“This being human is a guest house.
Every morning is a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all! Treat each guest honorably.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.”
(Rumi)
Of all the planetary forces in Astrology, the influence of the Moon is the most personal and prominent in our everyday lives. Coupled with the Sun, She was the first heavenly body to capture the imagination of our most primitive ancestors. Her phases reflected the mysterious birth-life-death cycle of Nature, the primary biological imperative of childbirth for women, and the reproductive power of The Great Goddess, so She became the purest archetype of The Divine Feminine in Astrology. Each month Moon and Sun join in the same sign of the zodiac at The New Moon to begin a Divine Dance, which lasts for 28-29 days, and then begins again. This magical merging symbolizes the light of consciousness (Sun) impregnating the womb of the unconscious (Moon). It holds the promise of a monthly new beginning, and if nurtured and cared for through each phase, the eventual birth of a higher level of emotional strength and fulfillment, and a more strongly fortified personal center. Working with the phases of the Moon each month helps us to actively engage in the Heroine’s Journey and to make the most of its emotionally healing potential.
Astrologically, the luminaries symbolize the masculine-feminine polarity and two distinctly different paths of evolution. Although both describe a lifelong maturation process, the motivation for, the process, and the end goal of that growth are very different. The Sun in its steady and consistent movement forward throughout the year best describes “The Hero’s Journey” and the development of the masculine side of consciousness, so thoughtfully explored by famed mythologist, Joseph Campbell, and many others. The Moon, on the other hand, with its cyclic, rhythmic and changing phases, is a more fitting paradigm for “The Heroine’s Journey” and development of the feminine side of consciousness. Both journeys have their dangers and rewards, and they are equally important to the development of a “whole” Human Being. Much myth and scholarly attention has been devoted to understanding the hero’s journey, with its emphasis on action and daring deeds, usually motivated by external forces in the form of challenges to virility and ego, threats to those the hero is sworn to protect, or the need to prove one’s worth in order to establish sovereignty and the respect of the people over which the hero is destined to rule. Evolution for the hero takes the energetic path of the spiral moving outward from “center” into the external world, widening and expanding to gather new experience and courageously breach the boundaries that define one’s “comfort” zone. It is the search for Spirit (Sun/Ego), that inspirational spark of divinity that resides within us all and defines us as individuals with a unique gift to contribute to the world. The hero’s journey separates us from the herd, and moves us through the process of individuation. There are dragons to slay, obstacles to overcome, villains to conquer, and damsels in distress to save. The heroine’s journey, on the other hand, not so action-packed and exciting, has received much less press, mythically. Too many of the modern attempts to depict the heroic feminine simply depict a woman adept at the same masculine principles (daring, physical strength, combat prowess) required of the heroic man, mirroring the hero’s journey with little regard for the purely feminine experience of evolution and mastery. With the rising tide of awareness of feminine consciousness in the collective mind, we can no longer afford to define the Heroine’s Journey in terms of a woman “acting like a man”.
When asked about the feminine counterpart of the hero’s journey, Joseph Campbell’s response was, “Women don’t need to make the journey. In the whole mythological journey, the woman is there. All she has to do is realize that she’s the place that people are trying to get to.” Much debate has ensued over this concept. Was Campbell a clueless misogynist, totally out of touch with his feminine side? I think not! My deep respect for the man motivated me to ponder his words carefully, and to read and reread his teachings about The Goddess many times. I have come to accept this concept as a defining principle in understanding the heroine’s journey. Whereas the hero’s journey is symbolized by the spiral moving outward, seeking and gathering new life experiences that spur us away from safe conventions toward some imagined goal or unrealized potential, the heroine’s journey is the spiral spinning inward, in search of “center” and that internal locus of control where we are able to ground energy and create a stable, secure environment from which the seed of unrealized potential can manifest, grow and prosper, and ultimately reach refined, perfected expression. Whereas the hero strives to reach the new heights of Olympus and Zeus/Jupiter’s domain, where we can discover Spirit and live among the Gods, the heroine takes us into the depths of The Underworld, Hades/Ereshkigal’s domain, in search of the Soul, that place of Source, which is already “there” and the womb from which all life