{"id":1586,"date":"2018-05-30T14:56:38","date_gmt":"2018-05-30T22:56:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/tempest\/?p=1586"},"modified":"2018-05-30T15:04:11","modified_gmt":"2018-05-30T23:04:11","slug":"moonmusings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/tempest\/2018\/05\/moonmusings.html","title":{"rendered":"Moon Musings for the Witch Alone"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"
Photo by Terry Richmond on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

When I woke up this morning, there was a message from one of my new coven-mates<\/a> wishing me a happy full moon.\u00a0 As my brain slowly came to consciousness, I marveled that a month has gone by already. It was just a little over a month ago that I was initiated into the tradition, and a lunar month since I had an experience that upended me on multiple levels.<\/p>\n

How can it feel like that was eons again, and at the same time last week? The answer is that this is a common \u201cside effect\u201d of working with the liminal, especially for an extended period. The other reason is that I encountered something that can only be described as a path-shift.\u00a0 Going through this door, I was open-minded and relatively unfocused (on purpose)<\/a> about what could happen, but I simultaneously had a fairly good grasp of where I was and perceived where I was going in general.\u00a0 I came out the other side with a different vision that I\u2019m still absorbing and contemplating.<\/p>\n

Last night, as I sat in my studio and tried to focus on painting, I found myself out of sorts.\u00a0 I\u2019ve created a lot of art this year \u2013 especially for some big projects \u2013 yet I have been feeling dissatisfied with my work. There was a strong feeling of it not being where it was \u201csupposed to be\u201d even though I had no clear idea what that meant.\u00a0 So not helpful, but this feeling is a typical experience for most artists.\u00a0 The uneasiness tends to be the precursor to an evolution of sorts. It\u2019s like realizing you\u2019re in an egg and you have to break the shell, but you\u2019re not sure how to crack it.\u00a0 There is a big project on the horizon that I have been excited for, but it\u2019s really big and that\u2019s increasing the thickness of the shell it seems.<\/p>\n

Now, I do tend to feel restless around the full moon, but usually I\u2019m able to channel that energy into work.\u00a0 \u00a0This time however, I got discouraged and went to bed without having made much progress.\u00a0 Not a good full moon experience.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Photo by Steve Halama on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My thoughts have been going back to that message and the slow conscious realization that I missed the esbat gathering.\u00a0 Of course with good reason as I live 3018 miles away from where the ritual was taking place. Normally I wouldn\u2019t think that missing such a thing would strum a metaphysical (dis)chord in me, but it\u2019s been so long since I worked with a group regularly, especially at this level. On principle, it\u2019s really not so much about \u201ccelebrating\u201d the full moon as it is about being a distant thread. I don\u2019t believe one should have an obligation to do a thing just because it\u2019s in a book or an \u201cought to do.\u201d\u00a0 But I think coordinating a satellite esbat when the rest of the group is meeting might have to be a thing.<\/p>\n

I have longed viewed Witches as weavers, that we simultaneously are the threads of life while also working them.\u00a0 We\u2019re never quite working alone, but when you choose to become part of a collective, our web becomes stronger and even more interwoven. And I\u2019m not only talking about spiritual practices and group magick.\u00a0 The pattern of our lives can appear to shift, as it\u2019s brought into focus.\u00a0 What are our goals? What really is our personal vision for ourselves? What is it that we need to move forward?<\/p>\n

\"\"
Photo by Joakim Honkasalo on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And of course the full moon brings us the most dramatic tides.\u00a0 The high tide reaches its peak, often flooding the shores \u2013 while at the same time, the low tide exposes everything the ocean hides during the rest of the cycle.\u00a0 The true is same for ourselves \u2013 beings of mostly water. We are flooded and exposed, but never truly alone.<\/p>\n

As I reflect on this truth and think back to my frustrations with my art, I feel the shell is close to breaking. I am reminded of the connections I have been weaving, and that I should use those to strengthen my hands and focus. That I need to be active and conscious in making changes within my own world.<\/p>\n

The next full moon happens on my birthday, while I\u2019m on tour in Billings, Montana<\/a>. It will be interesting to track this development and possible correlations.\u00a0 In the meantime, I\u2019ll use the light of the moon to illuminate the path before me as it shifts and shimmers, seeing what the tides bring.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

And of course the full moon brings us the most dramatic tides.\u00a0 The high tide reaches its peak, often flooding the shores – while at the same time, the low tide exposes everything the ocean hides during the rest of the cycle.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2676,"featured_media":1589,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[452,12,14],"tags":[557,560,343,563,518,107,7,4],"class_list":["post-1586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-modernpractice","category-tradition","tag-full-moon","tag-lunar","tag-lunar-calendar","tag-moon","tag-tradcraft","tag-traditional-witchcraft","tag-witch","tag-witchcraft"],"yoast_head":"\nMoon Musings for the Witch Alone<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"And of course the full moon brings us the most dramatic tides.\u00a0 The high tide reaches its peak, often flooding the shores - 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