CAROL ELIZABETH

Last night I did something I’ve never done before. I attended a Moon Circle. I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know where it was, I didn’t know the woman hosting it, I didn’t know how many people would be there…lots of unknowns. The reserved, introverted part of myself was on high alert. But the curious, adventurous side of me was chomping at the bit to see what this was all about. The plan was to drive to my friend Tia’s house and then drive together to the Moon Circle location. Tia told me to get to her house around 8:15 PM. Normally at 8:15 PM I’m in my pajamas, watching TV or reading. But here I was, leaving to go somewhere in the dark. I felt badass. Then I laughed at myself for thinking that. Off I went, into the darkness. I couldn’t have imagined what was to come.

When I arrived at Tia’s house, she was finishing up dinner. She told me we’d be taking her boyfriend’s truck because the circle was at a campground and she thought it would be safer. I was glad I didn’t have to drive because driving somewhere I’ve never been in the dark is not my cup of tea. On our drive, Tia and I talked about everything under the sun, or rather, moon. At this point I should tell you that Tia and I had only talked in person twice before this night. This is a very new friendship. But with any soul-aligned friendship, it’s been fast and easy. Although I’m much older, somehow it just works.

As we got closer to the campground, the roads became narrower. It was really dark, but every once in awhile we’d get a perfect view of the moon and we’d both shriek like 13-year-old girls. We got to the end of a road and saw a sign for the campground. At this point Tia checked her phone for directions. There were no lights other than the headlights so we proceeded very slowly down the dirt road. Finally, we arrived at the right place. The woman hosting the circle was outside getting the fire going. Her two dogs came up to the truck to greet us.

Normally I would feel a bit of trepidation coming into a situation where I didn’t know the host, but I was made to feel instantly welcome. The night air smelled delicious—pine mixed with wisps of smoke as the fire got underway. There was a slight chill in the air. The sky was a midnight blue, peppered with stars. Behind us, the moon loomed large. It felt magical and I experienced a wave of gratitude for saying “yes” to this experience instead of cocooning at home. Just then another car pulled up. A woman jumped out of her car, carrying wine, a large glass jar of homemade tea, and snacks. It became clear to me that she and the host were good friends. Our circle was complete.

Tia and our host got the fire going and Tia lit some candles and incense. My senses were on overload and it only added to the dream-like state. For the next few hours, we talked like old friends. There was never a lull in the conversation, never an awkward pause. Wisdom poured out of each woman in the circle. It was as if each of us was getting a healing. We were tapped into something much more powerful than ourselves. Ideas and intense positive energy flowed all around us. Time was not linear. Hours passed in what seemed like minutes.

Then it came time to release what was no longer serving us. Tia came prepared with corn husks from the white corn stalks in her garden. She gave each of us 2 husks and a marker to write with. She instructed us to write what we wanted to let go of on one husk and write down what we would like to create on the second husk. She then requested that we tear off a small piece off one of the husks. This would be used to write a statement about abundance—something we wanted to attract into our life.

We each took turns reading what we wrote and threw the husks into the fire. What amazed me is how similar our sentiments were. Two women I had never met before expressed virtually the same thing I had expressed. I listened as each husk crackled as it hit the flames. I watched the smoke snake it’s way through the air, sending our messages to the beautiful moon. Tia told us to hold onto the husk with the creation statement. These husks are to be burned at the next New Moon—a time of intention setting.

As we closed the ceremony, we were shocked to find that it was well past midnight. I hugged my new friends and said goodbye, knowing that I’d see them again soon. Tia and I drove back to her house, excited and energized by everything that had transpired. As I got in my car and drove home, I couldn’t believe that it was after 1:00 AM. I could smell the pine-infused smoke and incense on my sweatshirt. I took some deep breaths in. I felt grounded, at peace, and very alive. When I got home, I stepped out of the garage and walked to the end of the driveway. I wanted to get one more look at the moon. I thanked her and headed off to bed. For the first time in a long time, I dreamed that I was flying.