The Early Glow: Creation Begins to Brighten Devotional
As the Third Quarter Moon rises, we walk the Via Positiva awakening, blessing, and beholding the sacred in all things.
Invocation
Light that stirs before it shines,
Presence that glimmers at the edge of night,
We come to this moment with open hearts.
The long dark has wrapped itself around the world,
yet we sense a glow rising within us,
a shimmer carried on the breath of creation.
Let this early warmth awaken wonder in our spirits.
Teach us to feel the ache of hope without fear,
to trust the yearning that draws all things toward balance.
As the Third Quarter Moon fades into its chrysalis,
remind us that every diminishing light prepares the way
for a brighter dawn.
Open us to the tenderness moving through the cosmos.
Let our hearts mirror the moon
as it catches the promise of the coming day.
Guide us to gather love, joy, and compassion
as nourishment for the transformation to come.
May this season help us rest in the glow of beginnings,
and may the hope we kindle here
shine gently into the world.
Amen.
The Sacred Moment
Today, the third quarter moon rises, opening the middle way between light and darkness. May we feel the call to awe, to cosmic hospitality, to the art of savor, and to the kin-dom of God here and now. In the sacred light of the Third Quarter Moon, we walk the path of the Via Positiva: the way of wonder, the dance of delight, courage to speak the living Word of God into form. Our souls ache for blessing and community as we gather to taste the sweetness of life and share the joy with each other.
This is a moon to awaken, to bless, to behold.
Theme: The Early Glow: When Creation Begins to Brighten
The nights are long, but there’s something in the air. A glow just on the horizon, a shimmering just beyond us that we can feel growing ever closer. This is the dawn of the new creation, the dream that exists within us, born from that first flaring forth of the cosmos. It is a great wonder, deep within us, the power that we have to make everything new. The cosmos itself was born from such an instinct, from a desire for the light to flare forth, to shower energy and possibility into the cosmos.
As we watch the fading light across the face of the moon, we know that new light will be born, and we embrace that hope within us that this new light will come, and with it a new flaring forth of hospitality, compassion, passion, and hope for the world to come.
Deep down within each of our hearts, we can feel an ache, a desire to welcome others into our lives and to see the world born anew. That ache, that hunger, that thirst within us is the hope of the new light, that desire to see all things reborn and made new. This is the sign of Advent, the sign that Christmas is coming. That hope that dwells within us, that even through pain and struggle, hope and strife, we will get through to that glorious new creation.
This isn’t just a fantasy or a daydream. It is the deep yearning within us and the cosmos to see everything brought into balance. Water seeks its level, and the light drives out the darkness. Heat feeds the cold and makes it warm again. These are the yearnings within us at this time: to bring peace and hope back into our world.
As we stand on the threshold of the birth of this light, we are enamored by its beauty. We can feel the world beginning to change, and cosmic tenderness is born within us. Wonder is our soul’s first prayer, crying out to the cosmos for answers and for rebirth. We see these hopes cast on the face of the moon as a mirror catching the rising glow of the sun. As we watch the light fade in the third quarter moon, we anticipate its return in the first. This is its last glimmer before it enters the chrysalis of night, to be born anew, to refresh the cosmos with new creation.
In this time, we are the caterpillars of Advent, gathering in all of that hope, savoring it deep within us so that when we enter our chrysalis and are broken down to be reformed, we will be ready to rise again with new wings and a new outlook, a new hope that will shimmer and shine to awaken all creation. Take in all the love that you can. Bring together all the hope that you can. Harvest the joy of the season and hold it near and dear. This is the fuel that will help us to transform, to be made anew.
We are not preparing for the sleep of winter but for the chrysalis, the cocoon that will reshape us so that we can reshape the cosmos, us as co-creators with the divine and with each other to bring justice, healing, and restoration to the world.
Remember, at the great dawn, the first flaring forth of the cosmos, so much energy was released that everything became opaque and light could not shine forth. This was not forever. Eventually the light grew stronger as things coalesced, and stars were born, and light broke through that cosmic haze. Again we stand at the precipice of the great flaring forth, and while we know it will be thick and the haze will blind many to seeing the glory to come, we are opening ourselves up to take in all that is flowing through us so that when the time is right, we will be transformed, and in our transforming, we will change everything.
Practice: Standing in the Early Glow
Find a quiet place where the night feels close. You might dim the lights, sit near a window, or step outside for a moment. Settle your body. Let your breath soften.
Begin by noticing the long night around you. Feel how the world rests in its dark season. You do not need to resist it. The night is part of the story.
Now bring your awareness to the faintest sense of brightness within you. Not a sun. Not a star. Just the early glow that shimmers on the horizon of your being. The small, steady pulse of new creation. Let yourself feel that warmth gathering.
Imagine the Third Quarter Moon above you. Its fading light is a mirror catching the promise of dawn. Let that image rest in your heart. This is the moon’s last glimmer before it enters its chrysalis of night. As you breathe in, imagine drawing some of that quiet glow into your chest. As you breathe out, imagine releasing any heaviness that keeps you from hope.
Feel for the ache within you, the yearning for welcome, the desire to see the world made new. Do not push it away. Give it room. This ache is not weakness. It is the soul sensing the dawn before it rises.
Place a hand over your heart if it helps. Let the warmth of your touch remind you that you carry the dream of the world inside you. Let this hope gather in you as a caterpillar gathers food for the transformation ahead. Love, joy, kindness, tenderness. Take in what nourishes you. Let it settle in the hidden places of your spirit.
Now imagine yourself entering a chrysalis made of night. Not a prison. A sanctuary. A place where the old can soften and the new can take shape. Trust that what rests in this darkness is preparing you for wings yet unformed. Trust that your transformation will help transform the world.
When you are ready, return to the early glow. Picture a spark rising within you. Picture the world around you beginning to brighten. Hold this simple truth for a few breaths: the cosmos is preparing to flare forth again, and you are part of that rising light.
Let the meditation end with this quiet intention:
May the glow within me strengthen.
May the love I gather transform me.
May my transformation help heal the world.
Sit for as long as you need. When you rise from this practice, carry a small ember of that glow with you into the night.
Closing Blessing
Holy One who moves in silence and spark,
we thank you for the glow we have met in this moment.
Let the tenderness we felt here
take root in the quiet places of our hearts.
As the moon enters its chrysalis of night,
teach us to trust the slow work of becoming.
Hold us while we soften,
steady us while we gather strength,
and guide us as we rise toward the promise of new light.
May the ache of hope remain a blessing within us.
May the yearning for balance shape our choices.
May the warmth growing in our spirits
spill outward into justice, mercy, and compassion.
Walk with us as we journey throughout this season.
Keep us attuned to the shimmer of creation’s dawning.
And when the time comes for us to be transformed,
let our transformation bless the world.
Amen.