on Earth emerges. Whether She’s abducted and dragged to Underworld by force, like Persephone, or enters out of desperation, like Psyche, or chooses to make the perilous journey in quest of integration and wholeness, like Inanna, the Heroine’s journey almost always requires travel into the shadowy, murky depths of the unconscious realm, where it begins and ends. There is no majestic goal, like The Holy Grail, or imagined vision of great accomplishment, like the status of a great warrior or worthy King, to spur the Heroine on Her journey. Rather, it is motivated by the emotional longing to fill some ineffable void (connection), to live more comfortably in the flow of life’s fluctuating reality (to make peace with what is, as it is), or to create the kind of stability needed (grounding) to enhance human existence beyond the experience of sheer survival. Whereas the Hero’s journey separates and seeks individuation, the Heroine’s journey unifies and seeks integration. Whereas the success of the hero’s journey depends on his instinctive ability to act and react appropriately to circumstances he creates or encounters in his adventures, the successful heroine’s journey depends on her intuitive ability to respond and adapt accordingly to circumstances, and to make the best of situations as they arise. Whereas the Hero creates or chooses outer world experience to challenge and test his virility, prowess, and strength (stir energy up), the Heroine’s struggles test her ability to accept/surrender, endure, persevere, flow with the natural rhythms of current reality, process and integrate energy, and enhance or add value to the Human experience. The goal/motive of the Hero’s journey is to break free from the collective experience of Oneness in order to individuate as a separate entity, whereas the goal/motive of the Heroine’s journey is union with “Source” and the collective experience of one Humanity. The Hero seeks to find himself and realize his unique personal expression of The Divine (Ego). The Heroine seeks to lose herself and dissolve personal ego in favor of union and co-creation as a vessel for The Divine. Like Inanna’s descent into the Underworld, the Heroine’s journey requires that she relinquish all earthly attachments, be stripped naked and left hanging on a meat hook as a rotting corpse for a while, and completely surrender Her previous identity in order to be reborn into a higher level of consciousness. Unlike the bold and daring feats of the Hero, which usually include an audience of avid fans or fellow warriors cheering him on, her journey is made in isolation, shrouded in mystery, and motivated by her own resolve, with no one to witness or celebrate her good work. Every time we journey within to heal old wounds, or resolve “unfinished business” that holds us back from moving forward with life, we embark on The Heroine’s journey.
Each month, by working the lunation cycle with awareness, we have the opportunity to actively participate in the Heroine’s Journey, and more fully develop our feminine side of consciousness. I encourage everyone to create a small altar dedicated to Luna’s work and process, and spend a little time in quiet reflection or meditation at this altar at each critical phase of Her journey. This month’s New Moon of July 5, 2024 is a wonderful time to initiate this practice, as Sol joins Luna in Her own sign of Cancer. At some point in the three-day period around the New Moon, focus your intention on the “work” of this month as defined by the sign of the New Moon and its location and aspects in your personal horoscope. For example, the focus of the New Moon in Cancer might be the level of awareness and health of your personal emotional process and patterns, the strength and clarity of your emotional boundaries, and your capacity to appropriately give and receive nurture and emotional support when needed (the maternal instinct).
At the New Moon, the seed is planted. The light of conscious awareness (Solar potential) joins with Luna in the Underworld to impregnate Her with the seed of new consciousness, awakening a new awareness, which begins to stir at the unconscious level. This “solar impulse” may shine on an emotional pattern or program in need of healing/resolution, a behavior that needs to change, a way of thinking (perception) that inhibits growth (movement forward), a desired goal which requires action, etc. Whatever the impulse, the new cycle is initiated as a potential which will gradually emerge in conscious awareness if nurtured and properly fertilized throughout the cycle. Like Inanna’s proverbial stripping away of all earthly vestiges, toxic remains and ghosts of the past cycle may still linger, and need to be dealt with (forgiven, resolved, released) at this stage to clear the path for the solar impulse to reach fruition.
At the waxing Crescent Phase, still in its infancy, conscious awareness of the solar impulse grows to a glimmer and begins to take root. As the new life stirs, there is a gradual discovery of the purpose and work required of this particular lunar cycle. In the light of the Crescent Moon, we can see the vague outline of the Full Moon, the promise of manifestation of the solar impulse to come. As clarity increases, momentum builds.
