December 21st Solstice and Dark Moon

We are coming up on the shortest day of the year, the Winter Solstice. I look forward to this day  only because it means that once again we are shifting into a new phase where the days slowly get longer. It is the promise of Spirit that dark mornings and dark evenings will not last forever. It is also the date of the dark moon, although some calendars are listing it the 21st and some are listing it to be on the 22nd. No worries. The energy of darkness is still upon us.

Darkness is not always a bad thing. The darkness of the  moon reminds us to go within ourselves and find the wisdom and the power within ourselves to move forward in our lives. Symbolically the dark moon is all about releasing what no longer serves us or is healthy and nurturing to our souls. The darkness of the solstice also reminds us that this is the time of year when much of nature is sleeping.

I believe that Spirit gives us messages through the activity or non activity of nature. So many times we as humans are constantly on the move. We are racing towards real or imagined goals. We are constantly living in a state of chasing our dreams. Sometimes it feels like those dreams are just beyond our reach, not unlike the carrot that is dangled just beyond the reach of the racing horses. Now truthfully, I don't even know if they still do that dangling carrot thing, I know that I have seen it on television so it seems like a good analogy.

Are you feeling like that horse that is chasing after a carrot that always seems just beyond your reach? You always ALMOST get there. You almost reach a goal, only to see it drift away or, upon finally getting hold of that carrot, you find another obstacle staring you in the face.

May I suggest that you use the energy of this particular solstice and dark moon to just stop chasing that carrot for a season?

Yes, I am suggesting you take inventory of all the things that are working in your life. Look around you and count your blessings. Enjoy family. Eat too much chocolate. Be content with where your life is at this very moment. If you have nothing to be thankful for, then be thankful that you woke up this morning. That you  have breath, and life.

This dark moon is all about releasing and reinventing yourself.

Sometimes you have to release what you have been trying so hard to manifest and just enjoy your life the way it is.

Surrender to Spirit is all about things not having to work out the way you expected that they would.

Just for today, enjoy your life exactly the way it is at this moment. Be kind to yourself. Love those extra pounds you have packed on while being tempted with eggnog and Christmas treats. Love that guy ringing the bell for the Salvation Army that reminds you that some people are worse off than you are this time of year. Love the frost on your windshield. Love the lines at the mall. Take some time and just BE. BE HERE.

Tomorrow is another day.

Cleaning out the Closet, and Thoughts About the Dark Moon

Yes, the new moon is upon us. If you have read my previous posts on the new moon, you know I like the term dark moon better, because it describes the actual state of the moon. In my way of thinking, the moon is not "new" until you see that first little sliver of moon after the dark moon. The energies are completely different.

According to my calendar, the moon will be dark on the early morning hours (2:14 a.m. specifically) of September 24th. This is why you may see some discrepancy as to the date of the dark moon. Depending on where in the world you are, you may experience the dark moon late in the evening on the 23rd.

We all experience the moons in different ways. Up until the dark moon, the energy has been about releasing what is no longer helpful, healing, and in your best interests. This may be relationships, jobs, or, in my case, all the crap that has been accumulating in my closets. Yesterday, I decided it was time to release all of the no longer useful things that have been taking up space in my closets. I am really trying to get it done before the new moon early Wednesday morning.

Here is what I like to do. Whenever I am impressed to take on a project, I like to think about what it may represent in my life symbolically. To me, closets represent things that are hidden from view. I am one of those people who stuffs things in closets and drawers when I know company is coming. I may or may not immediately go back to those closets and drag out those things that I have hidden there right away after the company has left. This results in losing a lot of stuff!

So while I am busy cleaning out my closets and drawers, symbolically I am releasing those things in my life that are not necessarily open to public view. Maybe even things that I hide even from myself.

We all like everyone to think that we have it all together, all the time. Cleaning out closets represent to me the part of myself that I have stuffed away out of view.

What I have discovered from my project of cleaning out my closets is that a lot of little things end up cluttering up your closets! Things that I don't necessarily need or want, but I just can't seem to part with.

