moon Archives | Sākrid

Honouring the Ancestors and Releasing the Baggage

by marikare | Oct 31, 2020 | astrology, body wisdom, death, family, mental wellbeing, moon, nervous system, resilience, Ritual, shamanism, Soul wisdom, traditions, Uncategorized | 0 comments

My favourite of the cross quarter festival is upon us. The last of the harvest festivals as nature prepares for her long slumber through the winter. It is a time of magic, mystery, ancestors and spirits. In many cultures this time of year was a time to honour our dead loved ones and release what no longer serves us preparing ourselves to rest and refuel our bodies, minds, hearts and spirits. As this was the final harvest festival it was the practice amongst those who celebrated Samhuinn to leave any remaining food in the fields and gardens to the spirit world. In that way creating balance and nourishment for all.

This year is an especially powerful year as we have a blue moon as well. A blue moon refers to the second full moon in a month and is a modern invention but this still has not occurred since 1944 and we only have a full moon on Samhuinn ever 19 years. The energy of the full moon adds to the power of our intentions to release what is no longer serving us. Below you will find three rituals which you can do separately or together. The first is to help you release what you need to to prepare for your own dream time. This is best done in the window of the full moon in the next few days. the other two are rituals to connect with your ancestors and can be done in the next few weeks as the dates of Samhuinn would have been based on the harvest and the moon and not the Roman calendar.

Skeleton Dance

The fall is such a powerful time for release, All around nature is releasing things and so deep within us we also feel this desire to release. On top of that as the moon begins to wane and shrink down it also encourages us to release.

I have affectionate called this practice the skeleton dance in remembrance of the old disney cartoons. It was taught to me by my teachers Lena and Jose Stevens and it originates from a Siberian practice. You will need room to move around and shake. I highly encourage you to give your all to it. The fiercer you can shake the more you will get from it. Shaking also happens to be a great reset of your body.

I have recorded an audio of it for you to listen to. You will find it below

Skeleton Dance

by Marika Hall

Dumb Supper

This is one of the easiest ways to honour your ancestors and is such a great thing to do if you have kids. At Dinner time on Samhuinn, Halloween or Day of the Dead when you are setting the table you set an extra place for the ancestors and fill it with food. You then can eat your meal in silence thinking of those who have passed or you can share stories about them. When dinner is over you simply take the plate and put it outside to be offered to the nature beings who are connected to our ancestors.

Connecting to your Ancestors

This simple ritual is something I do every year and since offering my course on Transforming Ancestral Trauma it has become a daily practice. All you will need is a candle and some memento that reminds you of your ancestors (a photo, keep sake, snack, drink,…)

You begin by creating a little altar for your ancestor. Placing their photos and keepsakes around the candle.

Take a moment to ground yourself with a few deep breaths.

Light the candle and ask your ancestors to come and surround you.

When you feel their presence you can ask them a question. Like what do I need to know? What do I need to release? How can I connect more with you?

Then take as much time as needed in silence or you can do automatic writing allowing the messages of the ancestors come to you.

When you feel complete thank your ancestors and blow out the candles and write down the messages you got.

Much Love

Summer Solstice Eclipse Ritual

by marikare | Jun 19, 2020 | astrology, body wisdom, chinese medicine, distance healing, family, Five elements, grief, mental wellbeing, moon, nervous system, Ritual, Self-Love, shamanism, Soul wisdom, traditions | 0 comments

This weekend is the summer solstice, solar eclipse and New Moon in Cancer, Cancer and the moon are kindred energies they come from the same deep and holy place, enabling us to feel the feels and wrap ourselves up in the caring and compassion of our hearts. They bring us closer to the motherly energies we all possess and ask us to love ourselves completely and honour our own sacred lives, as well as all life. In Chinese Medicine, the heart is the empress. It oversees the work of all our other organs and houses our shen, the light of spirit that animates us, allowing us to know our true selves. The heart-mind speaks to us through our feelings and helps guide us on the truest path of spirit. The peak time of the heart is in the heat of the summer, a time of connection, play, laughter and energy. Just as the fire element drives the heart, we are driven by our inner fire that asks us to step out and dance amongst the other flames, to connect and create sparks of joy and love. Fire, like all elements is in a constant flux and keeping it from being extinguished or burning up is a practice we all take on each day of our lives.

