As old as the moon is the ocean, watery womb and source of life. Cancer is a water sign; it is the Moon that measures out the ebb and flow of the ocean's tides. The inner knowledge of nature's rhythms is the key to life: to move instinctively in concert with the rise and fall, the emptiness and fullness, of life's cycles is the basis of feminine wisdom. Of course, the ocean's tides are not seen in its depths - but at the coastal edge where land and sea  meet. Yet it is from the depths of the ocean that the tides emerge.......called forth by the pull of the Moon.

MEDITATION:
To experience the rhythms of the sea as they are shaped by the Moon, imagine that you are lying on a remote, sandy beach. It is dawn, and a silvery moon is descending into the horizon. The hushed roar of the ocean permeates the air, filling your ears with the sound of creation. The air is pungent with the smell of seaweed and saltwater. It is the gentle hour of
the ebb tide, and as it seeps in beneath your body, you feel cradled in the loving arms of the ocean. Lifted up off the sand, your body rises and falls with the waves. Your breath becomes syncronized with the waves; you inhale and exhale in tune to the motion of the sea.

As the ebb tide recedes further and further from the periphery of land, you, too, are drawn away with it. Carried away from the coastline, you find that you have floated far into the trackless vastness of the ocean. Here, in contrast to the waves crashing on the beach, all is calm, still, and endlessly peaceful. For awhile, you float peacefully on the silver mirror of
the sea. Imagine next that you are pulled down into the watery depths, where you become immersed in the ocean of life - the Mother of the Earthly world. Creatures teem about you in this aquamarine universe; fish of all shapes and sizes, plants and underwater mountain ranges. After your underwater sojourn, the ocean returns you to its surface, where the waves, pulled by an immense force, begin the long journey of returning you to land.

Now you find yourself riding the high tide towards the horizon. Above you, dusk has fallen, and the moon has risen above the horizon. On the fullness of the high tide, you are carried on the foamy, moonlit waves toward the beach. Thrown up on the sand like a shell or a piece of driftwood, you feel shaped smooth by the moon and ocean: made whole by the rhythms of the sea, and made wise by the knowledge that beneath the chaos and flux of everyday life, lies a deep, invisible intelligence.

The Moon Temples and rites of initiation that once flourished across the ancient world have long since vanished. Still, it is possible to cultivate a unique spiritual practice based around the ancient Moon mysteries. In Greece, the earliest divisions of time, for instance, corresponded to the three phases of the Moon's cycle. In Babylon, and later the Semitic system, the weekly division of the "moon month" grew out of the observance of the
quarterly Sabbaths - the New and Full Moons, and the Quarter Moons in between (Woman's Mysteries, Ancient and Modern by Esther Harding).

PRACTICE: Thus it is possible, by following the phases of the Moon, to cultivate a practice of "Moon Mindfulness." To do this, you may want to start a Moon journal in which you can note down your responses to each of the quarterly lunar phases.  (Here is a link to an online Moon Phase Calendar to help you track the monthly lunar phases.)  Beginning at the New Moon note the time and date of the month's quarterly phases. The foundation of Moon practice is to simply become aware of the lunar phases.

Before writing in your journal, you may want to attune to the lineage of Moon Priestesses and Priests who, in centuries past, kept sacred the Mysteries around time, growth, and fertility. Then, using "beginner's mind," note down your personal observations without judgment. Because the Moon embodies time and cycles, pay attention to the rhythms of your daily life: the Moon waxes and wanes - but does your life run at only one speed? The Moon reveals herself fully, then veils her face from sight - but are your moments of sunny extroversion balanced by periods of cool introversion? Each month the Moon starts over, initiating a process of renewal - but do you give yourself permission to let go of despair and begin again? More than anything, it seems, working with the Moon in this way cultivates a feeling for the rhythmic harmonies playing its music throughout the Universe.

Whether sitting in contemplation or going about the regular business of the day, one way to mark the moment of the Moon's Phases is by heightening your awareness of the natural world. Take note of the season, and of the weather - is it warm or cold; sunny or overcast; or windy or calm. What stage of growth are the plants and trees - are they barren, or rich with leaves, blossoms, and fruit? Orient yourself to the Moon Phase you are honoring by noting the hour of the day or night during which it occurs - is it the still of midnight, the bright dawn of a new day, or a busy mid-afternoon?

If you can, you may wish to celebrate your ritual or meditation outside in nature. Sit amidst the companionable, intimate presence of the forest, or retreat to a quiet spot alone in your own backyard. As you sit surrounded by Nature, feel as if you are an integral member of this family, like a flower, a rock, or a mountain. Then experience the natural world responding to the Moon. At the New Moon, experience all of nature rejoicing; at the First Quarter, feel the energy rising; at the Full Moon, feel the sacred stillness that settles over the world; at the Last Quarter, feel as if Nature is exhaling, letting down before beginning over again.

With this ritual I attune my outer life and inner soul
to the waxing rhythm of the Moon, who each day grows more full.
Oh Great Goddess, who tills the garden of the Earth
Oh Wise Weaver of Time
Oh Star of Life
Oh Mother of the World
Bestow upon us the generosity of your life and light
at this hour of the New Moon