We are all familiar with the term: coming out of the closet. Long before it represented "coming out" about a person's sexual identity, it represented revealing a secret of some kind.

Today, while my husband was cleaning out his portion of the linen closet, he found a dainty necklace with a heart on it. He asked me if I had forgotten about it. I admitted I had never seen it before. There it was, for at least the eleven years since we have lived in our home, hanging in the back of the linen closet, forgotten. It must have belonged to the previous owners.

What treasures do you have hanging in the back of your heart? Forgotten amidst the clutter, waiting to be discovered? Sometimes in order to find the treasure, you have to clean out the shit!

Do you have forgotten treasures that are waiting for the clutter to be removed so that they can be revealed?

 What is it that you are ready to release? Anger? Resentment? A relationship that has outlived its time? Get ready, I am thinking now might be a good time to do that!! September is a "nine" month in Numerology. Nines are about releasing things, completing unfinished projects, endings, and surrender. In the tarot the nine card is the hermit. Go within yourself and find the wisdom you need. Take some time apart. I am finding personally that the "nine" energy has been particularly strong this month. And Spirit has indicated that October is set to be a month of new beginnings, and major changes. October is a "ten" month. The card in the tarot which is a "ten" is the card of the wheel of fortune. Things are going to change. It is also a month of new beginnings. Sometimes change is at first difficult if it is to bring new things into our lives. When a baby is born first there has to be that painful birthing process.

Let us spend some time releasing those things which no longer serve us so that we can be ready for the upcoming changes sure to occur in October. Remember, you can't pour water into a cup that is already full! It is time to empty your cup of all those things that are no longer useful to you so that your cup can be filled with new things!

Just for today, I encourage you to spend a little time thinking about what is no longer serving you and what is in your life that you no longer love? Release those things so you can be ready for what's coming up!

As always, I am at your service! Please do not hesitate to contact me for a personal session. You can contact me HERE. Happy Dark Moon!

Dark Moon and New Moon Rituals

Until recently I thought that the dark moon and the new moon were the same thing. It was confusing to me.. which moon do I manifest and which moon do I release? I understood that after the full moon and while it was waning was the time to release but the things I had found on the subject were sometimes contradictory. It is easy to see the in between.. you are manifesting while it is waxing and releasing while it is waning, but on the actual days that the moon is dark or the moon is full, what should you be doing?

When I have taught ritual I have always taught that the full moon is all about harvest, or manifesting, and the new moon about releasing.. ah but I was almost right, but not quite.

I have been spending some time just sitting with the moon and getting my answers directly from Her instead of relying on the things I read or was taught.

And then it came to me. The new moon and the dark moon are not the same.

The dark moon is that period of time when there is no visible moon. That is when a ceremony releasing what is no longer helpful to you is most powerful. Write down a list of things you want to release from your life and do ceremony to let them go. You might light a fire and burn the paper upon which your list is written. You might tear up the paper and release it into the wind. You might let the paper go into a body of water. You might even bury the paper in the ground, thus releasing your intentions into the Earth Mother. Which ritual to choose? This is personal to you. You might correspond  your ritual with your astrological sign. What is the element associated with your sign? You might find out what sign is associated with the current phase of the moon. Here is a link to the sight where I found that information. It changes every couple of days, so make sure you find the sign for the day you are doing ritual. I have found it is very powerful if you do your ritual three times, so I am posting this blog a couple of days before the actual dark moon on Wednesday. Intention is everything, so make your ritual personal to you. Call in the Higher Powers that speak to you.

Ah, so if the dark moon is Wednesday, when there is no visible moon, then when do you think the new moon occurs? Yes, you are right! The new moon is that first sign of a new moon! That little crescent moon that comes a day or two after the dark moon! That is when  you can begin to think about what things you want to draw into your life! What do you want to grow? What do you want to manifest? This is the time for planting seeds that you want to blossom and bloom in your life!