Through observing nature, ancient Taoist Sages recognized that the simple ways that fire was strengthened and weakened. In moderation, heat strengthens fire and cold soothes it, in excess heat may cause fire to burn up all the body fluids, while cold will freeze the body and no fire can start. The spirit of wood with its direction and healthy anger can reignite and replenish our fires and the soothing nature of water can calm an abundant fire. They also recognized that when we go through a traumatic experience, our inner shen will return to Shen and leave our hearts and bodies empty. In my shamanic training we referred to this as a susto and can result in delusion, anxiety, depression, confusion, despair, fear, panic, numbness or pain in an area of the body, sleeplessness, palpitations, difficulty breathing, digestive concerns, the list goes on. Depending on where the trauma happened and our natural areas of weakness. Sometimes these sensations can come up without an obvious experience of trauma but from something witnessed, heard or felt that links to our ancestoral or past life traumas.

The solstice was a fire festival for most of our ancestors, being the longest day and shortest night of the year they would stay up with bonfires through the night asking for the blessings of the sun on their growing crops, relationships, babes and lives. Fire is a powerful transmuter of energy, burning away what no longer serves us and carrying our prayers out into the universe.

Here is a simple ritual for you to work with on this summer solstice, eclipse, new moon:

If you have access to a place where you can safely have a fire that is ideal and you will need a piece of twine or cord, some tobacco, cornmeal or another offering and some twigs, If you don’t you can use a candle and very thin thread and paper along with an offering.

Begin in the dark, sit comfortably and take three deep breaths centering yourself into your body
Call in great spirit and your guides, allies, ancestors and angels to support you and hold you in your work
Take some time to breath in the dark and find that place deep inside you that feels dark and unwanted
invite it to be seen and share its medicine with you.
pick up your piece of twine or thread and begin to tie knots in it as each aspect of your shadow comes up.
Once you feel completed, light your fire and offer it some tobacco, cornmeal or other offering to thank the spirit of fire for its support
Now place your twine in the fire and watch it burn away taking several deep breaths feeling it release from your mind and body
Now pick up your sticks and begin to embrace the positive or opposite aspects of what you just released. Fill the sticks with it. If you are using a candle write it down on paper
Once complete add those sticks to the fire or paper to the candle. Again take several breaths, breathing these qualities into your body.
add more of your offering to the fire. Thanking the fire, guides, spirit, etc for there support and release them.
Sit and enjoy the light of the fire/candle on this the shortest night of the year.

Please let me know how it went and if you have any questions please reach out.

Flower Essences: Nature’s vibrational Medicine

by marikare | May 1, 2019 | body wisdom, Five elements, Flower Essences, grief, Medicine Making, moon, traditions | 0 comments

I love Flower Essences! They are one of my favourite tools for creating mental, emotional and spiritual transformation and connecting in with the seasons and cycles of nature. You can purchase many different essences online and in health food stores but they are so easy to make and allow you to connect with the plants that are growing in your community.

What are flower essences?

They are vibrational remedies preserved in alcohol that tap into the different energetic levels of your being. Each individual essence has captured the energetic imprint of a flower into water and then they are further diluted with alcohol and water. Like Dr. Masaru Emoto’s work in “The Hidden Message of Water” Water takes on the energy of the flower as it can take on the energy of our words.

Which Flower Essence is best for me?

Each flower has its own unique vibration and medicine to offer to us. Some are good for all people while others are good for just some people. You can read about different essences and see which resonate with you. My favourite list is here.

My favourite way to determine which essences are best is to go for a walk in your neighbourhood and see which flowers call out to you. It could be with their smell, their colour or just their vibration calling to you. That’s where making your own essences is so great. Once you have made your essence you can try it and identify what it is that it helps with through your experience with it.

How to make your own Flower essences?

First, find the flowers that call to you and the best place to pick them. I like to pick mine with the new or full moon but any time will do.

Prepare yourself a dish or jar and fill it with purified water, 1 cup/250ml is lots.

Go to the plant you have chosen and introduce yourself. Ask it to share its medicine with you.

Once you have asked harvest one flower head and place it in the water.

Place it in the sun or under the moon for a few hours or up to one day.

