Wisdom from Seanmháthair Gealach (Grandmother Moon)
Third Quarter Moon, In Capricorn
Arrives around 2:56 AM Pacific Time / 10:56 UTC on April 19th
Day 24 of the lunar journey
Wisdom: Connect with your Intuition and with Mama Earth

When I verify the arrival times for the various lunar phases – New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon and Third Quarter – the times across all information sites are usually relatively consistent. But today, I read so many variations for the arrival of the Third Quarter: 2:56 AM, 2:57 AM, 2:58 AM, 2:59 AM, 3:00 AM, 3:05 AM Pacific Time. Minor differences, but very curious indeed!  And the fact that all that variation is throwing me for a loop means I need the grounding influence of the Capricorn Moon!

Mooning Around
Not being an astronomer, I don’t know why there are so many variations…. maybe it’s all this retrograde planetary activity! Suffice it to say, the Third Quarter will arrive somewhere between 2:56 AM and 3:05 AM Pacific Time tonight!

But what is the Last Quarter and how is it defined astronomically? Well, by a very precise measurement: “when the excess of the apparent ecliptic (celestial) longitude of the Moon over that of the Sun is 270 degrees”. These exact words were found in numerous sources.

One-half of the visible surface of LaLuna is brightly lit (which side varies depending on your location in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere), and the illuminated portion slowly decreases each day until we reach next week’s Dark Moon.

Moon Wisdom
At this point, LaLuna’s journey around the Earth is roughly three-quarters complete, as is our journey with her. This is the Autumn of the lunar cycle, where our intuition is deepening more and more each day, where we clearly see our accomplishments (and Self) that were illuminated by the Full Moon.

What we planned at the beginning of this lunar cycle is now ready to be reaped and harvested. Like LaLuna, we too are returning to our time of rest, of consolidation, of reflection. It’s okay to slow down, so that we may focus on what we’ve learned, complete what we’ve started and release anything that will not support us in the next cycle.

You may feel tension during this final quarter (the quarter moons with their half-dark and half-light illumination may feel like crisis points) but use that energy to focus on completion and letting go, rather than jumping into new things. Let those wait for next week’s New Moon. Call on the wisdom of the Matriarch goddess(es) such as Mab, Demeter, Yemaya, Hera and others. The Matriarch knows her Self, her gifts, her wisdom… and you will too.

SOUL WORK FOR THE THIRD QUARTER 

Any time during the Waning Moon, from the Full Moon to the Dark Moon, is traditionally a time for releasing. As the Moon’s energy diminishes, releasing becomes a more natural action. If you use spellcraft, it can also be a time for banishing negative things (except during a Void-of-Course period).

But do remember that “nature abhors a vacuum”: when you release something negative, be sure to consider what positive energy you can bring in to fill that void. Balance, always… exhale, inhale… release, receive. It can be as simple as a good wish, an affirmation, a kind deed, or an act of gratitude.

SOUL QUESTIONS
This month we are working with the theme of Rejuvenation, or Renewal. Take some time to look back at this month’s journey and develop your own Soul Questions, or use these:

• What has begun again?
• How has renewal or rejuvenation manifested in your life this month?
• And how will it continue to manifest?

Find the answers in meditation, contemplation, a journey, or from an oracle or tarot reading. And then release what isn’t working and next month continue to build from what IS working.

Capricorn is associated with the Earth Element and, with Earth Day coming on April 22nd, this is a perfect time to make a strong(er) connection with Mama Earth and to use Earth in your release rituals (burying a release bundle, for instance, rather than placing it in a cauldron to release with Fire).

How can you connect with Mama Earth during the Waning Moon time?

• spend time in Nature or in your garden, if you have one
• cleanse the Air in your home with a new indoor plant (or more)
• make or purchase herbal tea, a beautiful bounty from Mama Earth that supports our health and vitality. Even better, make or purchase one that uses roots in the mix, such as dandelion, or with berries along with leaves
• take a detoxifying bath by adding a cup or more of a mixture of salts (Epsom, Magnesium, Dead Sea, Himalayan, etc) to the tub, along with a few drops of your favourite essential oil, and soak your cares away
• make a salt scrub and use it to exfoliate your body
• energetically cleanse your crystals and pendulums
• do some grounding work such as a grounding cord exercise (there are several on-line sources, such as this one)

In other words, as we said in the 60s, “mellow out” 😀