If you plan on doing a new moon ritual three times, then the first time will be that first little crescent moon you see in the sky. That would be Thursday or even Friday. You are planting seeds that are going to grow. Write down the things you want to manifest. Do ritual to invite in the Higher Powers to aid you in your prayers and intentions. In this case, you do not want to burn them, bury them, or in any way destroy the paper they are written on. I like the idea of planting them. Take the paper and plant it somewhere. In the bottom of a flower pot or even outside in the earth. Water it frequently.

You can use a proxy instead of writing your intentions on paper. Have a piece of fruit or even a piece of chocolate and send the intentions into the proxy and either gift the piece of fruit to the Earth Mother or eat it.

Here is a ritual I like. Fill a sacred bowl with water. Hold the bowl in your hands and send your intentions into the bowl. Then drink the water. You can do this alone or in a group. If you do this in a group then the intentions of everyone in the group become planted in the bowl and each of you become a partner in one another's intentions. You can do a similar ritual with fire. Light a candle or some sort of fire and send your intentions into the fire. Ask that the fire and the smoke receive your intentions and send them out into the Universe to be manifest in the highest and best way that is good for everyone concerned.

I always like to add that rider at the end. We only want to manifest or release things that are in the highest and best interests of everyone involved. We never cross free will.

Moon rituals don't have to be complicated. Use your imagination and do things that are meaningful to you. Drum, rattle, put music on and dance, light a fire, ring bells, sing, do whatever makes you joyful. Remember that the emotions you put into your intentions are like gasoline on a fire! Make sure your emotions are happy and full of love!

Use this week to connect with the energy of the Moon and its wonderful powerful energies!

If you are interested in contacting me for a private session, or finding out more about personal sessions or classes, you can contact me via my website, www.WhispersofJoy.net. Now get out there and enjoy yourself!

New Moon Saturday!

Well, it is March 1st, the first day of a  new month, and also a new moon today! In numerology we are in a seven year, and if you add three to that (the number of March) you get ten, and if you add the one and the zero of the ten you get a one! One is the number of new beginnings and the number ten in the tarot is the wheel of fortune, and the number one is the magician. Whew!!What a mouthful!

What does that all mean? It means, dear soul, that March is geared up to be a month of new beginnings!! Yay! We all need new beginnings don't we? The wheel of fortune says that things are getting ready to change.. and I don't know about you, but I am ready for some change!

I guess it must have been sometime in the past week or so since the quarter moon waning towards new that Spirit gave me the message that for the week up to the new moon I was to let things go in preparation for allowing new things in.

 I cleaned out the refrigerator, and said the mantra that I was letting go of things that used to feed me that no longer do..

As I scrubbed the shower and swept up the dust on the floor I said.. "I am releasing all the crud and buildup that is hiding there in secret..."

I like to find mantras that match my activities. It is like I am acting out my manifestations!!

And now the new moon is upon us! Can you feel the energy shift?

We are coming out of a particularly difficult Mercury Retrograde, in which anything unsettled in the area of communications came out to be dealt with! Here in Virginia, winter has been particularly difficult. I have almost felt like I have been hibernating. I am reluctant to come out of my covers in the morning, and I can't seem to get enough sleep. And now here comes new things, new beginnings. It is time to wake up and get moving!

 In February, a nine month numerologically speaking, was all about completing unfinished projects. I have been tweaking my upcoming book in anticipation of a meeting with a literary agent in March. I am still not sure if it is in its finished stage, but it is feeling complete, anyway. I really took some time to look within, and sit with the moon stages, and ask for guidance. And now, March is here! It is like a horse and her rider must feel as they sit at the gates right before a race, waiting for that signal to charge out of their waiting spot.

What lies within you that you have just been waiting for the right time to begin? Now is the time!

Of course, we all have personal numbers and personal tarot cards that may be a bit different from the universal ones of which I speak. If you are interested in knowing where you are numerologically or what is your ruling card, contact me and we will set up a session! It is amazing how accurate our numbers and our cards are. In my sessions I always connect with your guides as I do your cards and numbers so that they can guide me and give me any additional information.

