Key Phrase:"There is an empty space in my life where .... might be" or "There is an empty space in my life where ... used to be."

On this night we use the candle slightly differently than other nights. We start with the candle unlit to symbolize the darkness and the unconscious potential in ourselves. With the candle still dark, we look at the empty spaces within ourselves. As we look, we may have an insight into what it is within us that holds those spaces empty, but that is not our primary purpose at this time. We are here to simply observe what part of our ground of being is lying fallow and unused.

We do not emphasize either the positive or negative aspects of this—just observe and become aware. Sometimes a sense of grief or loss may be there, but we don't focus on that at this moment any more than we focus on the sense of relief or happiness about some empty spaces—yes, there are empty places where we may have had stressful things! We just try to notice them and to simply speak of these empty spaces to the Dark Goddess. The time of both bright and dark moons are times just to recognize and acknowledge our current state of being, to see and accept ourselves and our lives as we are in the moment.

Once that part of this night’s ritual is clear and complete, it is time to affirm our awareness and acceptance of the action of the creative life force in our lives, to be aware of our own capacity for growth, fulfillment and creative change. We now light the candle to symbolize letting that creative energy into ourselves and into our lives. Then we allow ourselves really feel this energy, this power in ourselves though we do not try to give it a direction or an intention now. When we have a clear sense of that creative power within us, we release the energy of that awareness into the universe as we blow out our candle.

The energy peak for the Dark Goddess is between the Winter Solstice, 21 December, and the 1st of February, Imbolc or St. Bride’s Day.

In this cycle we need to remember that the processes of the waxing and the waning moon are active processes— I hope, I dream, I want, I need, wouldn’t it be lovely if thus and so comes to pass, I release, I let go, I set free. The moments of the bright and dark moons are in the passive voice—there is an empty space, I am, I have, I am filled with.