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Drawing Down the Moon

manifesting a year of rest and mindfulness

By Sarah BrucePublished 2 years ago 6 min read
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The phrase “drawing down the moon” comes from a traditionally Wiccan ritual in which a priestess evokes the Goddess to use her body as a vessel. It conjures the image of a woman standing tall with arms outstretched to the full moon above. To evoke a deity is, of course, a sacred practice and one that I am not even close to emulating. My hopes lie within its symbolism. If I can view my body, my mind, and my spirit as part of the divine and worthy of care, then I will have won a lifelong battle with myself. Years ago, my spiritual awakening opened up an unexpected path to let me finally see my body as more than a burden. My resolution this year is to continue that journey with grace and determination.

Drawing Down the Moon is also the title of a book by Margot Adler, a journalist and a Wiccan priestess herself. It details some of the many forms of witchcraft and paganism that have existed in modern America for decades. Adler’s book is a feast of knowledge and was a totally affirming reading experience for my analytical mind. To read about generations of men and women who had found a spiritual calling that felt so uniquely right for them made me feel seen and inspired.

Spirit: Reconnect with my spiritual practice.

Remember that you’re always learning and that is a beautiful thing. Keep studying your tarot cards. Make time for meditation and deep breathing. Write down your affirmations and release everything no longer serving you.

Terms like “manifesting” and joking about Mercury in Retrograde can seem silly, but when looking at the big picture, I realized it all comes down to a deep exploration of self and how we each fit into that big picture. It’s the power of belief and belief in change. I can choose to believe that my Virgo Moon makes me overly self-critical, and I can also choose to take steps to quiet that inner critic. The moment I decided to take witchcraft seriously, I discovered a gateway into treating myself with the kindness and respect I reserved for everyone else.

Air: Talk to myself as a friend.

When that cruel inner monologue kicks in, shut it down fast. Take a deep breath and ask if you would say such a thing to your best friend. Be kind.

After embracing the word witch, I felt imbued with another one of today’s hot-button words: mindfulness. I started eating better and committed to a flexitarian diet. I tried to slow down and focus on the simple joy of a cup of coffee. Taking a bath became an opportunity to treat my body with love and care. Exercise was less about trying to shrink myself and more about feeling strong.

As someone who has struggled with physical and mental health issues my whole life, it was the first time I could actually feel the ties between body, mind, and spirit. Previously, I had tried to dominate one with another or ignore my body altogether. I had spent so long believing I was at the mercy of my body, hating my body, cursing my body. I didn’t make the effort to treat it nicely in all the ways I could control.

Water: Get better sleep.

Turn off those electronics and do something relaxing before bed. Try harder to stick to a schedule and give your body’s rhythm a chance to adapt. Stop over-sleeping and find what you really need.

In spite of all the positive changes I was able to make, healthy sleep has always been the hardest change to implement. I base most of my rituals around the phases of the moon and have always loved being a “moonchild.” Being the crazy night owl of my friend group became part of my identity. But I was being blind to what staying up late really meant for me. Nighttime meant a respite from the pressures of the day and an unhealthy avoidance of reality. I had to learn to stop treating my bed and my sleep as an escape from my pain and use them as tools along my path to healing.

I also began to recognize my winter seasonal depression. After the pandemic hit, the next step was noting how quickly my mood could improve the moment I was able to leave my apartment and soak up some sunshine. Instead of sleeping half the day away, I needed the sun to keep my spirits up. I discovered a new type of spiritualism that awoke within me when the sun hit my face and warmed my skin.

I suppose this change could be boiled down to a contrived metaphor about needing more light in this time of darkness. What I believe is much simpler: that every human must find their balance. Witchcraft and most other pagan practices are nature-based, and what better example of a balancing act than nature itself?

Fire: Get 5-10 minutes of sunlight in the morning whenever possible.

This is a natural way to trigger production of serotonin and, baby, you need it. Work with your body, not against it.

The past two years have hurt us all. Knocked us off-balance. I found it harder and harder to spiritually connect as the pandemic dragged on. I let myself revert back to unhealthy practices, most of which were aggravated by staying up until three in the morning, followed by sleeping for twelve hours. I don’t want to dwell on guilt over those behaviors because I was only a human trying to cope through life’s challenges. Over time, I found my way back to healthier habits, even though they still ebb and flow with my mental and physical health.

What I want from the year ahead is to keep building a solid foundation in that sacred trinity of spirit, body, and mind. I want to form life rafts I can return to when I inevitably fall off the boat. I feel my mind has grown infinitely older in such a short time, as I’m sure many people can relate. Now it’s time to let my body and spirit catch up.

Earth: Exercise for health and happiness.

Do things that bring you joy, like hiking, running, and kickboxing. Add strength training for balance but don’t get hung up on looking a certain way. Repeat again: work with your body, not against it.

Writing all of this down brings me one step closer to accomplishing these goals, but I know that practical application is much harder. The beauty of establishing rituals, whether spiritual or not, is that they bring awareness to an idea and place it into our bodies. Rituals need not be as mighty as drawing down the moon. The simple act of meditating on a thought while lighting a candle holds immense power for me.

Each month, I’ll ask myself which element of my life needs a boost. Under the dark new moon, I’ll imagine the deep restorative powers of water as I concentrate on achieving restful sleep, or envision a friendly summer breeze softly whispering words of encouragement.

The harder choice will be deciding what to release when the watchful full moon rolls around. Forgiving myself for my failures is never easy, but I find forgiveness helps me bounce back far better than guilt ever could. Balance will be my key to success. “With grace and determination,” I’ll remind myself. The moonlight will wash over me, and perhaps for one small moment, I’ll feel connected to something bigger.

happiness
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About the Creator

Sarah Bruce

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