Why Women Circle with the Moon
Learn why the ancient practice of women’s circles happen during the lunar cycle
I attended my first full moon women’s circle at age 14. It awoke something deep inside me.
A remembering of how we have gathered in circles since time began. A remembering of a time when God was a woman.
It was empowering to be in that space with women mostly twice my age or older who accepted me as an equal. It seemed as if the moon rose over the hills lifted by our voices, drums, and spirits.
For many women, the experience of sitting together in a circle and guided in ritual ceremony can feel both familiar and old, yet revolutionary and new. Since you are here connected with Global Sisterhood, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.
So to answer this question of why women circle with the moon, it’s simply because we always have. Not just women, all humans throughout time have looked up at the moon to tell time, to dream, to make plans.
Nowadays, we are sadly all too often disconnected from the natural world around us. So to acknowledge a particular lunar phase with a ritual gathering like a sister circle, helps us remember we belong to a larger web of life. While the north and south hemispheres experience the seasonal cycles of the sun in opposition, the moon phases are the same worldwide. In this way, la luna is a unifying energy for women everywhere.
There are actually 8 lunar phases that the moon cycles through every 29.5 days. However, most ceremonial circles happen on either the New or Full Moon.
New Moon
Since International Women’s Day 2016, hundreds of thousands of women have unified under Global Sisterhood’s transformational themes, gathering on the new moon.
The New Moon is the beginning of the lunar cycle. It will always be in the same sign as the Sun (zodiac) at that time. For example, when the sun moves into Taurus for April and May, the New Moon during that time will be a Taurus New Moon.
We love new moons because it’s a new beginning, a fresh start. It’s an ideal time for visioning, using divination and oracle tools, and planting seeds (setting intentions) for the growth and healing you desire in your life.
Since the energy of the new moon is more inward and contemplative, we love having this time each month to gather with our sisters in ritual, meditation, prayer and song to nourish our feminine spirits.
Full Moon
When the moon reaches its peak of visible light, it is Full. This is the halfway point of the lunation. Circles held under the Full Moon have the added beauty of this “sky lantern” joining the ceremony.
There is much folklore surrounding the full moon. The word ‘lunacy’, for example, is derived from the Latin word for ‘moonstruck’ which originally referred to “insanity of an intermittent kind attributed to changes of the moon.” (Oxford Dictionary)
Full moons have been blamed for everything from increases in crime and babies being born, to stronger ocean tides (scientifically proven), to insomnia, irregular periods, and funky moods. Indeed, anyone who is sensitive and receptive can feel the energy around a full moon.
Thematically, Full Moons are associated with fertility and ripeness, abundance and gratitude. Some popular ways to celebrate the Full Moon is with rituals centering on these themes as well as adoration of the Divine, forgiveness, and empowerment. Full Moon circles tend to be more celebratory in nature, with drumming, bonfires, dancing, and good ol’ howling at the moon.
Cycles
It is generally acknowledged that the sun represents the active masculine energy, and the moon symbolizes the receptive feminine. This is also a big reason why women are drawn to learning about the lunar cycle, and go to moon circles with other women. We are naturally attracted to Her cyclic nature, as it mirrors our own. The moon is our visual reminder of the ebb and flow of energy, nature, and the life-death-rebirth cycle.
In our modern society, there is a lot of pressure to always be “on” and to be productive even at the expense of our happiness and health. These unnatural expectations do not take into account our need for rest, pleasure and play for a well balanced life. Attending a monthly moon circle gives us this sacred pause: to suspend, if only for a few hours, all our other roles and responsibilities and allow ourselves the space to slow down and simply BE.
Honouring these natural cycles and our more sensitive, intuitive feminine energy is also why women circle with the moon. We know how important it is for our souls.
Why do YOU circle with the moon? Please share in the comments!