As i contemplate the Moon  Chandra shining outside my window i cannot resist to write once again about her. My intention to write about meditating on the Blue Moon allows me to expound on a concept so dear to those in the practice and studies of Yoga: the concept of Time Kala.

The meditation on the Blue Moon is about our perception of time. What would we do if we had more time to complete that unfinished project?

Every two or three years we are experiencing an extra Full Moon. That is an extra chance for realization and manifestation. A  lunar phase cycle  corresponds methaphorically to an evolutionary cycle: from darkness – New moon – to light – Full moon . From unmanifest to manifest. Therefore  with an extra Moon cycle  we are given an extra chance to bring about manifestation.

A bit like the day outside time of the MAyan calendar, the Blue Moon is an extra chance to manifest our  intentions and make them tangible.

In the Gregorian Calendar ( the one in use in the western world) a blue moon can refer to either the third full moon in a season with four full moons, or the second full moon in a month. Most years have twelve full moons that occur approximately monthly. In addition to those twelve full lunar cycles, each solar calendar year contains roughly eleven days more than the lunar year of 12 lunations ( mean time for one lunar phase cycle) . The extra days accumulate, so every two or three years there is an extra full moon. The year 2012 has thirteen moons rather than twelve.

As opposed to that in a lunar calendar ( like the Mayan one  for example) each month corresponds to a lunation. Therefore there would be no such exception as a thirteen moon in a year. Thirteen moons would be the rule. The Mayan caendar begins with the “day outside time”. That is a special occasion to go beyond the limitations that are self-imposed by measuring time in the first place!

So either during a Blue Moon or a day outside the time  ( beginning of MAyan Year )  try and experience the following:

Find a comfortable spot where you can be in silence, undisturbed, by a window or possibly under the starlight and face the moon. Connect with the Moon ad imagine that you are stepping outside time. How doeas that feel? Is that a scary or exciting idea? What could we possibly do if we were really able to step in and out of the time dimension? The answer i give myself is that we have already a tool that allows us to break free from the barriers of time: meditation! Meditation allows us to experience time dilation and contraction showing us that in reality  is all about perception!

What would i do if i had an extra Lunar phase cycle? This is your chance, your extra Moon is here now!

To me the Blue Moon is also a moment to reflect upon the beautiful ideal of Contentment Vairagya,  which means ultimate freedom,
happiness and peace. Vairagya is a state of freedom from desire-
desire for the things that give us small and impermanent happiness, freedom from the ideas that cause us agitation. VAiragya is arising of contentment that is not based on what we have (or what we don’t have).

I like to think that if i were able to step outside time , for a day or during this Blue Moon, i would be exaclty as happy as i am now!

Namaste’

ALessandra