Death Moon

[Flar's Freyja]

Magick is more than just spells and potions. Magick is an opportunity to do some real, deep, and life-changing spiritual work. This is the second in a series of threads about reflecting on the energies of each moon cycle and using them to make changes in your spiritual and physical life. These are adapted from Annette Hinshaw's book, Earth Time, Moon Time, Llewellyn, 1999. Annette was a major influence in establishing our pagan community in Tulsa, OK. She passed on a few years ago, not having an opportunity to receive feedback on her work. What I love about the book is that she says it might all be a bunch of nonsense, so just take it or leave it. I've found the book extremely useful in my own practice and make an effort to plan my rituals around the energies of the current moon in accordance with the Wheel of the Year.

The Death Moon may begin as early as October 27 or as late as November 26. It ends as early as November 25 and as late as December 25 with the total range of dates being October 27 to December 25.

Samhain, which usually falls in the Sorting Moon, falls in the Death Moon in years with a Courting Moon. Yule falls in the Death Moon twice in the 19 year cycle following a year when the Courting Moon starts in April.

The Mother's mood is slow. She seems tired after the abundant bearing of summer and she is also expectant as she rests and hibernates so that she may bring abundant harvest in the coming year. The change in temperature, light and vegetation remind us that all that falls will rise again in the spring, that we are at another stage in the cycle.

Where are you in this process?

[Flar's Freyja]

Sabbats:
Samhain - otherworld contact and journeying
Yule - change in life state

Astrology:
Scorpio - transformation
Saggitarius - enterprise

Planets:
Pluto - transformation, rebirth
Jupiter - knowledge seeking

Tarot:
Death - transformation
The Tower - major change and renewal
Kings (Major Arcana) - releasing

Runes:

Samhain - Wunjo, Hagalaz, Nauthiz

Primary Energies:

Endings/New Beginnings
Death/Rebirth
Transformation/Stability
Changes/Stagnation
Recognition/Ignorance of the mysteries of transition
Yule - Isa, Jera, Eihwaz

[Flar's Freyja]

How do you honestly feel about change and transition in your home, family, community, career, the world, your everyday routine? Are you very attached to routine and sameness? Do you resist or welcome change?
What changes or transitions are occurring in your life right now? Include trivial as well as larger matters, because small changes often indicate or initiate larger changes. For instance, your sticking to a diet or fitness program would change your self-image, clothing size, daily routine, etc. Giving up smoking would affect your health, environment and the way you interact with others, etc.

[Flar's Freyja]

Which of the changes that are taking place in your life right now appear to be under your own control? Why, and how are you controlling them?
Which of these current changes are beyond your control? Who or what is driving them? Is there anything that you can do to bring them more into your own line of control? If so, what, specifically?

[Flar's Freyja]

What specific changes have occurred in the last year? The last five years? Do these changes reflect your personal values and attitudes?
How have you responded to changes in yourself and others? List events marking change and how you felt about them, how they influenced your actions and choices and what you did or did not learn from them.

[Flar's Freyja]

What was your most recent major life transition? What changes did it cause in your life or those closest to you? i.e.; including, but not limited to, marriage or divorce, birth or loss of a child, loss of a loved one, moving to a new location, change in career/job, religious conversion, loss of close friends or family.
List all of your major life transitions. How could you have changed your attitudes and responses to make those transitions more comfortable or constructive? Do your life transitions suggest a pattern that you might be able to change?

[Flar's Freyja]

What kinds of transformations do you want for yourself? Think about and list specific ways in which you can achieve them. Focus on inner changes and specific personal actions that can help you make the changes you desire. Transformations that depend on outside forces are beyond your control.
What specific transformations are occurring in your life right now that you are resisting or forcing? Why? Try to connect with your inner wisdom to determine whether your forcing or resisting is appropriate.

[Flar's Freyja]

How do you feel about physical death of yourself and others? Does your attitude toward death influence how you feel about other kinds of endings?
How does your attitude toward the inevitable physical death influence your attitude toward life? Is this influence positive or negative?

[Flar's Freyja]

Your greatest strength is the ability to turn corners with grace and to look eagerly forward to the changes you will find around that corner. People balanced in this moon's energies have a deep sense of the cycles that underlie transitions and a reverence for the mysteries of dissolution and renewal.

Your greatest weakness is likely to be a tendency to make life transitions unnecessarily difficult, either by holding on to what has already passed or by drawing problem changes into your life.

[G.H.O.S.T]

Your greatest strength is the ability to turn corners with grace and to look eagerly forward to the changes you will find around that corner. People balanced in this moon's energies have a deep sense of the cycles that underlie transitions and a reverence for the mysteries of dissolution and renewal.

Your greatest weakness is likely to be a tendency to make life transitions unnecessarily difficult, either by holding on to what has already passed or by drawing problem changes into your life.

Damn....that describes me perfectly, Does September 3rd count?