Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Feeling drawn to the Moon.

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Feeling drawn to the Moon.

    First, a bit of background: I am monotheist as of right now and I believe in a "distant" infinite supreme power that transcends human attributes. I have been this way for a while; this belief is mainly due to how I interpret my observation the universe, as a Deist would. However, I know that I also believe in the concept of spirits. At the moment, I only know that I believe in the souls or spirits of humans and animals. As you can see, I am really trying to do some searching and learning right now.

    What's important about all this is that I also search for personal experience / evidence of spirits in nature, mainly of plants, but also of the Moon and Earth themselves. I am questioning whether I am experiencing them as spirits or deities. My belief in evidence for life after death and my interest in further spiritual matters, the possibility of magick, and the Earth lead me to realize my Neopagan tendencies.

    I do feel drawn to nature (in an Earthly sense), plants, and all that. I feel most at peace when I am surrounded by it. I do not feel that I have experienced any specific spirit of Earth itself, although I may believe in one.

    Here's what is really important about this thread. Earlier this year during a very beautiful full moon, I felt compelled to... pray to it. I had never considered spirituality as relating to the Moon before. As I was praying to the Moon and thanking God / Goddess for the universe (I realize what I said earlier about distance, but I suppose maybe I am still figuring things out or believe that the supreme power listens, or it could have been the moment), I felt what I can only describe as a powerful wave of energy wash over me while I stared into the bright moon. This energy felt positive, but not really invigorating - more like a reassuring feeling. I did not perceive any voices or anything like that speaking to me.

    Does anyone here have any experience with things like this? What might I have been feeling? Furthermore, is it okay to be drawn to the Moon and pray to it? As you can see, I am really examining and figuring out my spiritual ideas at this time in my life. Thank you all.

    -Cobra

    #2
    Re: Feeling drawn to the Moon.

    I wanted to add that during a more recent time when I prayed to the Moon, I didn't get this feeling. However, I did become very emotional although that is normal.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Feeling drawn to the Moon.

      In some ways your scratching at Chaldean beliefs in-regards to the moon. The moon was viewed as neither celestial nor terrestrial in nature but an intermediary place inhabited by daemons / daimons who were dispatched to earth to inspire or punish. I am not sure but some passages seem to suggest the restless dead may also be found there. To an extent Hecate / Hekate was the world soul who oversaw these daemons / daimons and sent them to mankind for what ever purpose. Yet the moon had some aspects of that which I believe originated from stories of Selene as the ancient lunar goddess who was capable of having relationships with specific humans. Even to the point of having something like 52 daughters with one man.

      It becomes a bit of an issue to find the mythology of the moon as they (Selene & Luna) get conflated with Artemis, Hekate, Diana, Juno and a few others.

      Selene was the ancient Greek Titan goddess of the moon. She was depicted as a woman riding sidesaddle on a horse or driving a chariot drawn by a pair of winged steeds. Her lunar sphere or crescent was either a crown set upon her head or the fold of a raised, shining cloak. Selene's Roman name was Lunar.

      I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Feeling drawn to the Moon.

        In my belief, and many others, the moon not only represents The Goddess, but is The Goddess. This is not a time to ask "Which one?". The point is that the moon is recognized by many beliefs as being a source of power, or energy.

        The moon affects the tides here on earth, so it does influence us on a physical level. Often you hear the phrase "Well... it is a full moon tonight" when observing unusual activities. So it would seem that the moon has an affect on the way that we humans, and even some animals, conduct themselves.

        Is it okay to be drawn to the moon and pray to it? Oh yeah! For the moon is The Goddess. While you may not believe in a goddess as such, think of the moon as being "The Deity" instead. See if thinking of the moon as being your Deity puts what you experienced into perspective. Try thinking of it as you are not praying to the moon, but rather you are praying to your Deity; see if that makes sense to you.

        Is the moon actually my Goddess, or your God; or is it little more than an object that represents my Goddess, or your God? It really does not matter. What matters is that you, and many, many others look to the moon and feel the presence of their Deity.

        The draw that you feel to the moon is a natural thing. Wolves howl at the moon, there are women who's menstrual cycle is synchronize with the moon; many species of animals react to the cycles of the moon (in various ways).

        The way that I would describe what you felt during that beautiful full moon... and remember my beliefs differ from yours a bit... is that you connected to your Goddess. She was in the mother aspect, being a full moon. And as a mother, She came to you and held you, gave you a hug of reassurance, so to speak. What you felt was strong, it was Her love. What you felt was positive and reassuring, it was her encouragement. What you felt was your Goddess! <smiles for you>

        Like I said, I believe differently than you do. So translate "Goddess" to "Supreme power" or "Supreme being", and see if that makes sense to you. Look at that experience as a moment when your Deity came to you and spent some time with you. A moment when your Deity let you know that what you believe is real.

