What the Full Moon Reveals (Hint: No More Shadows)
The full moon is one of the most beautiful sights, I look forward to it every month. There is a part of me that buckles up as it draws closer, too. I'm relatively new to observing the moon cycles with deep reverence, so I will update this post as time goes on and I gain more experience. There was a time where I didn't hold any sort of sacred view towards the moon or its effect on me. One factoid that led me to feel otherwise is this: if the moon controls the tides AKA water, and the human body is made up of 60-75% water (depending who you ask), is it really far off to believe we are impacted by it? Now that we've pondered that, let's dive in to what full moon energy reveals.
The full moon is a time of expansion especially in our emotions, and this follows the path of what we see reflected with our eyes. When the moon is at its brightest, it shines the most light. My bedroom is situated so that the moon shines directly in to my window, so every full moon fully illuminates my bedroom once it gets dark. This is reflective of its effect on my life, too. During the full moon, nothing can hide any longer. Its as if there is so much light available that it reveals whatever has been hiding in the shadows, aka our shadow selves.
Make no mistake, we all have a shadow side, both light and dark must co-exist, they cannot be without each other. Our shadow is anything about ourselves that we wish to keep hidden; it's the "ugly" side that takes great strength to look at. This is why the full moon can be so uncomfortable. There is literally no where to hide, moonlight spills over everything and pulls these strong emotions out of us - forcing us to turn and look at whatever we has been living in the deepest depths.
Uncomfortable emotions come up all of the time, however maybe you've noticed that you feel a bit more unsettled during a full moon. My shadows emerge in a number of different ways. I noticed that leading up to this current moon cycle, I began to sense areas of my thinking that I wanted to detach from. Fears of abandonment surfaced even though they didn't feel fully warranted given the current state of my life. With every moon cycle that I've observed, I've begun to realize that this will happen and sit with it. However, there are still plenty of moments where I:
-Refuse to sit still
-Can't be alone or focus on what's going on inside me
-Want to be distracted somehow
-Have odd and strange dreams that reflect an unconscious fear or behavior
-Wish I could take a pill or supplement that would make all of the above go away
When I dream, I wake up and wonder why something that felt like ancient history is adamant on resurfacing. I have come to see it as being less about the specific situation or the dream, and more about the larger theme that it represents in my life. Whether it be loss/grief or fear, those emotions must be processed through before they can be let go and I'll be the first to admit that I've absolutely sucked at feeling my feelings.
What the full moon is trying to show us is that we must let go of the old. Ezzie Spencer writes "Letting go is essential as an abundance principle when it comes to ushering in the new." from her book Lunar Abundance. Ask yourself, what can I release right now? This may be an outdated limiting belief, or it could be a relationship that no longer serves you. Now is the time where all is revealed, so trust your instincts.
Cycling With The Moon
It is said that women who bleed with the full moon follow what's called a Red Moon Cycle. This article from She Rose Revolution explains, "In ancient times these women were the priestesses, the healers, the witches, and the medicine women. In contrast to the white moon, these women are focused on channeling their creative energy outward.
These women may also be mothers and raising children. But they are focused on and passionate about being in sacred circle with their community and teaching and leading others.
Women with a red moon cycle have a deep desire for self-actualization, self-growth, creativity, business, mentorship, and development. Everything they learn and experience helps empower them from within, enabling them to empower the women around them."
This follows the theme of the full moon being so illuminatory, because when we bleed, we are the most self-focused and able to go deeply inward. Combining these two energies is a recipe for deep, deep self-reflection and intuitive guidance. It's no wonder that these women were asked to be leaders when their cycle brought such power.
What does the full moon mean to you? Do you feel the rippling of uncomfortable emotions below surface level, or do you keep it zipped up tight? Where in your life could you benefit from releasing? I encourage you to set an intention during the next full moon to sit with a piece of paper and write down whatever comes to mind to release. Then, destroy said paper and release every difficult area along with it. You can also look for a local full moon ceremony to be in community with others setting the same intention.
If you're someone whose cycle is irregular or disrupted, consider adopting a cyclical mindset in relation to the moon's phases. The moon represents the feminine in each and every one of us, and is a wonderful reference point for living in sync with nature. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Happy Full Moon!