Prayers Under a Full Moon

The moon has come to mean something very special to me. In several traditions, the moon goddess is also the goddess of fertility. My own heritage exemplifies this. Ix-Chel is the Maya goddess of both the moon and fertility. Women's cycle have always linked them to the moon and its cycles. And in many languages the moon is a feminine word.

Recently I found myself drawn to the moon, looking up into the night sky and tracking the moon as she grew fuller and fuller with each passing day, until she was finally, completely full. On those nights I go out doors and sit or stand under the light, humbled by the brightness of it all. One night I found myself praying. To mother god. Pleading to that part of god that is female. That part that understands my desire to create, to nurture, to "dar a luz".

"Dar a luz" in spanish literally means "to give light", but this phrase is used to describe a woman giving birth. What a beautiful way to describe such a beautiful process. So I found myself praying to the moon, as its light shone brightly, that I too might give my own light to the world. And here my story begins...with prayers whispered under a full moon.