Embraced By The Moon

Since I started this blog a few months ago, I have been getting much deeper into the more "magical" elements of Kabbalah and the further I go, the more I find it often correlates directly with Wicca. This is just another example of Kabbalah's flexibility; though often touted as "Jewish" mysticism, it can be incorporated into any religious belief. (Or none at all!) Shaping energy, creating magic, connecting with the archangels, the following of astrology, all of these things are prevalent in both Kabbalah and Wicca.

Now, I wouldn't say I am Wiccan by any means. I wouldn't say I'm Jewish either. I tend to study all religions I can get my hands on and find the core, the common thread throughout them all.

I first became interested in Wicca on my trip to London and Paris where so many cathedrals had been built over Pagan worship sites and temples. I felt so sensitive to the energy there, not from the nuns but from Isis and the gargoyles. I figured something was calling to me and it was time to pick up a few new books and study. (The "Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner" series has been very useful!) I found it fascinating that Wicca was not at all devil worship. In fact, they worship God like any other religion, they just find it easier to connect to God's essence through deities like the ancient Greeks and early Romans. But during the time of Constantine and the Christian movement, everyone was forced to convert to Christianity. Those who did not comply were literally labeled "free thinkers" and to put public shame upon them, the government said, "Well, if you're not a Jesus worshiper, then you're a devil worshiper!" and thus, any one found so much as worshiping nature was tortured and put to death. In the name of Jesus Christ, of course. Lovely.

In the last 48 hours, Kabbalah astrology has spoken a lot about the importance of this particular Full Moon and how we have the energy available during these days to cut out that which is no longer working in our lives. No coincidence, of course, I find the Wicca I'm studying is highly rooted in matters of the Full Moon. It is their symbol of the Goddess, who is to be worshiped equal as the God. Wiccans pray by the moon on a regular basis, but at times when it is at its most powerful, the Full Moon, they perform full on rituals to bring that energy into their lives.

Fantastic! So I perform some Wicca with a dash of Kabbalah for spice and set up my own nightly ritual, worshiping the Full Moon and the Earth, speaking to the Goddess, and trying never to forget it is just a portal, another connection to a higher power I can't possibly comprehend. I lit white candles and let them burn out (par for the course during Full Moon rituals), bought white flowers and set up an altar to welcome the spirit into my home, took long walks at night, even prayed in the park focusing on the things in my life that are no longer working and those parts of myself I'm ready to be rid of. I called upon the Goddess and asked for Her help while realizing that ultimately, I help myself with her guidance.

Last night while studying Kabbalah's Zohar book of the week (the books you read each week correlate to astrology too and the energy available during those days), I came across a passage about asking God to reverse justice with mercy in our lives. I thought, "Well, that sounds like Goddess territory to me." So I went to Goddess to get to The Holy One by the light of the Full Moon and for mercy in areas of my life instead of justice, and recognizing that God is within me, I made a vow to be more merciful and less judgmental with people in my own life.

Throughout all of this work over the past two days, I also asked for a sign so that I would know She was with me. After all, this is the first time I've tried any of this. I'd like to know the right people are listening!

I got a few signs actually. There were moments when I would speak to Her or prepare Her altar when the lights would flicker in the house. At one point, I had been awake all evening and the sun was coming up and as soon as I'd said, "Amen," and concluded the prayer, at that very second the night lights outside my apartment went out with the coming of the dawn. On Sunday evening, I took a bath after the park ritual and my boyfriend walked in from being out at a club. He saw me there in the tub and was mesmerized, having no idea what I'd just been through. "Wow," he said, eyes wide. "You need a photo like that. You look like some sort of God." ("Goddess," I secretly thought to myself.) He kneeled and began washing me and instead of feeling superior or reveling in it, I loved him with all of my being and connected to him on an intense level at that moment, opening myself up and becoming as emotionally vulnerable as he had in that moment.

I was disappointed though that with all the clouds in the sky here in Los Angeles lately, I had not actually been able to see the Full Moon for myself and this is supposedly one of the best ways to connect.

This morning though, just as the moon was going from 100% full to 99% full, around 5:00 am (PT), I awakened to take my dog out for a walk. I accidentally walked through a spider web (more female energy, more nature) that forced me to look up towards the sky and there, right between two apartment buildings, parting the darkest clouds shone the Full Moon right in front of myself, as though it were meant just for me. I wanted a photo of it and considered going in to get my camera, but I saw it was moving swiftly and would soon sink beneath the clouds again. It was whispering, "Fuck the camera, Jason. Live here. Be in the present." And so I did and I had about 60 seconds to stand there in awe of it before it departed.

I felt like I knew in that moment, all of my prayers had been answered and a new cycle had begun.

Personal Note: Things I've bled during this Full Moon -- Extremism, approval seeking and wanting what I don't have instead of living in the present.



JASON'S OTHER SITES:
JasonCurious.com
JasonSechrest.com
DV8Entertainment.com


RELATED SITES:
Kabbalah.com
72.com - Technology for the Soul
The Zohar - Weekly Studies
Weekly Kabbalah Wisdom
Weekly Kabbalah Astrology
Exclusively Kabbalah Group
The Logos
New World Astrology
SpiritualityforKids.com


Have questions? Need advice? Want to share? EMAIL Jason at jason@jasonsechrest.com