Spirit Fire

by Donna Mitchell-Moniak

An Esoteric Astrology Essay
Originally Published in the Beacon Magazine in 2001

The Tibetan tells us that the full moon cycle of activity is a five-day period: two days before, the day of the exact full moon, and two days following. Knowing this many people increase their meditation thereby, but do we understand why this is so?

Simply, it is due to the lunar cycle itself. The moon remains in a sign for approximately two and a half days at a time. Therefore, somewhere within two days before the full moon, the moon will transit into the opposite sign of the sun, thus actualizing both the lunar and solar poles of energy distribution and also the polar opposites of the zodiac. The fullness of the sign where the sun is expressing is conveyed when the qualities within its polar opposite, the sign of the moon, are incorporated and assimilated. This actualizes the dynamic points of the energies available for all workers of light in creative and distributive work. Thus the full moon can be a specific time of service.

Likewise within the two days following, the moon will transit into the next sign of the zodiac. This is significant in that this new energy becomes the way by which the “door of evil” is sealed each month thus ensuring its forward progression “into light and life.” This idea is conveyed through the Masonic ritual of “the tiler at the door,” who ensures that nothing is allowed into the lodge that might adulterate the invocative process.

The Moon
The front side of the full moon cycle is a time of waxing, gathering the specific energy qualities available to the Work and the Workers into the moon’s capacity to receive and hold. The moon is a vast container always being filled and emptied of qualities streaming from the Sun, the source of the moon’s light and expression. This is the beauty of the moon’s role in our solar system – it is the bowl of plenty, empty and waiting to be filled. The tides of the sea reveal this amazing gift of the moon, as they ceaselessly flow in, filling space with water and abundance and then empty as the tide rolls out, leaving the land dry and naked to the sun. This repeats itself over and over as the tide floods and fills, empties and reveals. Therefore, the waxing of the moon particularly the two days before the exact full moon time is the opportunity for maximizing. Those two days are the most full of the sun’s offerings, conveyed through the particular qualities of the expressing sun sign. For example, it would not be prudent to try to gather the quality of discipline for world service during a Gemini cycle, or the quality of networking in Capricorn. Instead, the full moon cycle teaches us, as white magicians and servers of the worlds, to use what is available and use it wisely. The two days before the full moon is the time to, in dharana and asana (attentiveness and right position of time and place), be as the moon is– an empty bowl being filled with the specific light and qualities of the sun. Then, with the work of distribution that every full moon meditation is, we pour forth the qualities available into all the worlds. This is the spiritualization of matter, making earth a heaven. This is the underlying purpose of the new world religion and its use of the full moon cycles.

Do we see how the relationship created at each full moon between the sun and moon is so magical? Do we understand why and how this opportunity to be conduits within the divine geometry of solar intention and lunar manifestation is so beautifully simple and profound? Ever the sublime requires the dense for its revelation. Ever the stone can convey the lightness of being, but only when sculpted by the conscious artisan or worker of light. All people who participate in full moon meditations and prayer circles around the world assist in the Plan of God. But, should more meditators understand the energetics of this magical work, imagine the exponential growth of the light.

White magic is the conscious use of qualified energy for divine purposes in time space. Each zodiacal sign offers specifically qualified energies pouring forth into the planet through the sun, through the ruling planets, and streaming across the heavens from the sourcing constellations. Our task as co-workers in the world is simple; as does the moon, we avail ourselves of the spiritualizing energies thus abundantly flowing.

The moon, empty and receptive is ready to be filled. A white magician is a co-working mediator of the Plan and, thus, is also empty of the not-self so as to be fully free to wax with and distribute qualities. Like the moon, the white magician is ruled by a greater plan. The moon reflects, having no light of its own. The server reflects the light of God through the work.

The Full Moon Festivals
The Tibetan tells us that the New World Religion will be keyed to the lunar cycle. Religions and spiritual festivals always have been timed in this way. Ancient religions only had the apparent cycles of the sun, moon, stars, and nature to mark the majesty and power of deity. Pagan rituals moved to the cycles of the celestial orbs due to their obvious effect and influence on life.

The Pisces new moon sets the date for Ash Wednesday. Pisces, a sign of the Savior, is also a sign of negation, of “losing oneself and finding oneself and entering into peace.” Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, a purging and purification of the body so the Light of Christ, “the hope of glory,” can dwell within. This is highest Pisces, thus making the disciple a savior in his small sphere of influence in the world and to the lower kingdoms.

The full moon of Aries marks Passover which sets the date for Easter. The Bible tells us that it was by the light of the moon that the angel of death ‘passed over’ the children of Israel whose doorposts were painted with the blood of the sacrificed lamb. Instead, the Finger of God took the life breath from the children of Egypt, the imprisoners, and Pharaoh had to “let the people go.” Aries is a sign of freedom, liberation, breaking free from imprisoning walls, be they the seeds in spring, children at birth, or imprisoning thought forms. Christ then, anchored the higher turn of the spiral of Aries. He released humanity from the Mars rulership of animal sacrifice and blood spilling into the teachings of the mind – Mercury ruling esoterically, where we learn to “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” All matters can be redeemed and are by the Christ principle, the alchemical agent. The principle of light enters into the tomb of matter and “lifts all unto Him.” Hence with the hierarchical rulership of Uranus all is made brand new and resurrected (“behold I maketh all things new”).

Interestingly, the Christian calendar does not have a significant holy day for the Taurus moon, as do some Buddhists sects. Bailey students know its significance as Wesak. During this festival the two Sons of God, the Buddha and the Christ, work together to bring the Light of the Heart-Mind of the Logos to the kingdoms of earth. Illumination meets manifestation.

Pentecost follows; and is marked and set by the Gemini full moon. At Pentecost the apostles received the living fire of conscious life, dropped as tongues of fire into their crown chakras, forever aligning their personal will to the greater will of which they were a part. It gave them the gift of understanding and the ability to convey the “good news” in ways intelligible and appropriate to the listeners in any language or culture. Gemini is the sign of communication, of rendering thought, and broadcasting it as flower petals on the winds of change. We celebrate this with the Good Will Festival as we, in deep meditation, distribute out to a waiting world the edicts and annunciations received and gifted at Wesak.

The Full Moon offers a type of service so sublime and so easy. Disciples in the world are given the right energies to work with, the right way to handle it, and then with the tides of the moon, the right way to do so. We merely need to be as is the moon, empty so that we can be filled.