June Full Moon: Celebrating Pleasure

(from the Many Moons 2020 planner by Sarah Gottesdiener)

It’s the beginning of June, Pride month, and the six-month mark to the start of the year. Summer is creeping in and I am happy to feel the sun’s warmth on my skin, rejoicing in the bright petals and fragrant busts of flowers everywhere.

The abundance Summer brings with it can be invigorating or incredibly draining depending on your circumstances. Longer days, Pride parties, meet ups at the river, sunbathing in the park are all really fun unless you are emotionally and physically drained. Take stock of your energy, trust your body’s wisdom, and do what feels good today.

This full moon and partial Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius arrives on a Monday, a day named after the Moon. Though lots of people choose not to partake in ritual during eclipses, today is the ideal time to work some dreamy, abundant, big self-care magic. Lit up in the thighs, Sagittarius energy loves to walk or dance emotion out, so if there is a dance party you’ve been wanting to go to as a way to run this Full moon energy today (or this weekend) is perfect. Dance your joy, passion, gratitude, and pleasure back into your body!

For those of us with a lot on our plate, the whole year is already planned for: appointments have been made, marketing strategies are in place, precious vacation days are penciled in. But what happens when we’ve poured forth all this energy without taking care of ourselves first? Most of us, especially those socialized female, don’t prioritize filling our cups before doing anything else. We can’t value pleasure, indulgence, and nourishment for ourselves if it wasn’t modeled for us, if we weren’t taught to prioritize our health and wellbeing. I can go into the spiral of burnout this causes most of us, but instead I would rather focus on shifting our mindset to make space for celebrating ourselves.

Here is a challenge and practice you’re invited to join me on:

Make a decision to love and celebrate yourself. You are at the center of your own happiness. Re-write your philosophy on self-care and worth.

This is big, life-long stuff. This is also a filter for abundance mentality, which isn’t valued or  taught to us so that we continue to function in scarcity, allowing the patriarchy and capitalism to profit off of us. You don’t have to be perfect, just allow the softness to creep in.

The more demanding our lives are, the more rigorously we must cultivate our own pleasure. Make desire lists weekly, dream big, give voice to your longings, fill your own cup with solitude, books, good food, orgasms, solid sleep, and whatever else makes you feel really, really good. Touch your skin, call in sensual enjoyment of your body with bright lipstick, a dapper button-down or a weekly breast massage. Take intentional time to be alone and separate that out from being lonely. You are amazing company, it’s time to re-learn that.

Self-care isn’t just baths and spa treatments, but being brutally honest with yourself and your community about your capacity, emotions and how they change day to day. Acknowledging your capacity and limits while staying soft and tender-hearted about your needs is radical self-care. Being honest is a step towards celebrating your authentic self, recognizing your needs, and honoring them. Having it all together is an illusion that social media promotes. It’s time to get back to the wisdom you hold in your animal body- the body that carries you through this world, feels deeply, desires eagerly, sparkles like the stars you’re made of.

Take a moment to answer these questions:

Why do you self-care?

What motivates you to self-care?

How do you self-care?

Do you feel worthy of it?

Now, give yourself permission to have desire, to experience pleasure, to bask in your successes. Putting this down on paper is a spell, by bringing your desire into the physical world you are calling like to like.

What do you desire?

What brings you pleasure?

What 3 things are you proud of about yourself?

You are your life’s work. What is your wish? What are your gifts? Let your heart get involved, be open to new ideas, and channel your intuition. Dream big, let your feelings show, take stock of your strengths. You are worth celebrating! No matter what hardships you have endured, how you got here, you are pure, Divine radiance, and you deserve to embody pleasure.

Ritual: Celebrating pleasure

Baths are where I thrive. I do office work, budget, have dates, and do rituals in the soothing waters of my 1920’s bath tub. If baths aren’t your jam work the following ritual whatever way brings you the most joy. Treat this ritual like you’re putting it together for the greatest love of your life, the best date you’ve ever had. If you don’t have a tub or don’t do baths, set this ritual up as a Pleasure Altar, including all the same elements as offerings.

Purify and ground before doing this work to get really clear about calling in pleasure. Put on sexy music, dim the lights, pour yourself your favorite beverage, dance naked in your living room to get ready.

Supplies:

A cup of salt

Flowers- gathered, bought, or dry (don’t forget to leave an offering if picking your own)

Milk- coconut, goat, buttermilk or whatever you have (liquid or dry will do)

A photo of yourself or a mirror

A purple candle

Honey

Oil- a body oil you love or any essential oils you find intoxicating

Salt is an amazing tool for purification. Honey will help attract your desires to you and sweeten your relationship with yourself. Milk softens the skin and bath water and is a sacred offering to your body. Pick or purchase flowers you’re smitten by. Marigold, Irises, Roses- whatever captures your attention and is in season where you are is perfect. The purple candle calls in wisdom, guidance, and balance for this work.

Place your cup of salt in a bowl and add any beloved essential oils you have on hand. A few drops of bergamot or rose are ideal if you have them. Feel free to omit the essential oils and instead add a splash of your favorite body oil to the salt. Add 1-3 tablespoons of milk and honey to the bowl and mix all the ingredients thoroughly.

Take the mixture and hold it in front of you. Refer back to the writing above. What brings you pleasure? What do you desire? What gets you excited and lit up? Send a prayer, a song, a poem, a whisper into your bath mixture about your desire. Call in the kind of loving care you’re ready for right now. Demand what you deserve. This is your birthright.

Fill the tub with warm water and add your mixture in. Set up a bath-side altar with the mirror/ photograph and purple candle surrounded by the flowers you’ve picked or purchased. Add some flowers directly to your bath water if you’re called to do so. Light the candle and climb in. Once you’re settled, gaze at your face in the mirror or at the photograph. Speak the 3 things you’re proud of to your reflection. Tell yourself what you desire. Hold gratitude in your heart for your truth and bravery as you look at your face.

Feel the water soothe your hard edges, turn you soft and sweet. Feel the blessings of this small act of self-care radiate out with your gratitude. A full moon in Sagittarius favors illuminating truth and standing in your integrity. We are wired for continuous creation and re-creation. This means anything is possible, and it starts with naming your desire. Take a moment to journal anything that’s coming up for you. 

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