Pages

Friday, December 1, 2023

Moontimer 2024 -- Since Ancient Days

 Greetings from the Moon, my friends. The new calendar is in the cooker. And there have been some changes to the format that I hope will be welcome. Last year a friend complained about the deeply saturated color in the 'downsheets' -- the bottom half of each month, that hangs below the primary image. So, I have gone back to making the downsheets white, for the benefit of those who possibly use them to notate appointments, events, deadlines, etc. With the proliferation of digital calendars, many people no longer use a wall calendar for that, but I actually like the simplicity of the white downsheets. I have decorated some of the strange and funny 'holidays' with relevant small images.
Here is an example of the new look of the calendar. As always, click on the images to enlarge them.

 Another new change: Mercury transits are marked. As a Virgo, ruled by Mercury, these shifts impact me significantly! I need to know about them in advance!
Each downsheet displays the moon phases for the month, as usual. The day of the New Moon - the Menstruation Moon - is marked with the familiar MoonTimer Clock, while the Full Moon - the Fertile Moon - is indicated with the new "Ovulation Notification" icon --  the Egg Timer (concept courtesy of a flash of genius from my sister)!

I feel obliged here to give a quick tutorial on MoonTiming. If this is not relevant for you, scroll down to see more of the coming year's images.
This information is for those still menstruating who would like to start synchronizing their cycles to our Clock in the Sky, a phenomenon referred to in the scientific jargon as "Lunar-Menstrual Locking". If you are in the Beyond Menstrual group, it's an assist in encouraging your younger family members to keep the moon phases in mind. This can be especially helpful to those with problematic periods, as I explain below. 

It's the easiest thing ever. All you have to do is observe the Full Moon every month. Really NOTICE her. Drink in some of her light.


This is the social moon, the  Fertile Moon, the Ovulation Moon, per the system of our ancestral grandmothers. If ovulation is on time, menstruation will follow, two weeks later, on the New Moon  - the 'No Moon', because it is not seen in the night sky. When it's New, the moon is rising WITH the Sun, whose strong light is shining on the side of the moon we can't see, because the Moon is between us and the Sun.

At the Full Moon, it rises at sunset, regardless of which time zone we are in, or wherever in the world we are. There is one caveat to this: you have probably noticed that the moon "looks full" for about 3 nights.It appears full on the night before the 'exact' Full Moon, and on the night after. But it is only the EXACT Full Moon that rises at sunset, because the Moon rises about one hour later each night.

For instance, on November 26th, 27th, and 28th of 2023, the sunset was at 4:37 each day. The moon, however, rose at 4:01 pm on the 26th, 4:41 pm on the 27th, and 5:30 pm on the 28th. You can see that the moon that rose on the 27th was closest to sunset. That is the Exact Full Moon.

This information is helpful only if you really want to enjoy seeing the moon RISE over the horizon. But if you are working on synchronizing your cycle, make sure you at least look at the Full Moon during her night journey. Even if weather conditions prevent you from seeing a Full Moon rise, JUST KNOW that it is manifesting, and think to yourself: "this is my time to ovulate", or "two weeks from now I will have my period".

To obtain the date of the exact Full Moon, consult your calendar, or a website called Time and Date. It is good to have a look at the bright light of the moon on all 3 of the nights that it's at its fullest. Drink all the moonlight you can!  I have known women who synchronized in as little as ONE cycle, but cannot guarantee a similar result for everyone. Depending on how 'far off' the pattern your cycle is when you begin this practice, it may take some months for it to adjust. It's a circadian rhythm: a dance between you, the Sun, and the Moon. Don't give up!

The skill of MoonTiming is both physical and quantum. It is both spiritual and practical. It's a time to let the body rest, and look inward towards the purpose of your life. Engaging our consciousness to communicate directly with the bodily cycle of our fertility is assisted by this correlation with the moon phases. It helps regulate the cycle, making it reliable, and thus more predictable -- and we can begin to plan our life activities to accommodate cyclic needs.

Some women sail through their periods, they work through them, walk through them, and some have periods that are very regular. Others experience extreme, even disabling discomfort. Training the cycle to be regular will stabilize it. For those who have rough periods it is even more important to be able to forecast when bleeding will start, to create an interval cleared of external commitments, making it a personal spa day (or two!) of self-care instead - your personal Moon Lodge. A retreat from the noise out there.

It's especially helpful for the younger goddesses to know that there IS a safe, organic way to manage the cycle in their future, without questionable medical interventions. MoonTiming only works after a girl begins to ovulate, a process that can take two to three years after the onset of her First Moon. The hormones involved must practice harmonizing to achieve ovulation. Moon Timing depends on the additional sunlight, refracted from the face of the Full Moon, to trigger ovulation; because if ovulation is on time, menstruation will be too, following fairly faithfully two weeks later. And that's the part we want to be ready for.

