The eclipse makes this a special “Long Night Moon.” For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere the December Full Moon heralds the coming of Winter Solstice, which is always a good time for sitting alone in the dark. Dark Sitting is a simple yet profound practice. You can do it with or without lighting a candle. I recommend trying both ways. I like closing the practice with a prayer of gratitude to the guardian angels. I rarely think of them but I know they’re with me, especially when I’m in the dark. You have yours too of course. Say something heartfelt and spontaneous. Or recite this traditional Catholic prayer (scroll midpage to “Christian Prayer”). The advantage of using traditional prayers is that the “mana” or power in the words has been nourished by centuries of repetition, particularly when they’re recited in Latin. Or light a small birthday candle and say these words from Draja Mickaharic’s Practice of Magic: “You who are with me in this life as my guide and protector, I express my gratitude to you with this candle which I light for you. I thank you for your loving care and guidance.” Let the candle safely burn until it extinguishes itself.

This eclipse is visible in west and central North America, the islands in the Pacific, Asia, eastern Africa, Iceland and most of Europe. If you’re not able to view it (the time is listed on our home page), you might enjoy “The Moon is My Mistress” from a blogger who watched last year’s winter lunar eclipse with his wife.

On the day of the Capricorn Full Moon I kept feeling something tugging at me, filling me with a desire for something… but what? Glancing at the laptop on my big wooden desk, I reached out… and found myself reading your “Drinking the Moon” article. It was just what I was after! Under my kitchen sink sat a very large Mason Jar with a lid that felt perfect. I filled it with fresh filtered Maui water and went back into the night to find a special place to collect my moonbeams!

The next part was the hardest—trying to turn off my inner chatter. What if someone drives by…how long is this going to take… what are those kids doing making all that noise in that room…what about those bills I didn’t pay …why are my dogs barking…sure hope my neighbors don’t come home! But I persisted. I breathed the light of the Moon into every cell of my body, from my toes all the way up to the crown of my head. When I was quite full, the chatter receded. I was feeling very tingly at this point, excited to start my journey.

Touching my right hand lightly on top of the cool metal lid I started circling it slowly around, with all my senses sensing. How beautifully the water sparkled in the jar. Everything around me was being washed in brilliant light, even the crumbling asphalt in the old road by my home. The intensity of the glow grew with each circle as my hand drew around and around the water. After nine circles, I touched my right hand softly with my left and could feel the energy transfer between them. With my left hand I made nine counter-clockwise circles, as the swirling energy kept growing. I formed a triangle with my two hands over what was now a cauldron of energy, and waited.

My only desire was for guidance. I took a deep breath and looked up. There was Antares in the constellation of Scorpio beaming right at me—straight into me! Mesmerized I could only stare back. Instantly we were exchanging energy. The heart of the scorpion bore right into my chest and as I breathed in, my heart swelled and grew warm. I felt so at peace on this big miraculous planet in this gyrating traveling universe. Aaah… through the triangle of my hands, my jar of electrified water was collecting moonbeams by the thousands.

I looked up at the Moon, so soft and wonderful, like a mother’s embrace. Then, one last gift from the cosmos—a cloud floated across the Moon. It looked like a giant flying angel, with wings spread out behind her covering a quarter of the night sky. It took my breath away. I carefully placed the jar in my garden to receive the Moon’s blessings all night long. The next morning, a little after six, I sleepily went out and brought a very cool ‘energized’ jar of water back into the kitchen and set it on the breadboard. My intuitive desire was to drink some right then and there–it felt so alive and so full of energy; instead I waited to share it with my family and friends that charming day.

I poured out precious little amounts into beautiful cobalt blue glasses for my two sons and their girlfriends and child, my big brother Chris, my friend Mike from long ago who used to fix my hot tub, my writing partner Maggie and her whole family with four kids, my ex who I wasn’t too happy with at that time for overstaying his welcome in my home… even him. I never tasted water more refreshing in my whole life.

Night walker, star gazer, music listener, and astrology lover, Julie Pittman has spent years in garden dirt on the tropical island of Maui, where she says she’s “learned a thing or two… well, maybe!”

But alas, Moon Water has not yet hit our shelves. So it is only during those months when we are so fully in tune with the Feminine that we’re able to use this exquisite opportunity each Full Moon brings, not only to charge a jar of spring water, but also to enchant ourselves. While making time to do this is difficult, the procedure itself is simple.

