Dark Moon Meditation
Samhain 2005
The Moon is dark tonight. That means it has
reached the point in its monthly journey around the Earth when it is in
sun-synchronous orbit. We can’t see its light because it is
overpowered by the greater light of the sun. If you look, very
early in the morning on the day or two before the moon changes to new,
you can see a tiny silver crescent just as the sun rises. It
disappears then until a day or two after the actual astronomical change
when the new crescent of the setting moon appears in the evening sky
just as the sun sets.
Because the Celts were so fond of thresholds, spaces between times and
places, the time between the disappearance of the old moon and the
appearance of the new was a time of suspension, timelessness,
expectation. It was also a dangerous time. With only
starlight for illumination, the night was profoundly dark.
Enemies could strike without warning, if they had the courage to
venture forth in the darkness ... and did venture forth with the
assistance of dark powers, or by claiming the assistance of the light
against the darkness ... humans can use metaphor for any purpose.
Many people today think that the darkness is to be denied or avoided at
all costs. We light up the night with halogens that stunt the
growth of trees, white out the stars, and deny sabbath rest. But
the darkness is also the time for turning inward, for listening, for
seeking out the turning point that will bring transformation.
This is what Matthew Fox calls the Via Negativa.
Tonight is a holy night for many traditions. It is the eve of All
Saints and the day of the dead. Tomorrow the moon is new,
signaling a turning, a new beginning. Later this week, once the
crescent moon is actually visible in the sky, the Sunni Muslims in
Saudi Arabia will declare the end of Ramadan. The actual
cross-quarter day, the half-way point between the Fall Equinox and the
Winter Solstice is Friday, November 4.
Now is the time to remember those who have died, for honoring the
ancestors, and for aligning our intentions with so many traditions
praying for peace and justice/compassion.
Let’s be in silence for a while. If you wish, speak names
or situations.
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