Honouring the Full Moon

Moon, has always enjoyed great prominence across all religions. The full moon, is especially considered auspicious and important. Special prayers and meditation are done on this day for beneficial results.

Significance

Moon symbolizes mind and mother in Vedic Astrology besides other departments of life. Mind controls human action and hence Moon controls human action and is given unique importance in Vedic scriptures.  Since the Moon is closest to Earth and due to such close proximity, its influences and effects can be notably experienced. The moon represents the mind, emotions, sensitivity, the mother, house and domestic comforts, milk, sea and all things connected with the sea, hotel and food industry, textiles and apparels. It is cold and calm. It’s color is white, direction north-east, metal is silver and gem is pearl.

The Hindu, Thai, Hebrew, Islamic, Tibetan, Mayan, Neo-pagan, Germanic, Celtic, and the traditional Chinese calendars are all based on the phases of the Moon. In the Chinese, Jewish, Thai and some Hindu calendars, the full moon always occurs in the middle of a month.

Religious Significance

Although the moon has not had great prominence in the history of religion, the worship of it has been known since earliest recorded time—in the oldest literature of Egypt, Babylonia, India, and China—and still exists today in various parts of the world, particularly among certain African and Native American groups. Moon worship is founded on the belief that the phases of the moon and the growth and decline of plant, animal, and human life are related. In some societies food was laid out at night to absorb the rays of the moon, which were thought to have power to cure disease and prolong life.

Among the Baganda of central Africa it was customary for a mother to bathe her newborn child by the light of the first full moon. The moon was frequently equated with wisdom and justice, as in the worship of the Egyptian god Thoth and the Mesopotamian god Sin. Buddhists all over the world have a high regard for full moon days. They celebrate this day with religious fervor by observing precepts, practicing meditation and by keeping away from the sensual worldly life. On this day they direct their attention to spiritual development. They also observe certain religious disciplines such as fasting and praying on full moon days.

The Assyrians and the Chaldeans referred to the time of the Moon-god as the oldest period in the memory of the people: before other planetary gods came to dominate the world ages, the Moon was the supreme deity. In Hindu, "Shiva" is the witness, consciousness, vibration (also called Ma/heshv/ar the remover of death) which is symbolized by the Moon of Night. Many Hindhu’s still observe a fast from sunrise to moon rise on this day, and worship the Mother Goddess.

In ancient Sumeria this symbol of the 8 ray star was the symbol for God, and the earliest Islamic symbols used this same eight ray star with the crescent moon to represent their faith under the Evening Star.The Moon in the Talmudic tradition represents the Messiah. The crescent moon and Star as the NIGHT , is the symbol for Islam and Rammadan. In Kabbalah Judaism, the power of the moon, is the symbol of King David.

At the beginning there was naught save darkness and water. The spirit of the night was the Great Mother, and her first-born was the moon child. Life came from death and light from darkness. Such appears to have been the conception of the worshipers of the sky-and-water goddess and the lunar god.

Full Moon Solitary Ritual

Prepare the altar. Offer a plant as gift to the Goddess. Stand at the altar and say:

“ Lady of the fullness of Life,
Show me the best of your ways.
That I may know the joy of all
And praise and bless you all my days “

Turn towards the East

“Inanna, Goddess of flowers and vegetation
I call for your aid
Bless me with your pressence”

Turn towards the South

“Inanna, Goddess of all the joys of love
I ask for love and happiness to fill my life
Bless me with your pressence”

Turn towards the West

“Inanna, Goddess of creativity and spiritual growth
I ask for wisdom and guidance to do my best
Bless me with your presence”

Turn towards the North

“Inanna, Goddess who descended into the underworld
And came forth again in glory
Let the old that is useless in my life drop away
The new come in”

Full Moon Meditation

Meditation is a powerful method in the service of humanity, when the mind is employed as a channel for receiving light, love and desire for good, and directed to the interior of human consciousness. The time of full moon in each month, offers the greatest opportunity for meditation. One of the biggest energy cycles coincide with the phases of the moon, reaching its climax, its high tide, when the full moon. The moon itself has no influence on the work, but fully illuminated face of the Moon indicates an unimpeded alignment between Earth and the Sun, the solar center, the energy source of all life on Earth. In times like these, we can perform a final approach to God, the Creator, the center of life and intelligence.

Light a pink candle. Meditate looking at it.

“Great mother of deep cavers and tall pines
I await your wisdom
Lady of the full moon and wild beast
I seek your guidance
Your silver orb is in the sky
I salute you, Mother of birth and rebirth”

Chant for the day : Isis Astarte Diana Hecate Demeter Kali Inanna