Pour purified water into a glass jar. Place it outside in the moonlight. Stand there awhile. Feel into the moonlight. Close your eyes. Imagine that the Moon is descending and has become a glowing orb just inches above the crown of your head. Feel how the Moon’s light now enters your body, nourishing each of your chakras, filling your cells. When you feel Moon Full, open your eyes. Slowly and lovingly circle your right hand in a clockwise direction over the water, nine times. Then do the same with your left hand, counter-clockwise, nine times. After that, over the jar, form a triangle with the index fingers and thumbs of both hands. Into the center of the triangle, pour your gratitude for the gift the Moon is bringing you. Then wait a minute or two. You may or may not receive a message, perhaps an image, a word, or a sensation. After you feel complete, rub your hands together and shake them out. Leave the bottled water out all night, but retrieve it early in the morning, before it’s touched by the Sun’s rays.

Solar Eclipse in Mutable Air + a Total Lunar Eclipse in Mutable Fire = … Marshmallows, anyone?

Sagittarius is a mutable fire sign, representing the transformation of spirit. Sagittarius is the gypsy, the mythological Centaur, and the wild bonfire around which we dance and tell our fantastic stories.

Lately I’ve been noticing the strong relationship between the elements and the Moon’s cycle… floods trumpeted the water-sign Scorpio Full Moon, tornadoes blew in the air-sign Gemini New Moon, and now a volcano ushers in the fiery Full Moon in Sagittarius. Of course, there is no legitimate proof that these things are related, but to ME, they have felt connected. If anyone understands that kind of far-reaching thinking, it would be Sagittarius, who calls us to dance with him at this Lunar Eclipse.

The dance here is of the last call variety, right before the club closes. The partners are your mind, which is probably still racing from the Gemini New Moon/Solar Eclipse, and your spirit, which may feel like it has either gotten too big for your body or you can’t find it at all. It is a fast dance, not a slow one and neither party can touch, yet they must somehow come together….

Argh! It’s impossible, it’s too hot and sweaty in here, I can’t catch my breath, it’s too loud and I don’t want to dance with you anyway, you smelly horse man! I just want to go home and get away from all these people, all these possibilties and everything that has brought me to this point… just. leave. me. alooooonnneee!!!

(Anyone else kind of feel like that? Just me? Here is the thing, an eclipse HEIGHTENS everything, and the Lunar Eclipse specifically heightens emotions. This Full Moon is in late degrees, which means it is time to let go of the old feelings, hang-ups, resentments, fears, thoughts and pretty much everything else plaguing mind or spirit.)

I threw a tantrum on the dance floor and ran dramatically out into the parking lot. The big full moon is staring down at me, illuminating my pain, embarassment and all the other stuff I don’t want to look at. I glare back at her as the Centaur saunters up to me. He laughs a full belly laugh and says “That was pretty impressive back there.” I ignore him and turn away. Suddenly he scoops me up, and starts galloping off into the night. “Hey!” I cry indignantly, “You are not supposed to touch me!” He chuckles again “I pretty much do whatever I want, sweetheart, I am always changing.” His whole body emanates heat and I add to it, fuming silently as he takes me further into the Full Moon night.

Suddenly I feel light, so light, like I had no idea how much these things were weighing me down. I look at him in disbelief. He laughs that horsey laugh and I begin to hear the sound of drums, then a flute. He starts to circle me and now I laugh, because I am ready to dance this dance of mind and spirit. I am ready to move like magnets, without touching physically, but in perfect harmony. The eclipse has begun.

I don’t actually expect anyone to run off with a centaur Wednesday night (though that would be cool). But I would recommend taking time to let your mind and spirit work things out, perhaps through some silent meditation followed by prayer and a burning ceremony. Burning ceremony is where you write down all the things you are ready to release and then consciously and ceremoniously feed them to the flames. You can also burn old items but please do it safely and consciously. It is nice if you can do all of this under the Full Moon. And it’s especially nice, if you feel the impulse, to do a little dancing.

Bekah Finch is a Yoga teacher, shamanic practitioner and moon devotee. For more information on her work and writing please visit www.sacredwayyoga.com

Venus and Pluto rule the opposing signs of this Full Moon—Taurus as form and Scorpio as emotion—which prompted the following question from my guest blogger Bekah Finch: Can the Goddess of Love harmonize with the Lord of the Underworld?

