The Meditation Kit

The Meditation Kit contains essential oils that have been carefully selected and blended to evoke qualities that will harmonize and synchronize you with Mother Earth and Sister Moon. These oils can be used during meditation, as part of your daily ritual to prepare for your day, before you go to bed to begin to relax you into the rhythms of the night, or at anytime when you need to pause for a moment to connect with your larger home. Words to consider with these blends:

• Spring Equinox — when the earth is awakening and there is a freshness in the air mixed with the fragrance of early spring flowers.
• Summer Solstice — the fullness of the Earth, the air heavy with the rich fragrances of flowers in their heady glory.
• Autumnal Equinox — the time of the harvest, cooler nights and with rich and warm aromas wafting out of the home as we prepare the bounties provided by Mother Earth.
• Winter Solstice — a time of stillness as the Earth goes dormant, fires in the hearth and the crisp smell of winter air as the Earth is blanketed with snow.
• New Moon — the dark phase of the moon; a time when the moon is a magical portal between the visible and invisible and intentions are set for creative manifestations.
• Full Moon — the brightest face of the moon, casting moonlight shadows on a clear night, a time to celebrate the fullness of life and opportunities for bridges to new states of consciousness.

Honoring the cycles of the Earth and the Moon

There is a long history of the solstices and equinoxes marking celebrations and festivals of seasons and life. Many of these observances are still remembered and honored today in many countries and different walks of faiths. All honor the changing of the season and the continuing cycle of life, death, and rebirth as the Earth continues to do the same in its orbit around the sun. Early societies celebrated the changes in the seasons on some of these cardinal dates. The vernal equinox was a day of celebration for the early Celtic tribes in ancient England, France, and Ireland. Other northern European tribes also marked the return of warmer weather on this date. Even the winter solstice was a time to celebrate, as it marked the lengthening days that would lead to spring. The ancient Romans celebrated the Feast of Saturnalia on the winter solstice.

The Equinox

Equinox is from the Latin word 'æquinoctium.' This in turn, comes from 'æquus' meaning equal and 'nox' meaning night. An equinox occurs when the sun is over the equator and the hours of day and night are equal, ie: 12 hours each. There are two equinoxes - spring and autumn.

When the axis of Earth is perfectly parallel to the incoming rays of the Sun in spring—around March 21—the Sun rises in a direction that is due east everywhere on Earth and stands directly over the equator at noon. As a result, daylight hours equal nighttime hours everywhere on Earth. This effect gives rise to the name given to this date, the vernal equinox. Vernal comes from the Latin word for "sprin," and is considered the first day of the spring. It is known as Alban Eilir, Eostar, Eostre, Feast of Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Festival of Trees, Lady Day, NawRuz, No Ruz, Ostara, Ostra, Rites of Spring and the vernal equinox.

The corresponding date in the fall when 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness occur everywhere on Earth—around September 23—is known as the autumnal equinox, and is the first day of the autumn. It is known as Alban Elfed, Autumnal Equinox, Cornucopia, Fall Equinox, Feast of Avilon, Festival of Dionysus, Harvest Home, Harvest Tide, Mabon, Night of the Hunter, Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest and the Witch's Thanksgiving.

The Solstice

Solstice comes from the Latin words 'sol' meaning sun and 'sistere' meaning 'to cause to stand still.' On the day of the solstice, the sun appears to 'stand still' as though it's in the same position as the day before.

There are two solstices - summer and winter. After the vernal equinox, the Sun continues to move in a northward direction and rises a little farther north of east each day until around June 22. On this day, the Sun has reached its extreme northward position and seems to stand still in its noon height above the horizon. For this reason, the date is known as the summer solstice, from the Latin words meaning "sun stands still." The summer solstice, the longest day and shortest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Afterward, the Sun begins to move southward. It crosses the celestial equator (the autumnal equinox) and continues to move southward, rising a little farther south of east each day until it reaches its most extreme southward position around December 22—the winter solstice (the shortest day and longest night in the Northern Hemisphere). Afterward, the Sun begins its northward movement back to the vernal equinox.

The summer solstice is the longest day of the year (from sunrise to sunset). It is also the first day of summer. It is known as Alban Heflin, Alben Heruin, All-couples day, Feast of Epona, Feast of St. John the Baptist, Feill-Sheathain, Gathering Day, Johannistag, Litha, Midsummer, Sonnwend, Thing-Tide and Vestalia.

The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year (from sunrise to sunset). It is also the first day of winter. It is known as Christmas, Saturnalia and Yule.

The seasons

(Reproduced by permission of The Gale Group.)

Working With The Phases Of The Moon

Each phase of the moon brings with it a special energy for that lunar cycle. Everyone knows the moon affects the tides of the world's oceans, but because we are mostly liquid ourselves, these phases also affect us. Understanding what these energies bring helps you to connect with and use those energies in your meditations and your daily life.

  New Moon

The New Moon occurs when it lies between Earth and the Sun. At this time, the dark (unilluminated) portion of the Moon faces almost directly toward Earth, so that the Moon is not visible to the naked eye. The new moon is the birthing cycle of the moon's phases. The new moon is an optimal time for planning and seeding your intentions. The dark side of the moon, with its mysterious unseen forces, offers a nurturing environment for us to set our intentions and initiate creative manifestations. This is a time when the ethereal veil between the visible and invisible is at its thinnest.

Full Moon

Full moon is a lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. At this time, as seen from the Earth, the side of the Moon that is facing the earth is almost fully illuminated by the Sun and appears round. Each full moon contains its own special energy and magic. It represents the universe in brilliant glory, wholeness and completeness. A wonderful time to align your intentions with these energies and enhance your work on spiritual lessons, growth and enlightenment.

Full Moon Naming

It is traditional to assign special names to each full moon of the year, although the rule for determining which name will be assigned has changed over time. An ancient method of assigning names was based upon seasons and quarters of the year. For instance, the Egg Moon (the full moon before Easter) would be the first moon after March 21st, and the Lenten Moon would be the last moon on or before March 21st. Modern practice, however, is to assign the traditional names based on the Gregorian calendar month in which the full moon falls. This method frequently results in the same name as the older method.

The following table gives the traditional English names for each month's full moon, the names given by Native Americans in the northern and eastern United States, other common names, and Hindu names.