Unbelievable! I think this kind of astrophotography is just way too cool.

Moon and Venus, by Ted Judah, 22 Apr 2009

That’s Venus behind the moon, itself a tiny crescent.

As a longtime pagan, the new moon (and the moon cycles in general) has good resonance with my soul. It for me is a time of new beginnings. A good time to launch a new project, or indulge in novelty of any kind. It’s also a good time to re-evaluate my energy flow, where my energies are going, particularly in relationship to everything around me.

My years as a pagan have taught me to try to govern myself with honor and health. But recently, Druidry has taught me that this is only the beginning; I must also govern my relationship with everything around me with honor and health. This is my challenge as of late.

For a variety of reasons, I have been focusing un releasing attachment to particular outcomes. This is a hard lesson for a magical soul: if you visualize your desired outcome (ie, focus your will, using a more magickal lingo), then that outcome is largely yours. It exists in your mind.

This is not in good relationship with other energies around me. When I think in this way, it does not take into account what these other energies want or need for their honor and health.

Better than seeking to impose my will upon my environment is to have my will be one voice in the choir of tribe consciousness.

Consensus and persuasion always trump force and power-over. Look at how these experiences feel…. when consensus is reached in a group, there is a palpable energy flow: Awen is the reward of consensus. The same is true of persuasion or understanding of any kind, those “a-ha” light bulb moments are accompanied by a rush of Awen.

On the other hand, scenes of violence, domination, and power-over feel quite differently in the moment of their occurrence, at best they are uncomfortable, and at worst they are excruciatingly painful or deadly.

What can we learn from the moon cycles? There are many lessons. Things look differently from different points of view. What goes around, comes around. It’s easier to see with light than without.

As Druids, we try to focus on our natural environment. Most people see this most of the time as attuning-with the Earth. But our environment is much larger than the Earth.

I wonder what the ancient Druids knew of astronomy?