New Moons & Feminine Energy

We recently experienced a new moon in Aquarius. Any new moon, no matter what Sign it's in, tends to be a time of lower energy and greater introspection. Before electricity was commonly found in most homes, women's bodies tended to sync with the moon's phases, with most women menstruating near or on the new moon. (interestingly, women who bled with the full moon were considered to be medicine women, while women who bled with the new moon were considered to be in a more nurturing/childrearing phase of life or focus.) Our bodies mirrored what was happening in the heavens: death and rebirth, release and intention, end and beginning--all wrapped in one.

I've recently come to think of the new moon (and phases that mirror it, such as menstruation) as a Sacred Pause. Like with the space between breaths and the space between words, there is magic in the new moon. Both an ending and a beginning, the new moon can remind us that everything is "one eternal round."

In the Western world--particularly on the North American continent--the culture focuses primarily on a linear way of being. Step-by-step processes, starting points and finish lines, clearly delineated markers of progression that function figuratively like a ladder leading to a higher ending point. Results. Productivity. 

While there is nothing inherently wrong with this linear way of interacting with the world, it does become problematic when we neglect to remember and honor that nature herself is cyclical, not linear. The Divine Feminine is cyclical. And the feminine (or yin, if you prefer that term) energy that resides within each of us--regardless of sex, behavior, or sexual orientation--follows cycles as well. When we honor the various cycles within ourselves, we are renewed, over and over and over. When we neglect those cycles for too long, we become depleted. Burnt out. Empty. We can see this mirrored to us in the depletion that occurs in the natural world when human beings attempt to exert too much control over nature.

As within, so without. As above, so below.

Meditative Journaling to Support Healthy Feminine/Yin Energy

For many of us--no matter our biological sex or sexual orientation--our feminine energy has been repressed or neglected for at least a portion of our lives in order to function "better" in a culture that tends to prioritize and honor masculine energy (whether wounded masculine or empowered masculine). A huge part of my work is supporting people (women in particular) in awakening themselves to their feminine/yin energy and living life from a more balanced place.

So here are a few meditative journaling prompts followed by a few other ideas for supporting healthy feminine energy:

• When I think about my own sexuality, what comes to mind?
• How would it feel to feel completely at ease in my own body? 
  • Imagine now what that would feel like. How would things look? Feel? Taste? Smell? 
• What outdated and unempowering beliefs do I hold about receiving?
• What empowering beliefs do I hold about receiving?
• If I were okay with not always having the answers, what would change in my life? In me?

Other ideas for supporting healthy feminine energy:

• Ask for a hug from someone who you feel safe with. Allow the hug to last longer than 30 seconds. During the hug, imagine a flower unfurling in your solar plexus or sacral area, starting as a bud and then opening up gradually into a full and glorious bloom. 
• Get some lotion and undress (if you don't have much time, you could do this just with your hands and/or feet, but there is a great deal of power in doing the full-body exercise). Starting with your hands, begin applying and rubbing in lotion. As you do, express gratitude and appreciation for your hands, either out loud or in your head. Move to your chest and arms, applying lotion and expressing gratitude. Work your way all the way down to your feet, doing your best to avoid skipping your abdomen, glutes, and thighs (do your best to give those areas extra attention). You may have areas of your body that you don't feel any gratitude towards. That's okay! If you don't feel capable of expressing gratitude for a particular area, try simply lotioning that area and simply noticing what thoughts and emotions come up for you without passing judgement on these thoughts and emotions. Just observe. Notice what you notice. And then journal about your experience.
• Spend a week expressing gratitude and excitement about your money or other resources. Open up your bank account online or lay out the cash from your wallet. Smile, and say in an excited or happy voice, "Thank you, money! Thank you for what you do for me! You're awesome!" This can help you shift your feelings and mindset about money, particularly if you do this for an extended period of time.

Through light and shadow,

Kayelee