A Prayer for the Full Moon (Nonfiction)

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The smoke drifts skyward as I wave my feather above the dying embers of sage. Slowly, casually, twisting, winding, up, up and ever, up the smoke twines. The dusky, earthy smell of sage hugs my nostrils and tendrils of my hair as I begin to circle the earth. My bare feet know what to do as the mother welcomes me back to this space. A dance as old as time itself begins afresh. How many moons have I circled this space;—I wonder, how many moons have witnessed similar dances of feet. A low hum begins in my throat and I twirl, toes gripping the earth. My feet sink into the loamy ground still damp from the rain shower earlier. The earth embraces my soles and twines itself between my toes like a lover holding hands. The cleansing smoke whirls around me, trailing behind like ribbons from my hair, then continues its journey skywards to wrap around branches of the cypress trees and finally vanish into the night. Circling complete, I bend to place my shell of sage onto the earth in reverence. “Protect this space,” I murmur, “cleanse and protect.”

My eyes lift skyward to the full moon. Full moon in Scorpio with a total lunar eclipse to boot: powerful magic. I see the faintest hint of darkness covering a corner of the spotlight in the sky. The curtain is beginning to close like a woman’s hair slowly falling over her face. My arms raise reverently to the moon. “Bless me, Mother; bless this space,” I whisper. “Bless us, Mother; bless our spaces and our loved ones.” “Bless you, Mother; bless you and all that you see.” The full moon reveals all that is hidden, shining a light on that which is in the dark. Scorpio likes the dark and the hidden. But with a total lunar eclipse, the magic is tripled. As the moon disappears behind the shadow of the Earth, she shines her light over the darkest, deepest secrets. Then, as the moon reappears, the secrets are revealed. Like a magician slowly, ever so slowly, pulling aside the curtain to allow the light to shine into the darkest of corners.

Over the next six months, we will see many dark, hidden things moved into the light as the eclipse does her magical reveal. It will be a long, hard reveal as Scorpio likes her secrets and her darkness. But, for now, there is only this moon and the sweet smell of sage.

Susan M. Klarich, Ph.D. has published two books on law enforcement leadership. "Formal Mentoring Programs for Law Enforcement Officials" and "Working Wounded" can be found wherever books are sold online. Since retiring from a satisfying 28.5-year career in law enforcement, Dr. Klarich has contributed to several journals and magazines including, Short-Edition, The Short Story Dispensary, The Perch, Yale University’s annual publication, and Spectrum, the annual publication of the Royal Palm Beach Writers. Her children’s book called "The Monster Under My Bed" can be found online. Libraries are her favorite establishments. After the Oak Lawn tornado roared down the street in front of her Chicago home, Dr. Klarich, moved to South Florida with her family.