Lunar Alchemy: POWERFUL Tantric Waning Moon Meditation for Emotional Digestion

Lunar Alchemy: A Tantric Waning Moon Meditation for Emotional Digestion

In Tantric tradition, the moon is a visible symbol that conveys important aspects of the true nature of reality. The dark lunar fortnight, that phase from the full moon to the new moon, is a daily reminder that everything is impermanent and eventually fades away. It's as if the moon is telling us to, "let go of all that isn't real, in the same way that I'm letting go of my light."

I've always loved the moon, but my connection with it transformed when I began studying the Krama tradition of Tantra which emerged in the area of Kashmir in an area known as Uddiyana around the 9th century of the common era. In this lineage, Kali is the Supreme Divinity whose ultimate nature is formless; and she is accompanied by 64 yogini’s or Tantrik goddesses who are reported to have been real women who were awakened beings and who taught five different paths and practices to achieve enlightenment.

My own journey into these five paths and practices led me to a profound understanding of how they connect with the moon. The moon, with its cycles and phases, started to become more than just a celestial body to me. It transformed into a tangible symbol of these practices, each phase mirroring an aspect of the true nature of reality.

Over time, my daily observations of the moon, coupled with my meditations and practice, evolved into a rich dialogue between myself, the yoginis' teachings, and the moon.

During the moon's waning phase, the yoginis taught me that this is the time to 'digest' feelings and experiences. As I gazed out at the night sky during the phase of the waning moon, I noticed how the moon starts this period full and round, like a wide-open mouth. And with each passing day the 'mouth' begins to close, bit by bit. It's as if I was watching a 14-day slow-motion video of the moon taking a single, mindful bite.

This 14-day sequence was signaling to me the importance of digestion—a metaphor my teacher often uses to describe the process of experiencing without clinging or repulsion. This metaphor is akin to the natural biological process of digestion. When we eat, our bodies automatically extract the necessary nutrients to nourish and sustain us, and effortlessly eliminate what isn’t needed. In the same way, we can experience all that life offers us in a non-grasping, non-avoidant way, allowing emotions and experiences to be absorbed and released naturally. When we don’t fully digest our emotions and experiences, they become ‘samskaras’ – impressions of past actions– that get stuck in our subtle energy body physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual discomfort and imbalances. If they’re left unaddressed, they will impede our spiritual growth and potential, obscuring our ability to perceive reality clearly and live our lives free from suffering.

This meditation aims to harness the yoginis' teachings on burning samskaras and the energy of the moon's waning phase to digest the samskaras of aversion, attachment, and ignorance. We’ll use the 9-Breathings of Purification practice from the non-dual Buddhist tradition of Dzogchen, which mirrors the worldview of non-dual Tantra, making it suitable for our purposes.

Enjoy!