Neolithic Shamanism: Spirit Work in the Norse Tradition - Raven Kaldera 2012

Full Moon
The Silver World: Moon

On the Full Moon, the lunar energy is at its height. Everything we associate with the Moon, for better or worse, is very strong. There isn’t any one emotion associated with the Full Moon; the emotional climate depends partially on the astrological sign and partially on the general atmosphere—remember that the Moon is by nature changeable and fluctuating. But still, connecting with the Full Moon is tapping in to the largest source of lunar energy of all—unchecked and torrential. That’s why were-creatures are associated with the Full Moon; if you are doing some working that depends on the Moon’s energy, and it’s huge, and you’re not sure if you have the power to do it, you’ll want the Full Moon for maximum voltage.

Exercise: Tides

The Moon controls the tides all over the world, and to work with the energy of the tides is to align oneself with the rhythms of the world. This exercise is designed to link you to that world rhythm in an organic way. It lives at the confluence of Moon and ocean, but because the Moon is in control, it is more about Moon than ocean, so we list it here rather than in our chapter on Water. This exercise does not require you to be at the actual seaside, though of course that’s the preferred method. If you can make it to the beach on a clear Full Moon night, bring an offering for the Moon of milk, white wine, or clear liqueur, and pour it onto the waters where the Moon’s reflection lies across them. Say the following prayer:

My blood the tides in rhythm,

My heart the ocean’s dance,

My blood the Milky Way’s course,

My heart the Moon crossing the sky,

I am one with all that pulses

In the rhythm of life.

Then sit or lie on the land near the water—ideally where the tide can just touch your fingertips when it comes rushing in—and put yourself into a light trance with breathing. (You can use the Utiseta exercise in the Beginning Place chapter.) Align your breaths to the rhythm of the tide, so that you are breathing in or out on each wave. Ideally, you should breathe in with the receding tide and out with the uprush of water. Do this for at least half an hour. While you’re doing it, be aware of the Moon’s location in the sky. Ask the Moon, aloud or silently, to help you find the way to link that natural rhythm into yourself permanently. Visualize the Moon’s silver thread coming down through the top of your head like a trickling of light, running silver through all your veins. Pull that into you with every in breath aligned with the tides. Immerse yourself in the sensation—breathing the tides, feeling the moonlight trickle all through you. Keep going until you feel that it’s definitely over. Then thank the Ocean, thank the Moon, and take your leave.

If you are not able to visit the ocean, you should definitely find a place to be out under the Full Moon on a clear night and make your offering. Bring a recording of the sound of the ocean with you, perhaps with headphones. Do utiseta, put yourself into a trance, and visualize yourself on the seashore. If it doesn’t come, visualize flying or running or walking all the way there. If it still doesn’t come, quit and find a way to get to the real ocean. If you can bring yourself to the ocean in your mind, settle back, listen to the tide sounds, and look at the Moon. Proceed using the directions from the last paragraph.

Once this exercise is completed, you may find that it has odd effects on you. It may change and regularize your sleep cycle, for example. It may echo in your head and in your walk. It may change your moods and influence you toward different food and health choices. It may unlock old negative feelings that must be dealt with. However, if you’ve done it right, if you have let yourself be changed by the power of Moon and sea, you will be able to call that energy up again at any time just by remembering the pace of that breath and visualizing the tide coming in and going out. This will be useful when you are having trouble grounding to the Earth, and especially when you are grieving or upset and can’t focus. The rhythm of the tides—which is the embrace between Earth and Moon, lover and beloved, center and boundary—can bring you back to a place of equilibrium.