Journaling Daughter of the Night

“The moon is a loyal companion.  It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human.  Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections.”
― Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me

I remember, as a child, loving to drive across the Kainai Reserve and seeing the lamplights glowing from their windows.  But, driving at night was always a favorite.  In the back seat, you could watch the stars twinkle and move.  But, my favorite was always the moon.  The hours or so it took to drive out in the prairie, where nothing impeded my view, I studied her.  I could see Rabbit symbols, of course, faces, and my wonder at her was bone deep.  I think we do not notice lights of any kind unless we get away from artificial lights.  Once, we were not afraid of being out in the dark.

Once we followed the cycles of the moon, for planting, for knowing when a child/animals might be born, when to harvest, when to gather what herbs, when to celebrate, when to stay in.  Once, our hormonal cycles fit with the Moon's cycles.  Our DNA responded to her for we took the time to notice and become aware of how she cycled in us.  Once, we were more intuitive, especially in full moon time.

Then, Patriarchy took hold of our moon-female connections.  We were taught to be ashamed of our cycles, we were taught to be afraid to be out at night, we were taught that evil women/witches gathered to do evil in the dark.  They did all they could to break that beloved genetic connection to the moon.  Red Moons were equated to bleeding women and soon women could not touch men's tools, their weapons, be around men (but we had the deep spiritual activity of gathering in the Red Tent) and we were deemed unclean and could not join in religious activities or even prepare food.  Native Americans honored women, though, and the power of creation.   They believe we are/were co-creators and that power was magnified during menstrual time.  Our power during menstrual time was magnified and overrode men's spiritual doings.  We honored them by not overstepping our power.

In the Red Tent, women gathered, even those post-menopausal, because it was there the teaching to girls was done, the healing of sisters, the caring for elderly women.  It is said that an Elder woman's (post-menopausal) wisdom is greatest.  To many, the beginning bleed to the last day of bleed is a time of cleansing the womb and in some cultures, it is seen as an inner death and this is seen as a time when the ancestors are closest to them.  Oh, what we have lost in this hustle bustle life we live in. 

As daughters of the moon, we have lost our natural flow, we have interceded in our natural flow, we have stopped our normal hormonal cycles.  Our emotions still cycle and it is our emotions that make us beautiful, but we have lost the hormonal connection to nature, to the Universe, to our wisdom that is deeply spiritual.  It is time to take back our night, indeed, not just one day/evening of the year.  We need to get back to purifying ourselves, monthly, in body, mind, heart and soul, as we were meant to do, and created to do. 

During New Moon, we should be more still, to rest, to be simple in our activities, to spend time thinking and asking questions of ourselves and come to some wisdom in answers.  It is a time to set some new intentions.  During Full Moon, fall into your power, to release things burdening us, And assert our feminine power in positive ways, nurturing ways, compassionate ways to the world, to our brothers, to our sisters and to our self.  

No longer accept the terms of negative aspects of femininity that patriarchy has imposed on us.  Did you know that hysteria, a common term applied to women,  comes from the Latin "hystericus' meaning 'of the womb'?  And, did you remember that hysterectomies were supposed to curb women's emotions?  Did you recognize that 'lunatic' means 'moon madness' and is often applied to women as well?  Did you realize that when we call menstruation our 'period' that this is an old term that implied ending?  I had not taken the time to realize and as I move into my Elderhood, I am trying to be more connected to the moon, to the stars, to the seasons, to life itself, and to the nights.  My strongest wisdom cycle of life in now.  I am hungry to know more and more and more.  I spend a great deal of time contemplating as I do my art.

 

Do an art journal, or diary writing, on how you are Daughter of the Night.  I did another illustrative page.

©Carol Desjarlais 9.29.19