        It matters not if you call the moon your Goddess, God, great spirit, or a symbol. What matters is that you felt a presence; just like millions and millions and millions of other people have, and do. Are you nuts? Have you lost your mind? Have you taken leave of your senses? If so... Join the club, we've got jackets.

        Welcome to the club.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Feeling drawn to the Moon.

          Originally posted by Cobra View Post
          Does anyone here have any experience with things like this? What might I have been feeling? Furthermore, is it okay to be drawn to the Moon and pray to it? As you can see, I am really examining and figuring out my spiritual ideas at this time in my life. Thank you all.
          I've had this experience, except with the sun and sunlight. The goddess I mainly worship--Bast--is immanent in sun and sunlight. Plus, I find deep meaning in the sun and solar imagery, so it's only natural to have spiritual feelings about the big ball o' fire. ^_^

          Maybe a lunar spirit or deity is calling to you. They don't always use voices; sometimes they draw on our emotions. They generally don't respond every time, either, and even responses can have different levels (from barely perceptible, to so in-your-face you can hardly think straight. The in-your-face responses seem to be pretty rare, though. They're the kind of things you get when someone is trying to get your attention.)

          Or you could be having a pantheistic experience. Sometimes my feelings toward the sun encompass that, no god-strings attached. The experience can be atheistic or theistic, depending on your personal interpretation.

          When it comes to paganism or polytheism, there's really no binary. The bit isn't always on or off. The answer isn't always true or false. There are lots of different shades of experiences, meanings, and what not. So it's not easy to truly explain what happened to you. Only you can come to a conclusion about that, and the best way to do so is not only probe your feelings and experiences, but also look into beings connected with the moon. Start with your favorite cultures and expand from there. So if your interest is mainly in the Romans, look into Roman deities and spirits connected with the moon. You might end up feeling drawn to a name, or maybe you won't and you'll come to the conclusion your experience was of the atheistic-pantheistic stripe. Nothing wrong with that.

          It's okay to be drawn to the moon and pray to it. From a polytheistic perspective, there's a "deific" power inherent in the moon that you're praying to. In my religion, we would call that power Iah, Khonsu, Amun, Djehuty, or on occasion Bast or Tefnut. Others would call it Selene, Tsukuyomi, or just Goddess. Others would call it Your Imagination. Only you can decide the who or what.
          Blog: http://thestarsafire.tumblr.com

          Kuchi wa wazawai no moto (the mouth is the origin of disasters)

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Feeling drawn to the Moon.

            Originally posted by monsno_leedra View Post
            -snip-
            Thanks for your reply. Hmm, those are all very interesting beliefs, although I'm not sure that I think the Moon has anything to do with spirits or demons. Although I would like to make note that I hold an adamant belief in the spirit world. Maybe I am experiencing the Moon as a Goddess rather than a spirit like I guessed earlier, though.

            Originally posted by Tarn View Post
            Is the moon actually my Goddess, or your God; or is it little more than an object that represents my Goddess, or your God? It really does not matter. What matters is that you, and many, many others look to the moon and feel the presence of their Deity.

            . . .

            The way that I would describe what you felt during that beautiful full moon... and remember my beliefs differ from yours a bit... is that you connected to your Goddess. She was in the mother aspect, being a full moon. And as a mother, She came to you and held you, gave you a hug of reassurance, so to speak. What you felt was strong, it was Her love. What you felt was positive and reassuring, it was her encouragement. What you felt was your Goddess! <smiles for you>

            Like I said, I believe differently than you do. So translate "Goddess" to "Supreme power" or "Supreme being", and see if that makes sense to you. Look at that experience as a moment when your Deity came to you and spent some time with you. A moment when your Deity let you know that what you believe is real.
            Thank you so much for this post. I believe I may have just had a revelation of sorts... I'm thinking about this in a few new ways. I am beginning to think that the supreme power I talk about in my original post is not so distant after all. Am I approaching Wiccan beliefs? I'm actually rather fond of the idea of "duotheism." Maybe the Moon is my Goddess. You know what, I'm going to have to start delving a little deeper into this... maybe make it a regular thing to pray to the Moon. Does anyone else have experience with this or have something additional to add?

            Originally posted by Satu View Post
            Maybe a lunar spirit or deity is calling to you. They don't always use voices; sometimes they draw on our emotions. They generally don't respond every time, either, and even responses can have different levels (from barely perceptible, to so in-your-face you can hardly think straight. The in-your-face responses seem to be pretty rare, though. They're the kind of things you get when someone is trying to get your attention.)

