter moons are a time for us to get quiet, go deep and send our roots deep into the Earth. When we can sink into this connection, It’s like breathing in the Earth’s vapors as a pathway for receiving information. We root, release and realign with the coming time. The challenge is for us to slow down, rest, and learn to listen to the subterranean intelligence that will inform the dream of what is to come.
January is Still Winter Time
While January is known as its own beginning of a new year cycle, it is important to remember that we are all still in the muck of our personal and collective wintering experience, which will lead us through a natural transformation. It's like we're in a birthing canal together. Resisting it just gets in the way. So if we can embrace the process we can feel confidence and peace in knowing that we are moving through a collective rebirth and change is on the horizon. We are there to catch ourselves and find a moment of grace.
Join us on our next gathering: a women circle on the full moon or an earth wisdom ceremony on the solstice or equinox.