What is a Moon Lodge? Ramblings from a Moon Lodge

What is a Moon Lodge?
Ramblings from a Moon Lodge

A Monthly blog about Moon Time By Fae Kieran

            Moon time is how many witches refer to their Menstruation Cycles. It is called Moon Time because it is said, that not only does the Moon affect the ebb and flow of the oceans but also the Menstrual flow of blood. The waters of the womb. It is also called moon time because it generally happens every 28 days, like the phases of the moon.  Much of today’s society curbs Moon time under the category of “just dealing with it”. We take a lot of medicine and stuff our bodies with chemicals and the gods know what else just so we can function properly. And while I am all on the bandwagon for functioning normally we as a society have all but forgotten the spiritual and sometimes necessary purging and healing woman should go through during their moon time. Let’s face it, it is part of nature. No matter how much midol we take, it still sucks. But there ARE a few things that you can do that will usher in surprising results.
 

            In ancient days, woman of a tribe or village would gather during their moon times and they would be taken care of by the elder woman and younger maids (to young for puberty) of the village. During this time, they would bleed on the earth, throw it into the fire and with it cast away their pains and discomforts. They would speak ill of their husbands, laugh about the small things, cry over the big things, scold their children, and so on and so forth. All in the dedication of their gods and for a higher spiritual purpose. Now a days women are nothing but scolded at their attitudes. They are called several names, and there is no excuse for her behavior. Yet, what if this is what a woman is SUPPOSE to do? What if this is all just a natural cycle of her healing? Women have a lot of responsibilities that are taken for granted, and often over looked. More often then not, they are the ones who cook, who clean, who take care of children, who create energy and supply it for those around her. Modern Feminism would have you believing that these things are only for a Neolithic society. While this still holds true, I think these things are part of what makes the female…female. The Divine aspect of life of the goddess on this planet.  The Goddess lives within each and every woman, and to nurture her and care for her is to accept the divine feminine in each of us. This includes Moon Time.

            I could ramble on for hours about the divine female, the degradation of women, the idea of modern feminism versus feminine spirituality, and the subjugation of moon time by the patriarchal society we live in. But I won’t this time. Moon time is a sacred time for women. It allows us to purge our bodies of the negativity that we have sucked up and collected over the last 28 days. This can be done in any way we see fit. We can either let nature take its course, or there are a few things we can do that provide both spiritual AND physical relief.

The first is, to take care of ourselves. As a spiritual advisor and teacher my first prescription for any patient or charge is, take care of yourself. Your body is a temple for the soul. It is the only body you will have for this entire life time. So, that puts it on the of the list. Only put the best you can find (and in some cases, afford) into your body. This means, no processed foods, no sugars or caffeine and nothing addictive like drugs or alcohol for the duration of moon time. All of these things have a massive negative impact on the functionality of your body and energy flow. Now, there are several alternatives, and none of these things are set in stone. If you’re the type of person who CAN’T live without morning coffee don’t deny yourself morning coffee. Perhaps drink a smaller cup, or even decaf. If you deny yourself anything, you begin to crave it. This begins a negative cycle and the downfall of all the work you put into it because people generally tend to then scarf tons of what they are craving for. Defeating the purpose of everything you are working for. This method will work for most of the things I listed. I’d try your best however, to stay away from *all* drugs and alcohol. Unless you have a prescription from your doctor that is necessary for your well-being. Stay away from recreational uses of drugs or any mind altering substances.  This can have negative impacts on your brain and energy patterns that actually increase the side affects of PMS.

Next, I strongly recommend some sort of daily exercise on top of some sort of spiritual exercise like yoga. Daily exercise can help to alleviate cramps and allow your excess energy to be released. On top of spiritual exercises that allow for the flow of energy to move through you’re chakras. This doesn’t have to be Yoga. Tai Chi is another alternative. If you’re not hot on the exercise, try going on a solitary walk with nature for approx. 30 minuets. I would add a daily meditation to the mix, it doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Ten or Fifteen minuets listening to some relaxing music is all it would take. I suggest also getting into the routine of grounding and centering several times during the day. Along side the benefits Grounding and Centering has for you energy flow, it can help keep those rising emotions quelled when they begin to peak over the edge.

My last bit of advice for this column  is writing. This is something else I prescribe quite a bit of. Unfortunately in today’s society we don’t have the benefit of public moon lodges for women to go to and “Let it all out” so we have to use what is readily available to us. Whether that is a blog like this, or your own personal journal is all up too you. Getting it all out is a very helpful and age old tactic that healers have used for centuries. Have you ever been really upset, told someone what was bothering you, then suddenly felt a ton better? That’s the subtle magick of getting-it-all-out. Consider yourself lucky if you have a friend or loved one you can use as a shoulder and an ear, because not everyone does. This simple technique takes some practice. You can’t simple write “I am upset, bad day” and expect everything to be better, although that is a good start. And remember you’re not J.R.R Tolkien or J.K Rowling here. You don’t have to write an award winning and time lasting novel. It could simply be a paragraph of incoherent ramblings. It isn’t important.

            Moon time for women is not just “that time of the month” it can be turned into at truly prolific spiritual experience every single month. It is all up to us. The female is a sacred vessel, and everything she does serves its purpose to not only herself but to the whole of divinity and life.