Full Moon Ceremony: Monday, July 30, 2007
I had not originally planned to participate in July's Full Moon ceremony through my Medicine Reiki group, but as the full moon neared, I felt very called to it. I found out why later, as I spoke with my friend Stephanie. She's Wiccan, and afterwards she informed me that it was Lammas, which is tied to grain ripening and harvest - this really resonated with me as far as my prayers and intentions had gone, because I felt a connection with the 'ripening' of ideas and harvesting good things in my life. I understood why that moon called me so powerfully.
I had sent in my request to join the ceremony on that same day, and I was afraid I was too late. I don't have the internet at home anymore, and I'd meant to check the group page (I get digests) before I left to see if I was allowed to join. Unfortunately, I forgot to do so. So after Josh, my Love, got done at his second job at church, it was about 9:30 before we headed home. I had forgotten all about the ceremony, until we made a turn onto Patton Avenue, when suddenly there were no trees blocking the view and I entered the moon's light for the first time. I felt it! I totally thought I felt an actual attunement from the moon. I glanced at the clock and saw it was just after ten, and I said to Josh, "Oh shoot! I was supposed to check and see if I could join the ceremony tonight. I swear I just felt it, but I really need to check because I probably should have posted my prayer ties. I don't even have all the stuff." As it happens, we have a new 24 hour coffee shop with a courtesy computer (well, a cheap one anyway), so after I dropped Josh and the kids off, I decided to hurry that way and check the group list.
I hadn't heard a reply either way, although Blaze (badgerbear) messaged and said she hoped to see me etherically. By now I was *really* feeling the moon's power, and I decided to go ahead and hold ceremony on my own either way. I would try to connect with the group, but if not, I could at least connect with the moon. I headed out and stopped at Ingles for more tobacco and hurried home, as it was now well after 11 pm.
When I got home, I set up my prayer-tie making station on my daughter's highchair. lol I felt the urge to smudge everything first, which I've only done once before. I think this could be due to K'Sitew's wonderful Pipe ceremony, which I was privileged to attend. We discussed different smudges in depth that day, and though I only have one Sweetgrass smudge, the power of smudge was very much in my mind. So I smudged all my supplies and myself. I cut several squares of blue and green print. I originally intended to have just three ties, but I ended up feeling called to do four. Four is my sacred number, so I went with it - two blue and two green. I had purchased a tobacco twist, which I personally have never used before. Actually, I believe I used cornmeal last time. I felt a difference with the tobacco, although I'm not sure how to explain it. It was heavier, maybe fuller. Of course, I made my ties in the daylight outside last time, and this time I was inside and it was midnight. That could account for some of the energy shift too, I would guess.
My ties mostly focused on healing and abundance for my physical, emotional, and spiritual bodies. The fourth tie ended up being mostly just a gratitude prayer. I caught myself a pretty bad case of poison ivy on my legs (around my sockline when I was berry-picking), so I really wanted to do some heavy-duty healing work myself, even if I didn't get an attunement. With four ties, I put a CKR, SHK, HSZSN, and DKM into them, respectively. If I remember correctly, I did a green tie for physical and emotional and a blue tie for spiritual and gratitude. I say 'gratitude' because my forth tie was primarily dedicated to God and Universe for the ability to make everything so, but I am in the habit of forming my prayers as gratitude prayers, for having already received everything. (If that makes any sense)
Here was my prayer:
I give thanks for the healing power that moves in me and through me. I give thanks for the swift healing of this poison ivy, and thanks for the lesson that I should learn what it looks like if I live in the mountains. I am healed and whole, and grateful for the abundance of healing energy that constantly moves through me and my life.
I give thanks for my emotional healing, and the Solstice ceremony that helped me release my bonds. I give thanks for the mindfulness and daily maintenance that helps me remain karmically free. I am happy and free, and grateful for the abundant creativity that moves through me - and is me.
I give thanks for my spiritual healing, and the constant guidance provided on my life's journey. I give thanks for my totems and guides, and all the earth teachers that support me and help further my spiritual evolution. I am constantly opening more and more to the Divine, growing in my intuitive and energetic abilities. God works through me in my life, and I open and surrender to Him fully.
I give thanks to God, for all that is. I am grateful for the ability to hold ceremony and connect with like-minded souls, and I'm grateful for the ability to consciously create my own existence. I'm grateful for health and abundance in all aspects of my life. And so it is.