Ovulation is the most sensitive of the reproductive functions, and can be thrown off-schedule by any sort of survival threat, whether poor diet, trauma, loss and grief, illness, or a dramatic change in life conditions, such as moving to a new location. But fortunately, the moon continues her pattern every month so that we can re-align with it, simply by paying attention to her.

Interestingly, the Full Moon somewhat resembles an egg. Through our optic nerve, it beams light to the pineal, which has a light-receptive crystalline structure. Ovulation initiates the destiny of an inner egg, launching it on a journey towards the outside world. This is how my sister came up with the concept of "the Egg Timer"for the Full Moon!


As Within, So Without; As Above, So Below!


Here are more of the panels for the coming year, which Madame Kathryn predicts (!)
will be one of great shifts, changes, upheavals, and surprises. I expect you sense this already. 
 
Dedicated to Zitkala-Ša, (Red Bird), Yankton Dakota Sioux.
Her English name is Gertrude Simmons Bonnin.
Her life is legendary. You will be happy to meet her. 



 
In a time of political upheaval, there is a collision at sea. The Emperor,
and his new clothes, are getting thrown overboard, along with other passengers.
A throng of Nudibranches (sea slugs) rushes in to the rescue. But will they get there in time
to save the women's swim team?

A clever woman saves her own life,
in this case by healing the wounded masculine.


A look into the fascinating story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, a Yoruba princess rescued
from captivity, to become the Godchild of Queen Victoria. 
 

Dance Day at Karnak Temple. We must ensure that the Temple Cats
do not become bored and begin snarling at the guests.

The Daughters of Genghis Khan,
a testament to the warrior spirit within women,
that defends the vulnerable.
 
Price of the calendar this year is $18 -  a great gift for under $20!

Here is the holiday bundle of red tape for my customers in Colorado, brought to you courtesy of the State Revenue Department. They now require "destination sourcing" sales tax - meaning that I have to charge the sales tax for YOUR location on whatever I ship. The rate for your sales tax must be excavated from a State database. so I can't tell you how much it is until I know your address!
There is one exception: if you place your order by calling me, I'm allowed to charge sales tax for "origination" instead of "destination"; sales tax in Englewood is 8.05%,
which is $1.45 (this also applies if you come to Englewood to pick up). This is slightly lower than Denver's sales tax at 8.81%.

Out-of-state customers pay no sales tax, but pay more in shipping.  

I tried shipping via media mail last year, but the Post Office objected. Calendars are not considered "printed matter" - go figure that out. A pile of calendars came back to my doorstep requiring postage. So, this year, expect to pay about $4.50,  slightly more per additional calendars; this too depends on your location. I will add a small charge of $.50 to cover the cost of the mailer.
Customers who order 5 or more calendars receive a 10% discount.


The only way I can figure to do this is to ship your order, and then generate a Paypal invoice to you with shipping cost and tax for your location.
You pay nothing until your order ships.
I can also ship calendars to your intended recipients, as gifts.

Also, if you can meet up with me in person, you avoid any shipping costs at all. I really like this option because we get to visit!

Price of the calendar this year is $18. It's a great gift for under $20,
which includes tax!

Calendars will also be available at the following locations:
Gypsy House Cafe - 1545 South Broadway
All Its Own - 7310 West Colfax, inside Mint & Serif Cafe
Trident Bookstore - 940 Pearl Street, Boulder
Alchemy Ritual Goods - 2700 Arapahoe Street

You will pay more at these shops, but you will be supporting local independent businesses. Plus, you can get food and coffee at the first three on the list!

I am open to whatever type of payment is convenient for you. 
On your invoice I will include my Zelle, Venmo, & Cash App deets; you have the option to pay through Paypal if you like, by simply clicking the invoice in your inbox. I am happy to accept your personal check or cash. I'm also willing to accept partial payment of 50% now & the balance in January. I'm even open to trade!

To place your order, contact me by calling or texting me at 303-968-0616, or, email me at RubiconMoon@gmail.com, or reach out to me on Facebook messenger. Be sure to include your name, address (if you need shipping), phone number, EMAIL ADDRESS, and how many calendars you need. 


Thank you for your ongoing support and patronage. Or, matronage, in (probably) most cases.  

I am happy to say I have a new printing company & expect to start shipping as soon as December 8th, certainly no later than December 12th.

Best wishes and happy holy days to you and your kin
and a prayer for the rest of the creatures in this world that we're in.

 


-