Soul Work for Third Quarter Moon in Cancer

La Luna has now completed three-quarters of her monthly journey and rises in the night sky late in the evening — close to midnight. Her face is 50% illuminated — half Light and half Dark — and exquisitely balanced for just a moment, then slowly continues to wane each day towards the end of her journey, marked by the full darkness of the Dark Moon / New Moon.

At the Third Quarter, La Luna moves into the autumnal energies of The West… watery, emotional, harvesting, shedding, releasing. Our Yang energies start waning at the Full Moon, and our Yin energies start to wax, shifting us from action to reflection and to accessing our deeper intuitive wisdom. These are the energies of The Matriarch, confident, self-assured with a deep knowledge of her Self. She knows what to share and what to hold within.

SOUL WORK AT THE THIRD QUARTER
Using the New Moon Medicine Wheel Layout, at the Third Quarter we ask the question “What is transforming?”.

We can also work with our theme for the month, Balance, and consider how we feel as the balance of Yang / Divine Masculine starts to tip toward the Yin / Divine Feminine.

As we sink deeper within in the waning phase, and tapping into our Yin intuitive energy, this phase of the journey can facilitate a deeper understanding of the shadow aspects at work… the Inner wounds we are still protecting but not healing… the parts of our Self we hide for fear of rejection… the subconscious aspects that may be driving our actions and thoughts… the filters that may be masking a different reality.

This is the time of spiritual alchemy, transforming and transmuting, freeing the spiritual self from Shadow and transmuting negatives into positives… and integrating all those parts through forgiveness, unconditional love and acknowledgement/acceptance.

A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Earlier this month I had a profound experience with reality filters as a result of cataract surgery in both eyes. I knew that my vision and clarity had diminished over the last few years due to the cataracts but, for some reason, I didn’t believe what folks were telling me about the potential changes in colour post-surgery… because I hadn’t really noticed anything. Everything seemed the same. That was my reality.

And then the first cataract was removed. WOW! I was amazed by the return of clarity and visual acuity in my right eye. And then blown away by the changes of colour! The cataract had slowly and imperceptibly added a yellow filter to everything. That had become my new reality and I had forgotten what the world looked like before.

So until the second cataract surgery a couple of weeks later, I experienced the world both ways. Looking through my left eye, the world was much like the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel before cleaning and restoration… deep, rich, dark, muted colours. And through the right eye, the world was bright, colours were nuanced and vibrant. I will miss the former deep rich greens of nature, but can now see the subtle colours not apparent before.

And then I wondered…. what other filters had grown slowly and imperceptibly in my mind? What had subtly changed in my “reality” over time? What experiences had combined to create a new filter, perhaps even altering how I viewed my life, my relationships, my work?

This is deep work and I expect it will take more than this lunar phase… this is my deep work for Autumn and early Winter…shining a light for me, clearing the shadows, integrating a new view.

RELEASE RITUAL
There are so many ways to release and to incorporate this into our rituals at our altar, and with our Lunar Soul Work. Many folks like to smudge, or use fire in some way, and I often do. And throughout this blog site, I have shared many of these.

But in this watery emotional autumnal Cancer energy of the Third Quarter, I will be turning to Water for my release.

This Release Ritual with Water can be done throughout the day or all at once, at sunset, and at any time during the Waning phase of the Moon:

TO BEGIN

• Call on your guides and allies for their wisdom, guidance, and support in this ritual
• Fill a small bowl with water (fresh or pure if possible).
• Place a favourite healing crystal into the water (make sure it is a crystal that is safe in water) or add a teaspoon of sea salt.
  • You can also add other elements. . . a favourite essential oil, herb or botanical element (leaf, flower, etc). Today, I added a drop of Lourdes Holy Water, a gift from my Grandmother, to represent my Ancestors.

Method 1: Releasing Throughout the Day

• Throughout the day, bring your awareness to any negative energy, self-limiting limiting beliefs, patterns of behaviour that no longer serve you.
• For each one you identify and are ready to let go, energetically send it to the water bowl for release, saying a release affirmation you create or something like: “This _________ no longer serves me. I release it to the healing waters of Mother Earth.”
• When you feel you have released everything you can, move to the COMPLETION part of the Ritual

Method 2: Releasing All at Once

• Sit and meditate at the water bowl, and once again reflect on your Medicine Wheel reading for the month, or your theme for the month (Balance).
• As in Method 1, also bring your awareness to any negative energy, self-limiting limiting beliefs, patterns of behaviour that no longer serve you. What are you now ready to release after integrating the wisdom of your Soul Work?
• For each one you identify, release energetically to the bowl OR write the keywords onto a small piece of paper and drop into the water bowl for release. As you watch the words blur and dissolve into the water, say a release statement you have created or something such as “This _________ no longer serves me. I release it to the healing waters of Mother Earth.”
• When you feel you have released everything you can, move to the COMPLETION part of the Ritual.

COMPLETION
When you have completed your release(s), empty the bowl — if possible outdoors, into the ground of Mama Earth, but it can also be released to water (sink, pond, river…) — while repeating your release statement, one you craft yourself or something like this: “I free my Self of all things which no longer serve me and I send them to Mother Earth / Lady Ocean for grounding and release.”

Thank your guides and allies for their support and wisdom.

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Wisdom from Seanmháthair Gealach (Grandmother Moon)
Third Quarter Moon in Cancer (Cardinal, Water)
Thursday, October 12 @ 5:25 am PT / 12:25 UTC
Moon sets @ 3:03 pm PT and rises again October 13 @ 12:24 am
Monthly Theme: Balance

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