After I had my small string of prayer-ties, I took my ties and the reiki/prosperity candle given to me by my dear friend Willow and headed outside. At first I thought to string my ties on the tree by my door, which I have a special bond with (it's my Journeying tree), but I ended up feeling called to the large tree at the end of my yard, by the road. I'm not sure what type of tree it is, but I'm actually pretty sure it's home to some fae. Over the years I have seen fairy rings of many different kinds - flowers, clover, and spiderwebs that I remember. I tried to visit the one time I've done a Middle World journey, but the journey was fuzzy and I barely remember anything.
So I felt pulled to this tree, which makes sense since it's in the moonlight (one of many - but my Journey tree is on the opposite side of the house). I stood with the tree for a few minutes, asking if I could hang my prayer ties on its branches. I felt a really distinct feeling that I should be careful not to step past its long branches, into the rather large area that's encircled by them. I reached up carefully and laid them on one set of branches that brought to mind kind of a hand reaching out, and then I moved out into the yard to find a patch of moonlight.
I sat down with the candle in front of me and just took a few minutes to breathe and get centered. I touched in with Moon and thanked her for all the power I've been feeling her share with me lately. I lit the candle and tried to connect with the group, but it was actually pretty fuzzy like my Middle World experience had been. Since Blaze had written, I tried to connect with her first. I felt a warm, orangey-gold light...something very reminicent of a warm blaze of light. It was sparkly/fuzzy, and I just kind of got this impression of people gathered around a ceremonial fire. I thought of AnnMarie, who was most likely at or just from a birth. Since I'm a doula, I figured finding that birth energy shouldn't be too hard. I did get some impressions - mostly still the fire, and the 'birth feeling' I get when I'm privileged to attend. More sparklies, but they kind of formed a constellation of a woman holding a baby, and that made me grin. I felt for Patty and maybe just got a feeling of green, and I remembered Rich CrystalWolfe, because my totem is a Wolf, and I kind of felt Wolf join me but couldn't really get anymore impressions after that. I didn't see or feel any hoops, although I thought I had earlier the first time I felt the full moonlight on me around ten-ish. I felt kind of an idle wondering, but no real preference either way, and tried to just touch with Moon and see if I'd gotten an attunement. I came away feeling I did, but that what I felt earlier was the hoop and that the ceremony afterwards was just my completion of my commitment. Doing the prayer ties had felt really good, and I came away feeling that I should do so far more often than every year or so.
I really enjoyed the experience. I'm very grateful to have been able to participate.
I had sent in my request to join the ceremony on that same day, and I was afraid I was too late. I don't have the internet at home anymore, and I'd meant to check the group page (I get digests) before I left to see if I was allowed to join. Unfortunately, I forgot to do so. So after Josh, my Love, got done at his second job at church, it was about 9:30 before we headed home. I had forgotten all about the ceremony, until we made a turn onto Patton Avenue, when suddenly there were no trees blocking the view and I entered the moon's light for the first time. I felt it! I totally thought I felt an actual attunement from the moon. I glanced at the clock and saw it was just after ten, and I said to Josh, "Oh shoot! I was supposed to check and see if I could join the ceremony tonight. I swear I just felt it, but I really need to check because I probably should have posted my prayer ties. I don't even have all the stuff." As it happens, we have a new 24 hour coffee shop with a courtesy computer (well, a cheap one anyway), so after I dropped Josh and the kids off, I decided to hurry that way and check the group list.
I hadn't heard a reply either way, although Blaze (badgerbear) messaged and said she hoped to see me etherically. By now I was *really* feeling the moon's power, and I decided to go ahead and hold ceremony on my own either way. I would try to connect with the group, but if not, I could at least connect with the moon. I headed out and stopped at Ingles for more tobacco and hurried home, as it was now well after 11 pm.
When I got home, I set up my prayer-tie making station on my daughter's highchair. lol I felt the urge to smudge everything first, which I've only done once before. I think this could be due to K'Sitew's wonderful Pipe ceremony, which I was privileged to attend. We discussed different smudges in depth that day, and though I only have one Sweetgrass smudge, the power of smudge was very much in my mind. So I smudged all my supplies and myself. I cut several squares of blue and green print. I originally intended to have just three ties, but I ended up feeling called to do four. Four is my sacred number, so I went with it - two blue and two green. I had purchased a tobacco twist, which I personally have never used before. Actually, I believe I used cornmeal last time. I felt a difference with the tobacco, although I'm not sure how to explain it. It was heavier, maybe fuller. Of course, I made my ties in the daylight outside last time, and this time I was inside and it was midnight. That could account for some of the energy shift too, I would guess.
