Today’s New Moon is known as “Lunar Samhain,” a reference to the Wiccan celebration that typically shares the same date as Halloween, Samhain. According to pagan beliefs, the veil between the world of the living and the dead grows thin on this day, making communicating with spirits and ancestors more likely. Channel this energy from the other side to help you set powerful intentions that will set you on a path more closely aligned with your higher purpose. One of Scorpio’s ruling planets, Mars, aligns with this New Moon, boosting motivation to bring your intentions to fruition.
Water sign Scorpio brings on the waterworks during this highly emotional season, making this lunation the perfect time to look inwards. If you tend to avoid your feelings or refuse to face your shadow self (your darker, more unpleasant side), it may be more difficult to accept the challenges and changes this New Moon will bring. Connect to Scorpio's other ruling planet, Pluto, to uncover your mysterious, hidden side in order to evolve to the next level. Trust your intuition, step our of your comfort zone, and let the magic of this Scorpio New Moon in!
Suggested Crystals:
Rhodochrosite: Emotional Healing
Black Obsidian: Truth
Clear Quartz: Manifesting
Suggested Candles:
White - Truth
Black - Shadow Work
Purple - Intuition
Suggested Essential Oils:
Anise Star - Spirit World
Wisteria - Higher Consciousness
Lavender - Awareness
Ritual:
This Thursday, fill a glass vessel with water. Face North, the direction of spirituality and intuition. Set your intentions to do deep, emotional work in order to transform to your highest self as you hold your glass. Place the glass on a surface near a window with your cleansed crystal(s) next to it—or place them in the glass to supercharge your Moon water! The next morning, drink your Lunar water, filling yourself with the motivating and intuitive energy of this New Moon! Keep your charged crystal(s) with you until your next moon ritual!
Read on for bonus shadow work exercises to help you transform from this Scorpion New Moon!
Image from @americanghoul
“True magic is neither black, nor white - it's both because nature is both. Loving and cruel, all at the same time.”
This is also true of your Persona and your Shadow. Everyone has a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—a theory popularized by psychiatrist, Carl Jung. According to Jungian Psychology, we all have a Persona—the more desirable version of ourselves we present to others—and the Shadow Self, which comprises everything the ego has refused to associate itself with.
While doing Shadow work, we must also be cautious of overly identifying with the Persona, or Ego, in order to prevent losing one’s sense of self completely, causing one to conform, become excessively concerned for what others think and even sacrificing oneself for the wishes of others for fear of conflict. Conversely, we must also be careful of becoming victim to “shadow-possession.” The Shadow, or Id, is emotional in nature, often instinctive and possibly irrational. When one is unconscious of themselves, the Shadow Self projects our own darker attributes onto others. Through Shadow work, we have the opportunity to bring the Shadow into consciousness, achieving a renewed sense of true self.
Shadow Work can be practiced through meditation and journaling. Before beginning any shadow work, you always want to center yourself and remember to be compassionate with yourself. Try a simple Buddhist practice: breathe in, acknowledge your heart, and say “thank you” as you breathe out. No one is perfect and it is difficult to confront your shadow—but you’re doing it!
Here are some prompts:
Reactions - Carry your journal with you, or use your phone’s notepad ,so you can quickly jot down your thoughts/feelings throughout the day. Pay attention to how you react to certain situations/people. Oftentimes, when we have a strong reaction to another’s behavior, it is because we, too, possess that quality. Re-read your entries daily or weekly and look for patterns. The sooner you can realize emotional triggers, the sooner you can learn to control your emotional reaction to them.
Dreams - The shadow can appear in dreams, typically as a person of the same sex as the dreamer. Interactions with the shadow may point to one’s state of mind. In the morning, write down your dreams while they are still fresh. See if you can spot your shadow self. What is it trying to tell you?
Good Qualities - Make a list of all of your positive traits. Then try to identify the opposite within yourself. If you find yourself to be a generally happy person, try to identify things that anger you. Anger is a normal, human emotion but can become problematic or even detrimental when repressed.
The 3-2-1 Shadow Process - From Ken Wilber’s Integral Life Practice. First, choose a person with whom you have a strong emotional reaction to, positive or negative. Second, describe their qualities that you are most upset by or attracted to. Third, talk to the person as if he/she was there, telling them what bothers you about them. Ask them questions and imagine their response. Fourth, become this person by stating the traits you described in step 2. Lastly, notice these rejected qualities in yourself. Experience and re-own these traits in yourself.
Main image from @indg0
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