Archetypal Moon Energy; a Lunar Love Ritual
The moon cycles possess archetypal energies that offer women deeper insight into her own natural rhythms and how her divine flow guides her to have greater control over her mental and emotional well-being as well as harness the full potential of her creativity, strength, and nourishment. A woman who becomes consciously aware of her connection to the moon’s influence through her womb can begin to intentionally craft her life’s events in a way that will bring her the results she truly desires. Practice this Lunar Love Ritual to align with these archetypal energies and receive the full power of their guidance.
The 4 Archetypes of the Moon
It’s quite common for women to menstruate and ovulate in sync with the moon cycle. Since there is no evidence of women possessing greater or lesser health whether their menstrual cycles sync with the moon or not, please do not get too attached to these or allow them to mean something about your identity or worth as an individual. These are simply here to act as a framework to help guide you into an exploration of yourself.
A woman’s menstrual cycle is around the same length as the 28-day moon cycle, give or take a few days. There are two types of women depending on when they ovulate and menstruate – a white moon woman and a red moon woman. A white moon woman, which is the more common of the two types, will menstruate around the darkness of the new moon and ovulate with the full light of the full moon. A red moon woman will menstruate with the full light of the full moon and ovulate with the darkness of the new moon.
Depending on how our cycle aligns with the four moon phases – new moon, waxing moon, full moon, and waning moon – there are four archetypal energies that we can use as a guide to feel more in tune with our natural rhythms and those of the moon. Although the new moon is the start of a new cycle, for the purpose and ease of learning here, we will start with the virgin phase which corresponds to the waxing moon.
The Virgin or Maiden Phase
After the darkness of the new moon, outshines a sliver of fresh new light. Welcome the virgin phase. She is a strong and playful delight. Her fresh new energy feels quick and sharp. Where the seeds of intention were embedded in the new moon’s dark soil, now begins the process of growth.
How to use this energy
This renewed sense of lightness comes post-menstruation when your body has released the blood and the egg and is now in its most lean and agile state. It’s a great time to commit to short-term projects, new routines or workouts, or even start a cleanse.  The playful and curious virgin is also strong and she has the capacity to take on more physical activity. This can translate into the bedroom as well. You may feel more open to trying new things and even take on more of a leading role. Be aware that some people might actually feel a little intimidated by this more masculine energy the virgin exudes.
Take caution as to not get ahead of yourself with this newfound inspiration to take on the world and achieve more. Be sure that you are not over-committing or over-promising on events in the future where your energy may not feel as up to the task as it does in the virgin phase.
Colors to consider
White or light-colored clothing can support this virgin energy.
The Mother Phase
As the full moon shines the fullness of her light, we arrive in the mother phase. With this fullness, comes the fullness of her love. Whereas the virgin’s outward energy is directed at her personal growth, the mother feels grounded in who she is and desires to be in service and support of others. The mother is comfortable in her sensual nature and unafraid to fully offer this part of herself to her partner.
How to use this energy
This is typically during a woman’s ovulation phase so her ability to bring to life what she has been creating is at its peak. This is a great time to host guests, lead workshops, or present final projects. However, the mother has the tendency to be so outward with her energy, she can neglect to tend to her own needs. Share your energy and your love, but remember to receive your energy and your love as well or you will be left feeling burnt out and underappreciated.
Colors to consider
Earth tones such as greens and browns may support you during the mother phase. You can also play with wearing more natural fibers and floral patterns.
The Enchantress Phase
Now the moon’s light begins to revolve towards the darkness during the moon’s waning phase. The enchantress phase is typically associated with the pre-menstrual phase. Here begins the process of withdrawal and the destruction that will come into full form in the next phase, the wise woman phase.
How to use this energy
The enchantress is intuitive and inquisitive, and she represents all the most mystical parts of Self. She is the evolved woman who has lived through experiences that moved her beyond her attachment to the material and into a deeper awareness of her internal worth and wisdom. Set aside time to begin creating sacred space for you to turn inward. You may feel called to spend more time with your tarot cards and crystals, connecting with the more mystical aspects of you.
