Birth of the Lion Heart
Image by Jonas Jodicke
Change cannot occur without destruction
Life always follows death in the spiral
The birthing Mother of the constellation Cancer must surrender part of Herself before new creative life of fire sign Leo can come.
The waters breaking of the Mother can be found in our dark places right now.
The Dark Mother within us is calling for us to release our burdens, our rage, our fears and especially our tears- all is welcome and holy in Her womb.
Honour the Divinity of grief and Spring will come.
She reminds me of the story of Demeter and Persephone...
Persephone (the maiden) was the daughter of Demeter (the mother) and Goddess of fertility and abundance (our inner Summer). She was kidnapped by Hades, the god of the dead and taken into the Underworld. Demeter grieved the loss of her daughter so much that the crops seized to grow (our inner Winter), her tears are the rivers that bring her daughter back from the dead, her tears and her honouring of her grief is the gateway of a new dawn.
-I am experiencing this first hand currently after becoming a Mother last year. I surrendered my maiden (independence) to Hades, when I gave birth to my Son. I have grieved what feels like the longest Winter in this transition, my inner Persephone banished by death, and now as I have been crying relentlessly the last few days, I can feel my inner Spring returning. I bled the first blood since after my Son was born on the New Moon, and this also a symbol of new beginnings brought me much needed guidance - it was like a visit from a good friend that I hadn't seen for a while, very comforting to receive her bloody embrace once more.
In the cold Ice of Winter we can grow protective of the wounds around our heart, we can create a shield of angry dragons, to protect against anyone who pokes their way into the Dark Mother's lair. We can become fearful, cold and harsh, our skies grey and our winds torturous. It can be absolutely transformative to meet with the layers protecting our womb-heart, to journey through rage, and fear; almost always under the protective shield of the dragons fury lives a chalice of grief, a stagnant pond of built up emotion. Piled full of logs to stop the unwanted emotions from flooding the neighbourhood.
And so, there is no river flowing, no fresh water to fertilise the soil and life dries up just like in the story of Demeter the Grief Stricken Mother. When she cries, finally she cries- the waters of Her tears break through the dam around her heart and there is new life again.
The flowers can blossom in her heart, for they have fresh water, vitality is born again and we flow.
Once the heart-womb channel is open and it's river of love, giving and receiving is flowing freely again- We can begin. The Womb is a mysterious place, we never know what we are going to find down here, the Mother has given me many answers, which of course brings more questions than I begun with, making me realise that I knew less than I thought and that we are all actually at the beginning of New life. Tumbling around like innocent fools.
We are all at the gateway of the garden of Eden, and entry requires full heart centred integrity.
When I asked who best to learn this heart-centredness from I was gifted with a visit from a glorious white lion called Aslan. Then taken on another wild journey called "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." The mysteries of this time of the cycle can feel like we are on a journey in the icy realms of Narnia for sure, but what if the ice Queen from the story is actually Demeter with a wounded heart and needs a good cry! Surely then all the Ice of Narnia would melt again and maybe the Garden of Eden lay beneath her heavy heart.
Aslan and I mused for some time about this, then we decided to go and meet with this wicked Queen, to see if we could unleash her dragons and initiate the change required to access her grief, and uncover the hidden garden.
'The Dark Mother's grief is the gateway to the Garden' Aslan smiled.
The Dark Mother lives within all of us and this Full Moon (full moon's being about culminations of energy and release, hence why lots of babies are born on Full moons) requires of us to break our waters and give birth...
Birth ourselves.
Birth our New world.
The gateway is our grief.
It takes courage to witness and release the grief within.
It goes way back to the beginning of time, our deepest wounds, our child wounds.
I smashed a lightbulb today (check out the metaphors in that) As the glass shattered around me I heard the words, "Without destruction there can be no change, the lion understands this medicine- follow him."
I asked the Goddess what animal I would be journeying with this year, and I am so excited to feel the presence of this Holy and Sacred White Lion by my side.
It's going to be an interesting year.
Full Moon Ritual for Birthing Spring-
Go to a safe place where you remember who you are.
Make your way inside the Womb and stay a while.
Make a nest from twigs and leaves, whatever resources you can find.
Hold counsel with the One who knows.
Immerse yourself in the Earth.
Be held in Her arms.
Breath deeply into your Womb and Heart,
Feel the two flowing as One
Commit to stay until it is done.
Speak of your fears, cry your tears.
Roar and rage for your pains.
Share that which you love, your dreams and visions.
Ask for guidance and listen for the answers.
Leave a symbol of who you were.
Take a slice of who you are yet to be.
Give thanks, leave transformed and ready.
To shine your soul is the greatest gift you can give this world.
Healing starts at Home.
Come Home to yourself-
Re-member who you are.
Full Moon Blessings beloveds
Blessed be
In Love and Lionhearted Gratitude
Rebekah
Image from Womb awakening website