There’s a new moon in Gemini coming up, at 4:37 UT on 18th June. The seed point of a new moon is a popular time these days for setting intentions and magic to start new projects. This is all good, although I’m a little wary of this seed point as the “new” energy. For me as for many astrologers, the conjunction of the moon and sun which begins the lunar cycle is the dark moon. The moon is hidden by the sun and their energies are merged. This is a liminal time when the path ahead might not be as clear as we’d like. Making space for something new to come in is great but what form that might take isn’t always clear yet. Dark moon is a time for retreat and making space, not for rushing into action.
The Moon in Paganism
Unlike every other pagan ever (or maybe that’s just how it feels!), I’ve always struggled to connect with lunar energies in my pagan practice. The neopagan symbolic associations with the moon just don’t quite connect for me. Starting with the “feminine” as merely the reflected light of the “masculine” sun. And then the triple goddess, which seems to define us by our reproductive ability, as if that’s all the “feminine” is. I’m also much happier with more than 3 phases. For example, I might use fourfold symbolism for the lunar cycles, adding in the Queen or a similar archetype. I might think about waxing or maiden phases, the full moon, a waning or crone phase and then the dark phase.
In astrology, we work with 8 phases of the moon. Those 8 phases describe a journey, of waxing and peaking and waning energy. I’m also not a fan of (well OK I get quite grumpy about…) the over-literal astrological interpretations of lunar symbolism around mothering and the receptive feminine. I’ve written about my issues with those on my own blog in the past. In my pagan practice, since I let go of my conditioning around the triple goddess and realized the symbolism which just doesn’t work for me, I’m connecting much more deeply with the moon. Now I see the moon as bright, stark mystery, as unfolding cycles of change. I don’t need to impose duality or gender.
Release and renewal
For now, the Moon is waning, having arrived in Gemini earlier today. Classically, a waning moon is a time for releasing magic, for spells that call for letting go. The journey of the moon through the zodiac and the eightfold cycle bring rich possibilities for our magic. So many combinations and possibilities. As I write, we’re approaching the balsamic phase of the moon, the waning crescent. A time for shedding old skins and clearing internal as well as external clutter. Letting go of old thought patterns and conditioned thinking fits perfectly with this moon, but maybe don’t reach for something to replace them just yet. Gemini is all about freedom and fun, after all.
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