Just for today, find some time to sit and connect. Meditate on what the next stage of your path looks like. You may only get the next step. If Spirit says, go to the grocery store and buy some beans, then do it. It is like making soup. Sometimes Spirit only gives us one ingredient at a time.

I remember years ago I was in a group of ladies who liked to make what is called friendship bread. One person would give the "starter" to the other ladies. We would add one ingredient or two, and then pound on the dough and let it sit. Twelve hours later, we would add another ingredient and pound it down and let it sit. Eventually the result was the most amazing bread you ever tasted.

Spirit is the one with the "starter." You get an idea or an inspiration. You add an ingredient and let it sit. Then you add another. Timing is everything. You can't decide that you want to add the second ingredient before the twelve hour sitting time. Well you can, but your bread is not going to taste very good.

Today is the day to get your starter from Spirit. You will get instructions for when to add the next ingredient. Sometimes there  may be some pounding on the dough. Don't get impatient! Eventually your bread will be baking in the oven and everyone in the neighborhood will be smelling the most incredible aroma coming out of your very own kitchen!

Remember, if you need assistance as you navigate your journey, you can contact me through my website and set up a session. I am always at your service!

Blessings to you on this new moon, first day of the rest of your life!

New Moon and Solar Eclipse Sunday!

I don't usually post on weekends. Statistics say that readers are offline on weekends, and I say.. yay you! Everyone needs time to enjoy their lives. Go outside, if weather permits. Take a walk. Spend time with family and friends. Read a book.

However, today is the new moon and also another solar eclipse. Apparently we have been having a lot of activity in the skies lately.. eclipses, solar flares, not to mention the Mercury Retrograde,  all of which are contributing to our personal state of affairs.

I am not at all educated in the reading of the stars. I get my information from my many experts in the fields. All I know is that I have been feeling the effects of all of the solar activity. Aches and pains. Tiredness. A need for sleep.

I believe in symbolism. Spirit uses symbols to communicate with us and give us encouragement and hints about our lives. I am always open to symbols and hidden messages, so when I think of the new moon, I think about a time when the moon is not visible in the sky. That doesn't mean it isn't there. The moon is symbolic of all those things in our lives that are not readily visible, our shadow self, some call it. It is also symbolic of the Sacred Feminine. When there is a new moon, it has been waning for some time. This is symbolic of things that are passing out of our lives. What is it in your life that you want to get rid of? Anxiety? Anger? Troubled relationships? Perceived offenses? Maybe financial difficulties or sickness?Why don't you see those things passing out of your life right now? Why don't you go within to find your true light, the light that shines out from within you?

A solar eclipse is also symbolic of something being hidden behind something else. In the case of the new moon, we cannot see the moon because the dark side of the moon is the side that is facing the earth. In a solar eclipse, the light is hidden behind the shadow of the moon. So symbolically, shadows are hiding the light. Shadows are really nothing. They are just what is cast when the sun is shining on the other side of something.  So really, what may come up for you today is that the light is shining, but you can't see it. The shadow of something hidden from view is blocking your light.

Don't allow yourself to be offended today. It is just a shadow. It has no power over you. Let go of grudges and offenses. Be kind. Whatever does come up for you today, know that it will pass. On the east coast of the US, the solar eclipse was only visible for about two minutes. This is symbolic of the shadows of the events in our lives being very transitory.

Allow what is passing out of your life to pass. Thank it for its valuable lessons. Be ready for the light of the sun and the moon to come back. After the darkness has past, new things can begin to birth in your life. New and better things. There is a saying that nothing can be born without there first being a death of sorts. There has to be some sort of release before new things can come into our experience.

Welcome all the things that come and go in and out of your life. Know that it is all good. Learn from your mistakes and grievances. Forgive others and yourself.

I close with a quote from Rev. Irma Kaye Sawyer..

Happy New Moon and Solar Eclipse friends! May what is no longer serving your highest and best be gently eclipsed out of your life, to reveal the shining, crystal clarity within. May healing magic be in your every step.