            Only you can come to a conclusion about that, and the best way to do so is not only probe your feelings and experiences, but also look into beings connected with the moon. Start with your favorite cultures and expand from there. So if your interest is mainly in the Romans, look into Roman deities and spirits connected with the moon. You might end up feeling drawn to a name, or maybe you won't and you'll come to the conclusion your experience was of the atheistic-pantheistic stripe. Nothing wrong with that.
            I decided to look up Celtic deities connected with the moon since for all of my life, Celtic things seemed to be of the most interest to me. I always used to wonder in History classes why we didn't learn more about them. I wanted to be shown stories of culture and magic and see pictures of beautiful sunlit groves. I understand that's a bit stereotypical, but I am just relating how I felt as a child. I also really enjoy what is called "Celtic music" although how much that is connected with the original culture, I'm not sure. If anyone has any historical wisdom on that, please chime in!

            Anyway, I didn't really feel drawn to anything that I researched. However, I definitely don't think my experience was atheistic. What I felt was... good, and it inspired me to do more. Actually, it's one of the reasons I joined here.

            Maybe it is also possible that I have experienced a powerful spirit like I wrote initially. I could liken it to the Shinto kami, which are spiritual elements in nature. Maybe it's like that and the Moon has a very significant spirit. I am not saying that I am Shinto, I am guessing that maybe it is like that.

            Speaking of which, I wonder if anyone on this forum is Shinto.

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Feeling drawn to the Moon.

              I just went outside and... the Moon has just risen and it is large, orange, and incredibly alluring. I couldn't help but stare. Nearly felt like I was floating for a minute there. Wow. I could hardly bear coming back inside, but I can't spend too long out there until everyone has gone to bed.

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Feeling drawn to the Moon.

                Originally posted by Cobra View Post
                I just went outside and... the Moon has just risen and it is large, orange, and incredibly alluring. I couldn't help but stare. Nearly felt like I was floating for a minute there. Wow. I could hardly bear coming back inside, but I can't spend too long out there until everyone has gone to bed.
                Beautiful, isn't She? Be careful, people will start to think you've fallen in love with Her.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Feeling drawn to the Moon.

                  Originally posted by Tarn View Post
                  Beautiful, isn't She? Be careful, people will start to think you've fallen in love with Her.
                  Very beautiful! Speaking of which, do you have any further information for me like I asked the forum in post #6? Not trying to hound / annoy you or anything though.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Feeling drawn to the Moon.

                    This is one of my favorite 'magic' books that I've actually kept around for several years. Might be something you'd like to look at.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Feeling drawn to the Moon.

                      Originally posted by Ljubezen View Post
                      This is one of my favorite 'magic' books that I've actually kept around for several years. Might be something you'd like to look at.

                      http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Magick-Re...rds=moon+magic
                      Thank you for the link!

                      I would like to make an update to this thread now.

                      Last night was rather odd. I won't be seeing the Moon for a while as it rises later and later. However, I had one of my first forays into meditation at about 12:30 AM today.

                      My aloe vera plant had a leaf coming off (don't worry, it's fine and growing well!) so, deciding not to be wasteful, I opened the leaf up and ate the gel once it was off the plant. Eating it made me feel really weird. Not in a sentimental sense, but in a physical sense.

                      I then went outside and laid down beneath my two pine trees, visualizing a circle. It had been raining earlier, but there were stars out. It seemed kind of like my hearing was magnified. I laid beneath the trees and focused myself away from the tension in my body and my thoughts and tried to just clear it all out as I stared up at the tree. Yes, my eyes were open, as I had a feeling they should have been. A couple of times I heard more than usual, my attention brought to the tall grass shuffling, etc. A few times I got the uplifting feeling that I usually get during times like these. Occasionally I would get this feeling like the grass was almost wrapping around my arm or touching me, but the most significant thing that happened was I started to feel something cold move around my wrist. I tried to just feel it, but this snapped me out of my meditation pretty quick. It hadn't been a slug or something because my wrist was dry and it was gone in an instant.

                      I ended up spending a little under an hour out there, which was VERY surprising to me.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Feeling drawn to the Moon.

                        Okay, so I guess this thread has become sort of a log for me. Maybe it would be interesting for others to read.

                        The night before last I had an interesting experience while outside praying. This is going to sound a bit odd as I describe it. A couple of times as I was looking up, my eyes would "shake" or wobble up and down and my ears would ring louder. Either that or I began hearing white noise.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Feeling drawn to the Moon.

                          I know nothing about any negative entities or gods residing on the moon, only of positive ones. I believe that perhaps there is something that lays there for you, what it is though is beyond me entirly.

                          My connection with the moon, stars, ect are negative. I actually get ill from looking up at the starry sky. I suppose it could be due to a past life. But despite this I thank the moon often for its forces and what it does even if I can never look at it. Somewhere up there maybe the goddess and god reside....

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Feeling drawn to the Moon.

                            When I pray to the moon, that's when I feel the most connected. She's fascinated me since I was little. It's a wonderful focal point, and I definitely feel a presence.

                            Comment

                            Working...
                            X