See this as the transitional phase from outward energy to inward energy. Like a wave returning back out to sea to regather its energy, begin to pull back from outward activities, although you may still have the energetic capacity for some of it. Be sure to eat and consume in a way that feels intuitive without being too restrictive or over-indulgent.
Colors to consider
Blues, purples, and reds might be the colors you choose to adorn yourself with now to align with the enchantress within.
The Wise Woman Phase
The light has now returned back to the darkness of the new moon. It is important not to mistake the term darkness as something negative. The darkness is where space is created for the full potential of life to be birthed. The wise woman phase, typically associated with the menstrual phase, is a really important phase that, for some women, is easily neglected because it asks you to really slow down, be still, and honor your time for self-care. Knowing this phase is coming, you can plan ahead to not have guests over or schedule outings that will require a lot of outward energy from you.
How to use this energy
You might experience vivid dreams or, if honored properly, plant the seeds of visionary ideas to be nurtured into physical manifestation during the virgin and mother phases that follow. Be careful to not over-eat or over-drink or consume media that will negatively impact your consciousness, as to not miss your opportunity for connecting fully to your intuition. And perhaps most importantly, don’t forget to celebrate. Celebrate what worked well and what you did well in the last cycle. Journal and identify all that which you choose to leave behind and that which you want to either carry with you or create anew in this next cycle.
Throughout the month, make it a point to go outside and look up at the moon, observe her positioning and see her beauty in darkness and in light, and receive the wisdom she is pouring down and over you. Below is a ritual you can practice for connecting with the moon and to feel her divine energy running through you. This practice can be done at any time throughout the month to receive the fullness of the present archetypal energy.
Colors to consider
Red and black are colors that will support your wise woman at this time of bleeding.
Lunar Love Ritual
- Fill a cup or a bowl with your choice of drinking liquid such as tea or water. You may also use your bare hands in the shape of the lotus mudra.
- Standing under the moonlight, hold your cup or your hands in front of your heart.
- Receive the moon’s energy, feel her love pouring down through your crown and into your heart and all through your body.
- Ask the moon to show herself to you, through you. Ask her to illuminate the parts of self that desire to be seen and loved. Ask her to guide you deeper into your own Virgin, Mother, Enchantress, or Wise Woman.
- Feel her energy pouring down into you and filling your cup or hands in front of your heart, infusing it with her love.
- Now, hold the cup to your lips and drink this elixir of love with blessed intention, feel it being absorbed through your whole being.
- Sit in the sensation of this love and thank the moon for her presence. Thank yourself for choosing to be on this path and for giving yourself this time to receive and become. Blessed be.
About the Author
Vernal Equinox: Ritual Through Yoga
Over the course of each year, our playful planet performs an elliptic dance around the sun while simultaneously spinning about its own imperfect axis, which tilts roughly 23 degrees from vertical. Born of the primordial fire, the terms of this intricate cosmic relationship are responsible for all of the natural rhythms that inform our daily lives — from changing weather patterns to reliable zeitgebers that regulate our internal clocks.
When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.
::John Muir
The Story of a Blue Sphere and a Fiery Mass
As Earth diligently revolves around the sun each year, there are four distinct sandhis, or junctures, where a clear seasonal shift occurs from our terrestrial perspective. The vernal equinox is one such juncture, marking the transition from winter to spring.
As we welcome the appearance of new life in nature, many of us remain blissfully unaware. We may neglect or even override the innate curiosity that seeks to understand how our cozy blue sphere and its fiery solar star orchestrate this magnificent show year after year. The truth is, when it comes to their relationship status, “it’s complicated.”
A Practical Approach to Visualization
Imagine yourself sitting in a camping chair with your feet warmed by the heat of a well-burning fire. Fortunately, you’re equipped with a warm scarf and hat to dull the chill you might otherwise experience as you recline back (at exactly 23.4°) to enjoy the stars. Now, without adjusting the direction your chair is facing, imagine yourself orbiting around the focal fire to the opposite side, giving the back of your head a chance to enjoy the warmth of the flame.
