First published to SFHouseMouse.com on 7/7/2016

Years ago, in that other life, I hosted moon groups with a gaggle of local ladies. Those gatherings fed me, and filled me up in a time when I needed the fuel.
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Those groups have returned to be given new life with a new location and a new cast of characters. My therapist suggested living a life that fills me up to heal from within, and this New Moon Group seems to be doing just that—nourishing the Soul.


At the last circle, just before the Summer Solstice, we made prayer ties for: ourselves, our families, our community, and the Sundancers. Those ties were bound together to go hang on the Tree for the year. Along with the significance of that bond, and despite the short time Alex and I had at Sundance this year, a couple other insights presented themselves while in ceremony to be shared for the month, the season, and the year.


This moon, we ladies have been reflecting on, well, REFLECTION. The topic seemed appropriate to cover being that we are a moon group. And, synchronicities aligned to let us know we are on the right path.


Our gathering came at an intense time to be held just after a very festive three day weekend. This new moon was in Cancer—the most personally sensitive, feminine, flowy water sign of the bunch—and on top of that was trined to a lover’s quarrel between Chiron, the Wounded Healer; Mars, the currently stifled God of War (17 weeks in retrograde!!!); and Venus, that saucy Goddess of Love (and sexy sensuality); all reveling in the Sign of Sex, Scorpio. Cancer is ruled by the Moon in all her phases, and was now playing host to the Moon, the Sun, and Mercury. All of this means shit was bound to get irritating, emotional, and fiercely communicative with our lovers (in particular) over the 4th of July holiday weekend! Down right explosive, if you will ;)


This moon was working with our root chakras, demanding we feel more at a higher level, and shape-shift that powerful energy of emotion to “heart expanding waves that touch all relations”. (Thanks to Patricia Liles from Power Path​ for your astrological wisdom and insight) Cancer is Water, Breasts, Mother, Stomach, Family, Roots, Tribe, Home, and Ancestors. She is both erosive, and life giving. She initiates one in The South, is exceptionally empathetic, and has a tendency toward psychic insight. Though she might have big claws, she has a tender belly.

The Man and I had the great pleasure of joining friends for a weekend of sun, fun, and BBQ. It was such a great reunion—so many of us have known each other for 15-25 years! Our hostess was celebrating her housewarming, her husband was celebrating his new smoker and wet bar. We were celebrating a great life and the nation’s freedom from English rule by getting drunk and shooting guns. We started our festivities by a day spent soaking in the river, and frying like lobsters in the sun. When we got home, we gorged on smoked meats, homemade wine, and talk of conspiracy. We finished the night with a bang by dancing our drunk away to the tunes of our own private DJ (and long-time friend), Paul Gordon, The Emperor's Jazz.


We were apparently hitting our first patch of gravel as a married couple, as well. Since around the time of the full moon we had been discussing some deeply triggering material laid in the foundation of our relationship. We fit like puzzle pieces in all the good ways, and the bad. The Fourth—the night of the New Moon—was no different. After all the sun, good times, and drink, we stumbled back to the van and had it out like buzzards plucking away the rot from a dead carcass. It wasn’t pretty. Yet, somehow, all that emotional flotsam and bumbling jetsam washed a little more clean our unbalanced structure.

Photograph by Charlie Hamilton James

One of the gifts that came at the river that day had been a feather from a turkey vulture—a thunderbird. At home in San Francisco Ted Andrew’s book, “Animal Speak”, was dusted off the shelf to discover more about this bird, and if the gift of this feather was, actually, what it felt like. The headline for the section on Vulture reads: Purification — Death & Rebirth — New Vision. Cycle of Power: Year Round — Summer & Winter.


What a perfect message for the New Moon in Cancer! Vulture is a raptor responsible for cleaning up messes, and keeping the world habitable. She is a mother symbol, and is associated with the Sun, the Moon, and Water. She is good medicine for learning higher discernment, for seeing more subtle energies, and for developing a stronger sense of smell to find sustenance and sense when things are off.


A few gems about Vulture really seemed to stand out: Flight without Power, Levitation, and Talking vs. Action.


Flight without power refers to being able to soar very high, for a very long time, without using much personal energy. Her sight is so keen, and senses so acute, that she can lean into the atmospheric thermals and allow the updrafts to cary and support her. This aspect is closely related to Levitation, and the idea of distributing one’s own energy in a way so that gravity does not weigh one down—to disintegrate the physical holds.


Talking vs. Action refers to Vulture not really having a voice, it’s more of an irritated hiss. She is a patient hunter with incredible stamina, better at taking action than sitting around talking about it. her gift is the use of Energy both Powerfully and Efficiently.


Her power is in Duality. Vulture, with her relationship to Griffin, embodies the Falcon’s solar traits, and the Pussy’s (that's a cat, you pervs!) night mysteries of Life and Death. She rules over Heaven & Earth/Spirit & Matter/Good & Evil/Guardian & Avenger. She invites us to go to the Waters early and often. Cool your feet in the stream, preen your feathers in the sun, keep your head clean.


She reminds us that the suffering of the immediate is temporary. All the the frustrations and intense emotions that our intimate relationships are mirroring back to us in this phase of The Moon and The Stars is coming to light for purification and transformation. The pain is necessary for a higher purpose at work.

​As The Man and I drove home from our weekend of debauchery and purification, a vision came. I saw the web of all our connections through Love. I saw those prayer ties ceremoniously tied to the Sundance tree for the year. I felt the overwhelming Love, and intimate bonds we all had with each other, and I felt the Unfolding. As I remembered all the ways we affected each other’s lives, I knew that no physical distance could separate us, and that we were all integral features in each other’s futures. I heard The Voice tell me to relax, our prayers were already answered, and that it would take all of us to manifest our collective reality. All we were encouraged to do was to sit back and enjoy the show—ride the wind, and offer a little push now and then.

Chief Golden Light Eagle, 11:11 Star Symbol

To reflect our meditations for the month we use the Maka Wicahpi Wicohan star symbol: WAMBDI WICASA, the Universal Law of Symmetry to help lift one from material to spiritual mind.


The symbol is drawn and then circled to activate the medicine. Use this symbol for the month to absorb the messages of Duality, Reflection, Balance, and Polarity. Use this symbol to help manifest from Spirit to Physical, and to help lift the heart and mind from Physical to Spiritual.