My ties mostly focused on healing and abundance for my physical, emotional, and spiritual bodies. The fourth tie ended up being mostly just a gratitude prayer. I caught myself a pretty bad case of poison ivy on my legs (around my sockline when I was berry-picking), so I really wanted to do some heavy-duty healing work myself, even if I didn't get an attunement. With four ties, I put a CKR, SHK, HSZSN, and DKM into them, respectively. If I remember correctly, I did a green tie for physical and emotional and a blue tie for spiritual and gratitude. I say 'gratitude' because my forth tie was primarily dedicated to God and Universe for the ability to make everything so, but I am in the habit of forming my prayers as gratitude prayers, for having already received everything. (If that makes any sense)
Here was my prayer:
I give thanks for the healing power that moves in me and through me. I give thanks for the swift healing of this poison ivy, and thanks for the lesson that I should learn what it looks like if I live in the mountains. I am healed and whole, and grateful for the abundance of healing energy that constantly moves through me and my life.
I give thanks for my emotional healing, and the Solstice ceremony that helped me release my bonds. I give thanks for the mindfulness and daily maintenance that helps me remain karmically free. I am happy and free, and grateful for the abundant creativity that moves through me - and is me.
I give thanks for my spiritual healing, and the constant guidance provided on my life's journey. I give thanks for my totems and guides, and all the earth teachers that support me and help further my spiritual evolution. I am constantly opening more and more to the Divine, growing in my intuitive and energetic abilities. God works through me in my life, and I open and surrender to Him fully.
I give thanks to God, for all that is. I am grateful for the ability to hold ceremony and connect with like-minded souls, and I'm grateful for the ability to consciously create my own existence. I'm grateful for health and abundance in all aspects of my life. And so it is.
After I had my small string of prayer-ties, I took my ties and the reiki/prosperity candle given to me by my dear friend Willow and headed outside. At first I thought to string my ties on the tree by my door, which I have a special bond with (it's my Journeying tree), but I ended up feeling called to the large tree at the end of my yard, by the road. I'm not sure what type of tree it is, but I'm actually pretty sure it's home to some fae. Over the years I have seen fairy rings of many different kinds - flowers, clover, and spiderwebs that I remember. I tried to visit the one time I've done a Middle World journey, but the journey was fuzzy and I barely remember anything.
So I felt pulled to this tree, which makes sense since it's in the moonlight (one of many - but my Journey tree is on the opposite side of the house). I stood with the tree for a few minutes, asking if I could hang my prayer ties on its branches. I felt a really distinct feeling that I should be careful not to step past its long branches, into the rather large area that's encircled by them. I reached up carefully and laid them on one set of branches that brought to mind kind of a hand reaching out, and then I moved out into the yard to find a patch of moonlight.
I sat down with the candle in front of me and just took a few minutes to breathe and get centered. I touched in with Moon and thanked her for all the power I've been feeling her share with me lately. I lit the candle and tried to connect with the group, but it was actually pretty fuzzy like my Middle World experience had been. Since Blaze had written, I tried to connect with her first. I felt a warm, orangey-gold light...something very reminicent of a warm blaze of light. It was sparkly/fuzzy, and I just kind of got this impression of people gathered around a ceremonial fire. I thought of AnnMarie, who was most likely at or just from a birth. Since I'm a doula, I figured finding that birth energy shouldn't be too hard. I did get some impressions - mostly still the fire, and the 'birth feeling' I get when I'm privileged to attend. More sparklies, but they kind of formed a constellation of a woman holding a baby, and that made me grin. I felt for Patty and maybe just got a feeling of green, and I remembered Rich CrystalWolfe, because my totem is a Wolf, and I kind of felt Wolf join me but couldn't really get anymore impressions after that. I didn't see or feel any hoops, although I thought I had earlier the first time I felt the full moonlight on me around ten-ish. I felt kind of an idle wondering, but no real preference either way, and tried to just touch with Moon and see if I'd gotten an attunement. I came away feeling I did, but that what I felt earlier was the hoop and that the ceremony afterwards was just my completion of my commitment. Doing the prayer ties had felt really good, and I came away feeling that I should do so far more often than every year or so.
I really enjoyed the experience. I'm very grateful to have been able to participate.