At the waxing First quarter Phase, there comes some form of “Crisis in Action” that requires purposeful movement/action and active participation in the process to facilitate the solar impulse and establish its direction. Momentum is tested, as is level of confidence and commitment to the awareness that has emerged regarding this month’s lunar work. New direction requires a break from the past, so often old patterns of behavior, emotional response, or ways of thinking that inhibit growth are exaggerated and challenged to inspire us to release them once and for all. Decisions regarding the fate of this new life must be made.
At the waxing Gibbous Phase, adaptation and adjustment are required, depending on action taken and decisions made at the first quarter crisis. This is the time to experiment with various forms that will be required to contain and support the new life, once born into full consciousness. A certain amount of angst over choices made/yet to be made is likely to exist as we prepare for birth.
At the Full Moon, Conscious Awareness and illumination is achieved. The solar impulse is born into objective realization, and a choice must be made regarding its fate: Do we build it a permanent home within the psyche (begin the process of assimilation and integration), and more fully develop and refine it for application in the outer world, or do we celebrate consciousness achieved and allow the disintegration of all that is not compatible with it? The Full Moon can serve as either an ending, if the process feels complete, or a beginning if we choose to make this new life our own and share it with the world. Sometimes, especially if the lunar work of this cycle is purely personal, awareness is enough for organic change to occur spontaneously, with little or no effort.
At the waning Disseminating Phase, we actively engage in wider social participation and the desire to share, test and demonstrate the new form our solar impulse has taken, fine tuning and perfecting as needed and as social experimentation dictates. It is at this phase that “we teach what we need to learn”.
At the waning Third (or Last) quarter phase, we face yet another crisis. This time, rather than action, the crisis occurs in the realm of consciousness and execution. New forms (awarenesses, beliefs, understandings) always challenge accepted forms of the past. In order for the new form to be fully implemented, past forms that are incompatible with its expression must be repudiated and finally transcended. As old assumptions are questioned and challenged, commitment and dedication to the new vision are further tested.
At the waning Balsamic Phase, or the “Dark of the Moon”, we complete the process of the current cycle and prepare fertile ground for the next. Integration, the absorbing of a new awareness within the psyche, is a profoundly important and mysterious process. We are somehow changed, albeit in subtle, often imperceivable ways. We must say goodbye to what was, and properly mourn its passing, in order to fully embrace and celebrate what is now true and real. We must release any remnants of the old forms, as well as doubts pertaining to the efficacy and value of the new, lest they become toxic impediments to be dragged into the next cycle of evolution. We must make time to rest and restore energy expended in order to have an ample supply for the work of the next cycle. Most importantly, if we made it to this point in the heroine’s journey, we must congratulate and reward ourselves for a job well done. We must be our own cheering section, for we made this journey in isolation, and we alone understand the value of what has been gained.
The Heroine’s Journey is not ruled by the God of Reason, but by the Goddess of Necessity. It will not be rationalized or justified. It is not logical or considerate, but driven by psychic imperatives that often emerge from the unconscious and abduct us to The Underworld at the most inconvenient times. The depths of the unconscious are unlimited and unfathomable, their exploration, a lifelong pursuit. In the “As above, so below” paradigm, we must be willing to explore those murky depths if we ever to hope to obtain the heights sought by the Hero. The Heroine’s Journey leads us to a “healthy” emotional process that enables us to define and defend clear emotional boundaries, cope with the unpredictability and unexpected realities of life, protect ourselves emotionally in order to “feel safe” in the world, form meaningful bonds in relationship, and finally, nurture those we love in a caring, “no-strings-attached”, way. Thousands of years of patriarchal dominance have placed little value on this process, and the catastrophic consequences of its neglect grow ever more painfully evident in the social/cultural dilemmas we face today. Sadly, the price Humanity must pay for devaluing the importance of the feminine side of consciousness, and the means to attain it, is the increase in incidents of emotionally damaged individuals, who lack the coping skills to deal with challenging life experiences, and too often act out their infantile terror and rage in horrifically violent ways. Over the past few decades, as we move deeper into the principles and ideals of The Aquarian Age, these disturbing events seem to be moving ever closer to home, happening in our schools and public venues, forcing an increase in awareness and producing social change to address the problems. However, the Heroine’s Journey, to achieve emotional honesty and take personal responsibility for one’s own emotional process, and to comfortably ground energy for Self and others to grow, is the work of every individual at the most personal level. Choosing to work the Lunation cycle with consciousness each month really helps to accomplish that important goal.
Kim McSherry
