December 6th, 2022:
The Full Yule or Cold Moon
For moon watchers, this full moon is especially lovely, for it is visible above the horizon a long time as it makes its high, majestic arc across the heavens. Yet, it is also the Full Cold Moon, reminding us that we are deep in winter and all that winter implies. Summer’s excitements and fall’s rich colors are rapidly fading memories as the days grow short, the nights long.
Those who suffer from light deprivation are especially susceptible to plunges in energy and mood. Depression, seasonal colds and flu can be unwelcome guests. It’s an auspicious time for hearty soups, stews and root vegetables packed with anti-oxidant, Gaia power. It’s time to make stock and take stock, and breathe ever more deeply into the grains of the earth. This full Cold Moon is alchemical, and you are the alchemist.
It’s a perfect opportunity to go inward, rappelling down to the base of shadowy spirals where old wounds and disappointments await transformation. Alone in delicious caves, work fearlessly with the materials that are yours alone.
Lie down on the fallen leaves, absorbing some of their energy in the midst of their own transformative journeys. Gaze up at the stars and know that you are one of them, of them. Feel the immense possibilities of your birthing life, and commit with joy to the service of your ruling goddess or god.
We have all been unwelcome guests of our own making, and this is a good moon to take stock of that. “You are alone with the alone, and it is his move,” the poet Robert Penn Warren wrote, and this full moon evokes that awareness in us. You are called to gather yourself, renew and remake your intentions and energy.
The Irish lullaby, The Castle of Dramore, includes these lines: A little rest, and then the world/Is full of work to do…Regroup, and be ready to step out into the long sunshine of days that are not far off. You are flowers, and you’ll soon be opening to offer exquisite essences to a world in need of healing from every quarter. May it be so!