Venus does not bow to another’s will easily. While her light side is all that is loving, thriving, sensual and beautiful, her dark side can be stubborn, greedy, manipulative and pouting. Pluto is nobody you want to mess with either, as his specialty is breaking down form, cutting through the BS, transforming, destroying and taking power. As these planets rule fixed signs, this will surely be a hard battle, as fixed signs do not bend.

So Venus and Pluto walk into a bar. The room lights up and all heads turn as Venus makes her way to the dance floor. Pluto scowls as he pulls a stool up to the darkest part of the bar and orders a shot of whiskey… this night can go two ways. Option one is Venus continues to flirt, dance and receive all attention while Pluto quietly rages into his drink, until at some point, his last button will be pushed and violence will commence. There will be anger, a stinging battle and the bar possibly burned down. This is inevitably what happens when form and feelings do not mesh. (Maybe not always this extreme, but you get the metaphor, yes?)

OR Venus may choose to sip some wine or sparkling water while they share their favorite stories, and Pluto can occasionally enjoy the center of the dance floor with her by his side. They can alternate dancing and drinking, hanging out together and being alone or with others. This can be a night of transformation, exploration and much fun. Venus can shine, but not take all the light, allowing Pluto to be his smart, deep, alluring self. Pluto can relax, knowing he can be himself and enjoy Venus’s beauty, without wanting to dampen it. It’s about being honest and creating a supportive, sustainable relationship where feelings are focused and form takes healthy roots.

The choice, as always, is yours.

Scorpio is fixed water and Taurus is fixed earth. Both water and earth at this time are standing still, trying very hard to hold on to what is most important to them. When earth is fixed, there is no yielding, when water is fixed, there is no flow. The challenge of this Full Moon is to either align your feelings with your actions or let go with love, not with anger. However you choose to honor this Full Moon, let it reflect the light of both Venus and Pluto… something grounding, beautiful but also powerful and true to your very core.

Water and earth are the elements to propitiate here, and if you do find there is some conflict between them, bring in fire or air to shake them up a bit. I plan to keep up with my daily hikes (earth) and will spend Monday night at my favorite Korean spa (water).

Bekah Finch is a Yoga teacher, shamanic practitioner and moon devotee. For more information on her work and writing please visit www.sacredwayyoga.com

There are many wonderful Solstice rituals involving chants, costumes and Yule Logs (this one’s nice). I like to keep it simple. For my solstice ritual, you’ll need just a candle (or a fireplace or a favorite lamp) and some “Sun food.” This is a magical edible—something to symbolize the power of the Sun. You’ll take it in at the ritual’s climax. Sun cookies–anything round and yellow—will do (here’s one recipe). Lately I’ve fallen in love with greens–kales, lettuces, chard–as a juiced blend of their chloryphyl is the closest thing to liquid sunshine. Be the alchemist as you prepare what’s right for you. As you gather the ingredients, meditate on your experience of the past ninety days.

At your Solstice moment–which is that hour you can give yourself when you have absolutely nothing else to do. Nowhere to go, nothing to get, no one to satisfy. Approach your altar (or your fireplace or your table with your favorite lamp), declare a circle of sacred space. Call in the elements, the snow-capped mountains, the exhilarating winds, the roaring hearth fire, the healing warmth of a fragrant bubble bath. Light your candle or lamp. Turn so that your back faces the altar and the light is now behind you. Close your eyes and feel into the dark. Notice whatever sensations or emotions this brings. Savor it as your experience, your singular expression of the world soul at this unrepeatable moment. Do not judge it. Sink into it. And when you feel ready, turn to the light. Open your arms and draw the energy of the light into your heart. Offer your profound thanks to the Sun, the source of light, life and energy on this planet. Ask the Sun to bless you with health, creativity, and love in the coming days. Eat your Sun food. Savor this thrilling experience of light! When you’re complete, bow to the candle or lamp. Thank the elements and dissolve the sacred circle into a mist of protection that surrounds you as you re-enter the world. Extinguish the candle.

For the Southern Hemisphere, for whom the days will be getting shorter, reverse the imagery. Start with symbols or images evoking the abundance of the garden. Begin facing the altar. Celebrate the experience of warmth and light as the Sun is at its strongest. When you are ready, turn so that your back is to the light. Close your eyes and contemplate the coming darkness. Feel into it. When you are ready, with eyes still closed, eat your Sun food.