Strain the water into a sealable jar, flask or dropper bottle and top with 1 cup/250 ml brandy. Label with flower, date and any astrological info. This is your mother essences.

To make into an essence to carry with you or give a friend or family member.

Grab a dropper bottle and fill it 3/4 with half water and half brandy. Then add seven drops of each flower essence you wish to add to it. I usually add a maximum of 5 essences to a bottle. Label again with flowers and date made.

To use:

Take four drops under the tongue or in a beverage as often as needed. For chronic or deep work, once a day is good. For acute work like grief, stress, anxiety, as much as needed. Ideally taking a moment to take your essence allowing it to work its magic as you breath is best.

Sacred Spring: An Equinox/Eclipse Reflection and Ritual

by marikare | Mar 22, 2016 | astrology, moon, Ritual, Soul wisdom, traditions | 2 comments

This weekend I spent the day walking through the rainforest filling up on the energies of the spring equinox and the elements of wind and wood. Here on the West Coast of Canada, the feeling of spring is alive and abundant wherever you go. The cherry blossoms and magnolias are blooming, the daffodils and tulips are waving from the ground. The desire to sprout and grow is palpable all around and within myself. It is the time of Ostara (the spring equinox), a time of balance, when the length of light and dark are equal and it calls to us to find our own internal balance, balance between masculine and feminine, inward reflection and outward action, yin and yang…. I personally have a much easier time on the inward planes and often find myself dreaming and wanting to live in my head, but I now one of my greatest lessons is to move these dreams outward into the world and that is when fear takes hold of me and I begin to question who am I to create this, who will listen, who will come and yet in the wise words of Marianne Williamson:

“…..Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

So I am peeling more layers of the onion away and breaking free of these fears and offering my perspective and shining my light, in doing so I hope to share what inspires me and inspire others to do the same, until we have all broken free and are living from a place of heart spirit that allows all beings to flourish.

And with the start of spring I offer to you an Equinox/Eclipse perspective and ritual to help you connect with the seeds within that desire to be planted, find the support that is needed to birth them and let go of what no longer serves, aligning your body and mind to great spirit and the new energies that are here for us to utilize.

Since the dawn of humanity, people have lived in balance with the rhythms of the earth and the planets, using these as markers of time and ritual. Our Ancestors, Shamans, Pagans, Druids, Witches, Indigenous wisdom keepers and all others who honour and have honoured the changing of the seasons and astrological events know the immense power in working with these elements and attuning our bodies and minds to them. This week we have many powerful influences to attune to; the Spring Equinox, Ostara, Eostre, Easter and the full moon lunar eclipse in Libra. The Spring Equinox being a time of even light and dark and the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, means it is a time of balance, as well as, a time to honour the birthing that can be seen outwardly in nature and felt within. Traditionally, this time was celebrated by Agricultural people as a time of fertility, praying to the land to nourish the seeds planted and that the long death of winter has ended and life is resurrected once again. Many of us associate this time with Easter and the resurrection of Christ. This is one of the many stories and celebrations of our ancestors that has been adopted by the church to help ease conversion from the old gods and goddesses and worship of nature. But no matter is you are Pagan, Christian, Jewish or Hindu, these rituals hold immense power and still help us to come to balance with our existence here on mama earth.

In Chinese Medicine, this is the season of the wood element which gives to us the power of blossoming, the courage to make decisions in our lives and go forth into the world to make them a reality. Trees are the perfect example of the spring equinox time, they have gathered up the wisdom of winter (water) that lies deep within the earth and using this wisdom they grow forth towards the heavens, standing firm in their truth and shining their light for all to see while remaining flexible to the ever changing flow of life. The wood element is associated with our liver and gallbladder and the emotion of Anger. When our liver, gallbladder and Anger are in balance they allow us to plan, have courage, make changes and transform our lives. When they are out of balance we may become overly oppressive and while trying to make changes we will try and change others in our path or we may become resigned to our fate and lose the will to make decisions or take action. To help our wood element function better we can spend time with trees, asking for their help and aligning to their energy, eating seasonally available foods like wild spring greens: nettles, dandelion, garlic mustard, as well as garlic, onion, leeks, mushrooms, kale, lemons, high quality vinegars and brassicas to support our liver and gallbladder, getting acupuncture and honouring the wood element through ritual and ceremony.

