The moon is the closest planet to earth and literally moves with us – with you, with me – in a sacred dance that unfolds in even, rhythmic cycles mirroring the cycles of your body, the cycles of the harvest and growth of plants and trees, the cycles of life. This intimate dance is what we celebrate when we follow moon phases and honor the waxing and waning of the moon. We say thank you for the pull, the tides, the fullness and the emptiness within and without.
In astrology, we associate the moon with safety and belonging; with emotions and feelings; with feminine mysteries, and how we nurture and receive nurturance. We refer to our “inner lunar landscape” as the emotional, non-rational world of our psyche. The moon encompasses the lunar goddess archetypes in all her forms and faces. She is not just the mother, she is also maiden and crone. She is supportive and caring, yet destructive and devouring.
Grandmother Moon in Native American tradition connects us with the feminine powers of intuition – sensitivity in our bones, ancient knowledge flowing in our blood, our hunches and inner promptings. She stands for inclusion by weaving us all into her monthly cycles and literally stabilizing our planet. It’s difficult to get personal with the sun – even looking at it directly can burn our retinas – and its presence is always the same, even if obscured by clouds. The moon is intrusively personal, changing in presence by the day, and bringing us dependable cycles of day/night, seasons, and even women’s personal moon cycles. In many ways, the moon reflects our reality and relationships in all their phases. How can you embrace your emotions? How can you harness this energy? How can you nurture your inner landscape?
5 steps to embracing your emotions 🌛✨
1) Recognize your feelings
It’s really powerful to own up to your feelings – to understand where they’re coming from and why. This helps you to follow your intuition and live more confidently. Understanding your feelings also helps you recognize which feelings don’t belong to you. If you’re an empathetic person, you’re probably carrying around others’ luggage, which makes it really easy to turn your emotions off. It’s too heavy – you can’t sustain it. And it’s toxic to your own health. You already have enough to worry about, don’t take it upon yourself to carry other people, too. Recognize what’s yours and protect yourself against what isn’t.
2) Write them down
Have you ever emotionally shut down? Gotten so angry to that you physically felt yourself harden? It’s a powerful feeling, but not entirely beneficial. Every feeling has a message and when you close yourself off, you won’t be able to reveal them. A way you can do this, even during those numb moments, is to expose your wounds through words. When you write, your body loosens because you’re physically purging your thoughts and emotions with each letter you jot down. And sometimes, those messages will reveal much more than what initially prompted your frustrations. Keep practicing, and you’ll be able to explore and process those memories that have been buried deep inside.
3) Just say no to distraction
It’s so easy to wrap ourselves up in meaningless activities like scrolling through Instagram and Facebook ten times a day or binging on Netflix shows. However, It’s just as easy to lose ourselves in our work and societal expectations, like birthday parties, networking events, and baby showers. When was the last time you spent the day alone, with just yourself and your thoughts? When was the last time you asked yourself what YOU wanted? When was the last time you said “yes” to something with an open heart instead of fear or obligation? When you distract yourself with activities that aren’t serving your highest good, you’re actively silencing that voice inside of yourself. It’s important to listen to yourself once in a while and try to understand what your spirit needs. Put down your phone, turn off the TV, and shut down your computer. Be patient with yourself if it takes time to hear all the things we work so hard to quit. Breathe, stretch, don’t rush – be kind to yourself.
4) Go love yourself
You heard me. Go love yourself! Sounds simple, but for some of us, self-love is the hardest thing to tap into. Stand in front of the mirror and embrace everything you see, including all you deem as imperfections. You can’t effectively share your love with others if you can’t find love for yourself. Every time you look in the mirror, I challenge you to take a moment and say something positive about yourself. You’re smart. You’re beautiful. You’re special. You’re worthy of this exercise.
5) Accept your feelings
Denying your emotions creates inner turmoil and blinds you of your needs. When you resist your feelings, you create a barrier between your physical and spiritual body. Resisting your feelings also calcifies them which manifests in darker reactions – anger, sadness, anxiety, or even physical sickness. When you accept your feelings, a whole world of possibility opens up for you. You become more connected to yourself, and others as well. The language of your soul speaks through emotions and images that arise from the depths of your being. When you say yes to feeling your feelings, your intuition and creativity abound.
In Closing
To embrace moon magic is to embrace humanity in all its vulnerability. Are you willing to share your authentic beauty with others? Will you be brave enough to develop a new relationship with your fears and flaws? You have no idea of the power in these actions – to heal the world and help others to do the same. It’s time to reclaim yourself, your emotions, and your place in this world. The moon reflects our inner spirit; the light in the dark. It’s time to become the extraordinary being you are and take your place among the stars.
