The height of this lunar cycle comes with a full moon arriving on March 7th (exact at 7:40am ET, time zone converter), and offers a revelation about how the energies initiated on the February 20th new moon are developing. That new moon, guided by its association with The Moon invited us to walk the way of the imagination. Out of the full moon revelation about this developing energy, we are issued an invitation to return a gift to the world in the final weeks of the cycle.
The astro-Tarot correspondences align this full moon with The Hermit, the archetype of those who withdraw from the human world to commune in silence and solitude with the beyond-the-human world.
Rider Waite Smith is in the center. What other decks do you see represented?
Hermits are very much at home in the lunar realm, which is the path we’ve been walking since February 20th. They’d be happy to continually commune with the moon, but there is a final step for them to fully answer their soul’s callings.
Hermits must light their lantern and let it shine for others to see.
In other words, they must gather the wisdom that they have gained from their encounter into a form that can be shared with others.
The Moon cycle we’ve been passing through particularly invites exploring the moon’s mysteries of dreaming the impossible, connecting with the invisible, and serving the Greater Than. If we are to follow the Hermit’s example and bring a message back from our encounters with the mysteries, we must lean into our creativity to express what exists beyond the limits of language.
You might write a poem or draw an image, dance in your kitchen or at a studio, sing a song or bang on a can to tell of your encounter. You don’t need to feel like or have the title of artist, writer, dancer, or musician. Creating is a natural part of who we are as humans and when we let the mysterious flow through us our expression is powerful.
Our creations answer and honor the encounters we have with the Greater Than, bringing this much needed Presence into our current chaotic world.
So create something out of this full moon time and your traveling of this moon cycle. Share it with one person or with a thousand. The numbers don’t matter. The bringing forth of your wisdom – your lantern light – is what is important.
To prepare for or spend time with your creation during these full moon days , you might do one or combine all of these practices:
- Moon bathe by sitting or lying under a window or outside on the ground. Feel the unique strength of the moon’s light. Let go of your thoughts and soak in the light.
- Take out any reading or your reflections from the new moon and look at them in a new light. How does your understanding of the cards shift now that time has passed and light has shifted? (If you haven’t done a reading yet, no problem, just do it now under the light of the full moon. You can try the one included in the new moon post.)
- Bring out The Moon and Hermit cards from your Tarot deck and connect them to your new moon reading / reflections. You could place/imagine these cards on either side of your reading or above and below, and then look at how they add meaning into the story your original cards offered you.
- Reflect on the questions raised from the alignment of The Moon and the Hermit: What messages are coming from … my dreams …. synchronistic encounters … my creative exploring? How to make time and space in my life to listen to the Greater Than? When I turn inward what message emerges about how to bring calm to the chaotic outer world? Feel free to pull cards to gain insight into these questions. You may want to engage in Visio Divina to find the layers of wisdom within the cards.
When you are done, remember to offer gratitude for what you have received. Consider what gift you now want to return to the world. Pulling a card for guidance on the gift is always a fine thing to do. In the coming weeks and before the moon returns to dark around March 18th offer your gift to the world.