If your feet were the southern hemisphere and your head where the northern hemisphere, these two positions would represent the winter solstice (with more heat reaching the bottom half of your body) and the summer solstice (with more heat reaching the top half of your body) respectively.
To visualize the vernal equinox, imagine your chair was to revolve just a quarter of the way around this campfire circle. In this position, your body would be leaning neither toward nor away from the fire and the projected plane of your navel (the equator of your body) might pass directly through the center of the glow. Also, the light reaching one side of your body would match the darkness on the opposite side, much like the day and night which are of approximately equal length on the equinox.
Still confused? Don’t sweat it, simply allow yourself to enjoy the fruits of spring with a deep knowing that there are some wildly wonderful forces at play.
Emergence of the Exhale
Played out on a living, organic sphere, the seasons are guided by a unique planetary breath rhythm. The annual breath of the Earth, much like our own cyclical respiration, serves the purpose of bringing nutrients into the system in exchange for that which cannot be utilized. During the Vernal Equinox, our sleepy planet awakens from the depth of its winter inhalation and begins a 6-month out-breath.
Lean into the Light
Illustrated in the table above, the vernal equinox is a point of orbital balance marking the emergence of days that outlive nights as the axis of the planet bows once again, toward the sun. In direct response to increasingly available sunlight, a life that remained dormant in the barren winter months begins to awaken in receipt of new light. All of nature comes to life — hibernating creatures wake up with healthy appetites and germinating plants shed the shackles of their seeds.
“For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn’t understand growth, it would look like complete destruction.” ::Cynthia Occelli
Subtle Body Spring: Melting the Inner Snow
As nature begins to melt the winter snow in spring, rivers and far-reaching tributaries swell with freshwater that sustains the natural environment as well as human communities. Mirroring the wisdom of the planet, now is the time to water any seeds of intention we may have planted at the beginning of the year and evaluate which future crops and creative projects we will irrigate with the melt of our inner snow.
Just as mountain rivers are swelling their waters, our bodies respond in much the same way at this time of year. This is nature’s way of melting the inner “snow” of the body.
::Shiva Rea, Tending the Heart Fire
Recalibrating Rhythm
Like a bear emerging from the deep sleep of hibernation, sometimes it can be difficult to recalibrate the body and mind for the vibrant spring rhythm. During the long period of seasonal darkness that precedes the vernal equinox, the body naturally increases melatonin production, a hormone that promotes the desire for sleep. This is the planet’s way of encouraging us to slow down and regenerate during fall and winter.
However, with the advent of smartphones and 24/7 connectivity, we override many of these environmental signals which can disrupt our natural circadian rhythms. This dissonance may leave energy levels, which were supposed to have been replenished during the winter, somewhat depleted when springtime arrives.
Fortunately, the daily increase in sunlight that occurs during this half of the year, has its own subtle body effects which include an increase in the mood-elevating hormone, serotonin as well as testosterone and estrogen.
While the shift in our internal chemistry generally increases energy and vitality, this period of hormonal recalibration puts a strain on the endocrine system which can leave us feeling a little tired as we meet the seasonal transition. To navigate the changing internal landscape, any effort to cleanse and detoxify the body can help alleviate energetic stagnation in preparation for the luminous spring ahead.
The Kappa Season
The predominant dosha during springtime is kappa, comprising earth and water. With heavy rains and warming temperatures, the elemental density and heaviness of kappa in late winter continues into spring. As we approach the equinox, it becomes necessary to balance these kappa qualities in order to alleviate winter-induced inertia and energetic malaise. The ideal rhythm for springtime is kappa-pacifying: meet the cool, oily, and heavy qualities of earth and water with the arid warmth and lightness of air and fire.
- Lighten Up. The vernal equinox welcomes a thorough spring cleaning, in our homes and in our hearts. Start by addressing any clutter that has accumulated during the winter and dispose of it in a meaningful way. In your home, this might be as simple as donating articles of clothing or re-purposing a piece of furniture. In your heart, you might tune into the presence of any heavy emotions, assimilate what you can learn from, and let the rest dissolve. Write in a journal to rid your subtle body of excess energetic weight and to create space for what is to come. Only once you have cleared any obstructions, can you begin a deep clean.
