Merry full moon in the sensitive sign of Cancer. The perfect moon for shining light on emotional patterns rooted in ancestral agendas.

Along with 30 ancestral healing teachers, I was invited by the Shift Network to participate in their outstanding Ancestral Healing Summit hosted by the eminent Lisa Bonnice. The interviews are free to watch between January 18-21 and feature new practices and insights for connecting with the wise and loving among our ancestors. For my part I wanted to share a lunar inspired divination map that uses the phases of the moon as a way to recognize, illuminate and release ancestral inheritances.

Before the invention of timepieces, our ancestors worked with the moon’s phases as a way of living in harmony with the seasons. Today we can adopt a similar type of lunar logic to pinpoint recurring patterns that weave their way through the family line. For this talk Lisa and I discuss how eight moon phases can be viewed as opportunities to release ancestral patterns over 29 ½ day period. Feel free to follow along with our interview using the following moon phase map and descriptions, or make a map of your own. As mentioned in the interview, you can begin with any moon phase. The goal is to create a month-long healing experience that works in tandem with the moon as our guiding light.

New Moon: A time when the moon is located between the sun and Earth and the night sky is at its darkest making the stars more visible. Several indigenous cultures, from Celtic to Aboriginal view the stars as representing the ancestors and today we often hear the phrase we are made of stardust. Carl Sagan wrote, the Nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are star stuff. He also reminds us that our ancestors who worshiped the Sun were not that foolish, It makes sense to revere the Sun and the stars, for we are their children. Let’s use this phase to reach out to our ancestral line and ask for their blessings as we inform them of our plan and our intention which is to release an ancestral pattern in order to heal and evolve the generational line.

A few days after the New Moon we move into the Waxing Crescent Moon. This is when the moon is traveling east in the sky and we begin to see a sliver being illuminated. The moon’s light is increasing in visibility. This is a claiming time where we give light to our goal by claiming how we will to commit to this work and also by claiming our desired outcome. At this time I recommend designing a lunar schedule, or printing the included lunar map and adding notes that help deliver you to your result.

First Quarter Phase: This is when the moon’s cycle is ¼ of the way complete and half of the moon is illuminated. During this phase select an action that you can repeat daily and visually depicts a successful outcome. This can be movement, music, words or a ritual act that ask, If I take this action, this is what I want the result to look and feel like—these are the changes that will occur. This can be enhanced with items like photos, altars, poetry or anything that stands for the action of your desired end result. This is something you want to make visible so you can give it everyday attention. Keep your eye on the prize!

Waxing Gibbous: Gibbous means growing shape so with this phase the moon’s shape and light appear to be growing as it nears being full. This is a time to grow your focus by giving it more energy and light. This can be candlelight or your own energetic light. Both work. Another option is to literally bathe your focus in moonlight by placing items or intentions outside or near a window that is touched by lunar light. This is the phase to give your items, intention and desired results a strong daily dose of focus and light.

Full Moon: Here the face of the moon is illuminated by the sun. Use this time to illuminate what keeps the ancestral pattern hidden or locked away. This can be achieved through magic, divination, ritual, whatever helps you bring light to your situation so you can see where and why the pattern may have originated. The goal here isn’t to blast the pattern with a harsh exposing light but instead to nurture it with the type of light that illuminates healing and lasting possibility—one that will support not only yourself but future generations.

Waning Gibbous: For this phase the moon’s shape and light are now decreasing. And so this is a time to harvest and bring in what you’ve discovered from your work so far. This is also a good time to share what you’ve discovered in creative ways and for this I like to write letters to my ancestors that tell them how much I’ve learned or gathered from the family pattern and also this experience of releasing the pattern. This letter serves as both a message of gratitude and release.

Last Quarter: This moon is opposite of the first quarter moon and yet half of it is also illuminated. This is an excellent phase to release and clear any remaining energy you might have around the ancestral pattern. A great way to achieve this is by revisiting and amplifying the action and outcome you set in place during the First Quarter phase. This is also a great time to ask yourself: What action can I do or double down on that will support me as I release the family pattern? How can I commit to giving this action a little more energy? Each time you invest in this action try to nurture it by envisioning how your life will change when you reach your desired outcome and then add to this a little more magick to actually sense what that outcome looks and feels like.

Waning Crescent: With this phase we can begin to wind down our work as the moon reaches its final lunar cycle. During this time it’s important to give yourself time to recuperate and retreat with what you’ve accomplished. Try not to do too much and instead simply observe what you set out to do. Explore what did and didn’t work for you and without a lot of effort, simply locate any changes that presented themselves through this work. These changes can be large or small. Whatever the size, try to view them as milestones that mark your progress.

Once you’ve accomplished the 29 ½ day experience, you can build on your accomplishments by giving back. For many, the promise of giving back becomes the greatest healing opportunity and can be achieved by making offerings through the next 29 ½ day moon cycle. For now, give focus to an emotional ancestral pattern you’re ready to change and heal