Today’s Equinox marks one of two moments in the year when our planet achieves a moment of temporary equilibrium, as the Sun moves into 0 Aries marking the beginning of a new season of growth & development. Tomorrow the New Moon initiates a new astrological year & is immediately followed by Pluto’s ingress into Aquarius on Thursday March 23 for the first time in 248 years.
It’s pretty big. So as we close out this cycle & prepare to enter into the new, today’s dark Piscean Moon invites quiet rituals of reflection, rest & release. Studies have shown the efficacy of ritual on sports performance but according to the Scientific American they even appear to benefit people who don’t believe in them. Ritual reduces anxiety & improves outcomes in situations of stress & uncertainty & those who conduct rituals under such circumstances consistently outperform those in non-ritual-performing control groups, according to researchers Brooks, Schroeder et al.
The dark moon can feel a bit like one of those situations with Pluto at 29:57 Capricorn poised to shift into revolutionary, revelatory, futuristic new territory. Energy tends to be low on the dark moon & scenarios can feel more confusing, emotional & unclear than usual. It’s a lunar phase associated in the Hindu tradition with the goddess of power, destruction & change, Kali & in the Greek with the goddess of transitions, crossroads, magic & protection, Hecate. So you get the vibe. It’s witchy & loaded with power & portent. In this rich moment of emptying & renewal, you might feel inspired to follow your own traditions, intuit a ritual of your own or try the following to release the old & make way for the rush of new energy coming in. Research also shows that rituals involving longer sequences of steps tend to be most successful in producing outcomes (Legare & Souza 2012) so I’ve added plenty to this recipe of symbolic & causally opaque actions for harnessing intent. I hope it helps you tune in lovelies…
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Light some incense or essential oils.
Play some music that inspires feeling & reflection.
Clean your space, slowly & mindfully.
Pour water into a large fresh glass for drinking throughout.
Make yourself a cup of something. Rest & relax. Meditate on what’s changing.
Think about what you’ve learned over the last year through the challenges experienced.
On a sheet of paper write down what you want to release.
Take your candle, paper & water outside (or somewhere fireproof).
If outside, make a small hole in a patch of earth with your fingers.
Burn your list & express gratitude for the learning.
Sweep the ashes into the hole & cover it over with dirt.
Pour your remaining water onto the earth.
Look at the night.
Remember that you’re blessed.
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Image: 19th century Kalighat painting of the goddess Kali in her terrifying guise to ward off evil.