- Cleanse. Since kappa is able to sustain with or without food, enjoy a short fast or cleanse during the spring season using astringent fruit juices or warming, spiced kitchari. To stimulate the digestive fire before meals, try chewing on a small slice of fresh ginger. Shed layers of winter skin by dry-brushing before bathing and minimize the use of body oils. If you find yourself battling allergies with spring fever, consider cleansing the nasal passages with nasya, herb-infused oil, to facilitate the clear exchange of Prana. Alternatively, this can be done with warm salt water using a neti pot.
- Nourish. Concentrate on slow, mindful meal times so that your body experiences maximum satiety to avoid overeating or emotionally driven consumption which are symptoms of excess kappa. Favor light foods that are easy to digest with pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes. Foods like apples, pears, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and carrots for instance. Avoid heavy, oily foods with sweet, salty and sour tastes which increase kappa.
Invigorating Yoga Practices for the Spring Equinox
To bring balance to the gunas (attributes) of the kappa season, we emerge from the regenerative practice of the cold winter months and transition into the increased energy and mobility of spring. As we adapt to the seasonal rhythm, the most beneficial physical practices are those that enliven vira rasa. The term rasa can be used to define the intrinsic energetic quality or essence of being and vira is a word for hero. Vira rasa is the embodiment of potency and courage which are reinforced by an active, solar practice. This particular movement alchemy is appropriate for any time when we are experiencing a cycle of growth and renewal.
- Summon Your Strength — Enjoy arm balances and core cultivation as well as heating inversions to experiment with a new strength that has developed from the fortifying rest of winter.
- Clear Congestion — Relieve physical and emotional congestion by practicing dynamic postures with a vigorous pace before exploring strong, standing hip-openers, and activation. This can mobilize stagnant earth and water elements that may have accumulated here through winter.
- Burn Bright — Experience the ardent internal cleansing of heat-inducing pranayama such as kapalabhati, bhastrika and surya bhedana.
- Detoxify — Any process of purification requires a great heat. In the same way that steam can disinfect the surfaces in your home, internal heat and massage can assist the body’s natural metabolic processes which rid the system of toxins and purify the cells while reducing inflammation. Focus on postures that stimulate the circulatory, digestive and lymphatic systems like bound twists and activating backbends.
Spring Equinox Sequence: Moving Meditation for the Whole Body
Heart
Tap into your innermost virya, meaning vitality, enthusiasm, and effort, with focus and attention. Maintain an affirmative inner dialogue and embody the heart of a warrior. Either internally or aloud, invoke the mantra of supreme light with reverence to the sun, our absolute source of sustenance. Allow this to be a mantra of purification and release as you move toward internal balance.
OM HRIM HAMSA SO’HAM SWAHA
om: the primordial sound of the universe, the vibration of all creation, the guru
hrim: bija, seed sound for clarity and dispelling illusion, mantra for the cosmic light, the sun
hamsa so’ham: the balance of light and dark, sun and moon, Shiva and Shakti, the power of the breath for bringing vitality
swaha: let it be so, dedication to the light
*translations by David Frawley
Breath
During this stimulating practice, focus on powerful ujjayi breathing to circulate a steady supply of oxygen through the blood. Maintain a strong, audible breathing rhythm through the nostrils, releasing heat through the mouth on the exhale as needed. With this victorious yogic breath, internal body heat increases as does the circulation of Prana.
Body
This practice is a pilgrimage to Natarajasana that alchemizes twisting and backbends to open the channels of the spine and create space in the body. Beginning with an energizing kriya, we employ the breath to heat and polish the body from the inside out. What follows is a series of progressive twisting namaskars to energize and open before diving into standing backbends. The practice will close with deep-seated hip openers to alleviate emotional congestion before releasing into final relaxation.
To support your self-practice, please refer to the pose breakdown below with links to photos and alignment for each posture or enjoy the complete guided sequence video.
