Every full moon, there is no shortage of material discussing the importance of cleansing & releasing what no longer serves us. We talk about releasing baggage & the freedom that comes with doing so, & we prosthelytize to others, "THIS IS WHAT THE FULL MOON IS ALL ABOUT! RELEASE THE OLD TO MAKE ROOM FOR NEW! LET IT GO!"
{Yes. We basically turn into Elsa from Frozen, with slightly fewer sparkles shooting out.}
However, for all that "talking the talk," we're rarely ready to "walk the walk," because the actual path looks much different from the one we envision.
In our mind's eye, it's that moment at the end of Aladdin, when the Genie's cuffs drop to the ground, devoid of the ability to enslave him, & the Genie is free- no longer beholden to any person, place, or rules. It's not quite "phenomenal cosmic powers," but a renewed sense of self, of one's own abilities, & ownership of one's personal power. Sometimes, it does feel like weights being lifted, & that feeling is glorious.
In our everyday lives, though, releases most often manifest as endings that catch us totally off guard. We get unfriended on social media. Relationships- romantic, platonic, professional, etc.- dissolve. Family members become distant in one sense or another. Our services are no longer required with our place of employment. And, despite our tendency to outwardly swear we "didn't need them anyway," we're left reeling. We internalize these things to be personal attacks against us, & immediately set about Righting the Wrongs.
Frantically smashing the "add friend" button. Obsessively texting or calling the ex lover/friend/employer. Reaching out to the family member to grovel for forgiveness over something we didn't realize we'd done. The refrain running through our minds the whole time is something along the lines of, "I didn't deserve this! It must have been a misunderstanding! What did I do?!" and we're so caught up in the sense of guilt & injustice that we don't remember or realize...
We asked to release... and be released… from all the things that no longer serve us. From the "friends" who don't support us, who only show up to revel in negativity, who don't truly have our best interests at heart. From situations in which we are not fulfilled, our talents not being utilized, and/or our time, energy & efforts are not being respected. From people who only see us- or cause us to only see ourselves- as a past version, regardless of what work has been done, what changes have been made, & what growth has occurred. {The flip side is true, too. If we are the ones holding others back in a manner that is harmful, they have every right to let us go, & it's up to us to recognize our patterns & do the work to change them.}
We have to start looking at these things objectively when they happen. I'm not saying we can't have feelings, be upset, or mourn changes and losses- that's normal, & we should. But once the initial jolt subsides, we need to ask ourselves questions like, "Was this a mutually fulfilling thing? Was this adding more stress or tension than goodness to my life? Was this taking a toll on my mental health & wellbeing?" If the answer is "yes," then, circling back to Elsa, we do need to let it go, along with any guilt we feel for doing so. We have to recognize that these people & situations claimed space, time, & energy in our lives that could just as easily be held by people & situations who enrich our space, deserve & respect our time, & share and revitalize our energy. There's no reason to carry guilt for that.
I know it sounds supremely hokey, but... we don't feel guilty when a butterfly emerges from a cocoon. We acknowledge that each stage of the metamorphosis was important for its time, & none of the previous stages were meant to be permanent- they were just part of the process.
It works the same way for us.
We have to be aware that when we're asking for release of & from the things that no longer serve us, we're actually inviting conscious awareness of this process in motion, & we need to make sure we're prepared.
There's a reason "be careful what you wish for" rings through fiction & non-fiction alike, & it's because...
Well, sometimes we get it.
We need to consider how we're going to handle it if we do. {Preferably before the next full moon.}
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