Each tradition has a special celebration to recognize the time of the Full Moon. The Streghe call this rite the Veglione. These rituals spin gheir way through the solar ceremonies, or Treguendas, completing the Mythos.

Just as there is a Mythos which winds through the Wheel of the Year, the Moon has a Mythos all its own. In this Mythos, Lupercus the Sun God would rise each day, traveling across the sky from East to West. As He did so, He collected the Souls who had left their bodies during His absence. He would descend into the Underworld, delivering them to the Goddess. She would then rise, carrying the Souls to the Realm of Luna (the Moon). As more and more Souls are gathered, the light of the Moon increases until it is Full. As these Souls are born back into the World, or moved into the Stellar Realm, the light of the moon decreases.

As with the Treguendas, we celebrate the Veglione to help us move more in tune with Nature and the Spirit which makes up the Universe. With each Full Moon, we grow in our understanding of the Mysteries, as new Mysteries are revealed.

The power, or essence, of the Moon comes from the stars and planets. These radiate energies outward. The Moon condenses these planetary and stellar forces and sends them to Earth. Aradia taught us to go out beneath the Moon whtn it is Full - reflecting the maximum amount of energy towards Earth. Standing beneath the Moon, we absorb whatever energies the Moon has collected.

The Moon is our teacher, just as Nature is our teacher. In the closing prayer of the Veglione, we call upon the Goddess to teach us as we sleep. As the Word of Aradia Concerning Magick tells us,

The mind is most receptive to the influence of power when the person is intoxicated or asleep (within 2 hours of awakening)...the mind which dreams (the subconscious) is directly linked to the Moon Worlds (the Astral Realm)...It is through the dream mind that the Moon Worlds are created. It is through the Moon Worlds that magickal influences, and magickal forms, are created. These, in turn, influence the Physical World." Raven Grimassi, Ways of the Strega, p. 255

The Moon has always held Mysteries for me. You can see your own passage through life in Her phases, building up to brilliance, slowing down to almost nothing, only to change, and become brilliant once more. I always felt that the roller coaster my life seemed to be strap to was mirrored by her phases. Even when obscured by clouds, you can still see the brilliance of Her light, one of the few constants in the Universe.

I felt this even moreso when I dedicated. The moon peeked over the mountains, rising up over a grouping of trees. As I recited my dedication, it seemed to pause, as if listening. I was a bit unsure, but looking up, I felt the moon shining down. I drew a breath and continued. The next time I looked up, the moon had settled behind the upper branches of a large tree. The way the leaves and branches played over its surface, it made a smiling face, and I truly felt welcome. It was as if She knew I needed a little reassurance. That image of the moon, smiling down at me, is one I shall keep with me forever.

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