Sophie Poredos explores how, like a siren’s call, the Full Moon invites you to gaze under its ethereal glow.
The Full Moon calls out to the lovers and romantics, the sapphics and the femmes. Its translucent beauty has forever imprinted its permanence across poetry and culture. But there is an inherent femininity to The Full Moon’s powers - an association with women and motherhood.
Why is it that when we see this glowing crater in the sky, we immediately think to cleanse our crystals? Or grant intentions of gratitude towards the celestial being? New-age spirituality has become entangled with the beliefs that the Full Moon represents the female experience; death and rebirth of the womb. Branches of witchcraft and Wicca are not the only ones to worship the moon’s glow. Its mystique, sensuality and ethereal glow in the darkest of evenings has resulted in its worship for thousands of years.
Often the Full Moon has embarked on monthly rituals by various cultures, to balance the rhythms of life and act as an ode to the universe’s abundance. But there is an inherent femininity to its powers as the Moon supposedly possesses ‘divine feminine’ energy. Why do we associate the image of women with the moon? Perhaps there is the symbolism of the womb; the ability to grow life linked to the magic of the phases. Or the cyclical nature of menstruation, happening once a month as if circling the moon's phases.
Ancient Chinese philosophy characterises the Moon with ‘Yin’ energy; which cools, relaxes and controls our emotional state. Interestingly, the opposing ‘Yang’ energy of the sun is masculine and energetic, as the ‘doing’ state, creating a correlation between gender and religion.
Other incredibly rich and diverse cultures within Native American beliefs often prescribe different names for each ‘Grandmother Moon’, emphasising the deeply feminine symbolism of the moon due to her reign over menstruation or ‘moon time’. Within Anishinaabe culture, each month is named after a type of moon and rituals are performed to both thank Grandmother Moon and to cleanse the earth, lakes and women's continuity.
Other Eastern religions such as Hinduism consider the Full Moon as one of the most important planets, worshipping every Full Moon is known as ‘Purnima Tithi’. The Full moon, similar to other cultures, represents the ever-changing nature of the universe, as nothing is permanent, not sadness or happiness. Even within Buddhism, the Buddha is born on a full moon day and shares this lunar phase with other significant events such as his Enlightenment, his first sermon and his death into the Nibbana.
Perhaps the most romanticised belief systems surrounding the Full Moon occur within Paganism and its subsequent revival of witchcraft. Invoking the Goddess is a popular ritual - connecting with the wisdom and intuition of a deeply feminine entity.
But femininity within religion isn’t an inherently bad thing - for thousands of years, it gave people a sense of balance and worship. However, ideas of motherhood and nurturing energy may conflict with the reversal of gender roles that feminists such as myself demonstrate. But there’s something about seeing the Full Moon as a time for contemplation and celebration - especially for female friendships and connections.
Perhaps it's part of the ‘girlhood experience’ - recognising something so pivotal to the tides, harvest and operation of night and day as ours. As women, we are often berated simply for existing, but this celestial power that has been worshipped and gazed over for millennia is part of our collective soul. Seeing the effervescent beauty in the moon, worshipped by thousands of cultures, despite its craters and imperfections.
Participating in rituals such as a Full Moon Circle can strengthen these ties further amongst friends and strangers alike: connecting with nature can manifest and release energy. Perhaps the Full Moon then is rightly feminine - for its divine connection to sisterhood and bringing us together in a time where the media positions us against each other. Maybe it's time to reignite the magic we felt as children, in a time long forgotten, even in something as eccentric as a Full Moon Circle:
I see the moon and the moon sees me. Blessed be the moon and blessed be me!
However you interpret the Full Moon, whether you’re a crystal girl, new-age witch, or practitioner, she offers harmony and reflection to all.
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