The final powerful influence this week is the Full moon lunar eclipse in Libra, I see eclipses as also being a balancing act between light and dark and with Libra being the sign of balance. This whole week is calling us to balance. The full moon is a time of fulfillment, our intentions set at the new moon are being birthed and so we are called to celebrate and honour what has appeared in our lives and begin to shed what is blocking our continued evolution. With Libra being ruled by Venus; love, relationships, balance, diplomacy, the feminine, beauty and appearance may be particular areas that are called to attention or that you may want to reflect on.

Here is the ritual that I have created to work with and balance these energies, I hope you enjoy and please feel free to pass them along to others.

Sacred Spring: An Equinox/Eclipse Ritual

What you will need:

an altar cloth, objects or pictures that represent the four directions; East (incense, feather), South (candle, flowers), West (water, ancestors) and North (salt, crystals), The masculine and feminine, the wood element and anything you hold dear or wish to charge up (ie jewellery)
Clothes appropriate for the weather
a yoga mat, sheep skin or blanket to lie on
something to listen to the downloaded drum journey and music for dancing
sage, tobacco or palo santo to cleanse with
some delicious treats symbolic of the spring
something for offering: tobacco, cornmeal, fruit, milk, beer,..

To begin choose where you will do the ceremony, I suggest outside near a tree, but you could do it inside as well. Using your sage, tobacco or palo santo cleanse the area and yourself, remembering to thank and program your cleansing tool with instructions to clear away any low vibrational energies, protecting and filling the space with light.

Now set down your altar cloth and assemble your altar as you feel called to, putting the symbols for each direction facing that direction and lay down your offering to the South and your treats to the North. You want it to be beautiful and filled with light to attract the helping spirits.

In order, to set the container for your ritual, imagine an octahedron around your ceremony space, including the tree and room for yourself to lie down and dance. Program this octahedron to only allow in loving, high vibrational energies and ask your angels and guides to help protect the space. you may also put one around yourself.

Once your altar is laid, call in the spirits to help you. I like to call them in the following way, but you may do it as you feel called to:

“Great Spirit of the East, so bright with the new days light, brimming with new hopes and dreams. I welcome you and ask you to help guide me through the land of all possibility and find the seed that is waiting there for me. Thank you, Aho!

Great Spirit of the South, so full and pregnant with life and beauty. I welcome you and ask you to help me live in full bloom and seek the support I need to live a life of spirit. Thank you, Aho!

Great Spirit of the West, bursting with the harvest, preparing for slumber and moving inwards. I welcome you and ask for your help in letting go of what does not serve me and dreaming a new dream for myself and the world. Thank you, Aho!

Great Spirit of the North, slumbering giant of power and wisdom. I welcome you and ask you to fill me up with power so I may make my dreams a reality and serve my community and spirit. Thank you, Aho!

Father Sky, Sun, Moon, Star and Planets, thank you so for your wisdom, your light and inspiration. I welcome you and ask you to fill me with light and align me with the great wisdom and plan of spirit. Thank you, Aho!

Mother Earth, thank you for nourishing me, supporting me, letting me rest and walk upon you. I welcome you and ask you for your support, love, strength and nourishment, helping me to live in balance with you and bring spirit into living form. Thank you, Aho!

Spirits of the land, thank you for allowing us to live here, nourishing us with your beauty. I welcome you and ask you to help support our ritual with the energies of the spring and changing seasons and offer you any healing you need from this ritual. Thank you, Aho!

Great spirit, thank you for my life, my family, my friends, all the blessings around and within me! I welcome you and ask for your continued guidance and support in living a life in alignment with you. Thank you, Aho!!

Spirit of Wood, so strong and flexible, I welcome you and ask you to help me harness the wisdom for below and make it manifest in my life, to have the courage to move forward and the flexibility to bend when needed. Thank you, Aho!”

Now lay down your mat or blanket to the east and listen to this drum journey I have prepared to visit the spirit of the east.

Return to the altar and thank the spirit of the East and turn to the spirit of the South and welcome it in.

