SageWoman #57 (original)
Our Sister Moon

SageWoman #57
Our Sister Moon
We love the moon: who has not looked up and gasped in wonder at the first bright silver sliver of the New Moon shimmering in the twilight. A song, a dance, a magic spell — She weaves back and forth in our lives like a fragrant flower; budding, bloomly, and dying in stately motion far above us.

Lunar lovers, rejoice! This entire issue of SageWoman is dedicated to that luscious, luminous, lovely satellite of the Earth Mother — Luna. We begin with editor Anne Newkirk Niven's musings on the moon — including some startling observations about Luna's place in that very partriarchal religion, Islam, and thoughts about the how Luna connects with our natural biology. But it is women’s special relationship to the moon which is the center of this issue.

Joanna Powell Colbert (author and artist of the Gaian Tarot) begins the feature section with her personal and informative essay "The Moon in Tarot, the Moon in Me” which analyzes the imagery and meaning of the Moon in traditional (and alternative) Tarot decks. Next up is Olapetun Orisatolu’s meditation on women's circles honoring the Yoruban Goddess of the Moon Yemonja “Ase! The Power of Women's Blood Mysteries."

Kara Spencer discovers the springtide pull of the moon in "Maia's Moon,” and Gretchen Brown’s startling and moving description of her ritual performance piece in “The Serpent and the Moon” combine to bring lunar wisdom right into our bodily experience. Astrologer and columnist Bee Smith describes lunar cycles in astrology in "The Goddess of Correct Timing" and shares new moon affirmations for each zodiac sign, while Alice Rose relates how the Moon led her back to her primal nature in "Dreams of Home."

Getting into the practical aspect of lunar lore, Leni Austine describes how to bring the power of the moon’s cycles into your spellwork with "Moon Magick" while loremistress Diana Paxson enlightens us with the myth, legend, and ritual of that quintessential European moon goddess in "Artemis: Hunting the Moon."

Columnist Carol Christ salutes Rachel Carson, Elizabeth Barrette discusses offerings and sacrifice and Waverly Fitzgerald describes bringing lunar magick into your monthly practice, as well as columns with recipes for homemade spa products, revelations of the mysteries of rosemary, and discussions of the ways in which the moon can help us overcome outworn emotional patterns. Lunar rituals abound, including a ritual for lunar healing and affirmation and moon correspondences for spellwork of all kinds and a charm for gardening by the moon. Plus poetry saluting the Mayan Moon goddess Ix Chel, Moonrise on Penobscot Bay and Mother Moon; and, of course, a rousing discussion in the Rattle.

96 illustrated pages, edited and published by Anne Newkirk Niven in spring of 2002.