Today is a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse … and this moon is all about embracing the duality of the light and shadows that each of us carries within. This is huge for healing the role of the Feminine in our lives because as many of us begin to re-awaken to our Feminine Essence and begin to embody her attributes, half of that embodiment often gets ignored or forgotten.
The embodiment I’m talking about is embodiment of The Shadow Side of the Feminine. As women, we live in a monthly rhythm with the moon and our menses, and yet most of us have been taught to forget, ignore or shame the fact that half of our lives as women is spent in the darker more receptive waters of our Feminine Nature.
Half of our cycles are spent outwardly, embracing, creating and magnetizing our desires. From the time our bleed begins and lasting into ovulation, our body and essence is geared up to show up fully and give it our all.
But the other half, from the time we end ovulation and enter into the rest of our premenstrual cycle that is preparing to bleed again, we enter into our Shadow Time.
The shadow is different for each of us, but there are common markers. Depletion of energy, loss of creative drive, desire to be alone and to stay home and nest, inability to access left brain tasks such as focus and clear communication, increased emotional landscapes and lack of motivation to be social or maintain a full calendar.
There is great wisdom and intuition available to us during our Shadow Time, but most of us feel like we need to keep going going going, and feel like if we allow ourselves the time to slow down, nurture our body, psyche and soul’s needs that we’ll be selfish, lazy or lose the momentum of all the progress we’ve been working towards.
But the opposite is actually true. By allowing ourselves the time to rest, we allow our bodies to receive what they need in order to prepare hormonally, emotionally, physiologically and spiritually for the monthly main event of our bleed, we actually allow ourselves the opportunity to access, create and generate more in our lives when we enter back into the first half of our cycle.
Access more of our innate feminine wisdom, create deeply from our soul’s calling, generate love and nurturing for ourselves and others.
Bleeding is no small task, yet we have been taught to ignore and shame this gorgeously primal and intricate process. In shaming this, we have also been shamed of the innate well of inner knowing, healing and possibility that can arise during this time.
Because our culture generally appreciates only rationality, the outpouring of unconscious “shadow” wisdom such as heightened sensitivity, increased intuition and deep inner knowing are often avoided, ignored or shamed during our premenstrual or menstrual phase. Which is such a shame, because as Christiane Northrup MD says,
“From ovulation to the onset of menstruation, women are most in tune with what isn’t working in their lives. During this time we have access to parts of our often unconscious selves that are less available to us at all other times of the month.”
More than just avoiding our inner knowing and allowing ourselves to accept what we really need, when we avoid our shadows and the wisdom they carry, we avoid potent opportunities to heal.
So, my invitation to you on this Full Moon Lunar Eclipse is to tune into your shadows.
What is begging for attention or awareness in your life? What wants to be RECLAIMED within you that may have been shamed, suppressed, ignored or neglected?
Is it your body asking you to slow down and rest more? Is it a deep inner knowing that it’s time to move on from someone or something in your life? Is it a longing to take the step that you fear but are ready for?
This full moon and lunar eclipse is a gorgeous opportunity for you to embrace ALL of yourself as a woman. The Light and The Shadow, the positive and the negative, this moon brings up old wounds, old imprints found in our shadows in order for you to bring awareness and healing.
Our shadows aren’t meant to be seen as bad. They are meant to be seen and embraced as a sacred part of the interconnected cycle of our lives. There is huge creative potential found in the dark matter of the universe and this energy and potential what is available to us during our Shadow Time if we allow ourselves to fully receive it.
RECLAIMING THE SHADOW SIDE OF THE FEMININE is about honoring what your body desires and giving her the freedom and permission to do so. What does she want? What does she need? What is she longing for today on this Full Moon Lunar Eclipse? What is she longing for during the second half of your cycle?
Hone in on your whims. Honor your intuitive hits. Listen to your longings.
I know that embracing our shadow isn’t always easy. To help you set the mood and get in the groove I made a LUNAR ECLIPSE PLAYLIST for you. You can play it while you journal, take a bath, engage in a creative activity that feels nourishing. You also can play it while you move your body how she wants to move ... maybe you just sit and breathe and listen, maybe you sway, maybe you flow through a gentle vinyasa or have a slow sensual dance. Tune in and allow yourself to do what you want to do without judgement.
I'd love to hear about your relationship with your Shadow Time. Have you been avoiding or suppressing it? Are you ready to embrace and prioritize it? What sacred, self care or creative activities do you enjoy or crave during this time?
Let me know in comments below!
xx, Ashly