Now that you have your seed of wisdom, you will be asking for support and alignment with the element of wood. Sit or Stand in front of a tree and introduce yourself. Thank it for its beauty, strength, courage, flexibility and ask for its support. Tell it what your seed is, what dreams you have for it and what fears or blocks you may have of making it a reality. Let the tree spirit align with you and ask for courage, strength and any other support you wish from it. Once you feel complete thank the tree for its support and guidance and leave it a small offering.

Return to the altar and thank the spirit of the south and turn to the spirit of the west and welcome it in.

The spirit of the West is all about letting go and dreaming a new dream. In order to work with these energies and let go of what might be blocking us from manifesting our seeds, you will perform a bone dance. You may do this in silence or you may put on some music to dance and shake to. The purpose of this is to shake and dance each layer of our beings off; skin, fat, fascia, muscle, nerves, blood vessels, organs, bones. Imagining each layer is falling to the earth like leaves being composted by the earth. Once there is nothing left of you but spirit enjoy this freedom of spirit for a few minutes and then slowly begin to dance each layer back onto you, imagining that it is in perfect health and has been aligned to your new dream and the highest vibration you can hold at this time.

Once you are completely reassembled, return to the altar, thank the spirit of the West and welcome in the spirit of the North.

Move your mat or blanket to align with the north and the full moon and lay down upon it. The moon is a powerful source of energy and we can ask for it to fill us with power to help us manifest our dreams and have the strength and energy to put our seeds into action. Firstly, Introduce yourself to the moon and thank it for it’s light and beauty and wisdom of balance. Ask it to fill you up with power and begin to breath that power into your body, feel each and every cell being filled with moonlight. Continue this until you feel you are full and then thank the moon.

Return to your altar and sit in front of the north and the treats you have prepared for this time of spring and wood, begin by offering some to the land and all the helping spirits and giving gratitude to all the plants, animals and people that helped bring this beautiful nourishment to you. Then slowly enjoy them feeling the energies of the spring and the wood element enter your body, nourish your liver and gallbladder and making your tastebuds dance. Finally sit in this energy and the gratitude for all that is and the opportunity to practice and honour in this way.

Close your circle by releasing each of the elements in the reverse order that you called them. Thanking them for their gifts, releasing them from the ritual and asking for their continued support.

Wood, great spirit, mother earth, father sky, north, west, south, east.

Here are the recipes for what I am making to invoke the Spring and Wood element:

Nettle Pesto Layered Panigacci

Ponderosa Pine Essence Chocolate

May you be blessed with love, light, laughter, courage and balance and set further into your light and power!

With deep gratitude and love for sharing in this with me,

Marika

New Moon Solar Eclipse in Pisces

by marikare | Mar 8, 2016 | astrology, Friends, moon, Ritual, Self-Love, Soul wisdom, Uncategorized | 0 comments

Pisces calls to our highest selves, the part of us that knows we are divine manifestations and from this place asks of us to be of service to the greatest good of all beings in this universe. Being the last sign before the coming spring and rebirth of Aries, Pisces holds in it the wisdom of a full lived life and the intuition and imagination of one who has seen all things come to pass. In conjunction with Chiron (the wounded healer) We are given a chance to look at our woundings with the most compassionate and loving eyes and from this place transform our stories and become empowered by them. Realizing we are the makers of our own fate, we can remember that we chose this path and it has made us who we are today. Through taking back our power and no longer playing the victims in our lives we can heal ourselves and share this wisdom of our empowerment.

I have shared my own story here on my dear friend Jenn’s blog, please give it a read and in honour of this powerful time I wish to offer you a ritual to work with your own empowerment. I will be offering these rituals each month, one for the new moon and one for the full moon, to help us all move into greater connection with spirit.

Find a quiet place, cleanse it, light a candle and call in your guides and helpers.

Grounding- tree exercise- asking for wisdom from the sun, moon, and chiron

write down the story of your wounding or a story that you hold that you are a victim to at the moment.

Reread it and focus on the feelings, energies and impressions you get from it.

Reflect on how this story has helped to strengthen you and make you who you are today

Now take your story and thank spirit for the lessons you have learned and burn it in the flames of your candle feeling the energy of it dissolve.

Rewrite the story from a place of gratitude and power, focusing on the strength you have gained and the lessons you have learned

Place your new story on your altar or in a special place where you can see it throughout your day until the full moon.

Thank your guides, spirit and helpers and blow out your candle, clearing the space again.