A few months ago, my friend Heather recommended this podcast episode to me. On this podcast, I was introduced to Ezzie Spencer, her thoughts about the moon, and her Lunar Abundance practice. I was fascinated by what was shared on this podcast episode and was really drawn to learning more. On Ezzie's website, she says
"Lunar Abundance® shows you HOW to work with the rhythms of the moon to create an abundant life. By setting intentions, and tuning into lunar ebbs and flows, you can connect with your work, your relationships, your body and your surroundings in a very feminine way — relaxing and BEING more — while cultivating more joy, peace and flow in your life!"
After listening to the podcast, I looked up Ezzie's website and decided that I really wanted to read her book. She lives in Australia and her book won't be published in the United States until sometime next year. But I was able to find a copy of her book on eBay (from Australia) so I bought it from there. At the beginning of her book this is what she says...
"Just looking at the Moon at night ignites our intuition and imagination, and evokes a remembering of sorts: an urge to pay attention.
We feel her ebb and flow; we feel her resonance with our own energy and physical cycles. We are intrigued by the mystique of her darkness and the climax of her light. We may also heed her call to transformation by tracking her rhythms: she offers a stability that speaks to our psyche in the ways she is always changing - ways that seem to be erratic, and yet are constant, cyclical, and predictable. She is elegant, romantic, and subtle. She represents both chaos and stability, a magnetic and mysterious riddle that draws us in with the possible richness in her depths. When we come closer, her links with fertility, bleeding, and creation reverberate in our bodies, hinting too at the nurturing and birth of our dreams."
I have always loved looking at the moon, but besides just enjoying the visual aspect, I don't think I had ever given it a ton of thought before. Since learning more from Ezzie I have been using her idea of setting intentions each month (during the new moon phase), and using the moon phases as a way to flow through that intention and as a natural time keeper. I am still learning how to lean into this method of releasing, working, relaxing, and manifesting my intentions, but I have been enjoying the process and it has been great for me to think of an intention to focus on each cycle/month.
I have also become more fascinated with the moon and her feminine energy. Until I heard this podcast, I didn't know that the moon cycle is 29 1/2 days. Isn't that interesting? (Maybe I'm the only one that didn't already know that. haha) Especially considering that the "typical" female menstruation cycle is 28 days? I also find the different phases, particularly the new moon and full moon phases to be interesting in regards to relating them to the menstruation cycle.
At the beginning of the moon cycle, it is the New Moon phase...which is when the moon is the most "closed." And then it opens up over the next couple weeks until it reaches Full Moon (the half way point.) And then it closes up over the next couple weeks until it is the New Moon phase again.
Something that I have learned from tracking my menstruation cycle over the past few years (from the book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility) is that as the female body approaches ovulation (which is "typically" the half way point), the cervix opens up (not a ton, but it does open) and then when ovulation passes, it closes again. So this seems to be similar to the moon cycle.
And, I've heard that more babies are born during the full moon phase. I wonder if the opening of the cervix (to allow birth) is affected by the moon?
Another big thing that Ezzie explores with her Lunar Abundance practice is how the Moon affects us and how it can reflect back to us and help us to get to know ourselves better. Here is an excerpt from her book...
"To see the Moon as reflective is a neat fit: as the Moon reflects the light of the Sun in the sky, it also reflects this back to us on Earth. We experience an illumination of what is represented by the Moon - our own emotional terrain - which can be disorienting if we are not equipped with the tools to respond.
You do not need to closely follow the Moon to experience synchronicity, but greater attention does seem to enhance the effects. Thus, there may be another reason that following the Moon phases has the effect that it does: us. Our very gaze may imbue the Moon cycle with meaning for ourselves. At the bleeding edge of quantum physics, scientists have shown that reality does not exist until it is measured: the object of our attention is influenced by the very fact that we are paying attention to it. This may be one of the reasons why the Lunar Abundance practice is effective. In fact, I believe that most things that help you pay attention to your internal world will help you cultivate self-knowledge, which in turn will help you skillfully navigate the external world - important, as the inner work is not an end in of itself.
As there have been many opinions but not comprehensive research, to date, on why the Moon has the effect that it does, I feel most comfortable describing my engagement with the Moon less through blind faith, and more through the act of natural time keeping and conscious awareness.
Why is this valuable? The more you know yourself, the less you are influenced by external forces; the more you are able to hear your own deep wisdom and embrace your true nature - who you are, where you belong, and which way is the right direction - in order to take discerning action.
The Moon cycle is what continually guides me home and grounds me; she was my initial inspiration, remains my muse, and provides, via her short, trackable, and observable cycle, a gentle and predictable rhythm and guide to situate myself here on Earth, as well as a mirror back to us to help us know ourselves. The Moon has helped me to cultivate a more intimate integration of mind and body, and to devise a rule-of-thumb guide for living and working in my own flow. With this, I create a better life for myself and for those with whom I share this practice.
I definitely do not suggest that the Moon makes us do anything, how disempowering would that be? Throughout this book, I show you how to work with the Moon cycle in my way, and to explore what the Moon has guided me to learn: our own rhythms and cycles, the contours of our creative power, the natural ebb and flow of work and life, the necessity of self-care and connection with all that is physical and real - as well as the interplay between the night and day, the shadow and the light, the ups and downs inherent in life. We need the Moon to function here on Earth, even if we do not always pay her as much attention as we do the Sun."
I have more thoughts about the Moon that I'll share in my next post...
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