Moon ceremony helps participants connect and be heard

Reported by Amanda Poole

Women gathered at a yoga studio last week to welcome a new moon and purge their past pains.

Over 50 women went to the full moon circle at Dharma Temple last week to explore their vulnerabilities in a safe setting. Attendees gather in a circle to acknowledge their personal afflictions. The ceremonies are held monthly, but the Feb. 1, event marked the phenomenon of a super moon lunar eclipse on Jan 31, the first of its kind in over 150 years.

Ritual, Love and Connectivity

Sara Jade Gooding, Dharma Temple’s co-owner and event organizer, hopes the moon ceremony will help women connect with each other and with their inner selves to combat feelings of insecurity and unworthiness.

“You see yourself in each other, to be shared, be heard and be witnessed to become more of your true self,” Gooding said.

Annie Passmore, said she participates in moon ceremonies to feel empowered and to connect with the community.

“People are gathering for a common purpose, built on love and connection,” Passmore said.

The Body and Belief

Langara anthropology instructor, Adam Solomonian, said that while the rising tides influenced by a full moon have been attributed to changes in the makeup of water in people’s bodies, the event holds different significance depending on a person’s belief system.

“The real power is in those beliefs which shape human behaviour rather than the thing in the sky,” he said.